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Always honest about his intentions, Iñigo Jose admits he joined “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0” to give it his all and, had the stars aligned, emerge as the Big Winner. But even though he was evicted last Saturday, December 13, before reaching the finish line, what he gained throughout the experience—self-discovery, friendships, and lessons—is definitely the real win that matters more than any title.
Coming back to the outside world felt surreal, he shares, especially being met with an outpouring of love and support. While he already had a loyal fandom before stepping into Bahay Ni Kuya, the love and attention post-eviction hit differently. “Nakakapanibago po talaga. I mean, I came in the house po na marami na po sumusuporta sa akin. Pero after po, mas marami pang sumusuporta,” he says in an interview with Kapamilya Chat, reacting to the banners and 'ships' that greeted him after his elimination.
Looking back on the night he was evicted, the ‘Caring Kuya ng Parañaque’ remembers the warmth more than the sadness. Because while the housemates were emotional about his exit, he knew those tears weren’t goodbye—they were a reflection of how deeply they had all come to care for one another. “I’m just really excited for them,” he shares. “I wanna pray for them that they really push through with their goals sa loob. And, ayun, I wish them the best.” And the housemates' reaction was only a validation that he earned their love just by being true to himself.
Prompted to describe his first night inside Bahay Ni Kuya, Iñigo used the word “crazy” like any Gen Z would when feeling amused and slightly in disbelief. He remembers feeling so starstruck as soon as he was welcomed by hosts Bianca Gonzalez and Luis Manzano. “And then, na-meet na po namin mga housemates. And then, wow, we were like, ‘Grabe! This is gonna be our new family,’” he recalls.
“At first, we were just greeting Kuya Luis, Ate Bianca. Next thing you know it, naka-blindfold ka. Next thing you know it, you’re inside the house now. Ang bilis!”
That’s also how fast he grew close to the other housemates, starting off with Lee Victor from the Kapuso camp, who happened to be evicted the same night as him. Funny enough, their icebreaker was a conversation about their favorite donut flavor, which just goes to show that somewhere deep inside, there’s still a kid in them.
Interestingly, even as a Kapamilya, he easily warmed up to the Kapuso housemates. Aside from Lee, he also got along well with Sofia Pablo and Marco Masa, both of whom he had been watching on TV as child stars. That, in itself, felt a little intimidating at the beginning—but he had so much respect for them that he even told Marco if he could teach him a thing or two about acting once they’re both outside, and that he’d love to work with him on a future project.
If you ask Iñigo what the best part of being a housemate was, he’ll tell you it’s the relationships he formed inside. “I was able to meet lots of personalities,” he says, and along with that came countless lessons from Big Brother, from his housemates, and from the entire experience. “Sa mga tasks, you learn more about yourself every day do’n sa bahay. So, every day’s a lesson,” he reflects.
“Every day is a lesson,” he repeats, doubling down on how much that idea means to him. “If you don’t see it, it’s up to the person na talaga. Pero para sa akin, I was able to do that kasi ‘yung mga tao na nakapaligid sa akin challenged my thoughts, they challenged the way I think and, in a way, we all evolved to a better person,” he muses, hoping that this pattern of growth and learning doesn’t end now that he’s back to the outside world.
If there’s one message he could send to his past self inside the house, it would be a reminder to keep learning—and that learning often starts with accountability. “Importante ‘yun,” he says. “Hindi lang na natuto ka, pero alam mo ‘yung kailangan mong gawin pagtapos no’n.”
Iñigo had just entered the “PBB” house when the Kapamilya teleserye “Roja” premiered, where he appeared in a brief role. He still needs to catch up on the series and hasn’t seen his performance yet, but he’s thankful for the kind words and positive feedback people have shared about the teleserye and his part in it.
“I’m really honored to be part of the show,” he shares, adding how grateful he is to have worked with such a generous cast. “They were helpful sa akin. Tinuturuan po nila ako sa taping.” He was also thrilled to meet a few of his idols in the flesh, like the series’ leading men Kyle Echarri and Donny Pangilinan, and veteran actor Joel Torre.
With that short but meaningful role already under his belt, we’re rooting for him and manifesting the bigger roles and bigger dreams that are sure to follow.
Iñigo invites everyone to continue watching “Roja,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), TV5, A2Z and iWant; and “PBB Collab 2.0,” available online via livestreams on the PBB YouTube Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.