"Parang ito yung dream role mo, e, ito yung dream job mo, e. After Extra Challenge, where else will you go, di ba? Here's something that was given to me that's much, much bigger than that. So much bigger talaga," says Paolo Bediones about hosting Survivor Philippines.

Noel Orsal

Paolo Bediones considers hosting "Survivor Philippines" his 'dream job'

Erwin Santiago

Thursday, September 11, 2008
10:37 AM

Award-winning TV host Paolo Bediones is so excited while talking about what he calls his "dream job" during the pocket interview for Survivor Philippines held yesterday, September 10, at GMA Network Center.

For many, Paolo is the obvious choice to host Survivor Philippines having hosted the hit reality series Extra Challenge on GMA-7, which set a trend in reality TV in the Philippines. Paolo also admitted that he really hoped to get this hosting job.

"December [2007] pa lang, there were talks that we might get [the franchise of] Survivor. Basically, I just said, ‘Sana, sana ako, sana ako.' But then I also heard that they were short listing like 20 people—that's pretty long short list. And I was like, ‘Okay. So I guess huwag muna nating asahan ito.'

"I remember I got the call at around 11 o' clock, I was taping Tok! Tok! Tok! [his Sunday night game show] at that time, around February. It was very simple, it was just a few words. Ang sabi, ‘O, you got it. It's yours na.' Yun lang, yun na ‘yon. Parang tuliro ako," narrates a darker Paolo to select members of the press, including PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).

Paolo admitted though that he did not audition to get the hosting job for Survivor Philippines. He explains, "In terms of Castaway Productions [franchise owner of Survivor] naman, they gave the free reign to the network. And of course they wanted to see some footage, so they showed footage of me in Extra Challenge doing the challenge or conducting the challenge. And they're like, ‘Yeah, it looks like you got a good person here.'

"It was never something na I expected," he continues, "‘cause I knew that if I expected this, I'd probably set myself up for disappointment considering that they want... ‘Andaling sabihin ng network na, ‘Let's explore other people. Parang this might look too much like Extra Challenge.' And that was my goal, to not make it look like anything I've done before in terms of my disposition...

"I'm very strict here, I hardly smile. It was hard for me because there was some things that I'd ask them [castaways] to do or some consequence that they have to perform, and people can end up being really mad at me. Parang, ‘Ang sama mo naman, pinalangoy mo ng one kilometer!' Survivor, e, di ba? So ngayon n'yo lang ako nakikitang ngumingiti, but if you watch the next three months, I'd hardly smile."

SHOOTING IN DEVIL'S ISLAND. Paolo says shooting Survivor Philippines for more than 40 days was not what he expected.

"Before I left, sabi ko nga, e, I don't think there's any way to prepare myself physically, mentally, truly for what's gonna happen. In a very good way, it wasn't what I expected, it is much worse. Look at my color [he's darker now], if I took off my shirt, you can see na may nakabakat dito na sando... But when I say much worst, ang ibig lang sabihin nun, e, the work is much harder, pero since yung level ng fulfillment mo and satisfaction mo so high, okay lang.

"Marami sa amin ang physically napagod. Ang isang tao lang na hindi puwedeng magkasakit, ako, kasi every day may trabaho ‘yan, e. Every day you're supposed to do a challenge or a tribal council. Pero ang nakakatawa, e, 45 days ako dun sa isla hindi ako nagkasakit, kahapon [September 9], binagyo lang ako, nag-rapel lang ako, ‘yan may sakit na ako!" reveals Paolo.

Along with the 18 castaways, more than 120 production staff flew to Koh Tarutao island in Thailand, near Malaysia, for the grueling shoot of Survivor Philippines. The team included carpenters, art department, technical department (which has about 8 camera crews), challenge team, reality team, the Sandugo to take care of the rigging in all of the challenges, the management team (three executive producers and a program manager).

"We were one big happy family!" quips Paolo. "Malaking bagay talaga yung nag-bonding lahat kami, yung nandun kayo mismo sa mga area kung saan talagang naghihirap kayo... Kumbaga, nakikilala mo yung ugali ng tao, e. You really push each other, ‘Sige, let's do better.'

"Nandun yung mga alitan. I always get into conflict with some of the teams, kasi I feel like either hindi safe yung challenge, or may mga nuances o mga parameters that weren't covered. Sometimes naman yung mga tinatawag na twist ng show, dini-discuss namin lagi ‘yon," relates the TV host.

PAOLO SURVIVED. What were the things that Paolo survived while he was on the island?

"Number one, I didn't get sick," he begins. "Not a single day that I get sick. There are times that I'd feel really weak, kasi at times the Tribal Council [voting-out session] will end at 2 a.m., then we have to do a challenge like at 7 a.m. because of the tide. May mga conditions na ganun, e... Kasi yung tide dun grabe, magpapalit in a span of two hours!

"Every single day without fail, dump truck ang sinasakyan namin! Aam mo yun sa umpisa parang fun and, after a while, sobrang sanay na, nakaupo sa dump truck ‘tapos uulan ng malakas, wala namang bubong ‘yon! We survived the storms.

"We survived eating just three small meals a day. Na-survive namin yung gutom, malayong lakad... Alam mo there are times that we have to walk about a kilometer from the shore or to get to the shore kasi ang baba ng tide, buhat-buhat mo yung equipment... It was just a group effort.

"There were times naman in the early part na I was testing all the challenges to make sure na safe sila [castaways]. I had to because responsibility ko rin as a host to make sure that... Although hindi mo tinatanggal yung lahat ng mga danger aspects of a challenge, kailangan masasagot mo yung question na, ‘What if?' There are so many things that are going on in your head habang ginagawa mo yung whole thing, e.

"Of course, nandun din yung every Sunday, nagba-Bible study kami dun. Mahalagang-mahalaga yun because you're in a foreign land, you're in an island na, you know, kailangan you have to cling into something, e. A lot of us became more prayerful when we were there, a lot of us became more open to one another. I would lead the group, I would read scriptures," narrates Paolo.

A SIMPLE LIFE. Personally, Paolo considers his experiences in Survivor Philippines priceless.

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