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MANILA – It has been a little over a week since she was hailed the big winner of “PBB Kumunity Season 10” but Anji Salvacion said she has yet to descend from cloud nine.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Tuesday, Salvacion admitted her victory hasn’t fully sunk in yet but she is gradually taking it all in.

“I am trying to tell myself na this is it because I really want to start sharing din what’s my purpose in life and being in cloud nine may distract me on what I want to share to other people which is to spread love and kindness lang to everyone,” she said.

Looking back at her journey, Salvacion revealed she really wanted to be in the spotlight ever since she was three.

“I remember when I was 3 years old, I was singing to my lola. I told them I want to be a singer and someday I am going to be a star. They said, ‘You can be whoever you want to be.’ Who would have thought na that little girl from a small island in Siargao will be able to step foot here in Manila, step foot in Kuya’s house and be here right now where I am. It’s just so amazing lang na God really has plans in our lives. He’s such a miracle worker.”

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But as most of her supporters probably know by now, things did not come easy for Salvacion.

She said she actually auditioned for "PBB" when she was in Grade 9, but didn’t make the cut. But this didn’t stop her from wanting a place in show business.

“Hindi ako nag-give up. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kukulitin at kukulitin ko itong management na ito para kunin ako so I auditioned again.”

Fast forward to 2019, Salvacion tried her luck again by joining “Idol Philippines.” Although she again did not make it to the top, Salvacion learned something from it that has never left her mind since.

“Doon ko na-realize na dapat hindi ka magho-hold back every time. Doon din parang mas nag-burn 'yung fire ko na ‘Okay, never mind. I’m still gonna audition kung ano man ang ibibigay pa sa akin.’”

Even before she became a PBB housemate, Salvacion was already given acting stints. In fact, she was supposed to be part of the widely successful ABS-CBN daytime series “Kadenang Ginto.”

“Ako 'yung maldita dapat doon. I remember the role that they were giving me. My dad daw is the owner of the school and I am one of the sorority [girls] and dapat aawayin ko si Marga. It didn’t happen because of the pandemic and the franchise [application of ABS-CBN was denied],” she said.

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Luckily, the ABS-CBN management thought of including her in the Squad Plus group, which marked the beginning of her career.

In the months that followed, Salvacion became a recurring performer on “ASAP Natin To” and that stint helped grow her confidence just before she entered the Big Brother house.

“Unang una po sa lahat, I took the audition [sa PBB] because I feel like I was ready to open up, I was ready to become vulnerable in that house. When I see people who came from 'PBB,' I see how they changed, they changed in a better way. I wanted to change din myself, to become a better version of myself din. When I went inside, I was so ready even if I had a low self-esteem… I learned to love myself Inside that house.”

Several months later, she was named the winner of the reality show’s latest seaso.

“Sabi ko noon, now I finally found my purpose in life. Doon sa loob, I found my purpose. All my life, I was just so confused on where I am going. Now I finally know where I am going,” she said.

While Salvacion kept mum when asked what’s in store for her in the future, she seemed unafraid in declaring where she sees herself in five to 10 years.

“I am going international. Let’s dream big!” she proclaimed.

With all this as her backstory, Salvacion aptly describes herself as someone “fearless."