Former Hashtags member Wilbert Ross says every success he enjoys today was built on years of resilience, perseverance, and rejection.

In a recent interview, Ross recalled surviving on a weekly allowance of just P1,500 from his parents while pursuing his dream in Manila. He lived with his cousin, a construction worker, and pinned his hopes on reality show auditions.

“So parang the only chance for a probinsyano na walang kapamilya sa Manila, na walang connection sa Manila, at wala ring sapat na pera para gumastos at mag-invest sa Manila, is to audition sa mga reality shows. 'Yun lang talaga ang chance,” he said.

Ross auditioned for Pinoy Big Brother, where he was shortlisted four times but never made the final cut. He also tried out for Tawag ng Tanghalan and Pinoy Boyband Superstar, only to face more rejection.

“Grabe 'yung iyak ko nu'n. As in malala. Sabi ko, 'I've tried a lot of things. Sa isang taon, dalawang beses ako natalo sa TV,'” he recalled.

Determined to keep going, Ross left his studies and moved to Manila after being promised introductions to people in showbiz. He stayed with his cousin Chad in Novaliches and, to save money, often walked from Quezon Avenue to the ABS-CBN compound for auditions.

The promised connections, however, never came through.

“Yung mga nag-promise sa akin, hindi na ma-contact. Parang alam mo 'yun, tutulungan ako. Hindi ko na ma-contact,” he said.

Ross eventually enrolled in a Star Magic workshop, partly to reassure friends back home that his move to Manila was paying off.

“Para may pampa-post ako na kunwari may nangyayari sa akin sa Manila,” he admitted. “Para hindi masyadong nakakahiya sa mga classmates ko du'n. Para sabihin nila, 'Ay nasa Star Magic siya.' Ganu'n lang. So ayun, nag-Hashtags ako. Tapos unti-unting tumataas ang rank ko.”

Before joining Hashtags, Ross was introduced to Boy Abunda through Philip Rojas, although the meeting did not lead to any opportunities.

His breakthrough came during the Hashtags auditions. After making it through the first round, he was verbally told to return the next day for another screening.

When he came back, he discovered that successful applicants had actually been notified individually by text. Ross never received any message—neither an invitation nor a rejection—but returned anyway based on the verbal instruction.

By the end of the day, his name had not been called. Embarrassed but unwilling to give up, he approached contestant coordinator Bing Ramos and explained that he had never received a rejection text.

After checking the files, Ramos found Ross's name in the rejected pile. Still, she decided to let him stay.

For Ross, that unexpected second chance changed everything.

“Parang sinulat sa libro. Fate, legit.”