Rica leaves the house without tears and fears!

The new year arrived and it treated Rica Paras with its ferociousness by sending her back to the outside world. Garnering the lowest total save and evict votes (10.37%), she lost to Sam (with 15.16%), Paul Jake (with 12.55%) and Johan (with 13.47%). However, as she said, there will be no tears shed as she leaves the Big Brother house and her housemates behind.
Hailed as the math goddess from Bohol, it was no secret that Rica had an intelligent and open mind. This was why Big Brother entrusted her, along with another housemate Rob Stumvoll, with a difficult task wherein they had to pretend to be a couple upon their entrance inside the house. This clearly stirred the housemates then as some of them were prejudiced about something that Rica was: her being a transgender.



Rica's gender preference has long been a struggle in her life. Brought up in a conventional family, her father couldn't accept that his son then wanted to be one of the women. And this was how Rica spent her childhood and adolescent years: being shunned for being different, for not belonging to her rightful place.

But being inside the Big Brother house has not only helped Rica express her true self and feelings about being a transgender but has taught her to stand stronger with her beliefs. And even though she still sometimes felt left out from her housemates like what happened in the Christmas Ball, the housemates made her feel completely accepted and loved.

Big Brother also had a special part in the most awaited and important reunion Rica had ever experienced. He sent Rica's father into the house so he and Rica could both talk about their differences and sort out their past. Luckily, Rica's father wholeheartedly accepted her for what she was and even told her that he was very proud of how she turned out. This was what she highlighted in her farewell: "During my stay inside the house, I saw my father and reconciled with him." She also had a message to the people in the outside world who still can't grasp the matter of transgenderness, that she hoped her stay inside the house has taught them to accept people like her because they weren't really that different, after all. She also wished for people to have the strength to fight for their loved ones who are seen and treated differently.


Source: Krishna Belle Meniado, http://doubleup.pinoybigbrother.com