John Clifford: PBB'S 'Dutiful Langga' of Cebu is more than meets the eye

In his stint inside the “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) house, Cebuano housemate John Clifford hopes to show different sides of himself, as he noticed that people often perceive him as shy and awkward.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

"Actually, totoo naman po talaga 'yung mga sinasabi nila," the Kapuso actor-singer told Big Brother inside the confession room during an episode of “PBB: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0” that aired on October 26. “Pero as time passes by, I really try my best to overcome my fears.”

His parents, Sofia and Rufino Gawchua, perceive their son differently. They see him as “the life of the party” in social gatherings, whether with family or friends.

“Clifford is not shy. He’s usually one of the liveliest. He’s a jolly person and a joker behind the scenes,” Rufino told The FREEMAN. “In fact, he is a confident performer and speaker on stage.”

“Maybe it’s because it’s Clifford’s first time meeting a new group of people, he’s still observing. But once you get to know him, he’s friendly and approachable. That’s why he might have been mistaken as a shy person at first,” Sofia added.

Since childhood, Clifford has been an overachiever, bagging several wins in various contests in Cebu, such as pageants like Mr. Face of Cebu 2019 and Mr. Cebu City Olympics 2018 (Elementary), as well as a few talent and speech competitions.

There was a time that Clifford almost joined showbiz as a child actor under Star Magic, after being offered a contract by Johnny Manahan following his participation in the Promil I-Shine Talent Camp. But traveling back and forth from Cebu to Manila for projects wasn’t feasible at the time.