Chantelle Hernandez relishes chance to provide voice for women in esports

MANILA, Philippines — Having casted in Seasons 4 and 5 of the Mobile Legends Professional League-Philippines (MPL PH), caster Chantelle Hernandez, one of the first female casters in the league, thought that her career was on the upward trajectory.

But with the global pandemic putting a stop to all face-to-face activities in 2020, Hernandez sought a different way to still keep in touch with the community.

“Ang ginawa ko at that time was nagfocus ako sa other ways to communicate or to relate with the gaming community. Nagvlog ako for quite some time. Ang panata ko kasi ang ‘educated’ na community ay magpapadali sa gaming ecosystem. Yung content ko was explaining this and that, ito yung nangyayari ngayon sa Mobile Legends, regardless kung nakikita nila ako nagcacast or hindi, I was still there to serve them. I was more community centric kasi I was also a part of that as a gamer myself,” Hernandez told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview in celebration for National Women’s Month.

Hernandez, like many in the esports community, was scrutinized by close relatives and friends when she first started casting. She shared that whenever she joined her college friends for get-togethers, they would mock her by saying the usual intro of the game, “Welcome to Mobile Legend”.

“They don’t really know what esports is nung nagsisimula ako. Tapos they would say, ‘Anu bang ginagawa mo dyan?’ Yung feeling ng friends rin ng mom ko na naglalaro lang ako,” said Hernandez.

She would also see this mindset from her mother, who was a principal at a school and was more inclined to see her daughter have a corporate job as Hernandez has a background in statistics and research. But with the growth of the esports industry, Hernandez said even her mother was now sharing her own comments and analysis of the game.

But it wasn’t just her family and friends who made their negative comments known.

Back in 2020, Hernandez was a guest choice for Eat Bulaga’s Bawal Judgemental segment, where she shared how she regularly received criticism from the predominantly male audience whenever she casted.

“Since online po siya nababasa ko 'yung comments. All along ginagawa ko 'yung best ko lagi, pero parang kulang pa rin. Minsan may mga bash na 'Ano ba 'to? Nakaka-irita itong nagsasalita na 'to?' Tapos may one time 'yung comments nila sexual [undertones] na, so parang siyempre trabaho ko talaga 'to, mae-expose at ma-e-expose ako so, I give you the respect sana kami din na mga gamer, kahit caster same 'yung tingin,” she said during the noontime show.

Hernandez had felt like giving up at that point but found herself taking those hardships as a source of inspiration to further improve her casting style.

“Tinake ko siya as an inspiration and as a challenge na how can I convert this people that hate me because I am a female caster to people who like what I do? Ginagawa ko yung perfect recipe para magets nila yung sinasabi ko in the simplest way possible. Yung layman's term, ako ginawa ko siyang ‘laymanest’ term. Yung simplest na talaga so I can cater to all ages, all genders, as well as viewers who are discovering the game for the first time,” said Hernandez.

Fighting a new battle

Entering Series 10, Hernandez was at the top of her casting career, but it was also at this time when she faced one of the biggest trials of her life as she was diagnosed with depression.

“Lowest of low siya kasi dumating yung point na parang ayaw ko na, as in lumalabas na ako for cast. Buong araw nasa bahay lang ako, nagdelete pa ako ng lahat ng social media except yung needed for MPL. May moments na talaga na may attack. Nung birthday ko last year, nakahiga lang ako umiiyak. May moments na gigising ka na ang lungkot lungkot mo. May moments na umiiyak ka lang talaga,” opened up Hernandez.

But Hernandez persisted through those tough times, seeking help and being open about the things she was going through.

She adds, “One way of overcoming it is instead of waiting for other people to approach me, ako na yung pagkapasok is magiging very cheery.  Even though napakadown ng aking mood, I always make sure that I am the person to bring a smile to other people’s faces. Dati kasi parang ineembrace ko yung gloominess. Ako mismo yung nagsabi na hindi.”

The perseverance Hernandez showed kept her going to finish the season and add another highlight to her career, winning the Best Filipino Caster for Season 10.

“Para po siyang highlight and lowlight [for me] kasi parang nagjuggle siya in between. Kasi nung mga time na yun, papunta ako sa studio na namamaga yung mata, pero syempre pagdating sa desk kailangan ko siyang baguhin pero I see it as a highlight kasi I was able to overcome that, yung mga inner demons, if you will.” said Hernandez.

Becoming a voice

Looking back at her four years of casting, Hernandez can pinpoint one thing that has highlighted her career.

“Highlight for me is being able to tell the story of female gamers, na lagi kaming nababash and that through my voice I get to inspire other people naman,” said Hernandez.

In recent months, as she shared her fight with depression, she has also become an advocate for mental health. She was surprised with the amount of messages she had received asking where and how to also seek help.

“Nung sinasabi ko yung diagnosis, and that I was seeking professional help, ang daming nagmemessage sa akin, up until now, like ‘Ate Chantelle san ka po nagpatingin kasi may feeling rin akong ganyan’ so at least nalalaman ng mga tao na its ok to seek help. Wala na yung you are a depressed person, ibig sabihin baliw ka. Hindi, you just need help,” said Hernandez.

She continues, “Fulfilling siya for me kasi akala ko rin nung una, maling bagay siya. Pero hindi and I was given this opportunity to help rin other people see that.”

Future of women in esports

Having been labeled the female caster in MPL PH for a long time, Hernandez felt that moving forward, the community should do away with the labels and making a big deal about the difference between men and women in the industry.

“For esports, malaking part yung may female presence. It’s all about diversity. Ang para sa akin lang, sana in the near future, hindi na siya yung parang may division na male and female tournaments. That alone kasi, bakit meron pa ring hati eh wala naman ng advantage bakit kailangan pang hatiin unlike traditional sports. Pantay naman lahat. For example ako, bakit tina-tag as only female caster. Anung meron na ako lang yung babae? Does it make me less of a caster? Less of a gamer? Pantay dapat siya. It’s our responsibility to make everyone see things as equal.” shared Hernandez.

But even though she feels strongly about integration in esports, Hernandez feels like it is not something that can be done in the near future.

“Feeling ko yung roots kasi pag masyado ng matagal, mahirap bunutin. It will be a long way to go [for esports to have a strong female presence] but with the right people and the right environment, it can be. If people can accept that women are at the same level as men, madali lang siya. Kailangan lang tanggalin yung mind set na pagdating sa laro, lalaki lang na ang babae hindi alam ang sinasabi pagdating sa esports.  Medyo matagal pa pero hindi siya imposible,” she explained.

As for women who wish to pursue a career in esports, Hernandez hopes they try and not let me swayed by fear of the male-dominant industry.

“It sounds to cliche, pero walang masama kung susubukan. Alam kong maraming natatakot kasi nakikita nila yung current situation and yung mga pagsubok na dadaanan. Pero hindi mo malalaman ang kaya mong gawin kung di mo itatry. Regardless kung babae o kung anung gender identity you associate with, kung alam mo yung kaya mong gawin, gawin mo at ipakita mo sa lahat yung kaya mo, wag kayong sumuko,” said Hernandez.