- For those who have religiously watched the very first Pinoy Big Brother Teen edition where the likes of Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu were discovered, you must be familiar with Mikee Lee.
- He was the cute looking bespectacled Chinese guy. He’s romantically linked with Kim before she was paired with Gerald.
- Mikee Lee once wrote an open letter to Kim published in a teen magazine’s website where he claimed that for him, Kim was “The One who got away.”
- At the time, he was still pursuing his education at the Ateneo de Manila University.
- Today, Mikee Lee is a successful business strategist and planning professional in the ‘Lion City.’
Do you remember Mikee Lee? Does his name rings a bell to you? If he sounds familiar, that’s because he was part of the very first Pinoy Big Brother Teen edition with the likes of Matt Evans, Nina Jose, Fred Payawal, Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu.
Before Gerald Anderson came into the picture, it was actually Mikee who was being linked to Kim Chiu back then. Perhaps this is due to the fact that they’re both Chinese.
Mikee finished as PBB Teen edition’s 2nd big placer but he decided not to pursue acting but chose to finish his education instead. Today, Mikee is enjoying a thriving career in Singapore where he’s currently based. He now works as a strategy and planning professional.
“For the past few years, I was working for a consumer goods company, where I helped identify growth opportunities for a portfolio of brands in the region. This is also where I learned what good work looks like. Starting this year, I will be working for a firm that invests and builds new business in Asia—where I will contribute to find ways to grow portfolio companies,” Mikee talking to Kristhoff Cagape of PUSH.
According to Mikee, he landed on this job because of his internship in Singapore back then. The said internship has paved the way for his employment and has since opened up so many doors for him to start his career in the Lion City.
“I had the chance to be recruited to intern from the Singapore office, which I thought was really cool and unexpected coming from Manila. At the time it seemed like a good idea since I could get a ‘trial run’ of sorts to live at a beautiful country abroad. After the internship, I was lucky to receive an offer I couldn’t resist. And I have been on this path since,” he shared.
Mikee would’ve gone far if he pursued his budding showbiz career back then. After all, he was the runner-up during their PBB edition next to Kim Chiu. He said he tried to stay in the business but he realized it just wasn’t for him. But he treasures all the great memories he’s had about being in the industry for years.
“It was pretty entertaining—a lot of highs and lows and a chance to meet some interesting and influential people. I will miss the friends I had made, some are still in show business and some have moved on. I will also miss the shoots, production numbers and the times we would go around the country to meet fans and supporters. Looking back, that was a pretty cool time. I think being in front of a lot of people all the time helped me build quite a bit of confidence that helps me now,” he said.
Today, Mikee is still being recognized by his kababayans in Singapore and even in other parts abroad as one of Kuya’s former housemates from PBB.
“I still get recognized and it’s flattering. Especially in places like Lucky Plaza in Singapore where there’s a lot Filipinos,” he shared.
He says he’s still in contact with some of his former housemates. “Some of them, yes, but not too often. We more usually just comment on each other’s Facebook pages and express how much we miss seeing each other.”
Mikee comes home to the Philippines every one to two months. He admits he misses a lot of things about our country. “I miss my family and friends a lot. But I get to visit often for either business or life reasons. I also miss my alma mater, the Ateneo—and the teachers and classmates I had. I miss how warm the people are to each other and how festive we can be—that is something you cannot easily find abroad unless you are with Filipinos.”
It has been difficult for Mikee to live and work alone in another country. But Mikee feels blessed for being able to do so. When asked what was the most valuable lesson he has learned from being an OFW in Singapore, he says: “I realized that openness and confidence is half the battle won—the rest is hard work and executing with clarity of thought.”
He may not have pursued his career in show business but Mikee’s pretty much happy and satisfied with the life he had chosen even if it’s away from the klieg lights.
