Iñigo Jose on growth after 'PBB' criticism

Life inside the Pinoy Big Brother house may have ended early for Iñigo Jose, but the conversations it sparked—both online and within himself—are still unfolding. In a candid appearance on the vlog of content creator-turned-actor Benedict Cua, the Kapamilya actor opened up about the harsh words he encountered after leaving the reality show and how the experience reshaped the way he sees himself.

Iñigo was part of PBB Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0, where his journey came to a close on Day 50 following his eviction alongside Kapuso housemate Lee Victor. As he stepped back into the outside world, he said he was already bracing himself for criticism.

“My mom was talking to me about it,” he recalled. “Sabi niya, ‘Anak, ito yung mga nagawa mo sa bahay—first week.’ First week mabango ka, fifth week parang doon ka na nabash, sixth week wala na, bash na bash ka na.”
(“My mom was talking to me about it. She said, ‘Son, these are the things you did inside the house—first week.’ The first week people liked you, by the fifth week you were already getting bashed, and by the sixth week, it was nonstop.”)

Though warned about the backlash, Iñigo admitted he still did not know what to expect when he finally reached for his phone. What greeted him, however, was not the flood of negativity he had imagined.

“The moment I picked up my phone, parang iniisip ko, ‘Pag-scroll ko kaya, ayun na agad yung makikita ko?’” he said. “Pero unang-una kong nakita yung mga edits ko with my housemates—mga wholesome. Doon ako nag-stick. Ayun yung algorithm ko. Never ko pa nakita yung bash.”
(“The moment I picked up my phone, I was thinking, ‘When I scroll, will that be the first thing I see?’ But the first things I saw were wholesome edits with my housemates. That’s what I stuck to. That became my algorithm. I never even saw the bashing.”)

The unexpected softness gave him space to breathe, but it did not erase the reality that hurtful comments existed. When asked how deeply the criticism affected him, Iñigo did not shy away from acknowledging its weight.

“Hindi pa siya nawawala,” he said. “But maybe that’s the responsibility that I have to myself—that everyday in life, people are gonna see me and they’d be able to make an opinion again.”
(“It hasn’t gone away. But maybe that’s my responsibility to myself—that every day in life, people will see me and form opinions again.”)

What helped him move forward, he shared, was taking accountability for his actions inside the house—particularly toward fellow housemates who accepted his apologies.

“I can never invalidate what people feel,” he added. “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.”

At 20 years old, Iñigo views the experience not as a setback, but as a lesson that arrived earlier and louder than expected. While he understands that fans may hold different perspectives, he remains grounded in the belief that growth is not linear.

“I’ve learned from what I did—my mistakes,” he said. “I also learned from what people had to say about me, but it does not define me.”

He ended the conversation with a quiet but resolute reflection on youth, accountability, and grace.

“I’m 20. I’m older than some of the other housemates, pero that doesn’t mean na hindi rin ako nagkakamali,” Iñigo said. “Yun naman ang sinasabi ng buhay—go out there and make mistakes. Everything is a learning process.”
(“I’m 20. I’m older than some of the other housemates, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes. That’s what life says—go out there and make mistakes. Everything is a learning process.”)

For Iñigo Jose, life after PBB is no longer about surviving inside a house. It is about learning how to stand, listen, and grow once the noise fades.