It's been a month since "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0" wrapped up in what can only be described as a spectacular, historic Big Night —but the hype hasn't died down one bit, nor should it. Because for most of us, the season’s housemates didn't just walk into our hearts when they entered the house. We watched them grow up right before our eyes. We've loved them for years since they were little kids melting hearts on our screens.
Five of our favorite ex-housemates—Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, Marco Masa, Ashley Sarmiento, and Sofia Pablo—actually started as Kapamilya child stars, their talent honed and nurtured right in the ABS-CBN camp where they were trusted with roles that were meaningful, inspiring, and truly unforgettable.
So while we're all taking it slow this Holy Week, let's take a fun trip down memory lane and revisit the teleseryes these five starred in as mini-icons, and while at it, rediscover the lessons that their characters taught us.
Krystal Mejes
The 'Wishful Waray ng Samar' made us cy buckets in her first acting project, the classic afternoon drama "Doble Kara," where she portrayed Rebecca, born Isabella, Kara (Julia Montes) and Seb (Sam Milby)'s newborn daughter who was abducted and unknowingly ended up on her aunt Sara (Julia Montes)'s doorstep.
When the truth came out that Becca was actually Isabella, the little girl found herself at the center of her two families' storm as Sara ended up imprisoned and fighting to prove she never intentionally kidnapped anyone.
But even through all of that, Becca's love and loyalty to the mother who raised her never once cracked. If anything, it was her capacity for forgiveness that helped heal the fractures between the families, reminding us that sometimes it takes a child's kind of love, uncomplicated and unconditional, to put broken people back together.
One scene that showed Becca's core was when she was accused of shoplifting at a mall as Kara's adopted child Hannah (Myel de Leon) slipped an item into Becca's bag. "Instead of staying silent, Becca refused to be intimidated and said that Sara had taught her that stealing is wrong, and that even if they had nothing, their dignity alone was worth defending. The love and values an elder pours into a child inevitably show up. As the Bible says, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it—and that is exactly what Becca proved to us that day.
Miguel Vergara
In Bahay Ni Kuya, we've seen the ‘Adorable Smasher ng Antipolo’ as a dependable friend who is good at listening and giving sensible pieces of advice. This parallels the Miguel we saw in the daytime series "Nang Ngumiti ang Langit," where, sporting cute chubby cheeks, he portrayed Joseph, the best friend of the main character Mikmik (Sophia Reola).
Joseph is the son of a couple who work as helpers in the Salvador mansion. As his mom and dad stood as parental figures to Mikmik, he also became her fiercest defender in a house where her own relatives made her feel unwelcome, especially every single time Amber (Krystal Mejes, yes, housemate Krystal!) made her life miserable which was, to put it lightly, very often.
He had a lot of good-friend moments throughout the series. One of our top picks would have to be when he comforted Mikmik, who was heartbroken over not being able to find her biological father. Joseph told her she didn't need to cry because she already had a family in him and his parents. "Kahit hindi tayo magkadugo, pamilya pa rin tayo," he said. Thank you, Joseph, for reminding us that family isn't always the people we're born to but the ones who choose to stay.
Marco Masa
Watching the ‘Wonder Brother ng Antipolo’ as he is today, we can still see traces of the innocent, angelic soul he once portrayed on screen. In 2015, a bright-eyed little Marco headlined a teleserye that made us believe in the existence of angels, and made him a household name.
In the ABS-CBN series "Nathaniel," he played the titular character, who dies as a baby and ascends to Heaven, only to be sent back down to earth at age 7 on a mission to restore mankind's faith in God and remind people of the innate goodness that lives in every heart. Such a big role could feel too heavy for a child actor, but Marco carried it so naturally, holding his own alongside big-time stars like Gerald Anderson and Shaina Magdayao, who played his parents, without ever being overshadowed.
One of Nathaniel's scenes that really moved us was watching him fighting off the evil spirit to protect his family and the entire town, and then having to say goodbye to his parents Paul (Gerald Anderson) and Rachel (Shaina Magdayao), knowing his mission on Earth was finally complete. Even as he leaves, he promises to watch over humanity from Heaven, a reminder that there is always an angel looking out for us—that even when the people we love aren't physically with us anymore, the memories never really leave our hearts.
Ashley Sarmiento
When the ‘Longing Sweetheart ng Las Pinas,’ Ashley, was revealed to be a "PBB Collab 2.0" housemate, netizens joked that 'Liza' would be furious out of jealousy.
IYKYK. The context of that punchline was the 2015 afternoon soap “Flordeliza” where Ashley played Flor, the sweet, selfless daughter of Florida (Jolina Magdangal) and Lt. Crisanto Maristela (Marvin Agustin), the complete opposite of her half-sister Liza (Rhed Bustamante). Despite Liza being so 'maldita,' Flor showed us that kindness is always stronger than cruelty. No matter how many times Liza wronged her, she chose to understand and to love anyway.
But nothing could have prepared us for the way Flor's story ended tragically. As Cristanto struggled with two abductors and desperately tried to keep both daughters from falling off a cliff, Flor made the decision to let go of his grip so he could save Liza instead. The kind of love Flor has for her sister is achingly familiar—because this Holy Week we are reminded of another who sacrificed His life so mankind could live.
Sofia Pablo
Before she became a "PBB Collab 2.0" housemate, the ‘Strong-Willed Sunshine ng Quezon City’ actually started out as a Kapamilya, landing her first real acting role in ABS-CBN's "And I Love You So" where she played the young version of Julia Barretto's Trixie.
Trixie is the character that most people would write off as the bad seed of the series—the wealthy, spoiled daughter who made life difficult for her stepsister Joanna (Miles Ocampo) especially when their rivalry spilled over into their shared feelings for the same guy, Justin (Iñigo Pascual).
But Trixie was never really just a villain. Underneath that hostility was a girl who grew up in a loveless home and never quite figured out how to fill that void. She wasn't bad. She was just never shown what love in a family was supposed to look like and she spent the entire series searching for it in all the wrong ways. In fact, if you look at young Trixie, she was nothing but innocent and soft-hearted, which Sofia captured so effortlessly. Such a cutie!
Maybe one reason we can't seem to forget these housemates' child star eras is because they've given us the best stories and performances that touched us deeply, and lessons that only hit harder the older we get.