Kapuso actress Carla Abellana joked about considering migration after discovering the earnings of content creators in other countries.
The “Widow’s War” star on Thursday, January 23, shared her thoughts on content creators abroad, saying that people like her are at a “disadvantage” compared to them.
“Grabe pala kinikita ng content creators sa ibang countries like the US and Canada! OMG! Even from Instagram alone or YouTube. Crazy!” she wrote on her Threads account.
“Like, luging-lugi kami dito, guys. As in, super lugi. Migrate na kaya ako?” Carla added with a heart-eyed emoji.
Apart from her social media accounts, the actress also runs a YouTube channel, which she created before to give her fans a “closer look” at her professional and personal life behind the scenes. The channel has gained 873,000 subscribers so far.
Meanwhile, other online users agreed with Carla’s sentiments and shared their experiences.
“It’s crazy! I’m a UGC creator, and some of my clients are from the US. I got a one-time deal for 1 video (40 seconds) with 6 months usage rights for $450 — that’s already 26k pesos [P26,000]. Then I saw a post from a PH agent looking for a creator with a budget of 500 pesos for 1 reel. Like, what!? It makes me feel a little sad,” an online user wrote.
“Ms. Carla, kapag local companies ang nakaka-work namin, kuripot na, demanding pa! Tapos karamihan ang gusto, xdeal pa,” another online user commented.
An ex-deal is an agreement between two parties to collaborate in exchange for products, services or other non-cash items without any monetary exchange.
Some users also pointed out that the cost of living abroad is high.
“True, pero kasi taxable naman po ‘yun and malaki taxes and other kaltas, depende saang state ka, like, kunwari, kumita ako ng $250 sa isang content. Ang akin diyan, mga $170 lang. Minus mo na ‘yung ginamit sa content if makeup vid or if food vid, bumili ka ng ingredients etc. So, kung susumahi, mga $50 lang talaga kinita mo, hahahaha,” an online user wrote.
“Pero mas mataas ang cost of living and taxes nila,” another online user commented.
A 2023 report by the Washington Post said that, according to a survey, only 12% of full-time content creators earn more than $50,000 per year.
In 2024, the Influencer Marketing Hub reported that, on average, a YouTuber earns about $0.018 per view, which amounts to $18 for every 1,000 views.
It added that earnings can vary depending on factors such as niche, geographical region and channel size.