John Clifford, Fred Moser pick bets for PBB Celeb Collab 2.0

CEBU, Philippines — As the sole Cebuano housemate of “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0,” John Clifford felt the weight of bannering his province on the show, especially after Shuvee Etrata and AZ Martinez made strong impressions in the previous season.

Nonetheless, he easily shrugged it off by staying true to himself for viewers who followed his stint since the show began airing last October 25.

“I am just really gonna be myself, kasi may tiwala rin naman ako sa sarili ko, sa mga values ko. I just really tried and did my best, knowing na nire-represent ko rin ‘yung Cebu sa journey ko,” said Clifford, in response to questions sent by The FREEMAN.

“I was super happy that I get to represent my hometown. Kasi sobrang laki talaga ng pagmamahal ko para sa hometown ko na Cebu.”

One of his goals inside the PBB house was to change people’s perception of him as shy and awkward — something Clifford felt he was able to do during his 85-day stay.

“‘Yung impression po talaga ng tao sa akin is mahiyain, parang walang personality. And totoo po talaga ‘yun,” he admitted. “That's really me when I get to know people first kasi parang slow burner po ako. I don't get to show my personality as quick. Kaya sobrang happy rin ako na sa Bahay ni Kuya, naipakita ko ‘yung personality and humor ko.”

Before his January 17 eviction, Clifford showcased himself as a strong social player who got along well with everyone inside the house. One housemate, in particular, that viewers enjoyed seeing him interact with was fellow Kapuso housemate Caprice Cayetano — whom shippers paired with Clifford under the name CapFord.

“Sobrang happy talaga,” he said of the reception. “I really didn't expect viewers would be happy sa samahan namin ni Caprice. I would say na sa loob talaga ng Bahay ni Kuya, me and Caprice, nagkaroon po kami ng chance na magkakilala talaga. And sobrang nagpapasalamat po talaga ako sa lahat ng mga supporters namin ni Caprice.”

Clifford said he is happy with his PBB journey and would not change a thing if given the chance to relive it, as every moment served as a learning experience.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. If hindi ko rin nagawa ‘yung mga mali na ‘yun, I wouldn't learn. I really learned a lot sa mga challenges na hinarap ko sa Bahay ni Kuya,” he said.

His mother, Sofia Gawchua told The FREEMAN: “Every moment inside the house made us feel proud as his parents, but what truly touched me was when his housemates voted him as one of the pinakamabuti. It was such an emotional moment for me, knowing that I raised a good son and seeing how genuinely loved and appreciated he is by everyone around him.”

Big Four picks

Meanwhile, Clifford’s fellow evictee Fred Moser entered the PBB house on the day he turned 18. He revealed that he did not have a prior birthday celebration before undergoing a quarantine period for housemates before the show’s premiere.

Because of this, a birthday-themed task was given to the housemates as their first challenge, requiring them to form a “human chain” from the living room to a podium near the pool. As the birthday boy, Moser was the last housemate in the chain tasked with placing his birthday cake on the podium. The housemates successfully completed the task, earning a birthday dinner as a reward.

Moser was among the housemates with a strong physical advantage, allowing him to excel in physically demanding tasks — something he attributed to his background as a varsity basketball player.

“Being a sporty person really helped in the tasks. Doon ko rin talaga napakita ‘yung pagiging strong and disciplined ko. Kahit sa anumang task, kahit mental or physical, tingin ko parang kaya ko siyang gawin dahil sa mga tinuturo sa amin dati na dapat may disiplina, laging nakikinig. Kaya I would say that really helped a lot,” he said.

Aside from his family, the first people Moser contacted after his eviction were his friends, who were waiting for him outside the house.

“Sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya, hinahanap-hanap ko talaga sila. Sila talagang pinakauna kong kinausap. Actually, they were there when I was evicted. Kaya sobrang nagulat ako noong nakita ko mukha nila. Talagang nanibago ako. But at the same time, I'm really happy na nakita ko sila,” he said.

Now out of the running for the Big Four, both housemates shared their picks for who they believe should emerge as this  season's Big Winners.

Clifford chose Caprice and Heath Jornales as his bets for the next Kapuso housemate to win PBB after Mika Salamanca.

“When it comes to Caprice, she is super consistent since Day 0. Talagang when it comes to chores, nandiyan talaga siya. Up to this day, ganoon pa rin siya. Siya talaga ‘yung isa sa pinakamabait na housemates na wala siyang violations at all,” he said. “As for Heath, feel ko ang dami na rin niyang napatunayan dahil sobrang selfless niya na tao, sobrang talented.”

For Moser, his pick is Princess Aliyah — the housemate he interacted with the most and admires for her strong personality.

“Kahit ‘yung mga task or activity na hindi pa niya nagagawa ever, pinapakita niya na kaya niya ‘yun lahat. Lahat ng challenges na ibato sa kanya, naaayos niya talaga lahat. When it comes to being determined, siya talaga ‘yun. Kasi pagdating sa task, sobrang focused niya. Hanga talaga ako,” Moser said.

Both Clifford and Moser also picked Miguel Vergara as their choice among Kapamilya housemates.

“Sa mga pinapakita niya since Day 0, very consistent. You’ll never see him sad. Kahit may problem siya, he just smiles. Siya talaga ‘yung parang tatay namin sa Bahay,” added Moser.

“Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0” airs weeknights at 9:40 p.m. on GMA, with a 10:15 p.m. replay on Kapamilya Online Live; weekends at 6:15 p.m. on GMA, with a 9:15 p.m. replay on Kapamilya Online Live. — (FREEMAN)