Memories of the Survivors

On Survivor, no one is indispensable. And it shows every time someone has to be booted out. Thus, every competitor must outwit, outplay and outsmart his competition.  

Yet some contenders seem to be too strong and always on the ball, others appear so weak and ineffective while there are those whose health is of main concern. All these served as grounds to cut short the Koh Tarutao island stay in Thailand of Chev Macias, Emerson Dino, Gigit Sulit, Patani Daño, Niña Ortiz, Vev Gador, John Lopez and Nikki Dacullo. They are eight of the 18 castaways of GMA 7’s Survivor Philippines who were voted out one after the other by their tribe mates after losing in the series of physical challenges against another tribe. Jace Flores turned out to be the ninth castaway whose torch had its flame put off recently.

All of them had lost the chance to bring home the bacon: P3-M cash prize and the title as first Pinoy Sole Survivor.

Chev was the most affected. She expressed this in an exit interview and without hesitation remarked, “I hate you all guys!”

Chev and the other castoffs later realized that the Survivor experience turned their lives 180 degrees, and they learned a lesson or two in their brief stay on the island.

Here are some life-changing lessons that they proved essential in their day-to-day lives:

Chev, 26 — She is not dubbed as babaeng palaban for nothing. She will do everything to reach her goal. But she realized that a strategy is a must in every challenge. Her inability to move without an effective approach did not allow her to stay long in the game. Now, she deals with life carefully, not wanting to make any wrong move again the way she did when she resorted to drugs in her dark days.

Emerson, 32 — The technician from Caloocan now values every grain of rice when he experienced how tough it was to survive without food for four days. He, too, learned to control his emotions and not to blow his top so easily. But what he found true is that when God closes a door, He opens a window. After his Survivor stint, opportunities come his way that might lead him to his real goal: To be an actor.

Gigit, 48 — The man said to be “trapped in a 28-year-old bod” for his well-chiseled abs is an eager beaver in the Jarakay tribe. Yet his being voted out early in the game has taught him compelling life lessons. One of them is never to be so complacent. Another is to always be vigilant, alert and proactive.

“I was definitely an asset to the tribe. I thought papakinabangan ako even if they perceived me as a threat and it came as a surprise to me to be booted out too early.” The difficulties he went through in the game made Gigit appreciate life more in the real world amidst everyday toughness. “I used to eat what I can only take. Even if you bring me to a smorgasbord, ‘di ako matatakaw tingin.” How much more now that he knew how it’s like to go hungry? Most importantly, Gigit is more empowered now to meet whatever challenge comes his way. He now has renewed optimism and confidence.

Patani, 20 — All she wanted was exposure but the nanny from Cebu is getting more than what she wished for. She is now one of the hosts who brighten   your day on GMA 7’s Unang Hirit yet she will always value what Survivor has taught her. That is, to be more persevering like when they were asked to swim in the 20-feet deep blue sea — something she never tried before — to reach the Devil’s island. Patani, too, has learned to be independent when she traveled to Manila for the first time alone and took a trip to a foreign land and back.

Niña, 40 — The sporty mom of three kids has learned to appreciate every simple thing around her, especially the comforts of home. She now also deals with people well and learns to adjust in order not to get easily affected by the things that may happen beyond her control. Patience, Niña says, is essential to get by around different types of personalities. She also discovered her vulnerabilities during her stay on the island that she now manages a bit well.

Vev, 20 — Like Niña, she now values more the simplest things in life. She, too, has known how to mingle with other people, something she never did prior to joining the reality show because as she says, “dati, parang may sarili akong mundo.”

John, 27 — Take everything in moderation and that includes getting fit and fab. This, John found out when he collapsed in the middle of a challenge. “I didn’t expect it to happen because I am the fittest of them all.” His potassium level became too low which caused his collapse. To eat banana every day is the best lesson Survivor instilled in him.

Nikki, 21 — The former call center agent is so private she never thought she will one day be part of a reality show. Thanks to her friends who pushed her to audition, she has now overcome her shyness and learned to be more open with her feelings. This everyone will see on TV as she now co-hosts Unang Hirit.