This Girl Will Always Find A Way

Kisses and I reunited at Star Cinema office
just days after her PBB victory. 

Two Thursdays ago, I was surprised to see PBB Lucky Season 7 Teen Housemate and 2nd Big Placer Kisses Delavin at Star Cinema office. I was to do "A Love To Last" online companion show that night, while she was there, along with some of her fellow housemates and some other teen stars.

What I didn't expect was how emotional that encounter between me and Kisses would turn out - for some reason, we actually ended up teary-eyed. She kept thanking me for all the support I gave her during PBB stint, while I was so elated to see her looking happy after several months of her physical and emotionalroller coaster ride inside Kuya's house.

When Kisses won in ASAP Pop Viewers' Choice Awards late last year.

To think that when PBB Teen Edition was just starting late last year, I wasn't really interested on her. I just knew she was this beauty queen from her province, and that she tried doing workshops under Star Magic. But while I was doing my research for an article I would write for No Ink that time, I noticed something... She was actually following me on Instagram. I was shocked. Why?I started asking around about Kisses, and there I found out that she actually played a bit role early last year in KathNiel's "Pangako Sa 'Yo", where I was a digital media coordinator.

I started following Kisses' journey closely on PBB afterwards. I was curious. I wanted to know her more, and why she had this growing fanbase.

Kisses won me over after I saw that episode, where she cried to Kuya, confessing her "unrequited" feelings for housemate Marco Gallo. I found myself crying with her, especially when she said that now PBB classic line, "laging hindi pinipili." She didn't get my sympathy... I empathized with her. I know the feeling. But she earned my admiration when I saw how she handled her feelings so well and gracefully. I felt like, between the two of us, I was the younger and immatured one.

First time to meet Kisses. 

I would always remember that first time I met her - at ABS-CBN's Trade Launch in November. They were out temporarily of Kuya's house while the regular housemates edition was ongoing. When she saw me for the first time, she was struggling to remember my name. But she was holding my hand tightly. "Kilala po kita sir," she kept on saying. When I told her, "I'm Princess France, you're following me on Instagram", she hugged me right then and there. I remember telling her how much she touched my heart with her journey inside Kuya's house - how she really embodied the traits of what Filipino teens are these days, in good and admirable ways.

From then on, everytime we'd bump into each other in ABS-CBN, we would catch up and talk to each other like we've known each other for a long time. I remembered she even asked me on ASAP, "kumain ka na po?", a gesture I found really sweet and comforting.

Then early this year, she had to go back inside PBB house, to be part of Kuya's Dream Team. I haven't really had the chance to say goodbye or wish her well, but I knew she knew how supportive I was of her.

Bumped into Kisses in ABS-CBN.

She may not have won the Big Winner title, but for us, Kisses was already a winner the moment she made it to the Big 7. It was tough - we all saw how real the struggle was inside Kuya's house, I must say. The housemates, and even the viewers, had already gone stressed especially during the reality show's final stretch. But Kisses made it through, and shone the brightest as she proved how worthy she was, not just as a housemate, but as this teen who was true to her feelings and actions from start to end. It wasn't easy admitting her insecurities and shortcomings, and her feelings for someone that won't just go away... But Kisses did it, and how.

A bigger battle awaits for her and the rest of the Teen Big 4 now that they're out of PBB, and are starting respective careers in showbiz, where everything is uncertain. But as one of my favorite Britney Spears' songs say, "this girl will always find her way". Kisses always finds, and will surely find a way. She will make it big.