Kai Montinola on defining success and handling the hate

Kai Montinola has been booked and busy since “graduating” from the “Pinoy Big Brother” house in 2024. And just like any fresh grad stepping into the real world, she came out of Bahay ni Kuya armed with unforgettable memories and a whole lot of growth from her journey. 

But, as we all know, the real world can be a totally different classroom. There are things you can prepare for, and there are also lessons you only learn once you’re actually out there. For Kai, one of those was navigating the not-so-glamorous side of showbiz—the bashing. 

In an episode of Bianca Gonzalez and Esnyr Ranollo’s vodcast, “Hello Outside World,” Kai looks back at the girl she was before “PBB Gen 11” and the reality checks that came after as the 4th Big Placer of her batch. 

Before “PBB,” Kai was already a very busy girl IRL. Growing up, she dipped her toes into pretty much everything—from singing and arts to sports. 

Young Kai joined a talent competition (where she competed with now fellow “ASAP” star Esang de Torres and “PBB Collab 2.0” ex-housemate John Clifford), and later “The Voice Kids.” 

The wins didn’t come, though. Esang took home the title in said kiddie talent competition, while Kai didn’t get a chair turn on “The Voice.” But that wasn’t enough to discourage Kai as she wasn’t there for the trophy in the first place. “I did not join to win. I joined because I really enjoyed what I was doing. I joined the singing competition because I like to sing in front of a crowd,” she explained. 

Offstage, Kai was just as adventurous. “I did a lot of things. Kasi makulit ako talaga before. Dami kong ginagawa,” she recalled, thanking her parents for always supporting her interests. She also didn’t buy into the idea that girls had to stick to traditionally “girly” activities, “Kapag babae, pwede namang mag-basketball. Pwede namang gawin kung ano-ano.” 

“I found beauty in being physically active. Despite na gulo-gulo ‘yung buhok ko and I smell like sweat. I really, I really like just being physically active.”  

All those contests had made Kai an audition veteran, except she almost skipped the “PBB Gen 11” auditions in Cebu.  

At 17, she was already doing modeling jobs in her hometown, and her first major gig at the time coincided with the audition day. Kai was torn. The modeling gig was already within reach, while “PBB” was a huge “what if “with no guarantee she’d even make it past the evaluation.  

“I couldn’t pick between the job or the audition,” she recalled. Thankfully, her mom gave her the push she needed by reminding her of all the competitions and auditions she’d already tried through the years. What’s one more, right? Kai eventually went for it, and she’s glad she did. 

And just like the little girl who joined singing contests simply because she loved being onstage, the self-confessed competitive girlie entered Bahay Ni Kuya just for the experience and tasks. “I wanted to play games. Totoo talaga. Like, I’m very competitive. Gusto ko ‘yung mga pa-games games,” Kai said.  

But she ended up getting so much more than the fun she wished for. “I came out with friends, with experiences and with learning,” Kai shared. “So, parang, it’s a win-win. I came out pa as the 4th Big Placer. Akala ko nga ako ‘yung unang lalabas… So, I think what’s really the point is just to enjoy the process, and I love my life.” 

For all that Kai has accomplished since leaving Bahay ni Kuya, she still doesn’t consider herself successful. Still, there are moments that remind her how much life has changed, such as the first time she was able to pay for a family vacation.  

“Sarap ng feeling. Because it’s always been my mother, it’s always been my parents who do that, who give me experiences. Nakakataba lang sa puso na mag-give back,” she mused.  

There are also more surreal reminders that she’s now living in a very different world, like being in the same room as people she once only admired from afar. Asked about her biggest ‘starstruck’ encounter so far, Kai got giddy talking about joining Catriona Gray in an event and being interviewed by the Miss Universe 2018 title holder. “I was starstruck so much and I was like, ‘Can you just repeat the question, please?'” she laughed.  

Kai’s transition from “PBB” housemate to legit ‘artista’ didn’t come with a tutorial. After the Big Night, everything happened fast, with one showbiz commitment following another and barely any time to figure out whether she was doing things right.

“Sunod-sunod kasi siya eh. Walang parang, ‘Oh, you have to adjust to this.’ Sinalang kami agad,” she recalled. Then again, Kai knew this was the life she’d signed up for and what she’d wanted all along. 

But for all the lessons she picked up inside the “PBB” house, one subject wasn’t on the ‘curriculum’—dealing with bashers. While you can prepare yourself for schedules, cameras, and performing for an audience, there’s no handbook that teaches you exactly what to do when that same audience starts throwing hurtful words.  

“There’s no school naman to how to handle bashing,” she pointed out. “Whoever enters showbiz, you gotta know what you’re putting yourself up to.” It wasn’t until she experienced the bashing herself that she totally understood what being in the public eye could entail. That doesn’t mean she’s immune to hurtful words, though. “Aaminin ko naman, nasasaktan din naman tayo. Kasi tao lang din naman tayo,” she said. 

But she’s learned to toughen up her mindset, be mindful of her own reactions, and remember that while she can’t control what people say, she can control how she responds. Rather than constantly fighting the reality that comes with being a public figure, Kai has learned to look at it as part of the job. “We are for the public. Because it’s our job to show. Kaya, it’s called showbiz. Well, I signed up for this. Then, I shall ‘tatag’ myself.” 

Catch “PBB” alums’ candid conversations in “Hello Outside World,” hosted by Bianca and Esnyr, with fresh episodes every Wednesday, on ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel.