The breakthrough stars of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Celebrity Collab Edition 1 will star in the thrilling suspense series The Secrets of Hotel 88, on which GMA Network and ABS-CBN are collaborating once more.
Alongside housemates AZ Martinez, Ralph de Leon, River Joseph, Klarisse De Guzman, Esnyr Ranollo, Xyriel Manabat, Josh Ford, Kira Balinger, Dustin Yu, Bianca de Vera and Will Ashley, The Secrets of Hotel 88 brings together PBB victors Mika Salamanca and Brent Manalo. directed by Henry Quitain and produced by Star Creatives.
During the Q&A portion of the 6 February press conference for The Secrets of Hotel 88, some cast members were asked about their responses to the trailer they had just seen.
Brent opened up: “Honestly, until now, I still can’t believe it when I was watching the trailer earlier; it felt just like eviction night on PBB.”
The DAILY TRIBUNE also questioned certain cast members what “PBB hack” they used to act in their parts.
Josh, who plays Justin Almazan, said: “Maybe I’d say Justin Almazan has so much anger that he’s hiding. And I think that’s something I learned inside [the PBB house], because all of our emotions are heightened.”
He added, “Of course, as a person, I don’t want to show when I’m hurt, angry or sad. I’m the type of person who just keeps it to myself. But being inside the house and as my character, I let out the anger inside me, I let out my true feelings. But I don’t show it in real life.
“I don’t know how to say it, but that’s what I learned inside: to control my emotions even if I’m really mad or really upset. I just have to control it.”
Dustin, who plays Edward Fernandez, added: “ I can only say that in reality, inside Big Brother’s house, every time we had a task, I always made sure to really focus on the tasks or be firm in my decisions.”
The Fernandez brothers — Gio (Brent), Martin (Ralph) and Francis (Will) — are at the heart of the story, reuniting unexpectedly following the strange death of their father they never knew. Their worlds meet when they inherit Hotel 88, a once-grand hotel rife with unsolved disputes and long-buried mysteries.
Yet, the powerful Almazan family — Luna Almazan (Mika), Justin Almazan (Josh), Jade Almazan (Bianca) and Leon Almazan (River) — quickly challenges its claim to the ancient property. A high-stakes struggle between truth, power and allegiance ensues, with surprising revelations and shifting alliances threatening to destroy both families.
As tensions escalate between the Fernandezes and Almazans, viewers uncover how Sari (AZ), Edward (Dustin), Raphie (Esnyr), Monette (Klarisse), Cheska (Xyriel) and Trixie (Kira) get deeply entangled in both families’ lives — each carrying personal stories and hidden motives that explain what really drew them to Hotel 88.
The series also stars industry veterans Dominic Ochoa, Gardo Versoza and Ina Raymundo.