Before rising to fame as the “Pambansang Good Samari-tes ng Pilipinas,” Darbie Kim Estrebilla worked multiple jobs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). When he resigned from his work abroad in 2020, he decided to pursue vlogging. Fast forward to today, “Real Talk Darbs” has carved its spot in the social media scene. It is on its way to fulfill the mission of promoting self-worth.
In “Real Talk Darbs,” Darbie dives deep into hot topics like the infamous Alex Gonzaga cake icing issue (2 million Facebook views), Charles & Keith luxury bag issue (6.8 million Facebook views), Donnalyn Bartolome’s viral “gratitude” post (762,000 Facebook views), and other trending issues.
Darbie reached his million views on Oct. 6, 2018 with the episode titled “Pagod Ka Na Bang Maging OFW?” In the said episode, he talked to OFWs, giving our kababayans a a reason why they should not quit easily being an OFW. The episode on Facebook now has a total of 2.3 million views.
“This vlog was true to my intent na this was made to save a soul. It was mainly to save a soul from quitting work. I was surprised that a lot of OFWs worldwide found my vlog relatable,” RTD shared. “This new venture gave me a sense of purpose and responsibility. It dawned on me that I now have the capability to influence people to not quit.“
Kuya Darbs’ vlog episode “Social Experiment if Filipinos are Helpful” in January 2020 earned 44 million views on Facebook, his most viewed video to date.
Just last Jan. 14, his reaction video titled “Mr. Pogi German Vlogger” reached 6.9 million views on Facebook, eliciting thousands of comments from netizens.
Given the online fame and support he has been getting, the content creator and social media expert said he’s more than just entertainment. He wants to use his platform to inspire and uplift people experiencing anxiety. Every single day, Kuya Darbs receives messages from supporters that he is their source of inspiration.
“One changed soul is worth than a billion views. My intention is to just give value to my audience on every content and video I produce. To tell you the truth, hindi ako naka-focus kung magba-viral ba ito o maraming magshe-share o sisikat ba ako sa video na ito,” Kuya Darbs enthused.
“Every video is meant to save at least one soul. I guess that’s the reason why people follow me. They see and feel that intention,” the passionate host reiterated.
Most of his vlogs are about life and love. Darbie gives advice to his followers as if he’s a long-lost Kuya. His words of wisdom covers a wide range of topics, but mostly dealing with love and life concerns.
Vlog titles that were well-received by RTD’s Facebook followers are “Nightbirde passed away and the lessons she left” (6.1 million views), “How To Move On” (1.5 million views), and “This is a sign para mag let go ka na” (2.2 million views).
As if being a host of a hit online show is not enough, the “Real Talk Darbs” creator is also an author (“The Ultimate Guide of Moving On,” “Is it Worth It?,” and “Heartbreak to Breakthrough.”). Darbie is also active in conducting heart-healing events to spread his mission of turning pain into power. Apart from this, he also offers One-on-One Heart Healing Sessions via video calling platform Zoom. It is an intimate online session for those who seek guidance and support in their healing journey.
Having founded RTD Creator Academy and RTD Creatives, RTD shares his technical know-how and content creating expertise to aspiring content creators through his academy. He imparts his marketing and branding knowledge via live talks and speaking engagements.
As of this writing, “Real Talk Darbs” has registered 3 million followers on Facebook , 210,000 subscribers on YouTube, 640,000 followers on TikTok, and 52,000 followers on Instagram.
“Most people don’t realize na ang mga sikat na content creators na tinitingala nila ngayon, took more than 10 years for their channels to really take off like Nas Daily, Cong TV, and Wil Dasovich,” RTD said.
“Given that, my advice to would-be or budding content creators is to practice consistency and patience. Be consistent in coming out with output and be prepared to outlast anyone who is better than you in terms of skills,” Darbie confidently advised.
“Paano ba maging consistent? It is by knowing why you are doing what you do. If your why is just for the fame and money, you are setting yourself up for possible failure,” Darbie said.
That is a taste of his real talk, loud and clear.