More people have been opening up about the unseen weight of being a breadwinner, not just in viral tweets or private messages, but on mainstream media, too. And no moment has captured this better than what we’ve seen inside the “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) house.
In the Celebrity Collab Edition, housemates Esnyr, Shuvee and Xyriel laid their hearts bare. Their stories mirrored the realities of so many who give everything, only to be met with silence or worse, blame.
It’s a conversation that feels especially timely as National Provider Appreciation Day — observed this May 9 to remind us to recognize those who quietly carry the emotional and financial weight of their families.
Esnyr
On Day 24 inside the PBB house, the housemates were asked to sit in the iconic red chair and share something deeply personal, particularly a misconception about themselves. When it was Esnyr’s turn, what started as a moment to clarify how people saw him turned into a powerful reveal of what he had long been carrying in silence.
Known for bringing joy online, Esnyr revealed that only a few people ever check on him, likely because he’s always smiling, always busy. Behind the camera, though, he was shouldering responsibilities far beyond his age.
He started creating content to help his family with basic needs. But when he moved to Manila for work, things spiraled. He received a devastating call that his father might be jailed if they couldn’t pay their debts. So he worked harder, took on more campaigns, borrowed from others just to send money home.
“I accepted every brand deal. Every day I’d write scripts, shoot and edit. And every day, they’d message me asking where the money was,” he shared. One day, when he didn’t respond fast enough, his father sent him a message that cut deep:
“You’re out there enjoying life while your parents are suffering. But it’s okay. Just know that we’ll live without you.”
He admitted, “It hurts so much, because I’m doing this for them. I’m not the one asking — I’m always the one giving.”
Still, he doesn’t even call himself a breadwinner. He respects what his dad had done for them growing up. But what pains him the most?
“No one ever messages just to ask how I’m doing.”
The people who seem strongest are often holding the most pain. Check on the ones who always say they’re fine.
Shuvee
On Day 53 of PBB, there was no red chair this time, just a quiet, emotional moment as housemates received letters from someone close to them outside the house.
As the eldest of nine siblings, Shuvee has had to grow up fast. She read a letter from her father inside the house, a long-overdue apology.
“You’re the eldest. I know you’re working hard. It hurts me that we failed to be there when you needed us,” the letter read.
Reading it, Shuvee felt a mix of anger and compassion. “I couldn’t bring myself to fully hate my dad,” she admitted. “He’s trying. He’s proud he has a job now. That’s all I’ve ever wanted”
For three years in Manila, she carried the emotional burden of being away from her family, of needing their support but never receiving it. She said they only messaged when they needed money — and that built resentment. But that letter softened something in her.
“It felt like a hug I needed from a father.”
Sometimes, the smallest gestures, a heartfelt letter, an honest conversation and a “thank you,” can help heal years of silence.
Xyriel
Despite being in showbiz since she was four years old, it was only last year that Xyriel finally opened up to her closest friends and more importantly, to her dad.
“For seven years, I talked to him without emotion. We didn’t even hug,” shared Xyriel on PBB’s Day 56. But one night, she felt a real urge to reconnect and they finally embraced.
She’s been working for more than half her life and yet she admits she has no savings. “They used it up and that’s okay. It paid for our food, school, medicine. My dad was so sick at one point he couldn’t even stand.”
And yet, she still dreams of building a business for him. Of giving her parents their own house.
“After I send my siblings to school, I want to support my parents. I’m a living witness that even when life hits you young, you can survive. I did. And now I get to share laughter and happiness with others.”
Breadwinners give without limits, even when they’re hurting. But they also deserve warmth, support and recognition.