PBB Celebrity Collab Edition has introduced us to a whole house full of fun personalities and rising, versatile artists. Get to know one of them, Ralph de Leon.
Related: A (Quick) Primer On The Celebrity Housemates of PBB Celebrity Collab Edition
One thing about the Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition—it’s introduced us to plenty of new and familiar faces in Philippine showbiz and bared their personalities, desires, motivations, and emotions to us on live television. Over the years, the PBB House has crafted and molded ordinary people into stars, and seeing young celebrities in a way that we’ve never seen them before adds a whole new layer of familiarity and relatability with the new generation of Pinoy artists.
One such housemate is Ralph de Leon, newbie artist and athlete. Known as “Ang Dutiful Judo-son ng Cavite” and resident rice cooker or “Saing King” in the PBB House, Ralph brushed off the “just a face” and “shy boy” allegations by being a vibe and a generally endearing housemate. He was evicted alongside his then-partner housemate Josh Ford on Day 63, but he’s got a chance to return as a housemate in The Big Comeback, where evicted housemates can get voted back in. Get to know the young artist-slash-athlete below.
HE’S A TRUE BLUE-BLOODED
FB/Ateneo de Manila Senior High School
An Atenista through and through, Ralph spent his high school and college days in the Ateneo, balancing his academics with sports. In high school, he was also classmates with fellow Star Magic artist and PBB housemate Emilio Daez! He took up BS Management Engineering in college, a program he’s still proud to hold even though he pursued his dreams of being an actor.
YOU’VE SEEN HIM BEFORE
@abscbnpr Todo na ang pagseselos ni Kevin kay Archie! Ano ang gagawin ni Roxy? Panoorin ang #HighStreet gabi-gabi ng 9:30 PM sa Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, at Kapamilya Online Live. The series is also available 48 hours in advance on iWantTFC. #abscbn #abscbnpr #kapamilya #fyp #foryou #ElijahCanlas #XyrielManabat #RalphDeLeon #DanielaStranner #RoxChie ♬ original sound – ABS-CBN PR
Relatively new to the showbiz scene, Ralph endeavored to try it out during the pandemic, filming self-tapes and getting his foot in the door. After modeling during college and doing a couple of commercials, even booking a Bench Fashion Week show in 2022, Ralph officially made his onscreen debut with digital youth drama series Zoomers (2024), playing student leader Atom Andrada. In the same year, Ralph joined the cast of youth mystery-drama High Street, playing Dr. Kevin Gonzales, Roxy’s (Xyriel Manabat) boyfriend.
JUDO-KING
Urged by his cousin to join the judo club back in sixth grade, Ralph grew enough to become a skilled, well-trained judoka, winning competitions and awards in school, at the national level, and abroad. He’s also competed in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) even when he was just in senior high.
HE’S A LEADER
Leadership seems to come naturally to the athlete and actor. Besides being an award-winning Judoka, Ralph was also co-captain of his high school’s juniors’ judo team, and eventually captain of the Ateneo Men’s Judo Team in college. It was a big responsibility to undertake, but he carried it with pride.
A BIT OF A NERD, TOO
An honor student from elementary to college (BS Management Engineering is an honors program in the Ateneo, offered only to the top 15 percentile of Ateneo College Entrance Test takers), Ralph’s got brains! “I’d like to say matalino ako,” he says in a video. “Ever since grade school, high school, until college, consistent [honor student ako]. Mahilig akong mag-aral.”
BONUS: THE SAING KING CHRONICLES
@ralph_dl love from the saing king 🍚
♬ original sound – Hans – 𝟑𝟎𝟑 Hans
As the resident rice cooker (the person, not the appliance) of the PBB House, Ralph’s earned his ‘Saing King’ title as he was always found with the rice cooker, his beloved kaldero—using it, washing it, and generally just being responsible for it and for cooking rice for the housemates. Though he’s back in the outside world, the Saing King lives on.
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