A look into Pinoy Fear Factor's first 5 'participantes'

"Pinoy Fear Factor: Argentina, South America" already announced the names of their 12 contestants or "participantes" in a press conference held inside ABS-CBN Broadcasting center in Quezon City.

Starting Tuesday, October 28, abs-cbnNEWS.com will share the profiles of the much-awaited "participantes."

Prima Participante:

Actress LJ Moreno is also a pre-school Teacher. Moreno, 27 from Marikina has a fear of deep water and cockroaches.

Moreno started her career by doing television commercials and posing for magazines. She also acted in some TV shows and films.

Though her showbiz career was going steady, she had to say goodbye for a while to focus on other things and events that are important to her as well.

Moreno wanted to focus on making things better for her family. Her parents separated and her mother migrated to the United States. She became her younger siblings' sister and mother.

She also wanted to try out a different life. She finished a degree specializing on early childhood education taking care of her younger siblings and of other kids at the same time.

Just when her family and her new career were doing well, her two-year relationship with her boyfriend failed. That's why she promised herself not to make the same mistakes again.

In the period when she was not in showbiz, she grew fond of competitive sports like racing, wakeboarding and the likes.

And with all the things she has gone through, she believes she has become wiser and stronger. Now, the new LJ Moreno is ready for another feat to focus on. Moreno wants to make an impact in Argentina and be the first "El Ultimo Participante" of "Pinoy Fear Factor."

Segunda Participante:

Model and TV Patrol Star Patroller Phoemela Barranda, 27, from Parañaque fears snakes and insects.

Barranda can be seen almost everyday as she gives the latest updates on entertainment news on TV Patrol and weekly entertainment show "The Buzz."

She's also known for her glamorous and daring poses on the covers of different magazines and billboards.

"Phem" said that she joined the reality show to prove that just like everybody she has more to offer plus the fact the does not want to be canned as “just a celebrity."

Barranda is from the second family of her father. In the Philippines, some tend to be different and unfair towards people like her who did not have a "normal" family.

Phem believes that her participation in "Pinoy Fear Factor" will break the perception on her as a "usual celebrity". She is set to let the people know Phem as she faces her fears and as she fights it out to become the first "El Ultimo Participante."

Tercero Participante:

Ram Sagad or simply Ram is the third player of "Pinoy Fear Factor." Sagad is 23 and a former basketball player. He's from Quezon City and currently busy with modeling projects and studying.

Sagad has a fear of heights and unusual and exotic edibles. Sagad said he enjoys playing basketball and considers the game as his first love. He played in the NCAA but things seemed unfair for him that's why, he said, he had to let go.

Quitting basketball was a very difficult choice for him but he was happy he chose to keep his self-confidence than to continue playing knowing, he said, that he was not being given due recognition.

Sagad said that he is too young to take things too seriously, the reason why his life revolves around his parents, his brother, school playing basketball and video games with his friends.

The six-footer-guy said that playing for "Pinoy Fear Factor" would be a new and big adventure for him. He hopes that his athletic background will be an advantage and that his fear of heights and of exotic edibles would not get in his way of taking home the P2 million prize and a brand new house and lot for his family.

Cuarta Participante:

Stand-up comedienne Jamie Ann "Janna" Dominguez from Quezon City is the fourth contestant of the show. Dominguez, who is now 18 years old is a currently a glutathione sales agent. She has a fear of spiders and closed spaces (claustrophobia).

She maybe young but the things she had gone through and is going through made her older, stronger and bolder.

Dominguez looks like one of the lead characters in a hit Koreanovela seen on primetime television. Her life story is even similar to theirs: an optimistic young girl with a sad story, then life gets better. The only difference is that hers is just starting to get good.

Her biological mother left their family and is now living a good life in Japan. Her father married a 25-year old woman who became her mother and best friend. But life is still hard that is why his father still works in Japan as a construction worker.

Driven to provide for the family and have his father enjoy retirement sooner, Dominquez works hard. Now, with that drive, she is determined to make "Pinoy Fear Factor" her avenue to get to the point where her life story gets better... and better.

Quinto Participante:

"Balikbayan" Marion Angelo dela Cruz, who grew up in Vienna, Austria, is a student and has a fear of heights. De La Cruz' father is a driver in an embassy while his mother is a cleaning lady in another embassy.

Though he lived most of his life in Austria, his parents managed to make him learn Tagalog dialect and live the good Filipino values.

He met a lot of girls in Vienna, but he said he never had any serious relationships there. For him, he prefers conservative Filipinas over liberated Austrians.

He was also a good soccer player but he got into a lot of vices and trouble that he became unfit to play any sport at all. He was smoking, drinking and got involved in fights, he said, because of racism. He was too much too handle so his parents decided to fly him back to the Philippines to live with his lola (grandmother).

He said he managed to overcome the challenge of starting anew in the Philippines. He got used to the daily challenges of helping his lola do the chores and running daily palengke (market) errands.

He believes he is a man who lives for challenges. Now, being a "participante" is another challenge he is very eager to face. He wants to win the prize so he can convince his family to migrate back to the Philippines.

Two more Pinoy Fear Factor 'participantes' introduced

"Pinoy Fear Factor: Argentina, South America" has already announced the names of their eight contestants or "participantes," namely:

Prima Participante: LJ Moreno
Segunda Participante: Phoemela Barranda
Tercero Participante: Ram Sagad
Cuarta Participante: Jamie Ann "Janna" Dominguez
Quinto Participante: Marion Angelo dela Cruz
Sexto Participante:Elmer Felix
Septima Participante: Gail Nicolas
Octavo Participante: Jommy Teotico, 2

Here are the profiles of the other two much-awaited "participantes."

Noveno Participante:

Manuel Chua Jr., 27 from Cabanatuan City is the struggling businessman of the show. A self-employed guy fears failure and crocodiles.

Manuel is a good son and an able father to his four-year-old daughter. But years back, he said, there was not a bit of good in him. He had plenty of vices. He was a womanizer and a speed junkie too.

After plenty of mistakes and a few car accidents, a blessing came into his life: his daughter from his current partner. Though his partner is a lawyer and from a well-to-do family, Manuel wants to be the provider of his own family.

He runs a business he inherited from his father. But running the appliance store is a big challenge for Manuel. Before his father passed away because of liver cirrhosis, they had 36 branches all over Luzon. Now, they only have three branches left.

He said however he will not stop struggling for his lifetime responsibility. Everyday, he struggles to keep the business alive. Everyday, he struggles to provide for his daughter.

And now, in "Pinoy Fear Factor," he will make sure that his struggles will lead him to winning the P2-M and the house and lot; for the family business and for his daughter.

Decimo Participante:

Bernabe "RJ" Calipus Jr., 20, a stevedore from Parola, Tondo fears heights. RJ is a son of a Filipina and of a French national.

However, he never met his biological parents. Her mother had him adopted because she can no longer support him.

Life seems fast for this "Tondo" boy. He had his first daughter when he was 17 and just a few months ago, his live-in partner gave birth to their second daughter. RJ said he can endure his hunger but he can't stand to see his daughters sick and hungry. That is why he takes any job he can so he can provide for his family. However, he only finished 2nd year high school so he bears jobs like wharf porters and kargador in Divisoria. And at night, he takes up automotive classes.

'Pinoy Fear Factor" will hopefully give way for a number of first-times for RJ: First time to be out of the country, first time to ride on a plane, first time to be seen on TV and first time to be given the opportunity to compete for P2 million and (hopefully his family's first) brand new house and lot.

Three more 'Pinoy Fear Factor' participantes

"Pinoy Fear Factor: Argentina, South America" has already announced the names of their five contestants or "participantes," namely:

Prima Participante: LJ Moreno
Segunda Participante: Phoemela Barranda
Tercero Participante: Ram Sagad
Cuarta Participante: Jamie Ann "Janna" Dominguez
Quinto Participante: Marion Angelo dela Cruz

Here are the profiles of the other three much-awaited "participantes."

Sexto Participante:

Elmer Felix, 25 from Pampanga fears drowning, deep water, eating exotic and unusual edibles. A veterinarian and medical representative, there's more to this Kapampangan than meets the eye.

Years ago, Elmer was a thin and average guy that's why he decided to put on some muscles, weight, and some extra "pogi" points. So, after years of persistent and religious workouts (five times a week), he is now a Kapampangan hunk.

Before he got the professional license to treat animals, he was a college graduate striving to pass the board exam. He failed the first time but that didn't stop him.

Despite his determination, he was still unsuccessful on his second attempt. Yet, his will and persistence was stronger: he passed the third time he took the board exam.

If there's something that sets this Kapampangan apart, it's his competitive and persistent spirit. He never gives up until he gets what he wants.

Now, Elmer is once again ready to prove to the world that with his persistence, he will again get what he aims for. He will strive to overcome his fears. He will prove that the (animal) doctor is always in for any stunts he has to face in the first ever, Pinoy Fear Factor.

Septima Participante:

25-year-old Gail Nicolas was the the Bikini Summit '07 winner. She's a TV and ramp commercial model and a nail artist as well. She fears heights and dark places.

Everybody will have to agree that, as a commercial and ramp model, Gail, is indeed hot and sexy--with a bikini summit title to boot.

Behind the beauty, charm and the physique that gives her bread and butter, Gail is a woman who serves balls--that is, volleyballs. Back in college, she was a member of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers team, serving and spiking volleyballs on the court.

At home, she is the breadwinner of the family. When she was 17, her father's relatives made them move out of their house and soon, her father died. Since then, she works to serve the family and be their provider. She was even able to help her elder brother finish school.

Gail is definitely an achiever. She bagged the bikini summit title. She overcame family hardships. And now, she is ready to win title, as the first ever, "Pinoy Fear Factor" winner.

Octavo Participante:

Jommy Teotico, 24 from Manila is a model who fears cockroaches and other insects.

Jommy grew up playing in the streets of Manila; loved to make fun of his playmates; and the guy who makes others laugh at his antics. He's the guy who gets the girls he likes and the ones who like him. This boy grew up to be a playboy and an easy-going young man. He is the "alaskador" Jommy.

Fate, however, knows how to play tricks as well. Jommy was framed up. After getting drunk, he woke up in bed with a woman who turned out to be married. Though he was 100% sure that nothing happened, the woman's in-laws who saw them believed otherwise. They both got beaten up. He almost died.

Since then, he knew it was his second life. He vowed to change. Now, he's no longer the playboy and easy-going young man. Now, he's simply "alaskador" Jommy.

Life for Jommy is not a big joke and definitely not easy at all. But jokes are his way to make life awesome and joking is what he'll do to distract other participantes. For his family and for his second life, he will laugh his way to the title "El Ultimo Participante" of "Pinoy Fear Factor."

Peerless and fearless in Pinoy Fear Factor

Laurenti Dyogi, ABS-CBN Business Unit head, admits that he wouldn’t be able to do any stunt that involves being suspended in mid-air.

“I’m afraid of heights,” the producer tells Inquirer Entertainment at the launch of the new Kapamilya reality series “Pinoy Fear Factor” which was shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“We had a stunt that was set 20 meters up in the air, on a moving structure,” he recounts.

The Argentinean crew was awed with the Pinoys, he explains. “They broke existing ‘Fear Factor’ records. For example, for one stunt, the best time was two minutes, but the Pinoys did it for only 30 seconds.”

For that very reason, he is impressed by the show’s 12 “participantes,” as the five female and seven male contestants are called.

“They’re a good mix of characters. They have different strengths and weaknesses,” he explains. “It’s great to know that Pinoys can also do the same stunts that we see regularly in the US edition of ‘Fear Factor.’”

Among the daring dozen, only three are celebrities, model Phoemela Barranda, sexy star Janna Dominguez and actress LJ Moreno, he relates. The rest are fresh faces. (Celebrity or not, all the participantes were insured and underwent medical and psychological exams prior to the South American trip.)

Dyogi recalls that the girls were full of fight. “The celebrities were fearless,” Dyogi says.

Host Ryan Agoncillo looks back: “Even if they were limping and injured, the participantes still pushed themselves. In the end, they were competing not just for the P2-million cash prize and house-and-lot (from Avida), they were also doing it for the prestige factor, for the bragging rights of being the first El Ultimo Participante.”

Agoncillo also performed his owns stunts, Dyogi points out.

“He had to deliver some of his spiels while hanging from a crane and a helicopter,” Dyogi notes. “For one shot, he was buried six feet under.”

Agoncillo recalls: “I never thought I was claustrophobic until I did that episode.”

Recorded with a night-vision camera, Agoncillo spent 10 minutes underground.

“I was surrounded by total darkness and I could feel the ground closing in on me,” he describes the experience.

It helped that Agoncillo felt totally at ease with the 60 Argentinean crew and 8 Filipino staffers.

“It’s a lean crew, but they’re on top of their game,” Agoncillo says. “Our director Pablo Zubizarreta made a documentary on the plane crash that inspired the film ‘Alive.’ They’re a topnotch team.”

Dyogi agrees: “I felt secure because they were experts.”

Dyogi says that 30 “Fear Factor” versions have been shot in Argentina—the latest being Finland and the Philippines. All in all, the Endemol franchise has been produced in 120 countries and counting.

“There was no fear even though we had to step out of our comfort zones,” Agoncillo says.

The show premieres Nov. 10 and will run for 15 weeks until February 2009.

Phoemela Barranda, LJ Moreno are Pinoy Fear Factor 'participantes'

TV Patrol World "Star Patroller" Phoemela Barranda and Viva talent LJ Moreno are testing their mettle in ABS-CBN's "Pinoy Fear Factor" - the country's scariest and most challenging reality show to date.

Laurenti Dyogi, the show’s business unit head, said Phoemela and LJ are just two of 12 "participantes" in the new reality show that pits seven males and five females in death-defying stunts in South America.

"We made right choices as proven by the participantes' involvement in the program and strength from their character and personality. They are very interesting to watch. Hindi kami nagkamali ng pagpili sa kanila. We are very happy with the selection and I think matutuwa din ang mga manonood sa mga ipinakita ng ating mga participantes,” Dyogi said.

The other participantes are:

Jose – a culinary student
Manuel – a challenger from Tarlac
Jommy – a model
Ram – former varsity player
Marion – a ‘balikbayan’ from Austria
RJ – a stevedore with two kids from Parola, Tondo
Janna – former “Wowowee” host
Savanah – ledge dancer
Gail Nicolas – 2007’s Mossimo Bikini Summit winner
Elmer – a veterinary

Dyogi said the contestants had to travel for 36 hours from Manila to Argentina and adjust to the new country while taking on the "Fear Factor" challenges. He also revealed that some of the "participantes" were not very familiar with the show's format.

He said all the 12 participantes were insured as stated in Endemol contract. “Yes, they are insured. We cannot leave the country without medical insurance, hospital insurance, life insurance and travel insurance,” he said.

“Pinoy Fear Factor: South America” is an adaption of the “Fear Factor Extreme” format, which is different from US version where contestants compete in different challenges weekly. The show will run for 15 weeks with three stunts shown every week.

Dyogi said that in “Pinoy Fear Factor”, the participantes will be staying inside a boot camp called “El Campo Miedo” and compete against each other. Every week, one participant will bid goodbye until three contestants remain.

The last one standing will have the honor to be the first “El Ultimo Participante” and will receive a take home pay of P2 million and a house and lot from Avida of Ayala Land.

Dyogi said local viewers will definitely get hooked with the intense stunts and dares. He said some of the Filipino contestants actually broke “Fear Factor” existing records.

The Philippines is the 30th country to do a local version of “Fear Factor” in Argentina and the third country to use the “Fear Factor Extreme” format following South Africa and India.

Phoemela Barranda, LJ Moreno are Pinoy Fear Factor 'participantes'

TV Patrol World "Star Patroller" Phoemela Barranda and Viva talent LJ Moreno are testing their mettle in ABS-CBN's "Pinoy Fear Factor" -- the country's scariest and most challenging reality show to date.

Laurenti Dyogi, the show’s business unit head, said Phoemela and LJ are just two of 12 "participantes" in the new reality show that pits seven males and five females in death-defying stunts in South America.

"We made right choices as proven by the participantes' involvement in the program and strength from their character and personality. They are very interesting to watch. Hindi kami nagkamali ng pagpili sa kanila. We are very happy with the selection and I think matutuwa din ang mga manonood sa mga ipinakita ng ating mga participantes,” Dyogi said.

The other participantes are:

• Jose – a culinary student
• Manuel –  a challenger from Tarlac
• Jommy – a model
• Ram – former varsity player
• Marion – a ‘balikbayan’ from Austria
• RJ – a stevedore with two kids from Parola, Tondo
• Janna – former “Wowowee” host
• Savanah – ledge dancer
• Gail Nicolas – 2007’s Mossimo Bikini Summit winner
• Elmer – a veterinary

Dyogi said the contestants had to travel for 36 hours from Manila to Argentina and adjust to the new country while taking on the "Fear Factor" challenges. He also revealed that some of the "participantes" were not very familiar with the show's format.

He said all the 12 participantes were insured as stated in Endemol contract. “Yes, they are insured. We cannot leave the country without medical insurance, hospital insurance, life insurance and travel insurance,” he said.
“Pinoy Fear Factor: South America” is an adaption of the “Fear Factor Extreme” format, which is different from US version where contestants compete in different challenges weekly. The show will run for 15 weeks with three stunts shown every week.

Dyogi said that in “Pinoy Fear Factor”, the participantes will be staying inside a boot camp called “El Campo Miedo” and compete against each other. Every week, one participant will bid goodbye until three contestants remain.

The last one standing will have the honor to be the first “El Ultimo Participante” and will receive a take home pay of P2 million and a house and lot from Avida of Ayala Land.

Dyogi said local viewers will definitely get hooked with the intense stunts and dares. He said some of the Filipino contestants actually broke “Fear Factor” existing records.

The Philippines is the 30th country to do a local version of “Fear Factor” in Argentina and the third country to use the “Fear Factor Extreme” format following South Africa and India.