His life story inspired many people as he worked hard to give his poor family a better life, but “Pinoy Big Brother: Otso”(PBB Otso) Ultimate Big Winner Yamyam Gucong wowed netizens anew with what he did with the money he received from winning the show.

Working Hard for the Family

On PBB Otso, Yamyam shared that he stopped pursuing education at fifth grade in order to find a job to sustain his family’s financial needs. He worked several jobs in Cebu and was not ashamed to reveal that he became a water-delivery man and as a house help.

He auditioned to be part of PBB, just like many hopefuls across the country who wish to find fame in the reality show and have a career in showbiz. He landed a spot as a housemate on January 6, 2019, later becoming the show’s winner.

Just like many other show winners, Yamyam had several guestings on various shows on ABS-CBN as well as mall shows and interviews. He also got a supporting role in the Filipino sit-com “Home Sweetie Home”.

Better Life Back Home

Just like he always dreamed of, Yamyam was able to give his family a better life. Back in his hometown in Inabanga, Bohol, Yamyam built a small bakery for his family – and it’s now a popular spot for his neighbors to enjoy delicious breads while sometimes being able to take photos with the PBB Otso star who travels there from time to time.

“Yamito’s Bakeshop” is managed by Yamyam’s parents and siblings. Many netizens as well as his friends in showbiz are happy over what this young man was able to achieve, particularly for his family.

He also received lots of blessings, even outside his stint in PBB. For instance, he shared a photo of the bike he got from Bisekleta Manila. According to Yamyam, he had always dreamed of having a bike when he was still a kid but that dream finally came true now.

What is PBB?

PBB is the Philippine version of the “Big Brother” reality show franchise. Just like the format in other “Big Brother” shows, the contestants live in a house with lots of cameras that record their every move. In the Philippines, the house is often referred to as “Bahay ni Kuya”, the Filipino translation for the show’s name.

It all started when blind Pinoy balladeer Carl Malone Montecido unmindfully sang “Too Good at Goodbyes”, one of the iconic songs of Sam Smith, while inside SM Bacolod in Bacolod City, central Philippines. But someone was so impressed by his voice and took a video that would soon take the internet by storm.

Posted by Trixie Madison, the video would gain over 14 million views – and quickly reached Sam Smith who praised the young man for his impressive cover! Soon, many celebrities also praised his performance, leading no less than popular talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to extend an invitation for the young man to appear on her show!

And we are all quite positive that once Carl will be on the show, Ellen is surely going to let him meet face to face with Sam Smith. Wow.

A number of avid TV viewers quickly recalled that Carl was one of the finalists of ABS-CBN’s Showtime’s “Tawag ng Tanghalan” in 2016. He finished as in Top 5. He was also invited to participate in GMA Network’s “Clash” but was quickly eliminated during the first round.

While the young man wishes to have a better singing career, he was no longer invited to anymore shows. So, he’s back in his hometown when he was unexpectedly “discovered” again. This time, it would seem that he is on the path to make his talent known worldwide!

Days after his cover went viral, SM Bacolod management invited him back. He once again sang “Too Good at Goodbyes” to the cheers of the crowd. He also sang “Exchange of Hearts” by David Slater.

This time around, the SM Bacolod management had prepared a surprise for this young performer. Accompanied by his parents Ferdinand and Divina, Carl received two big carts of groceries, brand new Grand videoke symphony pro plus, and SM gift certificates.

The young man confirmed that they received an invitation from Ellen but the details need to be smoothed out first. We sure to watch him on the show soon!

Here’s the video the made him go viral:

What’s a Balladeer?

A balladeer is someone who sings or composes ballads, a type of slow, sentimental music that often tells a romantic story.

Young actress Nadine Lustre, 26, is currently single after recently breaking up with boyfriend James Reid. And while she doesn’t look like she’s in the market for someone new, a lot of guys have shown their interest on the bankable young star. One of these is no less than the controversial Xian Gaza who’s had a number of ‘links’ to popular artists in the past.

In a post on Facebook, Xian shares a photo of a giant ‘bouquet’ that has a car in the middle – no less than a red Mustang. In the Philippines, the ‘cheapest’ brand-new Mustang would set you back by nearly Php3 million but Xian doesn’t mind throwing away a couple of millions, if that means winning Nadine’s heart.

“Dear Nadine Lustre,

First of all, Happy Valentine’s Week! Sana ay nagustuhan mo at nawa’y tanggapin mo ‘tong “Bouquet of Mustang” na regalo ko para sayo.

Since my teenage days, KSP na talaga ako. Whenever I really like someone, gagawin ko ang lahat-lahat para makuha ang atensyon nung babaeng gusto ko in the grandest way possible within my means. Just like my ligaw efforts to Ella Cruz way back 2016 and so with my epic fail billboard for Erich last 2017.

Three years after, here I am again. Nagpapapansin naman this time sayo. Maaari nanamang magmukhang tanga at katatawanan ng publiko but idgaf sa opinyon ng iba. This is me, this is how I express myself, this is the way I am.”

Of course, he realized in retrospect that he appears to be ‘buying’ Nadine’s love. So, he explained in the post that he’s not doing that but merely giving away the Mustang to Nadine because he’s rather rich at the moment.

“Maybe iisipin ng madlang people that this Ford Mustang is too much, na parang binibili kita at yung pagkababae mo. Nope! It’s just that my financial capacity at the moment is a little bit good and I believe that you deserve to be the first ever person in the Philippines to receive a “Bouquet of Mustang” as a Valentines gift because that’s how high I value you as a woman.

All I want is to be your acquaintance, nothing more nothing less.

Happy Valentines to you, Nadine.

Christian Albert Gaza”

It’s really a very expensive gift! But everyone is curious how Nadine would react to the Valentine’s gift…

What’s a Mustang?

A Mustang is a luxury American car manufactured by Ford. Because this sports car is considered a luxury vehicle, it also comes with a huge price tag.