Mika Salamanca Gives Back After 'PBB' Big Win

One of the first things Mika Salamanca did after winning "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition" was to give back — donating her entire P1 million cash prize to a chosen charity and committing to help more scholars from low-income backgrounds pursue their education.

- By Nathalie Tomada

"Yung pagpasok ko sa 'PBB,' pangarap ko po siya nung bata ako," the popular YouTuber and influencer shared in an interview with The Philippine STAR. "Pero ngayon po, kaya po talaga ako pumasok sa 'PBB' kasi kailangan ko pong i-reintroduce sarili ko. Yun po yung laging sinasabi ko.

"Winning the title wasn't really in my bingo card (when I joined). And like I said, even just being part of the Big Four would have been enough for me. Medyo impossible pa. But I told myself, go, let's still aspire for it.

"And because it was given by the Lord, by the grace of God, and it was the people who put me in that position — I didn't expect it — I wanted to give it back to the people in whatever way I can."

That led her to give her winnings to Duyan ni Maria, a charity for children in Pampanga, which she and fellow "PBB" big winner and duo partner Brent Manalo, had selected while inside the "PBB" house.

"Actually po, the Duyan ni Maria kung saan po ako nagbigay ng donation, yun po yung chosen charity po namin ni Brent sa loob ng bahay ni Kuya. Hindi pa namin siya napupuntahan ni Brent but it's something that's close to our heart because we're both Kapampangan. And sa Pampanga po yung chosen charity namin na yun."

The STAR learned that Mika has been involved in charity work before "PBB," quietly and away from cameras and social media. This only came to light shortly after her "PBB" stint when a fellow content creator shared pictures of Mika during a previous charity activity.