Secrets give the fickle parts of people room to act. In the right hands, they protect. In the wrong ones, they turn radioactive.
Some guard secrets with stubborn devotion; others handle them carelessly, certain they’ll surface sooner or later.
The cast of The Secrets of Hotel 88 falls somewhere along that spectrum.
Visiting Summit Media studio on February 10, 2026, Brent Manalo, Xyriel Manabat, Dustin Yu, and Bianca De Vera get forthcoming, away from the hush-hush intrigue their series orbits.
The mystery-thriller spirit is confined to the script.
In person, they are relaxed, occasionally broey, pleasingly reflective, and far more unformulaic than one might infer from a series cast propelled by half-truths.
Read: Back Under One Roof: The Housemates' Stylish Holiday Reunion
NO SECRETS ARE SAFE FOREVER
Everybody in the studio agrees that any secret is cuplable of either being shared or exposed in time.
As the DustBia duo would insist, even secrets that are carried to the grave will leak so long as someone else bears the knowledge of it.
Bianca shrugs at the adage that two can keep a secret if one of them is dead: “Well, the other one is still living, di ba? So, lalabas pa rin. If both of them are dead, then I guess...”
Dustin doesn’t miss the opening: “Unless siya yung killer.”
They giggle and sneak in a little promo of the show, before expounding.
“I'm just a firm believer in truth and like no matter what you do, it will always remain and it will always come out,” Bianca says.
Dustin throws in, “Kaya ako, di ko na kinahiligan magtago ng secrets lalo na sa mga friends ko, lagi ako nagsasabi.
“Kasi sure ako, wala talagang natatagong bagay. Lalabas at lalabas talaga yung katotohanan so, why not? Lalo na if wala ka talagang tinatago na masama. Just be yourself.”
For Brent, it could be as simple as easing it out to a confidant.
“I think as time goes by, all secrets would be revealed—not naman in the most scandalous way. I think it also helps sometimes na you share it with someone.”
Xyriel believes hiding something could merely be about lack of readiness: “I think hindi naman masama magkaroon ng sikreto. I, myself, have secrets. Pero ako yung tipo na kung may secrets man ako na lalabas, so be it.
“Tinago ko lang naman maybe because I'm not yet ready for the response or for the acceptance of that secret.
“Kung ma-reveal man siya, kaya ko siyang panindigan, kaya ko siyang harapin, kaya ko siyang ipaliwanag. Kaya kong i-validate kung bakit ko siya ginawang secret.”
XYRIEL: NO LONGER GOOD AT LYING
When it comes to dishonesty, there are telltale signs for each person.
Bianca details how she is capable of pulling off a successful prank and acting out pretenses on set, but, has a tendency to stutter when attempting to lie in real life.
The gentlemen say it shows on their face.
“He tries but like, halata talaga pag ina-avoid niya yung conversation,” Bianca playfully describes of Dustin.
Meanwhile, a lying Brent Manalo is a dead giveaway.
He explains, “My eyes kasi are very expressive, so you'd find out either way. Even though I try to lie.”
Among them, former child actress Xyriel is a self-confessed “great liar”—at least from when she was young.
“Nung bata ako, I’m the best at lying. Kasi di ba strict parents raise a great liar?
“Super, super duper, duper, duper, duper strict ng parents ko. So, ang galing ko mang-manipulate, ang galing ko gumawa ng kuwento, ang galing ko mag-lie. And, I can always parang get out of it.”
Somehow, along the way, this skill of hers faded.
“Nung after pandemic, nagkaroon ako ng super jump ng character development. Nagsimula akong bumait, kasi dati super cold ko. Kung gaano ako ka-warm ngayon as a person, hindi ako ganito dati.”
She says there are more factors to consider on why she behaved that way, and can’t really attribute it solely to working from a very tender age of five.
“Yung warmth ko, na-develop ko na lang siya. Tapos dun ko rin na-establish and na-transform sa sarili ko into being somewhat of an empath. Doon akong nagkaroon ng soft spot for everyone.
“So, ngayon, hindi na ako marunong mag-lie. Like, narara-rattle ako, mahahalata mo na. Kasi siguro open book ako ngayon.”
WHERE BRENT’S LOYALTY STANDS
If the Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition alumni are open books, who gets to read them? Who gets to experience their fiercely loyal side?
Bianca, Dustin, and Xyriel all point to family.
“We always come home to our families and definitely, sila talaga yung backbone ko,” Bianca expresses.
Xyriel echoes the sentiment, zooming in on one family member in particular: “Loyal ako sa family ko especially to my brother.
“Gusto ko talaga ma-establish na loyal talaga kami sa isa’t isa, and that he can really trust me whatever happens.”
Brent, on the other hand, springs his choice to what have kept him committed all these years.
“I think I’m loyal to my dreams. Ever since, I think growing up, I've learned that it's important that no matter what, you try to follow through with those dreams, not only for your family, for those who support you, but for your younger self.”
What's his ultimate dream?
“I’ve always been a dreamer and until now, I’ve only stayed this long, even though I'm practically new, I've only stayed this long because it’s...,” he pauses, buckling for emphasis.
“I'm gonna be honest, show business is really, really hard. And I've had other jobs before.
“I've been a model, I've done content creation, and I would say, acting and being an actor is the hardest. But, I think I owe it to my younger self to fight for it and to stay loyal to that dream.”
This dead-set passion for his craft has not gone unrewarded.
On July 5, 2025, Brent emerged as one of the winners of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition, alongside Mika Salamanca.
Months later, he returns to prime time as one-half of BreKa, headlining The Secrets of Hotel 88.
Still, ambition is only one axis of loyalty; Brent craves safety from others nonetheless.
“I would rather be protected by someone who lied to me, than betrayed by someone who loves me. ‘Cause, I've had enough of betrayals in life, so might as well, just for once, be protected naman.”
BIANCA CHOOSES PEACE
Handling truth may look different across the group, yet the desired outcome is always to protect the peace.
Xyriel is firm on the front of knowing everything even if it stings: “For the sake of my peace of mind… I think I deserve also to know things that I wanna know.
“Mas okay sa akin na I value transparency and honesty. I have enough trust issues for me to leave something unsaid or leave something unknown.
"I really want to know things just so I know it. It doesn't matter if it will affect me or not, but if I’m involved, I would rather know it.”
Dustin stands somewhere adjacent, but softer: “Para sa peace of mind, ignorance is bliss—lalo na if hindi naman tungkol sa atin.”
Brent’s take is tied to his philosophy: “One of my mottos in life would be, ‘What you do not know won't hurt you.’ Parang, I do not see the point in knowing everything.
“I think I’ve lived long enough and I’ve survived long enough not knowing everything. So, I don’t think it really matters.”
Bianca, however, takes it a step further—toward surrender.
“I’m at that point in my life where mas gugustuhin ko na lang talaga ang maging mas peaceful. So parang whatever, kung ano man yung hindi ko alam, hindi ko na pipilitin na alamin pa unless tinadhana ni Lord na alamin ko.”
She is not one to exert extra effort into forcing revelations: “Kung malalaman ko, malalaman ko.”
Even when confronted with the dilemma of knowing the full truth without the chance to confront, or confronting someone who may never admit it, Bianca refuses to chase conflict.
“Kung kailangan kong umiwas, iiwas ako. If may kailangan akong i-adjust, gagawin ko. I have to protect myself. That's what I'll do.
“What you see is what you get ako. What's the point [of confrontations] kung hindi naman siya aamin? Parang for me, it's a waste of time.”
Dustin agrees. For him, truth alone is confirmation enough.
“Yun na yung confirmation, e. Yung truth. At least alam ko na yung totoo. Di ko na kailangan mag-confront.”
Brent and Xyriel, in their own ways, put it simply: sometimes the truth itself is closure.
DUSTIN: ALL SINS ARE EQUAL
All the same, the quartet has different thresholds when the topic turns to viewing sins. When asked to name what they consider the gravest, their answers span the moral spectrum.
Bianca stops short of ranking one above the rest, but points to pride as a recurring culprit.
“Hindi ko masasabing heaviest sin, pero feeling ko isa siya sa pinakamalaking contribution sa mundo ngayon—pride, or our individual egos as human beings,” she says.
“I feel like the world would be such a better place to live in if we were all just, you know, grounded like Jesus.”
Brent circles around pride, too, pairing it with wrath: “I was taught by my parents at an early age na walang magandang dulot yung galit mo, yung pride mo.
“So I had to, I think in a way, etch that in my mind na it's only gonna bring you down if you try to live your life with so much anger or try to, parang gusto mong yung binigay sayo, binabalik mo din. Yung parang kelangan gumaganti ka? Let's call it revenge.
“Mas magaan if you live your life with no baggages. I mean, you can hold yourself in such a way na won't look naman na you're trying to be arrogant or have so much pride.”
Greed looms over Xyriel’s answer, for its lingering factor: “Feeling ko yung ibang sins, may ending sila. Pero greed, it's an unending sin. Parang you would always want for more, or an evil reason.
“Yung anger lumilipas, e. Yung pride, kinakain mo yung pride mo minsan—na-a-outgrow mo. Pero greed, parang that's insane. Wala siyang satisfaction. How would you overcome greed? It's such a disease. It's not just a sin.”
Dustin listens, then simplifies it.
“For me, a sin is a sin. For me ha, walang mababang kasalanan or sobrang kasalanan. A sin is a sin. Di naman yun nare-rate, e.”
Their characters in The Secrets of Hotel 88—premiering on iWant on Feb 23 and GMA Network on March 2—reflect that moral grayness.
Brent describes Gio Cabrera as “neutral good”: “It’s more of white lies. It’s more of trying to protect everyone around him, so he’d rather take the hit than for everyone to take that hit.”
Xyriel places Chesca Endaya somewhere in the middle: “Human siya. Parang normal siya na tao.”
Dustin initially claims Edward Arellano is “hindi naman sinful,” earning a raised brow from Bianca before he backtracks.
“But may pride siya. May hugot siya sa buhay niya kung bakit siya ganon.”
Bianca adds that Edward’s past shapes his present: “May pinanggagalingan yung character niya from the past kung bakit siya ganon. He’s not a villain but abangan niyo na lang.”
As for her own character, Jade Almazan? “Medyo secretive siya. So far, hindi siya [wrongful] ah. Or malay mo, hindi lang ako nagsasabi ng totoo,” she teases, her tone doing the winking for her.
CHECKED-IN AND CHECKED-OUT
From sin to sunscreen—the island backdrop of the show begs for lighter chitchat. Here’s where each of their travel personalities shine.
Non-negotiables exist when they book a hotel room. For Brent and Bianca, the bathroom is top priority.
“It has to be nice. It has to be huge enough for me to move around, and clean. I don't mind the bed,” Brent notes.
“Sometimes I can sleep anywhere. I can sleep in the couch. So, the bathroom, yun talaga. It's where I struggle the most.”
Bianca is more precise: “Dapat maayos yung bidet. Sobrang weird pero dapat maayos yung tiles, yung walls ng bathroom, yung shower head, yung init ng heater, yung sink. Dapat may lights yung mirror. Sobrang specific ko talaga sa bathroom.
“Kapag nagbu-book ako, yun yung pinakauna kong tinitignan, the bathroom talaga. Well, the bed also kasi mas maarte ako sa hotel room kaysa sa bedroom.
“Pero pinaka-maarte talaga ako sa walls because I think I’m a little bit claustrophobic. I don’t like staying in like a place with just like four walls talaga.”
Dustin keeps it straightforward: “Ayoko nang walang bintana. Saka importante sa akin na malaming yung room. Pag mainit, parang hindi ako mag-i-stay sa kuwarto.”
More than a good view, Xyriel loves herself someplace that espouses good energy, relating, “Kaya ko kasi mag-stay sa kahit saan, kahit maliliit na place, pero dapat maaliwalas.
“Kahit madumi, masikip, lumang-luma, nakakatakot, okay lang basta maaliwalas. Andaming factor nung term na maaliwalas, e. But it's more about energy.”
She says she is interested in feng shui practices for home care, but is not religiously obedient to it.
On the topic of finding the best travel companions, Bianca and Brent find themselves on the same wavelength once more: the “bahala na” kaladkarin friend.
Bianca says without hesitation, “Kasi ganun ako, e, when I travel. Yung parang bahala na, let’s go wherever the wind takes us. May itinerary, yes, pero hindi nakapako doon.”
Brent seconds this, insisting he prefers trips with no rigid structure.
“I like it spontaneous. And I think it also helps to travel with people who don’t like planning 'cause you never know.”
He admits he’s not the first one to pull out a phone and document anything either. “Most of the time, we just copy everyone,” he laughs.
Dustin, true to form, lands in the middle. He admits he is comfortable following an itinerary but equally fine going with the flow. Whether the group decides to map out every hour or wing it entirely, he adjusts.
Meanwhile, Xyriel reckons an itinerary-obsessed planner and an Instagram-ready friend are the best travel companions to have.
“Ayoko masayang yung bawat minuto”—but she is also haunted by the fact that she has little photographic proof of her travels.
“All my travels, wala akong mga pictures. So parang gusto ko naman bumawi… kasi kung walang picture, it never happened. Nasa utak mo lang siya.”
Are they annoying to travel with? They think some of their quirks could be.
Brent is the first to admit his refusal to plan might test anyone’s patience.
“That I don't like planning,” he says. “Most of the time, I don't like going to the touristy spots. I like the chill, low-key ones. If we're going to a bar, I like the speakeasies. If we're going to a beach, I like the hidden ones.”
Xyriel’s habit is almost the opposite of disruptive.
“Pag nakahanap akong ng peace, natatahimik ako,” she shares. “Minsan akala ng iba na wala ako sa mood… pero minsan, parang nade-disconnect ako with everyone kasi I'm connected more with myself.”
Bianca confesses her flaw without ceremony: “I wake up really late.”
Dustin immediately counters with his own: “Ako naman, early ako saka mahilig ako mag-aya. Morning pa lang, parang ‘tara baba na, start na natin yung day.’ Masulit ako sa araw.”
Bianca laughs, adding that Dustin is the type who will have you walking for kilometers on end.
“Si Dustin yung type na thirty minutes ka na naglalakad, buong araw ka naglalakad. Yung hindi ka talaga magko-kotse.”
To which Dustin defends himself: “Oo, sasabihin ko, ‘De, malapit na, malapit na.’ Gusto ko makita yung view, o baka may magustuhan ako on the way.”
They laugh. They nudge each other. They double back on a joke.
Plot twists are sure to wade through their upcoming project. This right here, though, is pure candor. Just four friends and former housemates very much themselves.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Karen Pagsolingan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Capuchino
SHOOT PRODUCERS: Nikko Tuazon, Katrina Gangcuango
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Maya Idanan
TEXT/INTERVIEW: FK Bravo
BRENT MANALO wearing VIKTOR
- STYLIST: Ryuji Shiomitsu
- STYLIST'S ASSISTANT: Dale Chan and Jerome Arguelles
- GROOMING: Bhads Castor
FOR XYRIEL MANABAT:
- MAKE-UP: Justin Borlado
- HAIR: Dominic Mangat
FOR BIANCA DE VERA:
- STYLIST: Adrianne Concepcion
- HAIR & MAKE-UP: Jake Galvez
- ASSISTED BY: Jerico Andrade
FOR DUSTIN YU:
- STYLIST: IVOR JULIAN
- STYLIST'S ASSISTANT: Nelson Jurado
- GROOMING: Jerico Andrade
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: Jobo Nacpil
VIDEO: Randy Erta
VIDEO EDITOR: Rommel Llanes
BILLBOARD PRODUCERS: Rommel Llanes, Kat Gangcuangco
OOH EDITOR: Rommel Llanes
SOCIAL MEDIA: Nikko Tuazon, Allyanah Calinao
SPECIAL THANKS: Mico del Rosario, Shereign Ulit, and Janella Argenal of Star Creatives; Stephen Capuchino; and John Michael De Venecia, Orlando Almerino, Robinsons Land
Shoot Location: 7th floor of Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3
