Previously a Canadian vlogger, Kyle Jennerman, dubbed “Kulas,” was granted Philippine citizenship on September 13 in the House of Representatives.
He took the Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines with Biñan City Representative Len Alonte, who happened to be the principal author of Bill 7185, or the Bill of Naturalization, approved in February 2023.
Kulas was a travel vlogger and mainly visited Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and India. He arrived in the Philippines in 2013 and decided to settle there. For ten years, he spent his time visiting up to 70 provinces and experiencing diverse cultures and traditions, which he featured in his YouTube channel “Becoming Filipino”.
His channel, with nearly 500,000 subscribers, was discovered alongside his stories from around the country and later turned into his advocacy.
He had advocated for island conservation in hopes of sustainable tourism and proper waste management as part of being a good traveler, and recently in his oath taking he had worn a bamboo textile barong designed by Francis Libiran, which was developed by the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute.
His support for the weavers of his outfit from Maragondon, Cavite, and Ibaan, Batangas, is an expression of his love and dedication for the Philippines.
“It has been absolutely wonderful over the years, getting to learn about fabrics, weaves, and unique local designs. If you have been following my life journey up until this point, you would know how much I appreciate local,” he said.
Proudly wearing the bamboo textile barong, the content creator also expressed his gratitude to its creator and to Filipinos for creating such a masterpiece.
“A Filipino designer, Filipino fabric. really feeling like a Filipino the first moments after my oath-taking,” he said.
Over time, his passion and advocacy may turn into campaigns and projects that can boost tourism and local products even further.
As indicated in his Facebook post of the oath-taking, he is ready to take on another chapter of ‘Becoming Filipino.’ He wrote, “One day at a time. Kaya pa.”
Photo Credit:
https://www.facebook.com/becomingfilipino
https://www.facebook.com/becomingfilipino
