MANILA, Philippines — After nearly a year away from his signature school-themed content, Esnyr Ranollo is back with a new episode of “First Day High,” a 53-minute YouTube special packed with celebrity appearances and relatable campus humor that has garnered 4 million views in less than 24 hours.
The content creator-turned-actor enlisted a star-studded cast for the comeback episode, including Vice Ganda, Donny Pangilinan, Belle Mariano, Enchong Dee, Empoy Marquez, Bella Belen and Mimiyuuuh, as well as several of his fellow “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” housemates, as he revived the series that helped make him one of the country's most popular online personalities.
For months, Ranollo teased fans about a major project, revealing after the episode's release that he and his team had been working on it in secret.
“Surprise!!! The long wait is overrrrr Y'ALL!! This is probably one of the biggest projects we've poured our hearts into so far. We've been silently working on this for MONTHS!!” he wrote in an Instagram broadcast channel post.
“We poured everything we had into making this happen. That’s why I’m soooo happy that I can finally share it with you guys! I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who waited. I’m excited for all of you to see what we’ve been working on,” he added.
In a separate Instagram post, Ranollo described the new installment as his “pinaka-pasabog (most explosive)” comeback and revealed the amount of work that went into the production.
“FINALLY THERE’S A NEW EPISODE! This is the biggest comeback for you all,” he wrote in another Instagram post.
“At last, I can finally share it. For the past three months, we’ve been quietly working and pouring our time, effort, and yes... a fairly large budget on this one. So I hope the wait was worth it!,” he added.
Released on June 14, the episode follows students navigating the first day of classes and revisits the familiar school scenarios that have become a trademark of Ranollo’s content.
The episode also features Anthony Constantino, Joy Barcoma, Donna Cariaga, Krystal Mejes, Queen Dura and Pitik Queen.
Several of Ranollo’s fellow “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition” housemates also make appearances, including Klarisse de Guzman, Shuvee Etrata, Mika Salamanca, Will Ashley and Brent Manalo.
Before the premiere, Ranollo teased the return through a trailer that highlighted some of the awkward and memorable moments associated with returning to school.
“Back to school. Back to reality. Bagong gamit. Bagong mga kaklase. And siyempre hindi mawawala 'yung napakabagong, ‘How about you? Introduce yourself’ sa harap ng klase,” he said in the teaser.
(Back to school. Back to reality. New school supplies. New classmates. And of course, there’s one thing that never goes away — the dreaded, ‘How about you? Introduce yourself’ in front of the class).
The preview also hinted at a budding crush and a possible love triangle, adding new storylines to the comedy series.
“First Day High” revolves around relatable Filipino school experiences and has become one of Ranollo’s most recognizable content formats. The creator plays multiple characters, including students, teachers and canteen workers, in sketches inspired by everyday classroom life.
The school-themed comedy series played a major role in Ranollo’s rise to online fame through TikTok and YouTube, where his comedic portrayal of Filipino classroom culture.
