Gaby exits, off to another race
The last time I was with Gaby we were up in the sky, parasailing up above the shores of Boracay. We were talking about life and how excited we were about the possibilities that faced us. That was the last time I saw her before this guy who people call “Big Brother” kidnapped her and held her in his house. Fate has its ways, and after a month, I was with her again, up in the sky, high as high can be, but this time on land, as she shared with me her new lessons, things learned inside the Big Brother House.
“It was like a spiritual retreat each moment,” she told me, like a long-lost sister who had just landed from another planet, eager for words to explain her whole experience. You see, we used to see each other almost every week. If not at work, we’d bump into each other in clubs, and I would always kid her about her newfound “femininity” as well-meaning friends would take turns in styling her, putting on makeup and all that girly stuff. I would always tell her that what set her apart was that tomboyish innocence that she so endearingly possesses. I found that very cute and unique about her. And I guess the millions of viewers of Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition felt the same way, judging from the high text ratings she got each week during her run on the show.
But even before Gaby joined show business as host to a multitude of shows and a slew of endorsements, she was very clear about her goals from the very beginning. First and foremost, she was a racer. A damn good racer. (Add to that a subtle sexiness that comes out the more you get to know her.) But to make your mark in this field of competitive racing you really need major funding and sponsorships to be able to fly across the globe and drive that racecar. A majority of her efforts were to raise awareness about her true passion, which is her sport, but Someone Up There I guess had sidetracked her to learn some of life’s lessons.
“Hearing people who have been in the house, I never expected I would be emotional. I’ve never been the emotional type. But now I think I’ve become a crybaby. It wasn’t even about the tasks. All of that I could do, no matter how physically excruciating it would be. It was the emotional roller coaster that was hard for me,” Gaby shared, with tears welling in her eyes.
Life and death
She recalled a most emotional moment with Peggy. “Who’s Peggy?” I asked her. Turns out Peggy was a pig who had given birth, and it was Gaby who was right beside her, without any knowledge or background regarding childbirth, except for tips from chief-of-house Ethel Booba. Gaby took it upon herself to personally deliver each piglet from the pregnant mammal. It sounds funny when you hear it, but when you look at Gaby, you can see it in her eyes — that sincerity and genuine concern, as if she had delivered her own babies.
One after another, Gaby delivered each piglet, but one of them was not lucky enough to live. It was in her hands that she felt the piglet lose its life. “It didn’t move. And at that moment, I felt responsible. I was crying, pleading and screaming to the piglet — Please don’t die.”
That simple act showed her that, in an instant, anyone could lose his or her life. There was sadness in her eyes as she recounted the incident but at the same time I knew that the Gaby I was talking to was already a different Gaby — far from the happy-go-lucky girl I love joking around with. She had grown to embrace herself, flaws and all.
While the other girls were always primped and perky, she was in giant pajamas and scrunched-up, messy “I just woke up” hair. She would sometimes look at the other girls and try to fold her pajamas to make them look smaller. Even then, this Celebrity Edition became one happy family, and for Gaby at least, the hardest part was during each evictee nomination night. “I seriously didn’t know who to nominate. I didn’t join the House to do the mind-game thing, so it was really hard for me to nominate anyone.”
She would always get surprises from Big Brother himself. One such surprise was when she was blindfolded and taken out of the house to actually join a race out of town. A veteran female racer, this was nothing new to her. But this particular race meant so much that after the race, the non-religious Gaby found herself kneeling down to say her thanks to the One Up Above. “I’m not Catholic so even when we would all pray together I would not face the altar so as to be politically correct. After this race, the housemates would just find me kneeling down in random moments. I really became thankful.”
Race it up
Right before she entered the Big Brother House, she learned her application for the Lyn Saint James Development Program, a training program in
She would always ask Big Brother in the confession room, and Big
Brother would give his standard answer: “Sa takdang panahon, malalaman mo rin.” (“In due time, you’ll know.”)
Despite her love for her newfound house family, it was somewhat clear for her what to do, when asked to make a decision. And when the time came, she thought long and hard, searched deep inside herself for answers. And found it right at the core of her heart. Thus, the voluntary exit from the House that Big Brother built.
In an industry where people fight over airtime and where would-be stars try to outdo each other with gimmickry and PR tactics, Gaby is a rare gem — raw with innocence but polished with a vision of where she wants to go. The finish line is still far, but to her, it is clear. “I’ve learned to take things one at a time.” She’s driven, to say the least.
As of this writing, she is in
“I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world,” she concluded. She’ll be back, and I’m sure Gaby will always maneuver it the best way — on any track, in any race.
The first thing I said to myself when I entered was: There’s no turning back
My last thought after I left was: I was going to miss that reality
I got closest to: Marielle, Mcoy and Ethel
My ultimate dream is: To race professionally in an international level
My friends think I’m: Oddly amusing… I think
People watching the show might think I am: Scruffy
What keeps me going is: Passion
I get occupied by: The enigma of life
I never felt so much joy when: I crossed the chequered flag
I never felt this much fear when: I first arrived at the track. A familiar place… familiar people… yet still isolated from everything
Deep inside I know that I am: Vulnerable just like everyone else
I am racing against: Time
One day, I will be: Content
If I was God, I would: Not change a thing
When I wake up inside the Big Brother house, I am thankful for: My blessings
Now that I have left the house, I: Miss the people
My most unforgettable moment there was: Assisting in Pegi’s delivery, my race and my quick trip to PDRC in
When I was 10, I dreamt: I can rule the world
My parents always taught me that: You could never buy integrity
Before coming inside the house, I was told to: Be aware of the cameras
Given the chance, I would: Do it again
Showbiz to me looks like: … (No answer)
