Ten years after her first failed audition, Mika Salamanca has finally fulfilled a dream she thought was out of reach—being named Big Winner of ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition’ alongside her partner Brent Manalo.
In her first Instagram post after the finale, Mika poured her heart out, admitting she never expected to make it to the very end. “Pumasok ako ng PBB na may dalang konting damit at pangarap lang, kaya hindi ko inexpect na aabot ako sa dulo, ‘cause wdym umabot talaga TAYO sa dulo?! NO WAYYYYY, legit?” she wrote, overwhelmed with emotion.
Mika recalled how a decade ago, she didn’t make the cut to enter PBB. “Ten years ago di ako pinalad na makapasok sa PBB, siguro dahil hindi pa ko ready. I’m a firm believer that when plans don’t go your way, it’s because God has a bigger one, at ito yun,” she shared.
Known for her authenticity throughout the season, Mika credited her victory to simply being herself. “Hanggang ngayon po, hindi ko pa rin po maintindihan kung ano ang ginawa kong tama sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya para maging Big Winner dahil ang ginawa ko lang naman po ay ang bilin ng mga mahal ko sa buhay—ang maging ako,” she said.
The actress also expressed her gratitude to her fellow housemates, especially Shuvee Etrata, Klarisse de Guzman, Dustin Yu, Bianca De Vera—whom she fondly called her “Immunity Queen”—and most of all, to her winning duo partner, Brent Manalo.
“To Brent, welcome to the outside world, partner. If not for you, this wouldn’t have been possible. You never made me feel na mabigat yung baggage ko kasi lagi kang ready na sumalo,” Mika wrote. “From your manifestation sa first duo formation to being the final duo to being the first duo big winner!”
She wrapped up her message with a nod to her journey: “For the last time, ako po si Mika, Ang Controversial Ca-Babe-Len Ng Pampanga.”
Mika and Brent, dubbed BreKa by fans, made history as the first duo to be named joint Big Winners of PBB. The show is set to return for a second season later this year, with the first season’s 20 housemates reuniting for The Big ColLOVE fan event on August 10 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mika’s heartfelt post and her unexpected win have since flooded social media with love and support from fans, who cheered her on from the beginning. One comment summed it up best: “WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH MIKMIK.”
