With only four days remaining on Koh Tarutao Island, laundrywoman 46-year-old Zita Ortiga was voted off Survivor Philippines. Nanay Zita received three votes while Rob Sy and JC Tiuseco each got one vote.
Nanay Zita becomes the 14th person to be voted out and the sixth member of the Jury, which will choose the first-ever Pinoy Sole Survivor who will win three-million pesos. The eldest Survivor Philippines castaway has now joined Jace Flores, Kiko Rustia, Vern Domingo, Marlon Carmen and Kaye Alipio in the Jury.
Nanay Zita was obviously disappointed by her elimination from the game since she really needed the money. She was also visibly hurt by the decision of her tribemates to vote her off.
"Sobra, sobra talaga... Tama talagang hindi dapat gamitin dito yung puso, utak talaga ang gamitin. Kasi pag puso talaga, masasaktan ka talaga... Kakailanganin ko talaga yung pera dahil ang dami ko sanang paglaanan nun.
"Rob, Cris, Charis, JC, hindi ko talaga akalain na gagawin n'yo 'to sa akin. Hindi man ako makaganti sa inyo, may ibang tao na gagantihan kayo ng kasamaan kasi pag gumawa ka ng masama sa iyong kapwa, gagantihan ka rin ng kasamaan," said a tearful Nanay Zita in her exit interview.
Nanay Zita voted against JC while Cris Cartagenas, who is safe from the Tribal Council after winning the Immunity Challenge, voted against Rob.
Although she is the oldest among the castaways, Nanay Zita is considered one of the strongest. She has proven that despite her age, she was able to beat her much younger competitors and even win challenges.
In fact, before being voted out, Nanay Zita won the very emotional Reward Challenge.
During this challenge, the five remaining castaways were paired with their loved ones: Zita's son-in-law, JC's girlfriend, Cris's mother, Charis's father, and Rob's brother. The castaways were blindfolded while their loved ones shouted instructions for them to get banners.
As a reward, Nanay Zita and her son-in-law will have an overnight stay in Bangkok and see some tourist destinations. Nanay Zita was asked by host Paolo Bediones to pick one castaway and a loved one to join her on their trip. She chose Cris and his mother.
Nanay Zita picked Cris because she believes that among the five remaining castaways, the two of them are the poorest and, therefore, have little chance of traveling abroad.
Nanay Zita was also asked to pick another castaway who will get the chance to bring his/her loved one to their camp. She picked JC and his girlfriend.
During the Immunity Challenge, the five castaways underwent another endurance challenge: they had to stand or sit on a small piece of wood while avoiding touching the ground. After more than four hours and with only Cris and JC remaining, JC made a signal to Chris, which the latter acknowledged. JC dropped out of the challenge to give Cris the much needed Immunity.
With his head on the chopping block because of the black pearl that he threw away from the last Tribal Council, Cris was saved from being eliminated.
With Nanay Zita's exit, only four castaways remain: Cris, JC, Rob, and Charis. Each one of them has now a four-in-one chance of becoming the first Pinoy Sole Survivor.
