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| Stef Prescot |
By Nestor Cuartero (mb.com.ph)
MANILA, Philippines — TOP 3 SURVIVORS: The Top 3 Survivors named in last Monday’s (Feb. 6) Tribal Council decision are not hiding their materialistic side after having endured 36 days of hard labor and deprivation from food and the good life on an island in Palawan.
While at some point in time, top 3 contenders Mara Yokohama, Stef Prescot, and Albert “Betong” Sumaya were at odds with each other during confinement, they agree that bringing home the P3-million cash pot offered by “Survivor Philippines” has been a driving force why they enlisted in the first place.
For Mara, 3 million pesos initially sounded like it was a lot of money.
“Come to think of it, it’s not enough to buy a high-end condo,” she said during a Feb. 6 interview.
Mara, however, isn’t hiding the fact that she’s as much drawn to the title, Ultimate Survivor, as much as she is with the prize. If she makes it as the Ultimate Survivor, she’d probably spend the money on travel. She also noted that the US edition of “Survivor” dangles a much more seducing cash prize of 1 million dollars!
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PAY OFF DEBTS: For Betong, TV segment producer and occasional comedian, the 3-million-peso cash pot can go a long way in settling personal debts.
Stef Prescot said she’d be a hypocrite if she didn’t admit she wanted it all – title, cash prize, and the potential to expand her career. Stef believes winning the “Survivor” championship will draw attention to her career and can even land her choice roles in teleseryes.
Her greatest memory of island life was the night she was bitten by a snake, a Philippine cobra. Stef had to be airlifted to Makati Medical Center for two days of treatment.
Constant antagonist Mara, with whom Stef had a love-hate relationship on island, says it’s enough that she has experienced island life for over a month. Anything else that will come after that, such as better breaks in her acting career, will be a bonus, she added.
Mara left ABS-CBN’s Star Magic when she enlisted as one of the 20 castaways in “Survivor Philippines.” Her new manager is negotiating certain projects with GMA.
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS: During the “Survivor” interview held at the 17th floor Executive Lounge of GMA Network, talk shifted to first impressions.
Mara recalled she knew next to nothing of Stef Prescot, whom she mistook as a segment producer (SP) during the flight to Palawan.
Quick with her repartee, Stef, a Fil-Am mestiza, countered, “I thought Mara was one of the yaya’s.”
The self-proclaimed talk machinegun also said she also mistook Betong as a member of the staff, although not as a driver. But then, that is partly true.
Before he was tapped as a castaway, Betong and his partner, Maey Bautista, are members of the production personnel of GMA News and Public Affairs.
Following their stint on “Survivor,” the two production assistants have expressed interest in moving over to the entertainment side of things.
Betong says he wants to try playing sidekick roles in teleseryes or becoming a singer-comedian. At the recent Cebu leg of the “Survivor” promo tour in time for the Sinulog festival, we were floored by Betong’s performance. He could belt out a song and rock ‘n roll to boot.
All three finalist castaways look forward to being called champ and taker of the P3-million cash pot when “Survivor Philippines” names its ultimate winner on Friday, Feb. 10 over GMA-7.