The never-give-up spirit of Kabataang Pinoy shone brightly even in the housemates’ final task, while for us viewers, the sepanx started hitting hard as we watched the finale primetime episode of “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0” ahead of the much-anticipated Big Night.
The Ultimate 8—Lella Ford, Caprice Cayetano, Ashley Sarmiento, Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, Heath Jornales, Princess Aliyah, and Joaquin Arce—made the most of their remaining hours inside Bahay Ni Kuya, all while guarding the balls they had collected that were equivalent to votes for Big Night.
But where was Kuya? The past few days had the housemates side-eyeing the silence because it felt like he ghosted the entire house, until that morning when they finally heard his voice again while the boys were whipping up breakfast in the kitchen and the girls were waiting by the pool.
Soon after, the Ultimate 8 were called into the confession room. Kuya apparently had just decided to go on vacation. Sana all, right?
Don’t worry, housemates, you're about to get your own vacation in the outside world because Big Night is coming! Awww. But before the rest and reset, the housemates jumped back into the final round of their task to recover the balls stolen by the ninjas. To retrieve the stolen pieces, they must lift the balancing boards once more, but this time connecting them to form the Ultimate Eye.
As the minutes dragged and 'pagod' levels hit maximum, Kuya dropped an emotional power-up by playing messages from their loved ones.
The 'palaban' Ashley turned 'softie' while listening to the message from her grandmother, who is super proud of her journey. Meanwhile, Caprice was all-smiles hearing her mom, reminding her to enjoy the experience because that mindset alone already makes her a Big Winner, if not in the competition, for sure in the outside world.
Surprise washed over Joaquin when his message came from his stepmom, actress Angel Locsin, who candidly revealed that she was nervous when Joaquin expressed his desire to audition and join "PBB" because she knew “hindi siya madali," since it meant exposing his life to people’s opinions. “Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin mo ’yun bilang gusto kitang protektahan,” said Angel. But her fear was eventually replaced with pride after watching Joaquin handle situations and conflicts inside the house with a level of maturity she didn’t expect to see in him.
Princess fought back her tears when she heard the voice of her dad, who brought up that sweet little moment they shared before she entered the house. The housemates were also moved by the message Krystal received from her aunt, praising her niece's strength and resilience and how
she's become a caring and dependable friend to her fellow housemates, just like how she’s always been their family’s go-to 'ate'.
Heath received a message from his sister, who said that for their family, he's already the Big Winner because of the way he rose in every situation. Miguel, who received the last message, heard from his brother, who shared how happy he is watching Miguel light up the room and the the “pagpapakatotoo” he had shown inside the house.
Lella, meanwhile, did not expect a message from her dad, who promised to cook her favorite sinigang once she's back in the outside world.
These messages helped recharged the housemates’ spirits as the task got more and more intense. In the end, through teamwork and heart, the Ultimate 8 successfully completed the task, and secured one million votes for the Big Night.
Kuya also delivered what sounded like a farewell message, “Ultimate 8, sa loob ng labing-walong linggong pananatili ninyo sa aking bahay, maraming hamon ang sumubok sa inyong kakayahan, diskarte at pakikisama ngunit sa bawat pagsubok na inyong hinarap, ang inyong pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan ang naging sandigan upang ito ay malampasan.”
“Ang tunay ninyong gantimpala ay hindi nasusukat sa dami ng tagumpay na inyong nakamit o sa mga pagkatalong inyong pinagsaluhan kundi sa samahan na nabuo ninyo. Nawa’y ito ang patuloy ninyong panghawakan hanggang sa paglabas ninyo ng aking bahay.”
Pushed and tested until the very end, the housemates still made it. But what kind of plot twist is that one-million vote challenge about to unlock? We’re all about to find out on the “PBB Collab 2.0” Big Night this Saturday, February 28.