You’ve probably heard of the new viral catchphrase “Mekus Mekus” making the rounds on social media, especially on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, by a vlogger known by his handle, Mr. Nobodydudy. However, at the same time, the same phrase that brought him popularity also often leaves many of the amused netizens confused.

So, what does mekus mekus really mean, and why is it so popular? 

Who is Mr. Nobodydudy? The man behind “Mekus Mekus”

The viral expression “mekus mekus” is popularized by the Philippine-based Indian vlogger and content creator Mr. Nobodydudy, whose real name is Navhot Singh, known for doing comedic reaction videos of street food vendors cooking colorful and flavorful cuisines from his home country of India.

As of writing, Mr. Nobodydudy has already attracted a massive 3.4M Facebook followers, 400k Instagram followers, and 23.7k TikTok followers, with other content creators jumping into the craze and bandwagon.

What does mekus mekus mean?

Mr. Nobodydudy would often say “mekus mekus,” which is his amusing or sometimes sarcastic way of pronouncing ‘mix mix’ whenever the street food vendor he was watching would stir their food preparation. 

So, to straighten things out, he clarified what mekus mekus is in his “most detailed” vlog on TikTok, which is only six minutes long. 

He said, “Mekus mekus, mix mix ha. Kami na Indian we cannot pronounce straight, baka yung iba kaya nila yan, ako hindi.” (Mekus mekus, mix mix, ok. We Indians cannot pronounce straight. Maybe some can, but I can’t).

Also, if you think about it, you’ll realize that “mekus mekus” is really “mix mix” pronounced in an elongated syllable due to his Indian accent.

But, hey, Filipinos are also known for our “filipino accents” abroad that many comedians love to point out and laugh about, so who are we to judge? 

His other usual entertaining expression is “tornado na yan,” whenever the cook swirls their food mixture intensely. He also loves referring to his compatriots using Filipino endearments, like tito (uncle), insan (cousin), and pamangkin (niece or nephew).

• Credits to the owner (CTTO): Is it enough attribution for original creators of content?
• Who is Marites? Meet the internet’s favorite chismosa
• Forda Origin ang Ferson: Where did this Internet lingo come from, and what does it mean?

The blessing and curse of fame

They say that fame is both a blessing and a curse, which is what is currently happening to Mr. Nobodydudy. While he keeps receiving laughs, love, and admiration from Filipinos for his comedic acts and even asking him why he has yet to appear on TV, that is not true for some of his fellow Indians in the country. 

He revealed that he had received death threats from some Indians in the country following his rise to fame from his India-related content that others may find offensive. This made him feel vulnerable and unsafe to go outside. 

He said, “Hindi na nga ako makalabas ng bahay para na akong arestado dito sa amin. Wala na yan, that’s life. Mekus mekus lang tayo, tuloy tuloy lang.” (I can’t even get out of the house, I feel like in house arrest. But we can’t do anything, that’s life. Let’s just mekus mekus, and continue doing what we’re doing.)

However, while he is concerned for his safety, he recognizes the police for frequently visiting him and offering help, as well as to Filipinos who continuously wish him well.

This article, Mekus Mekus: Meaning and story behind the viral catchphrase, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.

How often have you seen a text, an image, or a video on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or TikTok with the acronym “CTTO” or “credits to the owner” attached to it? This may sound like they are giving credit where credit is due, but is that really what’s happening, or is there a proper way to do it?

Table of Contents

• What is CTTO?
• Why do people use CTTO?
• Is adding CTTO to a copied work enough?
  • What if the original creator did not register any copyright?
  • If you share another person’s work with no desire for commercial gain, will CTTO be okay?
• What is the Fair Use Policy?
• How to properly give credits to the owner?
  • What if I can’t trace the owner of the work?
• Will you be penalized or go to jail for using CTTO?

What is CTTO?

Credits to the Owner (CTTO) is a common phrase used in social media by people attempting to give credit to the original owner or content creator, whether written content, photo, video clip, or meme. However, this phrase and acronym are often used to post content under a different name without properly citing the original owner.

While sharing other people’s work on social media is generally fine, how you share it matters and determines whether it’s legal or not.

For instance, reposting on X (formerly retweeting on Twitter) and sharing on Facebook are highly encouraged because they preserve the original creator’s account in the media.

But if you download an image, save a video, or copy another person’s text without the owner’s approval, that’s where the problem is because some legal and moral rights come with it.

Why do people use CTTO?

There are different reasons why people use CTTO instead of seeking permission and approval from the rightful owner.

• They think adding a CTTO is enough. Usually, the people using CTTO are unaware and honestly do not know it’s illegal. They just want to credit the creator because they thought the CTTO would reach whoever owns the original work.
• They want to get the engagements and reach. Some people, social media pages, and groups deliberately download another person’s work and post it as their own to increase their engagement and reach. They know that if they just reshare or repost it, the engagements and growth will be on the original poster.

• Asking permission can be a hassle. Another reason why people use CTTO is because they want to avoid the hassle of asking for permission and approval from the rightful owner. The problem is that no one is penalized for taking other people’s work as their own.

Now, let’s look deeper at the acronym CTTO, its legal basis, and whether it’s proper to use it.

Is adding CTTO to a copied work enough?

A crucial concept we must first understand regarding the use of CTTO is copyright. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), citing the Intellectual Property Code (RA 8293), copyright is the legal protection extended to the owner of the original work.

While copyright generally extends to literary, scientific, and artistic domains, including books, lectures, dramatic and musical compositions, and others, the common copyrightable works found in social media include photos, videos, written works like essays and texts, and even memes.

So, based on the law, the copyright belongs to the original creator of these works, and they will enjoy its protection.

What if the original creator did not register any copyright?

If you think that the original owners should register their copyrights to enjoy the protection of the law, the straight answer is ‘No.’ According to Section 172 of the Intellectual Property Code or Republic Act No. 8293, copyrightable works are automatically protected at the moment they’re created.

If you share another person’s work with no desire for commercial gain, will CTTO be okay?

It’s important to understand that sharing another person’s original work without their approval and instead using CTTO to “cite” them is not enough, even if you don’t intend to gain money. The copyright owner has economic and moral rights over their work.

So, even if you don’t intend to profit from another person’s work, the creator has the right to attribution. This means that the original creator has the right to be identified if their work will be published or shared publicly.

• Who is Marites? Meet the internet’s favorite chismosa
• Forda Origin ang Ferson: Where did this Internet lingo come from, and what does it mean?

What is the Fair Use Policy?

While it may appear that using any copyrighted material is prohibited unless properly attributed, there is still an exemption – the Fair Use.

The fair use concept can be applied to use copyrighted materials for commenting, criticizing, teaching, news reporting, and other purposes, even without asking permission from the owner.

Here are the factors of consideration for fair use:

• The nature of any copyright content/work;
• The character and purpose of use;
• The substantiality and amount of the piece you’ll use, share or take;
• It affects the use of your target audience or market.

This concept allows others to use copyrighted materials without permission, which is why you can see people on YouTube react and comment on other people’s videos and music, as well as create educational materials.

How to properly give credits to the owner?

Now that we have established that simply using CTTO to cite the original owner is not enough, including the legal and moral principles of the original works, let’s look at how we can properly give credit.

• Ask for permission from the owner. You must ask for their permission and approval to use other people’s works. If they agree, add the proper attribution, like their name, organization, or website URL. But if they disagree, don’t use it and move forward.

• Pay them if you’ll use their work for commercial purposes. An important principle regarding giving credit is that if you use another person’s work for commercial purposes, they deserve to be paid.

• Determine the usage. Based on fair use, others can still use some copyrighted materials without express approval if they fall within its provisions. However, proper attributions are still necessary.

What if I can’t trace the owner of the work?

Using CTTO is not a free pass to take someone else’s work, even if it’s rampant in social media. It’s actually an incorrect practice that must stop. The general rule of thumb regarding giving credit is if you don’t own it, don’t use it.

However, there is an exemption. It’s also okay to ask for permission from the original owner, and if they agree, credit them properly.

Can you imagine taking a great picture, creating a stunning video, or composing a lovely song? Then, someone on the internet mindlessly takes your work, posts it on their profile, and adds CTTO as an attribution. Will it be okay with you?

Chances are, it may cause you to resent the people or organizations that took your work without your permission. So, whenever you want to copy someone else’s work and pass it as your own, stop for a while and contact the proper owners.

Will you be penalized or go to jail for using CTTO?

Using CTTO to cite the original owner is illegal, and there are potential penalties for copyright infringement for using other people’s works without their permission.

• Imprisonment: 1 to 3 years
• Fine: Php50,000 to Php150,000 for the first offense

Settling the issue with the original owner can still avoid these penalties. However, I’m unsure if this applies to politicians who conveniently modify copyrighted materials to insert their names on campaign jingles.

Another good defense for copyright infringement is citing fair use.

CTTO is not a magic word that takes away the right of the original creator of the work for proper credit. In fact, it’s the Internet community’s responsibility to ensure appropriate credit is given to whom it is due. It is also the creator’s discretion to let you use their work.

Have you seen people who are misusing CTTO and credits to the owner? Send them this article, so they can be informed on the proper ways to credit people who produce original work.

This article, Credits to the owner (CTTO): Is it enough attribution for original creators of content?, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.

As the highly anticipated Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 (ESGS) is already dead set for a November 3 to 5, 2023 launch, questions regarding ticket prices have loomed on the air. Event organizer Gariath Concepts dispels the mystery by spilling the beans with a post detailing the cost of the ticket for a wanted admission and inclusion in the event.

Via an official Facebook post, Esports and Gaming Summit 2023 – ESGS shared a photo highlighting the ticket prices and the unique merchandise that accompany each ticket purchase:

• Platinum Ticket (Php6,500), which comes with a 3-day pass, a windbreaker, a t-shirt, a desk mat, a lanyard, and a sticker sheet.
• Gold Ticket (Php4,000), which comes with a 3-day pass, a t-shirt, a desk mat, a lanyard, and a sticker sheet.
• Silver Ticket (Php2,500), which comes with a 2-day weekend pass, a t-shirt, a lanyard, and a sticker sheet.
• Bronze Ticket (Php1,000), which comes with a 1-day pass good for any day, an event lanyard, and a stickers sheet.
• Iron Ticket (Php750), which is strictly a 1-day pass good for any day.

Meanwhile, Gariath Concepts has yet to showcase the merch that will be included with most of the ticket purchases.

Starting yesterday, September 20, 2023, willing participants can secure a spot in the once-a-year event by choosing to purchase their tickets beginning today.

An event to behold, the ESGS 2023, which will take place at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, Manila will be playing host to big companies in the industry. Namely, JBL, SEGA, SteelSeries, Republic of Gamers (ASUS), Lenovo Legion, and more.

This article, ESGS 2023 ticket prices revealed, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.

Anyone on the internet knows how quickly trends and memes can come and go. But there are some memes that get used by everyone and become cultural mainstays, so much so that they infiltrate normal conversation, very much outside of the internet. Think terms like yarn/yorn, for today’s videyow, and the now-overused sana all.

And now we add a new term to the list, one that has been on everybody’s lips in the past few months: Forda ferson. What does it mean? How do you use it? When do you use it? Read on further because we’re about to tell you everything about this newest Pinoy internet lingo. Forda explanation na ang mga ferson.

Forda breakdown

The beauty about so many of these trendy Filipino slang words is that they can be used any way you want them. They can be twisted and turned into so many different configurations, and it’s really up to you, the speaker, how you want to use the term. 

Forda [blank] ang ferson essentially means the “ferson” you’re referring to is into something. When you’re sharing with someone that you love K-Pop, you can confess that “forda K-Pop ang ferson.” When your friend loves to stage the perfect IG photo, “forda estetik si mars.” When you’re out with your barkada on a food trip, you can say “Forda kain na naman tayo mga ferson.” 

Some netizens can get really creative about how they use forda ferson in their posts or captions. Often, forda is only one of the few slang terms that they mix and match in their sentences all the time.

“Forda online selling na naman ang mga fersons for today’s videyow. Pa-mine na lang kapag bet niyo yarn mga misis. Ganorn.”

If you’re not hip to these new words, you might find yourself getting lost along the way.

• Who is Marites? Meet the internet’s favorite chismosa
• Credits to the owner (CTTO): Is it enough attribution for original creators of content?

Forda origin

If it took you this long to learn what forda ferson means, you are not alone. In the last months, people just started saying forda ferson seemingly out of the blue, and it also took us a bit of guessing and head-scratching to understand what they were trying to say. Soon enough, everyone everywhere is on the forda ferson train, and if it wasn’t for a little sleuthing on the internet, we would have ended up more clueless than ever. 

As it turns out, the forda ferson trend started out on TikTok from the user @chrishannaluisa, whose real name is Chrishanna Luisa Austria. Way before the trend was even a trend, Chrishanna has already been using “forda [blank]” and addressing her viewers as “fersons” on the app as early as March 2022.  

It was on June 2022 when the trend really caught on, when Chrishanna posted a TikTok of herself drunk, describing herself as “forda red girl.” And then internet magic happens. As of writing, the video has since garnered more than 24 million views and 2.6 million likes, and that 10-second sound bite has been remixed a thousand times over.

Forda viral

We know something has gone viral when it has escaped the confines of youth culture and the internet and it starts getting used by the general population. And that’s exactly what happened with forda ferson. Aside from young Gen Zers, we’ve heard mothers use the term (“Oh, forda Shopee ka na naman!”) and even in work settings (“Forda deadline ang ferson.”)

Why do certain internet slang words go viral while others do not? Who the hell knows, but we believe it’s a combination of several factors, including algorithms, comedy factor, and sheer luck. Everyone loves to use forda ferson because it’s a funny way to describe things, and it’s short and snappy enough to be used as a go-to filler word when you have nothing else to say. Forda mema ang ferson.

And most importantly, we think forda ferson went viral because of how versatile it is. Just like how you can use the all-around sana all in countless situations, forda ferson is similarly limitless. People use it however they want, and part of the fun of it is finding new, funny ways to insert the term into their jokes, TikToks, or My Day posts. 

Forda gets na ba ang ferson? We hope that our short explainer has shed some light on this newest Pinoy slang on everybody’s lips. Will forda ferson permanently imprint itself into Pinoy internet vocabulary? Only time will tell, but for now, it looks like forda ferson is here forda long haul.

This article, Forda Origin ang Ferson: Where did this Internet lingo come from, and what does it mean?, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.

Everyone has that one nosy neighbor (or a flock of neighbors) who loves to hang around outside and gossip about everything and everyone. Picture them: a group of middle-aged women in their Sunday dusters, huddled around on your street indiscreetly talking about the latest chismis in your neighborhood. They are now fondly called as Marites.

We love to hate them and we hate to love them, but one thing is clear: town gossip is an integral part of the community. And in 2020, during the early months of the global health crisis, they have become the newest internet sensation and have even been given a name: the Marites.

The origin story of Marites and its memes

The idea of a meddlesome Marites (also known as Maritess) has long existed even before she was christened with the name. The neighborhood’s bigmouthed chismosa is a universal character that most Filipinos are familiar with, either through real-life encounters or through their frequent depictions in the background of several teleseryes.

But in 2020, the name Marites started being associated with the chismosa character — first through the internet, and then the offline world started to catch on. Memes about the gossipmonger are shared by thousands and go viral. Whenever there’s a celebrity scandal floating online, Marites is frequently invoked in the comments section. Soon enough, the term Marites became a cultural shorthand to label any chismosa on the internet.

Like most internet sensations, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the Marites memes or when it was first used on the internet. However, we do know that it surged in popularity in 2020 during the first few months of the global health crisis. One of the most prominent Filipino content creators who helped spread the sensation is @justineluzares on TikTok.

In a Facebook post about then-Manila mayor Isko Moreno announcing that there will be no liquor ban during quarantine, one commenter named Marites was decidedly not impressed. She commented that there should be a liquor ban since alcohol is not an essential need, to which another commenter replied, “Manahimik ka, Marites!” And the rest is history.

Before going through the rest of the story, you might want to watch this hilarious Maritess video produced by Netflix.

The cultural capital

The Marites expression has since taken off and is now a part of the colorful lexicon of Filipino pop culture. Marites has become almost synonymous with the Filipino chismosa. Originally just a name or label given to somebody, Marites is now also being used as a verb meaning to gossip with one another, as in: “Lapit ka, meron akong ima-Marites sa’yo.”

The Marites iconography of a loose-fitting duster dress and a towel over a head of wet hair is instantly recognizable, and it has since been memed and parodied countless times over social media. Most notable are the TikTok videos by Justine Luzares, who adds another layer to the Aling Marites character by giving her a posh British accent.

Isn’t it crazy how just one name evokes such an image and stereotype in our heads? When somebody mentions that somebody is being a Marites, we know exactly what they’re talking about. Marites is such a clear stereotype that many have even posited the term as the Filipino version of Karen, a name that carries with it the notion of an entitled middle-aged white woman in the USA.

But while the term Karen is often used in a derogatory manner, Marites remains to be quite harmless and is used in humor and banter in a tongue-in-cheek way. There’s a slight reverence that is given to the term Marites, which perhaps reveals how we view the chismosas as an important foundation of the community.

• Credits to the owner (CTTO): Is it enough attribution for original creators of content?
• Forda Origin ang Ferson: Where did this Internet lingo come from, and what does it mean?

The legacy of Marites

Most of us have a certain love-hate relationship with the Aling Marites in our lives. We detest how they make a habit out of talking about other people’s private business, and we worry about whether they’re talking about our own affairs.

However, we also depend on them to learn about information we wouldn’t have been able to get any other way. How else would we know about the latest neighborhood rumors without the sharp eyes and ears of the Marites? In situations where political institutions and official channels are slow, deceptive, or unreliable in sharing the news, the Marites may be a more dependable source of information because they belong to the community.

The Marites character gets a bad rap because gossiping may sometimes be malicious and instigate conflict among certain groups. But gossip, when it’s friendly and constructive, also serves the important function of imparting news and strengthening social bonds through stories and active engagement. And Marites is at the very helm of this mission to bring the people of the community together.

Here’s a funny ‘mockumentary’ for Marites we found on YouTube.

All of us have a Marites in our lives. And maybe we ourselves have been a Marites one way or another in the past, sharing the latest stories and scandals with our best friends. We love to make fun of her on and off the internet, but don’t forget how much we actually depend on the real-life Marites to get the latest scoops on the latest stories.

This article, Who is Marites? Meet the internet’s favorite chismosa, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.