Weeks after her Instagram post manifesting that she will join the Miss Universe Philippines pageant “soon” went viral online, Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7 alumna Rita Gaviola, who’s more popular as “Badjao Girl,” graced the latest episode of Hotspot for some insightful and fun chat with DJ Jhai Ho.
The host commenced the program with a little “kumustahan”, wherein she imparted that she’s busy with school, that’s why she has not been very much active in showbiz and even in uploading vlogs on her YouTube channel. Besides, she also confessed that it was her personal choice to shy away from the spotlight for quite sometime since she knew to herself that she was not totally ready yet to keep up in this industry when she began at age 13.
Rita then recounted the story behind her famous candid shots taken by a photographer during the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon in 2015, wherein she was spotted in shabby clothing while begging and carrying her younger sibling at her side. Unbeknown to her and her family – since they didn’t have access to social media then – her natural beauty indeed mesmerized a lot of netizens and she instantly turned into an internet star. They only knew about it through their friends and neighbors, and when she finally met the photographer.
Her fame didn’t only pave the way for her to fulfill her dream of becoming a celebrity, but of providing a comfortable life to her family as well. She eventually became one of the housemates of the teen edition of PBB Lucky Season 7, which she also used to aspire for.
“Pangarap ko rin po talaga na makapasok sa Bahay ni Kuya. Siyempre noong una, nag-aalangan ako kasi sabi ko, ‘hala, parang ang hirap lalo na sa isang katulad ko. Ang hirap makipagsabayan sa mga ‘di ko ka-level, ganyan. Lalo na siyempre malayo ka sa family mo,” she explained.
She added, “Pero ginawa ko ‘yon ‘di lang para sa sarili ko, kundi sa pamilya ko na rin. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘baka ito na ‘yong way para matupad ko ang pangarap ko, na siguro binigay talaga ‘to ni Lord sa akin kaya iga-grab ko talaga siya kahit na sobrang hirap ng challenge sa buhay’. Pero wala sa akin ‘yon kasi blessing talaga na binigay ni Lord na makapasok kasi madaming kabataan na gustong makapasok sa Bahay ni Kuya katulad ko.” Despite her hesitations, she still decided to pursue and was unexpectedly declared as a housemate.
In the past years the 18-year-old stunner from Quezon revealed that she hasn’t talked with her former housemates since everyone is probably busy in their respective lives and endeavors. But among them it was to Fenech Veloso to whom she’s the closest as they still keep in touch up to the present.
Aside from social media, she also gets to mingle with and update her fans about her ganaps through her vlogs, which usually shows her activities, whereabouts, life in the province, and bonding with her family. When asked about her dream vlog collaborations, she said that it would be with Alex Gonzaga and with her ultimate crush Daniel Padilla through Kathryn Bernardo’s “Everyday Kath”. She also expressed her dream of working with FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano lead actor and director Coco Martin, of having Daniel as her loveteam (if Kathryn permits), and of taking on a kontrabida role.
Their conversation then veered to her controversial IG post regarding her Miss Universe Philippines ambition, with Rita imparting how she used to only dream of wearing a gown. As a lot of people have been urging her to join the pageant, she thought of gauging the netizens’ reactions by putting “Soon sasali na tayo sa Miss u (cat emoji)” in the caption of one of the photos she posted last September 10. And she indeed succeeded in stirring the reactions of her followers, both positive and negative, as well as attracted people who are interested to groom her into a beauty queen.
Since PBB is now making a comeback for its 10th season, Rita expressed her willingness to go back inside the house and shared the most unforgettable advice Big Brother had given her, saying, “Siguro ‘yong magtiwala ka sa sarili mo and huwag kang sumuko sa mga pangarap mo, at saka kung may gusto ka, gawin mo basta masaya ka sa ginagawa mo. And lagi kang magdasal kay God, ‘yan ‘yong pinaka-number one na huwag na huwag mong kakalimutan.”
Before they proceeded on the exciting games that DJ Jhai Ho prepared for her, they granted the request of one of the online viewers for Rita to try introduce herself ala-beauty queen, which she impressively did.
She first played the “Assumption Challenge”, wherein she reacted to the assumptions sent in by the netizens, namely, “mayabang”, “maarte”, “pwede ipa-mentor lang sa English proficiency at self-confidence”, “di ‘yan mananalo”, and “beautiful girl”.
Then the ever popular “jojowain or trotropahin”, in which she distinguished who among the Kapamilya heartthrobs mentioned by the host she likes to be her boyfriend or to be only friends. Find out how she perceives Donny Pangilinan, Kyle Echarri, Joshua Garcia, Ronnie Alonte, James Reid, Enrique Gil, and Daniel Padilla.
Watch the fun and insightful catching up of DJ Jhai Ho and Rita Gaviola in this episode of Hotspot!