New kind of castaways in ‘Survivor’ 2
The auditions of Survivor Philippines Season 2 held at SM Iloilo. I was so amused with the whole spectrum of “characters” who came up with all sorts of gimmicks to catch the judges’ attention.
“We’re making sure we don’t get the same kind of castaways as in the first season,” said Neil Gumban (program manager). “Iba dapat ang drama ng contenders in Season 2 so it won’t seem just like a replay. They must give us a compelling reason why we should choose them, aside from their willingness to tackle challenges in a remote island for 39 days.”
There was a 64-year-old snake charmer, a rape victim, a tricycle driver/model, dogwalker/receptionist, single mother, OFW and even beauty queens and celebrities who auditioned.
“We were surprised to see an actor and an actress show up,” exclaimed Donna Medina (executive producer). “They were in disguise as they lined up. No special treatment for them. They don’t have an edge though because this is no popularity contest.”
GMA-7 is all geared up to make Survivor’s second season more exciting than the first one. It gives away the biggest prize in a reality show — P3 million, tax-free. “The challenges will be more Pinoy,” noted Alex Dionisio (segment producer). “We now know which challenges work and which don’t. We will be more vigilant with safety measures.”
Will host Paolo Bediones be willing to wear trunks to spice things up in Season 2? “I’d rather not distract the castaways (laughs),” Pao quipped. “What I’d like to do is be more of myself and add a little humor to my hosting.”
Lesson learned from Survivor Season 1? “At the end of the day, despite the tough challenge we faced, we were one team,” said Pao. “With constant prayer for strength and guidance from up above, we hurdled everything in the island.”
He is pleased with the turnout of applicants. “The volume of people wanting to take a stab at it has lessened, but then again the quality so far is quite notable,” said Pao. “People realize that it is real and it is hard and only those willing to go that extra distance will make it and deserve to be the second Pinoy sole survivor.”
If you have what it takes (you must be 18 and above), try your luck at the auditions on March 27 and 28 at SM North EDSA, and on March 29 and 30 at SM San Lazaro.
Heed the call of the wild and live on the edge. What good is life if it’s half-lived? In the tradition of “Survivor,” don’t just survive, be fully alive!
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Kim Chiu
Lito Atienza