Is PBB Teens' Fretzie Bercede the next Kim Chiu?

CEBU, Philippines - Is Fretzie Bercede going to follow the footsteps of Kim Chiu and be the next big winner of the latest edition of Pinoy Big Brother – Teens?

It will be recalled that Cebuana Kim Chiu went on to win the first-ever PBB Teen Edition in 2006 without any experience of being nominated for eviction. Fretzie, also from Cebu, has never been nominated as well for eviction in her stay so far inside the PBB house, with less than three weeks to go before the final night.

Also, pundits are saying that Fretzie has a big chance of making it to the final stretch of the ABS-CBN reality competition as she’s now starting to figure in love teams—now being prominently played up in the show. To recall, being in a love team was what started it all for Kim Chiu.  

Nevertheless, Fretzie’s father, Dr. Dante Bercede, said that they are not raising their expectations. They know very well that anything can still happen in between today and June 26, the scheduled Big Night of the latest PBB, also dubbed as “PBB: Teen Clash 2010.” “Naa gyud ang kakulba, dili gihapon mawala, pero we’re happy, the whole family is happy, since wala pa gyud kasuway si Fretzie ma-nominate,” he told The FREEMAN in a phone interview yesterday.

Dr. Bercede, who is a dentist, also said that he is happy with his daughter’s conduct inside the house. “Proud kaayo ko sa akong anak, kay so far, wala pa ko’y nadungog na negative comment sa mga tawo kabahin niya. And if na-noticed sa mga tawo na mahin-hin siya, tinood na hin-hin gyud na si Fretzie.”

He is also not surprised if it seems that majority of the male teen housemates are crushing on his daughter. “Wala pa gyud na nakauyab ang akong anak, pero naa na’y mga nanguyab sa iyaha. I really don’t know nganong attractive akong daughter [to the opposite sex], but one thing I know is that siya gyud ang type na wala’y malisya, and wala ra gyud na sa iyaha,” said Dr. Bercede.

Dr. Bercede said that he and his wife, the formerly Kimberly Marie Ruete, who was once crowned Miss Cebu and Miss Mandaue, are very supportive of her daughter, who is the fourth child in a brood of five. This is because even when she was just a little girl, they already saw in Fretzie the fascination with acting and modeling. “When she was younger, ganahan na siya mo-tan-aw sa iyang kaugalingon sa mirror. So, bata pa na siya, mao na gyud na iyang interest.”

Prior to PBB, the Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion student also dipped her hand into modeling and performing as part of ABS-CBN Cebu’s own Star Magic, the talents of which became front acts of visiting Manila stars.

Dr. Bercede said that they trained their children on how to stand on their own, and if Fretzie wants to pursue showbiz after her PBB stint, she will have their support.

“When she passed the auditions here out of 12,000, and then made it to PBB, at first, I really had concerns. But mao gyud na iyang dream. If it’s God’s will, among suportahan si Fretzie all the way.”

As for the “love team,” Dr. Bercede said that he has come to accept that this is how it really works in show business. He also has no particular preference between the two emerging love teams pairing Fretzie with the good-looking Filipino-American Ivan; and with Bret, the foreign teen housemate and Justin Bieber look-a-like who’s living and schooling in Dumaguete City.

According to Dr. Bercede, he had a slight idea of what the show is all about because former Cebuano PBB housemate Paul Jake Castillo is his patient. Now, the whole family tries to follow Fretzie as much as they can through the Internet—not that they want to be updated of the goings-in inside the PBB house all the time, but because this is the only way that they’re able to see her. “Mingawon gyud mi niya and ang iyang mga igsoon gimingaw na gyud sa iyaha.”

Before Fretzie entered the PBB house, his constant advice to her was “to always pray to God and ask for His guidance and protection, always show good will towards others, and ayaw lang ug daghang istorya because less talk means less error.” And it looks like the daughter is following her father’s advice to the letter.