In her own consistent ways, ex-"PBB Collab 2.0" housemate Eliza Borromeo proved determination doesn’t always have to be loud. Shy but strong-willed, she took every challenge inside Bahay Ni Kuya as a chance to grow and step outside her comfort zone.
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 Masa) 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.”
Just for the fun of it, Kapamilya Chat asked 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.