What's The Chika?
We’re Gem, Janine, and Amir - three Filipino-Brits navigating life, culture, and identity one convo at a time. This podcast is our little corner to reflect, laugh, and sometimes overshare about what it means to grow up Filipino in the UK. We also sit down with amazing Filipino-Brits doing cool things in their fields - because our community deserves to be seen and celebrated. New episodes every other week.
Episodes
💼 From Reading to talent management, meet Sydney Bautista, the woman behind Make The Jump—a nonprofit opening doors for Asian creatives through mentorship and career access.
We talk about growing up in Reading and Swindon, code-switching in white spaces, balikbayan box nostalgia, and breaking into the creative industry. Sydney shares her journey, why she started her own nonprofit, and what it takes to thrive when representation is ...
Body shaming, colourism, armpit whitening—and the repackaged “brightening” products fueling them. In Ep 13 of What’s The Chika?, we dive deep into how toxic beauty standards persist and how our Filipino humour both hurts and heals. Plus, Entrepinoy Spotlight on Tita’s Coffee
🔥 New episodes every fortnight! Share, follow & rate us.
☕ Support: https://ko-fi.com/whatsthechika
📲 IG & TikTok: @whatsthechika
💌 Enqu...
British Filipino Barber Energy ✂️ This week we’re joined by Troy and Jordan, founders of Plural Studios, the London-based barbershop where community meets craft. From learning barbering to honouring ancestors, struggling with identity to celebrating Filipino roots—we cover it all.
We get real about language loss, building a brand from scratch, and what “Plural” really means. There’s jokes, depth, ghost stories, and a lot of heart.
🫶...
New Chika Alert: From Budapest anniversaries and auspicious wedding dates to Janine’s pregnancy update and our Scandinavian travel plans, we’ve got loads to catch up on! Then we dive deep into Crab Mentality—Pakikisama, hiya, poverty, celebrity case studies, Inglishera vs. conyo, and how we can combat this toxic trait by celebrating each other. This one’s a heart-to-heart on Filipino culture and community support! ❤️
New Life Loading: Babies, Tagalog Lessons, and Finding Home | Episode 10
💬 In this new What’s The Chika? episode, we get real about family and future plans!
We talk about Janine’s pregnancy (yay!!), if we'd consider surrogacy, teaching our kids Tagalog, being dual citizens, and what “home” means when you're Filipino-British.
This one's a super personal, heartfelt chika session! ❤️ Where do you find your home?
🔥 New episodes every for...
Bangs Garcia | Episode 9🎬 From starring in hit teleseryes to building a quiet life in the UK, Bangs Garcia’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. This week on What’s The Chika?, Bangs opens up about leaving the world of Philippine showbiz to embrace a new chapter as a mum, wife, and entrepreneur abroad. 🇵🇭🇬🇧
She shares what it was like stepping away from fame, adjusting to British life, and the joys (and challenges!) of mothe...
Cabrini Roy | Episode 8
👗 From cutting her mom’s curtains to being featured in British Vogue and dressing icons like Heart Evangelista and Nadine Lustre, Cabrini Roy’s fashion journey is truly one of a kind! This week on What’s The Chika?, Cabrini shares her incredible story—from her humble beginnings to becoming a force in the fashion world. 🇵🇭✨
She reveals the challenges of breaking into the industry, her experience teaching...
Valentines Chaos: Love, Religion and Sexuality | Episode
💘 In this What’s The Chika? Valentine’s special, we dive into the messy side of love! From your poll answers to our hot takes on cheating friends, cultural differences in relationships, divorce in the PH, and LDRs—nothing is off-limits. Plus, we get real about Catholicism, being gay, our red flags, and how dating has changed over the years.
Is love really enough, or are there...
Rex De Guzman | Episode 6
🍲 From pop-up stalls to co-owning Turo-Turo with Black Eyed Peas' Apl.de.Ap, Rex De Guzman is redefining Filipino cuisine in the UK! This week on What’s The Chika?, we explore Rex’s journey, starting with his bold leap from working in Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant to carving out his own space in the culinary world. 🇵🇭✨
Rex shares the challenges of modernising Filipino classics, how people have responded to h...
Johnny Meatless | Episode 5
🌱 Kick off 2025 with What’s The Chika?! In this episode, we chat with @JohnnyMeatless about his journey to becoming a vegan while staying true to his Filipino roots, his fitness journey, and how he’s inspiring others to try plant-based versions of Filipino classics—perfect inspiration for your New Year’s resolutions! 🇵🇭✨
We also introduce a fresh Chika segment with quick-fire questions and a special Roo...
Noche Buena Special | Episode 4
Merry Christmas, Chika Fam! 🎅✨
In this festive episode, we dive into the joy and magic of Noche Buena as we compare British and Filipino Christmas traditions. From having roast to lechon, we explore the best of both worlds! 🌟
We also play a hilarious game of "Naughty or Nice" 🎁 Expect lots of laughs, holiday cheer, and relatable moments!
Wherever you are, we hope you're enjoying your Noche Buen...
Araw Ice Cream & Keziah | Episode 3
🍦 This week on What’s The Chika?, we’re chatting with Keziah, the brilliant mind behind Araw Ice Cream!
We talk about everything from sourcing ingredients like ube and calamansi to running and owning a business in the food world. Keziah also shares her festive new flavours – and yes, we got a taste test! 🎄✨
We’re also debuting our Chika segment, asking Keziah fun and personal questions to ...
The Best & Worst Filipino Traits | Episode 2 🇵🇭✨ In this episode of What's The Chika?, we dive into the best and worst traits that make Filipinos who we are! From our legendary hospitality 🫶 to the controversial 'crab mentality' 🦀 Which Filipino trait do you admire the most? Or maybe one you can't stand? 👀 Share your thoughts in the comments! 💬
EntrePinoy: ERIKA VALLIDO
Instagram: erikavallido_ 🔥 New episodes every ...
What’s The Chika? | Episode 1
🎉 What’s The Chika? is here! In this debut episode, Gem, Amir & Janine introduce you to the podcast that celebrates all things Filipino from a British perspective. 🇵🇭 Get to know your hosts, hear about what inspired this podcast, and discover why What’s The Chika? is your next favourite space for exploring Filipino culture, food, traditions, and stories!🔥 New episodes every fortnight! Let’s ke...
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