Where have all the 'panget' housemates of 'PBB' gone?

Satire writer Jade Mark Capiñanes’ observation came as “Collab Edition 3.0” housemates were named.

An award-winning satire writer is feeling nostalgic for a time when “Pinoy Big Brother” housemates weren’t all supposedly conventionally attractive—or so he says.

Hours after the housemates of “Pinoy Big Brother: Collab Edition 3.0” were introduced on Oct. 24, Jade Mark Capiñanes took to Facebook to write: “nakaka-miss yung time na may panget sa pbb housemates.”

Capiñanes did not specify which housemates, if any, he was referring to. But his post apparently resonated with thousands of users, drawing more than 36,000 reactions, 200 comments and 2,300 shares at the time of writing.

Some users played along, joking that the next season should make room for housemates they considered “panget.”

Others, meanwhile, turned the joke into a question of whether looks are everything.

“ang boring nung mga may face card tapos walang personality,” one user wrote, without naming any housemate.

The latest edition of the reality show features 16 housemates from celebrity, social media, and everyday backgrounds. They include Bela Arcal, Anthony Constantino, Cianne Dominguez, Primo Alterado, Shea Valerio, Robbie Jaworski, Nicole Fortuna, Raheel Bhyria, Mikee Quintos, Jeo Ong, Gehlee Dangca, Ethan Benares, Calix Esguerra, Winwyn Marquez, Nathan Garcia, and Lans Nagal.

“Collab Edition 3.0” also marked the debut of the show’s new “Bahay ni Kuya,” a repurposed property at the Gina Lopez Building along Mother Ignacia Avenue in Quezon City. The building formerly housed the ABS-CBN Foundation and Bantay Bata 163.

The original PBB house, which opened for the show’s maiden season in 2005, stood at 18 Eugenio Lopez Jr. Drive, across from the ABS-CBN ELJ Communications Center.

The structure was partially demolished in 2023 after the property was sold and the previous season concluded. It was fully demolished in October 2026, shortly before the show transitioned to its new location.

The latest edition follows earlier “Collab” seasons, then dubbed “Celebrity Collab.” Winners included Brent Manalo and Mika Salamanca, as well as Caprice Cayetano and Lella Ford.

Capiñanes has won two Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for his essays. He has also received fellowships from writing workshops across the Philippines, including the University of the Philippines National Writers Workshop, the University of Santo Tomas National Writers Workshop, and the Iyas La Salle National Writers Workshop.

His books include the short story collection “How to Grieve,” the novel “not in the mood for love,” and the essay chapbooks “Vince & Kath & Derrida” and “A Personal History of Sea Creatures.”