Does ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ Have A Class Divide?

Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) inspires a special kind of devotion among its audiences. From viewers pledging their allegiance to their favorite love teams to warring fan bases picking fights on Facebook about who should be evicted from the house next, it is easy to lose yourself in its chaos. Yet its latest season — Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition — seems to be sparking a renewed focus on one particular aspect of the show: class.

Since the season aired its first episode in March, fans-slash-amateur sleuths have been busy speculating about which housemates come from money. Beyond complaining about which of the 15 housemates came from elite universities and sounded “conyo,” audiences were also paying attention to details that revealed class distinctions among the contestants. 

For instance, housemate River Joseph, or “Ang Sporty Business Bro ng Muntinlupa City,” is the son of the late businessman Bobby Joseph and the nephew of SM Retail Inc. President Chito Manalo. Another housemate, Emilio Daez, or “Ang Mr. Bankable Achiever ng Pasig,” was an investment banker at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) before pivoting to acting and is the younger brother of actor Mikael Daez. More dedicated fans have stalked the social media of housemates like Bianca de Vera to unearth photos of expensive holidays abroad, designer outfits, and other probable indicators of high wealth. 

While the affluent housemates have their share of supporters, some viewers have questioned whether they should be on the show, especially given that they don’t appear to need the prize money. In contrast, housemates like Shuvee Etrata (“Ang Island Ate ng Cebu”) have been praised for their motivations, with fans admiring Etrata in particular for her role as her family’s breadwinner and her clear goal of joining PBB to financially support her loved ones. Unfortunately, Etrata was evicted from the house. While she has returned as a house challenger, it remains uncertain whether she’s still eligible for the grand prize — but who’s to say?

Rags-to-Riches Stories

The conversation on class came to a head on June 14 when former tennis player and sports reporter Dyan Castillejo posted a video on X showing River Joseph’s family waiting for the results of that night’s eviction. The video shows the family gathered around an elegant dining table, well-dressed and watching that day’s episode. Although the post didn’t explicitly highlight the family’s wealth, fans were quick to point out the markers of privilege on display. “[Sa] kanila PBB is just a random survival show na something fun lang but for SKUKLA [the team name of Etrata and Klarrise de Guzman] it was the chance to bring home something big for their families as breadwinners,” wrote one X user. “This is so hunger games [sic] coded??? mga burgis na out-of-touch pwe,” wrote another.

As fans continue to debate who truly deserves to be this season’s Big Winner, Professor Louie Jon A. Sánchez of the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Department of Broadcast Communication pointed out that this dynamic is nothing new for PBB. “PBB, like anything else on television, is pop culture,” Sánchez told Rolling Stone Philippines. “There will always be a discussion of class and class struggles.”

“Although it seems more prominent in this current season,” continued Sánchez, “if you follow the narratives of every PBB season, many people always resonate with the ‘rags-to-riches’ contestants. That’s what is relatable to them, especially since many viewers are from the lower to middle class brackets.” According to Sánchez, past winners such as Melai Cantiveros and Nene Tamayo are living proof that humble beginnings often strike a chord with the show’s audiences.

Commenting on the public reaction to Castillejo’s recent video, Sánchez said the response was unsurprising, as it ran counter to the familiar rags-to-riches narrative that many viewers have come to favor from the show. “Fandoms are very protective of their idols,” said Sánchez, “but that video… it wasn’t just a display of riches. It was about how they flaunted their wealth, how they acted. No wonder the response was so violent. It was unacceptable.”