06-07-2025
7 things to know about Mika Salamanca, Brent Manalo's 'Pinoy Big Brother' journey
Brent Manalo and Mika Salamanca (BreKa) were the first-ever Big Winner duo of the "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition."
With the monikers Ang Gentle-linong Heartthrob ng Tarlac and Ang Controversial Ca-babe-len ng Pampanga, the duo displayed quiet strength and resilience inside the house, facing challenges and breakthroughs together.
As they return to the outside world with the title of Big Winners, here are seven things to know about Brent and Mika's journey inside Bahay ni Kuya.
1. Duos for the first time
Brent and Mika first went with the duo name MEnt when they were randomly paired as duos during the earlier days of the show.
As a duo, they were assigned to lead their second weekly task titled "One Shot Wonder," where housemates were challenged to develop and produce a short film featuring Esnyr's nine characters—each appearing in distinct scenes and settings.
Although they failed to complete the task, it highlighted their teamwork and their dynamic as both leaders and partners.
2. The MikBrent fan ship
After their first duo pairing, the bond between Mika and Brent grew even stronger, so much so that netizens couldn't help but ship them, giving rise to their fan ship name: MikBrent.
Interestingly, fans had already been shipping them as far back as 2020, following a brief interaction on X (formerly Twitter).
3. Mika's red flag moment
Perhaps one of Mika's highlights in PBB was when she received a red flag in their "Nagpapakatotoo Challenge."
Mika got a red flag for receiving the lowest average of two points from the housemates' evaluation where they assess each other's authenticity.
Despite being at the bottom of the ranking, Mika accepted the result with grace, saying she didn't take the outcome personally.
"Sorry if meron man sa inyo na naka-feel na nakukulangan sa pagpapakatotoo ko. I just wanna assure you guys na it's OK na ako 'yung nakakuha ng red flag and I believe na you guys don't mean anything bad. Thank you guys," Mika told the housemates.
4. Brent giving his Golden seat to Mika
When Brent secured one of the four golden seats for their moms in "The Big Carnival Concert," the Kapamilya star decided to give it Mika after Kuya told him that he can transfer it to someone else.
Brent said it was not a sacrifice for him but a self-serving decision, because he could not pass on the opportunity to do something for a friend.
Because of Brent's selfless move, Mika got the opportunity to talk to her mom via video call.
Mika and her mom were both thankful to Brent for giving her the opportunity to watch the concert.
5. Mika choosing Brent as her final duo
After ranking sixth in their last duo formation task, Mika chose Brent as her final duo with BreKa as their duo name.
According to Mika, she chose Brent because he has been a big part of her growth and journey inside Bahay Ni Kuya.
6. BreKa deciding to give up slot for ShuKla
Brent and Mika faced the Big Tapatan alongside the house challengers, where they expressed their willingness to give up their slots for Shuvee Etrata and Klarisse de Guzman (ShuKla), the last housemates to be evicted by public vote.
During the Big Tapatan, the duo defended their decision, saying they didn't do it to appear like heroes, but simply because it was something they genuinely wanted to do.
Although Kuya didn't agree and they were allowed to keep their slots, their selfless decision stood as a testament to their genuine hearts and willingness to sacrifice for their fellow housemates.
7. Big Jump Challenge
BreKa, along with the duos Ralph De Leon-Will Ashley (RaWi), AZ Martinez-River Joseph (AzVer), and Dustin Yu-Bianca De Vera (DusBi), faced the Big Jump Challenge, where they had to win one of three challenges to advance to the Big Four.
With RaWi and AzVer successfully completing the first and second Big Jump Challenges, BreKa went head-to-head with DusBi in the final challenge. The task required both pairs to navigate red cups through a maze and then build the tallest tower possible within the time limit.
After nearly six hours of intense effort, BreKa succeeded in constructing the higher tower, securing the last spot in the Big Four and eliminating DusBi from the competition. —MGP, GMA Integrated News
