“Ulirang Tita” has stolen Miggy's thunder yet again, and we can’t fault her for it. Upon looking into the identity beneath the brim of her summer hat, we find Annel Ramones, ID 115 Benilde Multimedia Arts graduate一whose sense of humor has taken over social media by storm.
Photo courtesy of Annel Ramones
Ramones first went viral in June 2021 when she was all glammed up in mystery to attend her nephew Miguel Ramones’ virtual recognition day. Wearing a black wide-brim summer hat which covers the top half of her face, elbow-length gloves, and an Audrey Hepburn-esque little black dress. A little over a year later for her nephew’s graduation, Ramones is seen accompanied by a new character: a bodyguard for Tita’s security purposes, of course.
Photo courtesy of Annel Ramones
With over 62,000 reactions and 20,000 shares on Ramones’ post as of this writing, it's no surprise that likes, laughs, brands, and features came knocking at her bedazzled doorstep one by one. With video segments from the likes of “Unang Hirit,” GMA Network’s flagship morning show, Smart Parenting, and the Regional News Group - RNG Luzon, the “Ulirang Tita” also earned features on the Facebook pages of national news outlets such as the Manila Bulletin, PhilSTAR Life, and Inquirer.
And with two wildly successful installments to this Tita’s events with her nephew一it's no wonder that she has also appeared in collaborations with brands such as Grab and SM.
Photo courtesy of Annel Ramones
Currently working as a senior graphic designer, Ramones spends her family events in full glitz and glam channeling her inner “Ulirang Tita.” Surrounded by her personal guards wherever she goes, she brings her lavish life to every moment possible. We all wish we had our own tita of the year to grace us with her presence.
Tita takes shape
Ironically, the “Ulirang Tita” was more likely to be a plantita before the idea began forming in Ramones’ mind.
“Actually, nag-start kasi talaga ‘yan nung kasama ko bumili ‘yung mom ko ng hat niya [na] pang garden,” she stated in an interview with The Benildean, describing that she thought the hat looked like an outfit straight out of a primetime telenovela. “Natawa ako kasi sabi ko mukha siyang kontrabida na mananampal ng pera para layuan ‘yung anak niya, ganun [‘yung] level!”
Dressed up with her humor, Ramones always finds something funny in the simplest of things. “Pag may nakita akong nakakatawang bagay, talagang hinahanapan ko lang siya ng perfect opportunity kung saan ko siya pwede gamitin.” It just so happens that the perfect opportunity to showcase it was right in front of her.
“[A] few months later, ako lang daw ang last option ng pamilya ko na mag-attend sa virtual recognition ni Miggy,” she shared, adding that she saw this as the prime opportunity to finally bring life into the character. “Doon ko pinasok ‘yung crazy rich tita eleganza concept ko!” Ramones recalled fondly.
Tita takes the internet
Who would’ve thought that a flamboyant character meant for kicks and giggles would send the internet into a viral frenzy? With her wild, winning sense of humor, you’d think that our “Tita of the Year” fully expected to go viral, but on the contrary, Ramones said that she wasn’t expecting the public’s reaction at all.
“Posting something like that kasi is parang normal or casual na lang sa ‘kin dahil sa personality ko, talagang siguro naaliw lang or marami lang talaga naka-relate sa ganoong type ng post,” she added.
Ramones’ sense of humor is no one-hit wonder. In fact, the “Ulirang Tita” posts weren’t even the first social media shenanigans of hers to break the internet. “‘Yung pinaka una [na nag-viral] ‘yung sa Twitter, ‘yung ‘Kids, ready na ba kayo makita si Jollibee?!’ na video ko ‘yung unang una. Hindi din ‘yun planado, in-upload ko lang din ulit ‘yun tas eventually natuwa mga tao.“
Beyond the hat
But what does her nephew Miggy think of all this? And more importantly–who is Ramones when the “Ulirang Tita” iconic outfit is put away? While she is a proud Benildean graduate and former layout artist of the Benildean Press Corps, the College’s official student-journalists’ organization, the person underneath the hat has a whole story of her own.
Photo courtesy of Annel Ramones
She recalled how some commenters even equate her Benildean roots into the character. “Actually may mga nabasa akong comments before something like ‘Ah, kaya pala ang extra, taga Benilde kasi!’ and [ang] ganda kasi I think naging image na talaga nating mga Benildeans maging extra sa lahat ng ordinary na bagay.”
Lastly, Ramones does more than embodying “Ulirang Tita” and making viral videos. She is, after all, an artist, a designer, and a creative at heart. Her latest character even draws from her love of vintage and old Hollywood aesthetics, “Even ‘yung art style ko, which is creating collage, puro mga ganun.”
Want to find out more about Annel Ramones’ creative pursuits beyond Tita’s hat? Check out her design work on Instagram!
