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Vivoree, Melai talk about building self-confidence, self-awareness in “Kuan On One”

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Mary Ann Bardinas

From being that bashful girl whose struggle with self-esteem we were able to witness through her journey in <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pbbseason7" target="_blank">Pinoy Big Brother Lucky Season 7</a> as one of its teen housemates in 2016, we’ve seen how the “Go Getter Girl ng Bohol” has grown more confident about herself. She’s able to unleash her skills in singing, acting, and dancing through her appearances in various ABS-CBN shows in the past years.And her journey to boost her self-confidence and become the “main character” of her life was never easy for Vivoree, which she tackled in her lighthearted and insightful conversation with “Kuantie” Melai Cantiveros in the latest episode of the <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Entertainment</a> online talk show “Kuan On One.”“Honestly, it’s not easy. It wasn’t easy, especially in my experience. Growing up, I was insecure. I’m a shy person, actually,” she told the host in Bisaya. “But when I was a kid, I was really shy. I was afraid to face people because I felt insecure. See, I’m really ‘hairy.’ My neighbors and classmates would always tease me for it. And because of that, I became shy.”Then she added, “At the same time, it motivated me to improve myself and to strive for more. I can’t let anyone tell me who I am. No one else can define me. I have to step up, I have to show them that there’s more to me than that.”Thus, despite her introversion and how nerve-racking it was, she mustered the courage to audition for PBB without anyone telling her, as she considered it a gift to herself. It was her way of reassuring herself that she has something more to show people than just her physical looks. Fortunately, by the grace of God, she passed the audition and the rest, as they say, is history.Melai, on her part, also has her own fears. But she realized that if she allowed it to control her, nothing would happen in her life. Growing up in a household that taught her the harsh realities of life through her parents’ straightforwardness also truly helped her build her confidence. For instance, her Mama Virgie apparently never told her that she was pretty, yet she consoled her by saying that she has some qualities that no one else has. However, she never reached the point where she pitied herself because her father would reprimand her about it. She knew that they were just being truthful, and they never made her feel that they did love her any less, as she still feels loved by them without ever questioning it. “At an early age, I learned to be confident and to accept reality. So, I grew up confident, but I also know the truth about myself. And I never felt sorry for myself either because I know the truth and what I’m capable of,” Melai related in Bisaya. “Self-confidence starts from childhood. And you should learn not to wallow in self-pity because it’s not good for you.”The Kapamilya host further talked about how having confidence in yourself can really make a difference because confident people can outperform the beautiful and smart ones. Just like the people who didn’t finish their studies yet are now wealthy because of their confidence and self-belief, as well as their adeptness in leading and interacting with people. Seeing how most Gen Zs nowadays seem to lack confidence, Vivoree and Melai advised them to not lose confidence and self-belief easily. They should not mind what others say and just focus on themselves.With regard to what keeps her fighting whenever people criticize her, the “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/cantbuymelove" target="_blank">Can’t Buy Me Love</a>“actress said that she would initially cry to release all her frustrations and pains. She would talk to God first and lift everything to Him, then to her parents, particularly her mom. However, if she has problems that she can’t take anymore, she will call her brother to cry and open up to him, and she will feel eventually better. As a soft-hearted person who tends to feel things deeply, Vivoree ‘fessed up about giving up many times. But at the end of the day, she always chooses to fight because she knows for herself that she has big dreams and has great love for her family and fans who still believe in her. Thus, even though she’s said many times that she already wants to give up and she can’t help it anymore, she is able to always renew her strength because of them.Since celebrities are just humans who can get hurt and shattered by the snide remarks and misjudgments hurled at them, Melai and Vivoree asked the bashers and gossipmongers to stop what they’re doing. They also tackled the common misconceptions of the public about the artista life, implying that what they see on-cam is totally different from what happens behind the scenes. Besides, they also have to work hard first before they can attain everything they’re dreaming of in life.They then gave a piece of advice to a fellow Bisdak named “Anne” in the “Dakong Problema” segment, who lost her confidence in joining singing contests after being told that she has a terrible voice, which she was only able to prove after winning a singing competition for the deaf. Vivoree advised her to be aware of her strengths and weaknesses and avoid being delusional or having false ideas about herself because that could hurt and lower her confidence. This reminded her of an experience she had back in grade school wherein she lost her main character moment after being defeated by a transferee in a singing competition. “At the end of the day, there will always be somebody better than you. But you need to know how to comfort yourself and recognize your own worth. You should know where you excel and remember that doesn’t define you. You might lose today, but you could win tomorrow. So, keep going and chase your dreams,” the actress stated. Melai seconded by reminding “Anne” to make her expectations realistic, know her capacity, and don’t push too hard. Vivoree then added that although we need to work hard and keep pushing for our goals, there are times that things aren’t meant for us, so we just have to accept it. They told her to also be self-aware and only have the right amount of confidence because too much can be damaging.And for the last segment, which is the “Ultimate Yawyaw,” Melai imparted how Vivoree’s journey has taught her the value of patience and advised her to keep being patient, for it will definitely take her far in life.On the other hand, Vivoree shared that Melai reminded her to always look back at where she comes from as she believes that it’s one of the keys to not be stuck in one place. As she mentioned that she’s called “Niña” by her family and friends in Bohol, the host got curious about her real name, which she revealed is actually “Maria Vivoree Niña,” with “Vivoree” coming from the word “survivor” since she was in a critical condition when she was born. Their conversation concluded with them sharing their respective favorite Bisaya word, which is “kuan” for Melai since she finds it really useful, while it’s “padayon” for Vivoree as it means “continue” in English. “Just keep going no matter what challenge or struggle life throws at you. As we talked about, you need to have self-confidence to keep going,” she explained in Bisaya.

Vivoree and Melai Cantiveros talk about how they’re able to develop their self-confidence and self-awareness in this latest episode of “Kuan On One.”