For many young dreamers, joining "Pinoy Big Brother" is both a milestone and an experience that tests strength and character. "PBB Collab 2.0" recent evictees Eliza Borromeo and Marco Masa stepped through that iconic doorway with different journeys behind them, but the same hope to grow, to be seen, and to discover what they’re capable of. Now that they’re back in the outside world, adjusting as they go, they continue to dream new dreams, with a little more courage and a lot more heart.
Determinadong Dilag ng Cavite
Fresh from her PBB journey, Eliza shares that she’s “super okay” and grateful for everything that’s been happening. She says "reality" is starting to sink in little by little, though she still finds herself missing some familiar parts of her PBB routine. “Hinahanap ko pa po ‘yung Kabataang Pinoy na theme song,” she laughs, as if her mind still expects the soundtrack to play somewhere in the background, or as if she’s still waiting for Kuya’s alarm to dictate her day.
Eliza was welcomed with so much love back in the outside world. Seeing her supporters who waited outside the house despite the bad weather was overwhelming in the sweetest way. "Pagkakita ko po sa kanila, sumigaw po ako. Nakikipagsigawan po, nakikipagsabayan po ako sa kanila. Tumatalon po ako kasi sobrang cute po talaga nila lahat," she recalls, her eyes probably matching the sparkle of her fans'.
Now that she’s aware of the fans’ reception—and how it even led to the birth of various “ships” based on her interactions inside the house, we’re talking about EliCo (her ship with Marco) and LizGuel (her ship with Miguel Vergara)—Eliza says she appreciates both along with the rest of her fandoms. “Super mahal na mahal ko po sila. Pantay-pantay,” she says, talking about the fans who, ever since her eviction last November 29, have been sending her flowers and food almost every day.
Rewinding to her first night inside Kuya’s house, Eliza vividly remembers the cold—literally. “Sobrang lamig po. Nakasando lang po ako!” she giggles at the memory. But the chill didn’t bother her as much when she saw a familiar face—Krystal Mejes. “Tumakbo po ako diretso sa kanya.”
From there, she started going around to mingle with the other housemates, which felt like a task in itself for someone naturally bashful. “Nahirapan po ako mag-adjust,” she admits. “Hindi po talaga ako mahilig makipag-socialize. Lagi lang po ako nasa bahay, nasa kwarto. So, sobrang bago po sa akin ‘yung pagkagising ko na ang dami kong kasama, ang dami kong babatiin ng ‘good morning.’” But with the help of her newfound friends, especially Marco, she began to open up. In fact, Marco was the very first Kapuso housemate she became close to. “Pagpasok po namin, mayroon po kaming task. Kami po ‘yung magkatabi doon, tapos nagbibiruan na po kami.”
Beyond her closeness with Marco, Eliza also formed a trio that fans came to adore—her squad with Carmelle Collado and Krystal, which supporters lovingly dubbed the “Tres Marias.” While she already knew Krystal from "What Lies Beneath," their bond with Carmelle came as a surprise. It just clicked, especially their humor. “Nagsimula po ‘yun sa first task namin kasi sinisigaw po na ‘Housemates, formation!’ Eh kapag naririnig ko po ‘yung word na ‘yun, ibig sabihin sasayaw kami. So, nagbiro po ako, ‘Ano sasayawin natin?’ Tapos tawa po nang tawa si Carmelle, sabi niya, ‘I like you, I like you,’ gumaganon po siya. Ayun na po, nagtuloy-tuloy na po ‘yun.”
For someone who’s not naturally outgoing, one of the most surprising turns in her “PBB” journey was being chosen as a task leader. “Wala po akong leadership skills,” she admits. “Pero lagi pong sinasabi ni Kuya na kaya ko raw po.” And somehow, in between self-doubt and Kuya’s constant encouragement, she found herself stepping up, pep-talking her teammates, and even surprising herself. “Bigla na lang din po lumalabas ‘yung pagiging supportive ko.”
And because she’s naturally shy, Eliza wasn’t the type to easily open up—until she unknowingly did during a task. For their weekly challenge, nominated housemates had to create a live show format, for which she came up with a talk show setup, choosing six other housemates to act as the hosts. She thought only the seven of them would hear her answers inside that small room, not knowing the rest of the housemates were watching from the living room.
“Hindi ko in-expect ‘yun,” she says, recounting how embarrassed she felt when she found out the others had seen it, especially since she was thrown questions about her closeness with Marco and Miguel. “Tumakbo po ako sa kwarto, ‘di po ako lumabas… Pero sabi nila, ang importante, naging totoo naman po talaga.”
That authenticity—imperfect but unfiltered—is what makes Eliza so beloved to her fans. And it will surely help her as she takes on more acting projects. She’s currently part of "What Lies Beneath," which had just begun airing when she entered the “PBB” house. “Sobrang thankful po ako,” she shares, adding that she poured her heart into it as her first-ever teleserye. The experience was even more meaningful because she worked with Krystal and another Star Magic housemate Reich Alim, both of whom she became close with during filming. “Araw-araw may advice po talaga ako natatanggap sa kanila.”
Speaking of advice, one piece from Big Brother would remain etched in her heart, “May reason daw po kung bakit pinapasok niya ako sa bahay… Wala daw po akong karapatan para i-down ‘yung sarili ko.” For Eliza, those words are a lifeline she intends to carry with her, wherever life or destiny may take her. And if there’s one message she wants to leave Big Brother with, it’s simple but sincere: “Thank you, Kuya. I love you.”
Ang Wonder Brother ng Antipolo
Having worked as an actor since he was little, Marco has grown up in front of the camera, but stepping into “Pinoy Big Brother” brought out a version of him that not many had seen before—more grounded and deeply in tune with the people around him. “Sobrang grateful and nakakataba ng puso,” he says, smiling at how he's been booked and busy since the eviction.
While he admits he’s still adjusting to being back in the real world—“Medyo hindi pa,” he confesses, laughing—he’s been savoring every moment, like when he saw the crowd of supporters that waited for him after eviction despite the damp, moody night skies. “Actually, medyo hindi okay yung weather no’n,” he recalls. “So, the fact na nag-stay sila para makita kami, sobrang na-appreciate namin.”
Backtracking to his first day in Kuya’s house, Marco still remembers the surreal rush of finally stepping into a place he had only seen on TV. “Parang dati pinapanood ko lang. And the fact na nasa loob na po ako, sobrang fulfilling.” After seeing the housemates and scanning the interiors, it finally hit him, “Masasabi ko na official housemate ako.”
However, he spent his first night there thinking about his family especially his older brother, Justine. Throughout his stay, he often talked about how Justine, who has Down syndrome, has shown him what unconditional love truly looks like. “Siya po talaga ‘yung lakas ng loob ko. Kahit hindi niya nasasabi nang diretso, he never failed to make me feel na mahal na mahal niya ako.” That bond explains his moniker, “Ang Wonder Brother ng Antipolo.”
In fact, one of his most emotionally charged moments in his “PBB” journey was during a weekly task where he portrayed his brother during a live drama show. “At first, natatakot po ako… Hindi ko po siya talaga nakukuwento nang madalas.” But thanks to the support of his housemates, he found the courage to share their story. “I’m really happy na na-execute ko siya with the help of the cast.”
For families who have members with special needs, Marco hopes they remember how much of a blessing people like Justine are. For him, they're the sweetest and most genuine. "At 'yung pagmamahal nila, sobrang selfless. Dapat hindi natin ini-invalidate. Dapat maramdaman nila na hindi hadlang ang special needs nila para makuha nila ang true happiness and love.”
There were times when Marco felt guilty that he couldn’t always spend time with Justine due to his busy work schedule, and sometimes wondered if he was showing enough love, until a heart-to-heart with Big Brother inside the confession room changed that. Because of Big Brother's message “naramdaman ko na nakikita ako.”
"Do'n ko naramdaman na nakikita [ni Kuya Justin] ‘yung pagsasakripisyo ko rin, 'yung pagmamahal ko sa kanya despite everything that's going on with my life. And 'yun 'yung something na gusto kong panghawakan at panghawakan ko na po ‘yung panghabang buhay."
Describing his “PBB” journey, Marco calls it “sobrang saya,” as he truly made an effort to understand each housemate. "I really tried to get to know ‘yung bawat housemate. And for me, it's really a matter of perspective on how I find happiness, kahit na mahirap, despite the hardships, ‘yung mga hamon ni Kuya. And dahil sa tulong ng mga wonderful and amazing housemates inside, na talagang naka-close ko, parang nagagawa ko pa rin maging masaya. And masasabi ko na nakapag-impart ako sa bawat housemate ng mga bagay na gusto ko makita nila para sa sarili nila kasi sobrang nagtitiwala ako talaga sa kanila," he shares.
"At nakuha ko 'yung tiwala kaagad sa kanila. And that's something that I would like to protect even here outside. Kasi, I really tried na makilala talaga sila nang buong buo at maiparamdam na may safe space sila sa akin, at maiparamdam ko na kapag nahihirapan sila, pwede nila akong lapitan."
Marco found it easy to adjust to life inside the house. “Since may mga kakilala na po ako, and I'm eager to get to know yung bawat housemate,” he explains. “I can really adjust sa environment.” He also made it a point to make everyone feel seen and included, and figure out their vibe even those who were quiet at first, like Carmelle. “Tahimik niya talaga,” he says. But as time passed, “sobrang kulit pala niya.” When asked which Kapamilya housemate he first became closest to, he answers, “I would say si Eliza. Ang tahimik po kasi niya nu'n,” which made him want to approach her even more.
“PBB” gave Marco a rare chance to show who he really is beyond the lens of childhood fame. He’s aware of the expectations, the pressure, and the constant comparisons. “It’s really hard,” he says, “but good pressure din… I want to show people I can be more.” His focus now is continuous self-improvement, not just as an actor but as a person.
From child star to “determined warrior,” Marco’s journey is still unfolding. His heart is in the right place. And to Big Brother, he leaves this promise, “Pinapangako kong lahat ng advice na binigay n'yo sa akin ay babaunin ko, lalo lalo na dito sa outside world.”
Just for the fun of it, Kapamilya Chat asked Marco and Eliza to name their personal Big 4 picks—two from Team Kapamilya and two from Team Kapuso. Eliza’s list was made up of Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, Caprice Cayetano, and Heath Jornales.
Marco, on the other hand, had a slightly longer shortlist. For his Kapuso picks, he mentioned Ashley Sarmiento and John Clifford, though he also considered Caprice Cayetano. As for his Kapamilya bets, he named Joaquin Arce, Lella Ford, and added Rave Victoria to round out his faves.
Catch “PBB Collab 2.0,” online via livestreams on the PBB YouTube Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and iWant.