I bet my bottom peso that nearly all social media regular users have witnessed the meteoric rise of Diwata (Deo Balbuena in real life), the face behind the viral Diwata Pares Overload. The hype of his business so as Diwata’s immense popularity happened during early 2024 when he disrupted the street food business scene and introduced the infamous ‘bagnet pares that comes with unlimited rice with a free bottle of soft drink at a very affordable price’ that other food business owners also replicate.
He had his first store location near SM Mall of Asia which became a frequent subject for MMDA’s clearing operations. Ironically, the clearing operations—and even the occasional bashing from netizens—gained him public sympathy and became the very springboard for his unexpected rise to popularity. Vloggers, social media influencers and even local celebrities flocked to Diwata’s place taking advantage of his fame. He was even invited to appear in the top-rating series of ABS-CBN– Batang Quiapo.
The recipe for Diwata’s sudden fame during that time can also be attributed to his backstory: that he used to live under the bridge, started a small business and climbed to the ladder of success through his persistence and perseverance. For most of his followers, he personifies one of the Filipino traits of not giving up during adversaries and challenges. Additionally, people saw in him a genuine, unfiltered character who offered comic relief and a sense of raw humanity in an often-scripted and curated digital landscape.
But as with many overnight sensations, the fall was just as fast as the rise. Before the end of 2024, Diwata’s popularity had already taken a downward spiral. There are various reasons for the sudden take-off of his and his business’ fame and the first one to be blamed is negative publicity.
Up until now, his social media page comment sections are being bombarded by the phrase “Lilipas din yan” implying that he is “past his prime” now. This comment was made in reference to his viral response to a vlogger’s request for a birthday greeting, to which he sourly replied, ‘Lilipas din yan, Kuya’.
His social media detractors are also happy upon knowing how he was exploited through a fraudulent franchise agreement with a certain company which Diwata exposed in an interview with Julius Babao. Moreover, there are videos circulating that Diwata’s restaurant in Pasay City now has meager customers affirming that Diwata has really lost his popularity.
The unfortunate turn of events for Diwata and his business gives important business insights. First, managing one’s image and reputation is very important since it will make or break the success of the business. Diwata’s careless narratives during his encounter with social media vloggers and lack of control of his in-person and digital appearances have primarily led to his negative public image, which also put his business in a negative light.
His name has also been dragged to various personalities and entities which I believe are not properly chosen. For instance, netizens were very vocal in their disdain for Diwata when he ran for a national government position along with the first nominee with a not-so-good public image as exposed in a televised interview of Ted Failon. In his interview with Julius Babao, he admitted that he had been exploited by a company that used the Diwata brand for its own gain, leaving him at a disadvantage.
Diwata really is a victim of his own circumstance. He had been a pawn for both political and business motives which eventually put his personal and business branding in total danger. His story is a reminder for entrepreneurs, business owners and even social media influencers that the brand is the most important asset of the business.
I must say that branding should not only extend to the products being offered, to the packaging and labels and even to the logos and colors. It is more importantly built upon the values that the business upholds and its partnerships and associations. It should also center on preserving the good image and reputation of the business. For businesses, once the image has been damaged, it is nearly impossible to repair.| – TheMetroTimes.ph
