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.