Bullying was never okay. It undermines one’s confidence, shaping their personality. Everyone may have experienced bullying, whether it is during their childhood, adolescence, or even an adult who may be subject to bullying.
That being said, former PBB housemate Alyssa Exala is no stranger to bullying.
In an exclusive interview with LionhearTV, Alyssa shared that she was once bullied. This was during the confrontation about her reaction to housemate Chico’s remarks about her.
Apparently, during her stay at Kuya’s house, she opened up to Chico regarding her insecurities and being bullied when she was young. Alyssa was truly hurt when the person whom she treated as a friend said mean things about her to a fellow housemate.
“Syempre po ‘yung masakit lang was his comment to Amanda about myself. Weeks before that, nag-usap po kami ni Chico about my issues. I told him about my insecurities, and how I was bullied when I was young,” shared Alyssa.
Moreover, Chico really struck a nerve when he looked down on her image.
“Body image talaga, like self-image, and all about body and self-perception, dun talaga ako nag-struggle. And I was very vulnerable in front of him. And when he said it to Amanda, he hit me where it hurt,” she added.
But what agonized her most was the fact that she treated Chico as a friend. A friend whom she trusted with her most intimate issue.
“And it hurt even more kasi I trusted him. I trusted him with my most intimate issue,” said Alyssa.
The former PBB housemate recalled the time when she realized that it’s time for her to make a stand. According to Alyssa, moving to Australia made a huge impact on her growth as a person. Migrating to another country, without knowing anyone aside from her family, was really a tough decision for a 15-year old Alyssa back then.
“I think moving to Australia has played a lot into it. Kasi I moved to Australia at 15. Parang yung move na ‘yun is… that was the toughest thing that I’ve ever gone through. Kasi being a teenager, you were still figuring yourself out. I’m still a kid, I’m stepping into adulthood. Everything happened all at once. Tapos nag-move pa kami sa Australia, a foreign country. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have anyone but myself and my family,” said Alyssa.
Her family’s decision to move to Australia meant that she had to embrace a new culture. But that’s where she turned her life around. To her, leaving the Philippines to stay in Australia was a bridge to her womanhood.
“Tapos ‘yung Australian culture pa is sobrang ibang-iba dito sa Pilipinas. So I think that changed my life, that changed who I was. ‘Yun talaga yung naging like [a] bridge into my growth,” revealed the former housemate.
When she realized that being of different ethnicity in Australia, paired with her being a woman, meant that she was really at a disadvantage. That’s where she was hit with a realization that she just has to change. A change that eventually turned Alyssa Exala into a strong and vocal woman.
“Kasi sa Australia, being a person of color, and being a woman, it’s like you’re already in the losing end. So I think na dun ko talaga na-realize na I just have to be strong. I just have to have a loud voice. And like try and speak for what I am and who I am. Para hindi lang ako nasa back burner na walang nakakapansin sakin or just a fly on the wall,” Alyssa admitted.
And with a series of challenging hurdles in her life, Alyssa was really grateful, for it really helped her grow into a more beautiful person. It is her reason why she needed to change—for herself. With her being a changed person, she finally was able to hear herself say that she is a strong woman, and she likes it.
“Yung reason behind who I am now is the things I’ve gone through my life. And I am very grateful for that. Kasi I like who I am now. And that’s it taken me a long time to hear me say that,” she said.
