PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and other select members of the entertainment press were invited by GMA-7 to personally witness the 8^th leg of the auditions for the second season of the hit reality show Survivor Philippines. The auditions were held yesterday, March 28, at SM North EDSA in Quezon City.

After an exotic lunch at The Banana Leaf restaurant, we were escorted to the 5^th level parking area in The Block where the first level of auditions was being held. A long line of hopefuls patiently awaited their turn for the first interview.

Those who made it in the first level were asked to proceed to the Entertainment Center of SM North EDSA for the second-level audition, where a panel—composed of SP host Paolo Bediones, program manager Neil Gumban; former castaways Charise Yacapin, Veronica Domingo, Jace Flores, and first Pinoy Sole Survivor JC Tiuseco—would interview them. Each batch was composed of 10 hopefuls.

Those who passed the second level will then be asked to return for the third level until they reach the fifth and final level. Four hundred hopefuls will be chosen among the thousands who auditioned nationwide. Out of 400 hopefuls, only 16 or 18 will compose the castaways of the second season of Survivor Philippines.

The second Pinoy Sole Survivor will win three-million pesos in cash, tax-free.

NEW CASTAWAYS. During the lunch break at Banana Leaf resto, PEP was able to talk to Paolo Bediones about the audition process and the second season of Survivor Philippines.

Paolo stressed that what they are looking for this season are not copycats of the castaways from Season 1.

He said, "Ang lagi naming sinasabi sa auditions, 'We're not looking for another Zita, another JC, another Chris, another Marlon. We are looking for [new people]... Ganun yung dapat, na yung sarili mo. Yung importante is that yung peg na meron, hiwalay tayo do'n. Tapos na yung first season peg, e. Yun na 'yon. Second-season peg, show me new people, show me new personality, show me more people interested in strategy."

Were there any standouts among those who auditioned so far this second season?

"Bilang na bilang," Paolo admitted. "This season, we're expecting less people to audition. Because now, they've seen kung anong hirap, e.

"Some of them [the standouts] are at a certain age na. They're not exactly young but they're not too old. Personality-wise, all those standouts, you can put them in one corner and ask them to talk and they won't stop talking. That's what we need, e, kasi auditory-visual medium 'to, e. Kung hindi ka magsasalita, paano ka makikipag-alyansa?

"Although there are others naman na standout in terms of, kunyari sobrang moody, susungitan kami sa audition, 'Puwede 'to.' Pero kung yun lang ang ipapakita mo... For example, there are a lot of gays, pero how are you gonna be different from the stereotypical, scream, whatever, or kikay gay? Dapat ganun ka, ganyan ang outright personality mo, what more can you add in terms of strategy, in terms of how the game will be played, in terms of your environment? Are you gonna shake it up? Kung ganun ang personality mo, maiirita yung mga lalake sa camp. Tsugi ka na, tanggal ka na. So dapat, pag may ganyan kang personality, dapat merong come-on sa tribemates mo to keep you there."

Apparently, there are hopefuls who think that the best way to get in is to top or copy the strategy of the first castaways. Paolo shared to PEP this conversation between the aspirant and the SP panel:

"Sabi niya, 'Ako, hihigitan ko yung ginawa ni Marlon!'

"'So, paano mo hihigitan?'