After almost 10 years in the local entertainment scene, Kira Balinger finally had the chance to further introduce herself to more people not just as one of the promising actresses of her generation, but also as a driven and determined young woman via her remarkable foray into “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition.”

Her stint in the well-loved reality program might have been short-lived after she got evicted with her last duo partner, Charlie Fleming, yet we still had the chance to get to know the “Hopeful Belle ng Cavite” more through her guesting in an of the TFC The Filipino Channel’s show on YouTube, “BRGY,” particularly her PBB journey.

Host Bianca Gonzalez commenced their fun and insightful conversation with a little kumustahan, in which she asked her how she’d been feeling a few days after leaving the house. Kira conveyed, “I’m super excited, sobrang happy. I feel super blessed na rin po that I walked out of that house with so many memories, so many lessons, and, of course, to see the support of the people. Super grateful.”

When quizzed about what she did on her first week back in the outside world, she shared that she didn’t leave their house as she chose to spend time with her mom and her dogs after being away from them for weeks. According to her, her mom asked her a lot of questions about her overall experience, like if she was able to make new friends and enjoy herself during her stay.

“BRGY” prepared four cards for her that bore different topics related to her “PBB Collab” stint. The first one she picked was the “Kuya” card, through which Kira shared that, unlike other celebrities or housemates who indeed aspired to make it to the reality show, it was actually not her dream to join “PBB” since she was terrified of its uncertain outcome that may either make or break her career. 

“As somebody who started from scratch po talaga in this industry, siyempre po everything that I’ve worked so hard for to achieve in my career talagang pinaghirapan ko po ‘yon. So, there was no certainty that ‘PBB’ would be good or bad for me,” she explained to Bianca.

Then she added, “I was so scared na, what if I went inside the house? Would the people like me? Would they accept me? Because there’s a lot of misconceptions about me na mataray, na maldita, [and] everything in between. But I am super happy to say that ‘PBB’ really did it for me and I’m super grateful na they allowed me to audition.”

Her initial reluctance to take on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was eased up by her Star Magic handler, Erik Miras, who, according to her, worked overtime to really convince her to join. Thus, she’s been grateful to him for believing in her capabilities, for pushing her to take the plunge, and for making her realize that the things that she’s most scared of doing might be the ones to help her more.

Next was the “Bahay ni Kuya” card, wherein they talked about “The Book Club,” the core group she had formed with a few of her housemates who are also into books like her. She shared that it was established right on their first week inside the house since they were all still feeling their way towards each other. 

Contrary to some of the onlookers’ assumptions that the novel “Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid was hers, Kira clarified that the book she brought with her was “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” by American author and podcaster Cheryl Strayed, which was recommended by her “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” co-star Iza Calzado. She decided to leave it in the house to still have a piece of her there before she and Charlie got evicted. 

The third one was the “Hopeful Belle” card, which represents her moniker. As Bianca mentioned that “PBB” is very intentional when it comes to the moniker they give to every housemate, Kira said that she actually agrees with it since it reflects who she really is, as well as her personal and career journey. She related, “Despite everything na napagdaanan ko po in my life, I still surprisingly have hope in me. I have hopes for my family, my career.”

When asked if there’s an alternate moniker that she could think of for herself post-“PBB,” she shyly shared that it would be “Fearless Belle.”

Last, but definitely not the least, was the “Duo Card”, through which she was able to impart her reaction upon learning that, unlike in previous editions of “PBB,” the housemates would have partners, or ka-duo, this time.

“I was happy. I was super happy, and I was super excited. And it really gave life to the whole ‘PBB Collab.’ So, it was really a great opportunity for me to get to know the Kapusos better. And, ako po kasi, when there are tasks and stuff, I like to have a team. It’s just nice to have somebody that you’re in this together with,” she remarked. 

Having a duo partner that changes every two weeks made Kira more determined to stay. Thus, from initially aiming to win the competition, her goal eventually changed to staying for her “ka-duo.”

Apart from her “PBB Collab” journey, Bianca and Kira also talked about the latter’s personal life and her beginnings in the industry, how she was able to figure out that showbiz and acting are really for her, how she had to wait for eight years before she was able to snag her first-ever lead roles in two different films, and how her dream of making it to Hollywood started. The 24-year-old actress-model’s skills in drawing were also put to the test and in the spotlight as they discussed her passion for visual arts, particularly oil painting.

“To all of my supporters out there, thank you, thank you so much for never giving up on me, and my only goal is to make you guys happy and proud. And if it weren’t for you guys, I do not know where I would be. So, thank you so much for all the love and support,” Kira said to her fans by the end of the interview.