Pinoy Big Brother Double Up: It's Melai!

MANILA, Philippines - And finally, after keeping more than a dozen housemates for more than 120 days inside Big Brother’s house with no TV, no radio, no celfon and no contact with the outside world, the Pinoy Big Brother Double Up edition of the ABS-CBN reality-TV came to an end Saturday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

And the winner, as expected, was Melisa Cantiveros, 21, who has become simply Melai to avid PBB followers, garnering 32.08 percent of the total text votes. The spiral-haired potential comedienne from General Santos City will bring home a load of prizes that include P1-M cash, a house and lot worth P2.5-M, a 40-inch LCD TV, trip to three Asian cities and a water-refilling station franchise. If Melai seriously honed her comedic skills, she could have a bright future in showbiz and, why not, give Pokwang and other slapstick funny-women a run for their punchlines.

Finishing second with a P500,000 cash prize was Paul Jake Castillo, the rich boy from Cebu, with 27.31 percent, followed by Jason Francisco (Melai’s loveteam-mate inside the house, third) with 24.97 percent (P300,000), Johan Santos (fourth) with 7.94 percent (P200,000) and Steve “Tibo” Jumalon (fifth) with 7.69 percent, who, as the first PBB Big Placer, P100,000.

The grand finals were hosted by Toni Gonzaga, former housemate Bianca Gonzales and former guest housemate Mariel Rodriguez.