PBB: Mikki

"No one calls me Michelle." Mikki hates her given name and announcing that she doesn't like it might just be a warning not to call her that. "Michelle for me is very old fashioned. Mikki, I like it, it's unique. And most of the time kung may kapangalan ako madalas guy so walang kaso sa akin." Like her name, Mikki believes that she is a unique individual; she is very proud of who she is. "I decided to audition for Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition because I think I am not like a lot of people. I think you should just do what you want, whatever you like yun ang gawin mo. Don't copy other people kasi para kang pirated niyan."

An aspiring drummer and writer, Mikki remembers being bullied a lot of times in school before. And she tried her hardest to fit in. "When I was in high school I had a barkada, they like to drink, they cut class. They taught me to drink beer for the first time during a lunch break from a lecture where priests were teaching about virtues. When we got back, right in the middle of the talk, I got sick and vomited right in front of the lecturer." Now she knows how to stand up for herself. And her friends also look up to her.

Mikki describes her Chinese family as something straight out of "Mano Po." Her grandfather is what you would call a 'traditional' Chinese for he left his entire business to his sons and left his daughters out of it. He even came to a point where he almost had his daughters' betrothed for the sake of business. But after Mikki caught her dad cheating on her mom with his secretary (something she referred to as a real classic story) her lolo came to the family's rescue and still helps them out to this day. Her mom is studying to be a nurse now and Mikki knows that when graduation day comes, her family's American dreams will soon be realized. "Everything will fall into place and be ok." She sees 'the secretary' now as the source of her inner strength. "Kasi it's just not me na inapakan niya, it's my mom so nagalit talaga ako. It was

PBB: Fred

Give respect, get respect. Those are the words that Fred lives up to. A son of an Air Force officer it is no wonder that he landed the ROTC Commandant spot in his school. Fred is one you would call a Golden Boy - he has good grades, very athletic, an obedient son and popular with the girls. He is such a perfectionist, and he likes doing things right. Fred hates not being in control of himself, the reason why he doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs.

Fred claims that despite his father's military background, he and his siblings were raised in quite a normal household though his parents are real sticklers about time. "We really have to come home on time." He admits too that he might have inherited his being not too demonstrative of his feelings from his dad but they do have heart to heart talks sometimes. Fred is very straight forward and avoids emotional encounters. And he doesn't like being pushed around. He believes that Pinoy Big Brother will give him a better understanding of other people and them of him. "Mataas ang self confidence ko. Yet I know we are all unique individuals inside the House. Sana maintindihan nila kung ano ako kasi irerespeto ko and iintindihin ko din kung ano sila."

PBB: Dred

Dred just graduated from high school at the top of his class. He can never forget the look on his parent’s faces when he stepped on stage to accept his medal. “Mahirap na masaya maging valedictorian. Pero nang makita ko ang tuwa ng parents ko during my graduation bawi lahat ng pagod ko sa pagaaral.” He wants to take up Nursing for the course will surely help him find greener pastures abroad. It would also help his mom, who is earning a living for the family solo. No, his parents aren’t separated. Nor is his father deceased. Aldred’s dad just hasn’t found work for almost three years now.

This disappoints Aldred a lot. “Nakikita kasi niya na may sandalan siya,” referring to his lola, who’s helping out with the family’s finances and his Ate’s college tuition fee. “Madalas yun ang pinagaawayan nila ng mama ko. Mahal ko naman po ang tatay ko. Pero di ko maiwasan na magkaroon ng hinanakit sa kanya.” His mother even told him that his dad was more industrious during his parents’ boyfriend-girlfriend days. “Sabi nga ng nanay ko dati nagda-drive pa ng jeep ang tatay ko para may pang date sila. Pero kung kelan siya nagkapamilya tsaka siya naging tamad.” What depresses him more is that his father is not even a ‘houseband’. He and his siblings are in-charge of all the household chores, the reason why Aldred has champion skills in the kitchen. “Minsan nga nasigawan ko siya ‘Magtrabaho ka naman!’ sa sobrang sama ng loob ko. Sinabihan lang niya ako na ‘wag makialam.”

That’s why Aldred thought of joining Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition. His mom had strived to put all of them in private schooling; His sister is currently studying in a private school, his youngest brother goes to the same private school he came from. Aldred’s chosen course for college might be out of his mom’s meager budget for tuition so if he wins on PBB he can provide for his own schooling plus help out with his sibling’s allowances. “Kung kaya ko po maging breadwinner bakit po hindi? Matagal ko na po gusto tulungan ang mama ko sa mga gastusin. Naisip ko rin na kailangan ko magsikap sa buhay para di maranasan ng future family ko ang naranasan ko.” Dred is raring to go at Big Brother’s challenges. Though he is very eager to encounter tasks ‘na pang-ubos lang ng pasensya’, he hopes there will be no tree climbing, back bending or tumbling involved. “Di ko kakayanin.”

PBB: Jam

Jamilla has fallen from grace more than once yet she has managed to pick herself up and start all over again. She is not embarrassed to admit that she didn’t grow up in a normal family set up. She is not ashamed to say that she was just a 17 year old Nursing student when she got impregnated by her boyfriend of 4 years. And she is also not hiding the fact that she worked as a model and GRO in a girly bar. Because for Jamilla every person has a chance for a new beginning and she believes her time for a new life is now.

Growing up not knowing her Puerto Rican father and having an OFW absentee mother, she and her sister were left in the care of different people. “Lumaki ako sa lola ko dahil sa trabaho ng mommy ko. Tapos sa tita ko. Actually noong unang alis ng mama ko sa kaibigan niya kami iniwan. Naaalala ko pa hanggang ngayon yung itsura ng sister ko, malnourished na. Napabayaan kami. Di siya nagpapadala. Then nakakita ako ng pictures niya sa abroad, nagpapakasaya siya may boyfriend pa siyang kasama.” That’s why Jamilla is closer to her grandma than her real mom. “Mahal na mahal ko ang lola ko. Siya ang takbuhan ko kapag may problema.”

When she got pregnant by her boyfriend though she was very grateful for her mom’s intervention. “Pinaghiwalay niya kami. Nakita niya na tamad at iresponsable yung boyfriend ko. Hindi na nagpakita ulit after kong manganak, ni singkong duling wala siyang itinulong. I realized in the end na tama pala ang mama ko.” Jamilla considers her baby a blessing even though the child had a cleft palate and lip when he was born. Her baby needs 5 operations so she accepted a job as a GRO in a girly bar. “Nagmomodel ako or tine-table. Bawal ka naman lumabas and choice mo din kung sasama ka sa customer.” Tips average from zero to P30,000 a night but the biggest amount she was offered was P100,000. And she accepted this amount once for her child’s first operation. “Isang beses ko tinangap para sa baby ko. Kilala ko na rin kasi yung taong nag-offer nun. Alam kong hindi siya hihingi ng kapalit. Sobrang bait siya. Kaso ayoko ko muna kasi mainvolve sa kahit kanino dahil ang priority ko ay ang anak ko.”

Pinoy Big Brother seem to be the answer to Jamilla’s prayers. “Gusto ko na talaga huminto sa ganitong klaseng trabaho. Sa pagsali ko mabibigyan ako ng chance di lang matulungan ang baby ko, pati na rin yung pangarap ko na maging artista.”

PBB: Matt

The new high school graduate often jokes that he and his siblings are the "United Nations". "Ako po half American, yung sumunod sa akin Filipino, si Mark. Tapos si Akira, Hapon naman." His mom was a former entertainer in Japan, who had her heart broken a few too many times. She finally found a husband and Matt a dad in his stepfather, Mark's father. Matt says he is lucky to have a very supportive stepfather. "Kahit minsan napapagalitan niya ako, nakikita ko sa kanya ang pagaaalala. Di po niya ako sinasaktan. Mabait po siya talaga. Understanding din." But if Matt had a choice he'd like to get to know his biological father too, who last saw him when Matt was just 8 months old. "Feeling ko din hinahanap niya ako eh. Nalulungkot ako kasi nawalan na siya ng connection sa akin. Kahit sumulat man lang. Marami akong gustong itanong sa kanya. Gusto ko siyang mashock dahil yung maliit niyang iniwan malaki na pala." And even though his stepfather treats him like his real son, Matt still longs to be with his American father. "Sabik ako na makita siya at makasama. At alam ko maiintindihan ako ng stepdad ko."

Matt likes to help augment his family's meager income. He's even willing to accept a job of a street sweeper so he can at least pay for their electricity bill. His Tito Joey even helps him find odd jobs here and there. His stepfather has a job and his mom accepts laundry from the boarders who rent a room inside their house. But he wants the family to live in comfort and have a steadier source of income. Though he wants to go to college his priority at the moment is finding work. "Kung kikita ako ng malaki, ako na ang magbibigay ng baon sa mga kapatid ko."

Matt and his friends have a ska/reggae band called "Cherokee". He's currently the vocalist and they play in bars and productions around town. Matt, together with his friends, has already composed 4 songs that they play during their gigs. The dude admits he has been in a dance group too, way back then. He confessed that he joined PBB to enhance his character and find what he wants in life. Despite his rebel looks, Matt is the most scared of encountering war freaks. He shuns conflicts. Matt's also afraid of heights.

PBB: Clare

The Bukidnon lass found out early in her beauty pageant life that you cannot please everybody. "Naniniwala po akong friendly ako. Pero yung iba nami-misinterpret nila ayaw nila sa akin kasi sinasabi nila maarte ako and mahilig mag-make-up." She finds her gay friends the most supporting though. "Sumasali po ako sa beauty contests sa Bukidnon, sa mga search sa iba't ibang munisipyo. Kinukuha nila ako like nung huli kong sinalihan sa Ms. Sugarland sa Maramag. Masaya po ako dahil nanalo naman po ako."

Besides winning beauty titles, Clare says her list of goals includes finishing her studies then helping her siblings finish their own education. "Gusto ko pong matulungan ang pamilya ko." Clare's family lived a luxurious life before her father's loaning business went bankrupt. Her father now works as a janitor at a local hospital and drives a multicab, a mode of transportation in Bukidnon, as his sideline. "Kaya nga po ako sumasali sa beauty contest sa bara-baranggay at munisipyo dito para magka-pera at matulungan ang mama at papa ko. Para kahit minsan ako naman ang bumili ng bigas." Clare reasons out to why she's striving so hard to succeed at her young age. She also states that her stint on Pinoy Big Brother will take her closer to that goal if she wins plus to another dream of hers - becoming a TV actress.

Clare doesn't consider her boyfriend, who works as a fireman in her town as a roadblock to her dreams. In fact he is very much supportive of her ambitions. "Siya pa nga ang nagsasabi na 'Sige. Sumali ka.'" She does not consider her lack of cooking skills a big minus point as a house maker nor PBB contender. "Kaya ko po maglaba at plantsa. Prito po kaya kong lutuin. Matututo din naman ako siguro balang araw."

PBB: Gerald

Gerald confessed he is indeed a certified chick boy. Well he couldn’t help it if Filipinas dig his Filipino-American looks. If he were to choose between going back home to the US or staying here in Manila, he’d choose the latter for now. “Many people here say I am gwapo. Kasi dito girls really notice me. I’m happy about it but all is still new for me.” he says with a laugh. He’d also take pinays over American girls any day. “I like long-haired, morena girls. Filipinas have this way of making a guy feel special.” He remembers the days when girls would come to their house in Gen San to tell his mom that he got them pregnant. Gerald came clean and said he has been sexually active since the age of 16. He’s also had three serious girlfriends. He broke up with two of his exes because of his qualms about long distance relationships.

This probably stemed from his parents separation 2 years ago. His dad is an instructor in the Philippine Navy and travels back and forth to the US and Olongapo. His mom is a Filipina and is a native of General Santos City which became Gerald’s home when he was 14. “Expected ko na maghihiwalay sila. Mom came to live here 2 years ago. Then when my brother and I came here, my dad left soon for the US. We became used to living apart. My youngest brother was the one most affected. I told him things aren’t going to be like before so he has to mature and be strong.”

An 11th grader in the US, Gerald has still a year to go before he can attend college. He’s not really sure what he wants to take up but he wants to finish his studies. “I plan to graduate then find the best job I can unless my stint in Pinoy Big Brother helps me to figure out what I want.” He sees PBB as an opportunity he doesn’t want to pin all his hopes on it. “If an opportunity knocks go for it. If it doesn’t work, it’s ok. I know there are more things to come for me.” He prides in being able to do a few household chores which includes dish washing and doing the laundry – using the washing machine. Should he be forced to wash his and the other housemates clothes by hand he’ll gladly oblige but with a condition. “Please ‘wag lang nila isama yung brief nila!”

PBB: Mikee

"Magaling ako sa pagaaral pero hindi ako nerd." That's how Mikee, the Atenista of PBB Teens, describes himself. He has discovered early on that he has a natural gift for numbers but he has not only focused himself on books. "Mahilig din po talaga ako sa sports like sa basketball. Di ko rin naman po nakakalimutan makipagsocialize, pumupunta din ako di lang sa fair naming sa school, nakikikapitbahay din ako sa ibang school fairs." Mikee prides himself as an achiever though his grades never going below the 93 mark. He is also part of the advance math and science classes, which only has 12 students from the whole high school.

He used to resent his father's strict ways but now he understands why his dad always pushed him to study hard. "Dati hindi niya ako pinapa-review or pinapagawa ng homework magisa. Tinututukan niya ako. Na realize ko ngayon dinidiscipline niya lang ako. Para sa akin din ang lahat ng iyon. Thankful ako sa kanya." He also thanks his teachers for shaping him to what he is now. He remembers what Mr. Jose Pagsanjan his English teacher taught him. "Pinush niya sa tamang direction ang buhay ko. Na-inspire niya ako in a way na alam kong ano man ang pagtrabahuhan ko, lahat ng pasukan ko, gaya nitong Pinoy Big Brother dapat may ibalik ako sa community." Before he viewed Big Brother's House as one big vacation on TV. "Parang ang sarap tumira sa bahay ni Kuya. Marami kang makikilala, matututunan, tapos para ka pang role model na makikilala ng mga tao. Dati naghahanap ako ng justification na sumali dito na hindi lang para sa akin, gusto kong tumulong sa ibang tao. Matagal na akong naniniwala na marami akong matutulungan na tao. Naisip ko pwede naman ngayon di ba?"

And amidst all that Mikee still has the time for love on his to-do list. "Nagka-first love na ako," he admitted shyly. "Wala pa akong naging girlfriend. Hanggang MU (mutual understanding) lang." He believes in saving oneself for marriage but when the right girl comes along all that would matter in the end for this genius is their love for one another.

PBB: Kim

Except for the fact that she's not an orphan, Kim has a sort of 'Cinderella' story. The teen who hails from Cebu, with her siblings, currently lives with her dad and his second family. Her parents separated when she was 9 years old. Her dad met her stepmom during a business trip in Vietnam. Kim's dad got into a vehicular accident and her 'tita' took care of him there. When Kim was in her first year in high school, her mom had to suddenly leave for Hong Kong, so her dad and his new family took her and her siblings under their wing. "Wala naman akong magawa. Hindi na rin naming nagawang magalit. Kesa magtanim ka ng galit sa puso mo, tanggapin mo na lang."

She rates her relationship with her stepmother as 'ok lang', neither good nor bad. "She doesn't talk to us about our dad. Minsan mabait siya minsan hindi. Dati masungit talaga siya. May nagawa lang kaming konting mali ng mga kapatid ko sinusumbong na niya sa daddy ko. Napapagalitan tuloy kami. Tapos minsan sabi ni daddy 50 pesos ang baon ko, then 20 lang ang bibigay niya." Their family used to be well-off. They even had a store in Tacloban. Her family isn't exactly dirt poor now but she sometimes misses the old days when she got driven to school by their own car. "My mom nagpatayo siya noon ng house na worth halos 4 million pesos tapos di naman pala namin kaya. Ang nagpapaaral sa akin ngayon dad at tita ko. We used to have our own house, our own car. Now we live with my lola and I take a jeep to school."

With her cute Chinese looks you'd think boys would be courting her left and right. But Kim's opinion of guys is not exactly the same as their opinion of her. "Tingin ko sa lahat ng lalaki manloloko. Sa simula ok kayo, kapag tumagal na, sumasama na ang ugali. Di na nagtetext, di na nagsasabi kung saan pupunta. Madali kang pagsawaan." Must be her bad experience with her ex-boyfriend. "Friends pa din naman kami hanggang ngayon. Pero sabi niya pagod na daw siya. Sabi ko naman ako rin pagod na. Pagod na sa kakasunod sa kanya, sa kakahanap at kapapaalam sa kanya. Ako na lang ng ako." So this means no Prince Charming for her at the moment.

She feels challenged by Pinoy Big Brother. She believes that she has enough talent and will power to take on Big Brother's tasks. "Gusto ko maging artista. Gusto ko din makita sa TV at patunayan sa mama ko, sa tita ko, sa mga tao na may talent ako. Pwede ako sumayaw, kumanta at umarte. I can play the guitar." Kim's really praying she wouldn't cry, something she hates doing. "Kasi pagumiyak ako sasabihin nila na talo ako."