How “PBB Gen 11” helped Rain Celmar discover her hidden talent and inner confidence

Rain Celmar brings a downpour of bubbly energy as she visits Kapamilya Chat for a catch-up, just days after being hailed the "Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11" 2nd Big Placer. Like her name suggests, the Cebuana cutie lights up the room with her cheerful personality. Watch the episode and read on to learn more about Rain as she gives us a peek behind the scenes of what life was really like as a “PBB Gen 11” housemate.

Rain’s journey to PBB actually began with a little twist of fate—and a failed calculus class. After her struggle with calculus, she jokingly thought to herself that maybe it was time to consider a “backup plan," and that's when she remembered seeing a call for PBB auditions. It’s funny to her now that, among the Big 4, she’s tagged as the "pinakamatalino" or smartest. Well, she’s definitely embracing the title, but as she says, “Let’s not just talk about calculus!”

With no real expectations, Rain went to the audition venue with a friend, ready to just go with the flow. She even had to borrow a pen from someone in line just to fill out her form. She laughs as she looks back on that moment, admitting she didn’t overthink the process. She just enjoyed the experience and saw where it led.

When she finally got the confirmation that she’d been chosen for “PBB Gen 11,” her reaction was just one word: “Crazy!” She was in complete surprise and totally thrilled. The first people she told were her parents, since she needed their consent to travel from Cebu to Manila and begin this brand-new adventure.

Taking us back to her first night inside Bahay ni Kuya, the "Cheerfu-Langga ng Cebu" admits that, for once, her bubbly self was a bit shy. New people and a new environment felt like a lot to take in. She first met Therese Villamor as they were introduced to the viewers at the same time before entering the house together. Seeing Therese, who was so tall and elegant, only made Rain feel a bit more bashful as they struck up their first conversation.

Still, despite her initial shyness, Rain’s warmth and charm made it easy for her to vibe with the other housemates. She didn’t need to force anything; connections happened naturally.

Rain picks “amazing” as the perfect adjective for her PBB experience. She adds, “Not only was it fun, puno siya ng learnings talaga. Crazy talaga ‘yung PBB house. You can learn a lot talaga.”

One of her biggest takeaways is the importance of believing in herself, realizing that confidence starts from within. There were moments of self-doubt, of course, especially when she faced nominations, and she sometimes questioned if she truly belonged there. Little did she know, there was a huge fanbase rooting for her outside those walls, rallying behind her every step of the way.

That discovery—that she’s had so much support from people she didn’t even know—helps her believe in herself even more now that she's back in the outside world.

Each housemate, when interviewed, would gush about their PBB experience being truly one of a kind. And Rain is no different. Her face lights up whenever she talks about all those moments inside Bahay ni Kuya that really pushed her and her housemates to discover their full potential. “Since nakapasok po ako sa PBB house, doon ko na-discover na I can write songs pala,” she shares.

Among her favorite memories, aside from the outdoor barbecue party with the teen housemates, were the tasks that let her showcase her musical side. Composing songs became a surprising bonding activity for her and her fellow housemates. They were able to write songs inside the house, such as "Crazy," which started from Kolette Madelo's lyrics, and then she asked Kai Montinola for help with the melody. From there, Rain and Marc Nanninga Jr added their own flair to the song.

Now that Rain’s discovered her talent for songwriting, she's set her eyes on a new goal, which is to make and record her own music. She dreams of collaborating with her idols, BINI, KZ Tandingan, and Moira dela Torre. And who knows? Maybe those random jam sessions with her “PBB Gen 11” housemates, Jarren Garcia and Kai Montinola (4th Big Placer), could even turn into a legit recording session someday!

But Rain isn’t one to stick to just one passion. Along with her love for music, she’s totally game to try her hand at acting too. When asked who she’d love to share the screen with, Rain couldn’t contain her excitement and went big for Kyle Echarri and Kathryn Bernardo.

This newfound self-confidence is one of the biggest gifts Big Brother gave her. Going into the PBB house, Rain discovered so much about herself—her talent, her ability to connect with others, and a clearer, more open perspective on life. She now feels wiser and more prepared to take on whatever comes her way.

As for the best piece of advice she received from Kuya, Rain remembers his words about people seeing her the way they want, so instead of worrying, she should simply prove them wrong by staying true to herself. More importantly, he encouraged her to choose love over hate, a mantra she now carries with her, especially when she reads both positive and negative comments from the public.

With her heart full of gratitude and confidence, Rain focuses her energy on the people cheering her on and promises that she’ll never let them down.