Mika Salamanca is true to her words.
While she was inside the Bahay ni Kuya as one of the housemates of “Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition,” Mika promised to donate her prize money if she were to become the big winner.
Heaven must have heard her, because Mika and her partner, Brent Manalo, were named Big Winner Duo and bagged P1M each. Mika kept her promise. She donated her entire cash prize to Duyan ni Maria, an orphanage in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, that provides shelter and care for abandoned and neglected children.
“I really wanted to give back to the people. It’s not in my list to be a big winner. And since the day I stepped inside, I promised myself, kung manalo, I want to give the winnings back to the people who put me here,” said Mika, who earned the reputation as the “big winner with a big heart.”
Her act of kindness didn’t end there. The Sparkle artist also took time to visit a community of elderly residents, as shown in the photos posted on the GMA Artist Center’s Instagram.
For those new to her, Mika is also a content creator who first made a name on YouTube, where her over four million subscribers get to watch her day-in-the-life vlogs, makeup sessions, wardrobe essentials, product unboxing, music playlists and family content.
She is equally active on her TikTok, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Most of her videos went viral, but the comments were not always pleasant. Bashers never get tired, and they mince no words that crush one’s spirit.
Mika had experienced being bashed at a young age. “I admit, Tito Boy, pumapatol ako talaga because I started young and I didn’t understand their harshness. When you know the truth about yourself and you see on the Internet that you’re being bashed, of course, the first thing you would want to do is speak up. But at my age now, I’ve learned to ignore them because the more I pay attention to them, the more they create something that will make me want to react again.”
She has learned to ignore negative remarks except those that pertain to her family, which often make her cry.
“It’s more about family that makes me cry because, as I’ve said, before I entered this industry, I prepared myself for this. Alam ko ‘yung pinapasukan ko pero ‘yung family ko kasi hindi sila pumasok sa industry na ito, hindi sila kasama sa akin. So, they’re not ready for whatever (criticism) they are going to receive. Pag binabatikos po sila, pag sila yung bina-bash, doon po talaga ako nasasaktan. That’s when I become super defensive.”
I asked Mika about her take on flexing on social media, and she stated that there is nothing wrong with it if the aim is to inspire others.
“Whenever I flex through my postings, my intention is for people to be inspired that through hard work, I’ve achieved something, na ito ‘yung hard-earned money ko.”
Mika couldn’t deny that her dreams for herself and her family are slowly being fulfilled.
However, achieving fame involves sacrifices, including loss of privacy.
“I knew from the very start that I had to sacrifice for my work. So, I was ready for bashing, public scrutiny and the loss of privacy. Even before I was only into content creation, I readied myself for whatever they’re gonna say.”
One of her vlogs featured her new car, and I told Mika there’s nothing wrong with it since she worked hard for it. She happily shared that the new car was part of her 2025 vision board. Mika shared that every year, she would create a vision board where she puts pictures of the things she wishes to have.
“When I was doing this vision board for this year, I was thinking of how I am going to achieve them all. I just put my trust in the Lord, and then unti-unti parang ilang pictures na lang ‘yung hindi ko nagagawa.”
How do you pray today?
“My prayer is full of thanks to the Lord. I am thankful for all that I’ve been receiving, including peace of mind and the people who truly love me,” answered Mika, who launched her debut children’s book “Lipad” last September.