"Our training in the news, undeniably, has helped us win this race," Kara admits. "In our line of work, we are trained to do everything, no matter how hard or dangerous, for our stories. So here in P2M, we didn’t waste time complaining and indulging in self-pity. We just did our best and fought until we were named the ultimate P2M challengers."
Kara, who competed with the tandems of Raph and Renz Fernandez, Jackie Forster and Joanne Quintas, Dennis Trillo and Bianca King, IC Mendoza and Inday Garutay and Joyce Jimenez and Maui Taylor, admits they were not the physically-fittest team. But Kara says their biggest edge was their knowledge of the art of commuting and the language of the road.
"In riding a motorcycle for example, we know that both passengers must be seated in the same manner for vehicle speed to pick up," Kara elaborates.
Jiggy, on the other hand, explains how their being laman ng kalye helped them finish their challenges the fastest time possible, saying, "When you’re used to the streets, you know the right questions to ask and the most effective way of asking them."
Fresh from their coverages in ARMM and Masbate, respectively, Jiggy and Kara admit that because of their hectic schedules, they barely had time to prepare physically. They even only met an hour before their call time for the P2M challenge.
"We analyzed our strengths and weaknesses," Kara says of their quickie meeting. "We also agreed and promised that we won’t lose dahil lang nag-away kami."
Instead, these two Kapuso news personalities focused on conditioning themselves mentally.
"I gathered all positive energies. I watched Jerry Maguire for inspiration and talked with my girlfriend, Marni," Jiggy shares. "I bore in mind what Marni said to me that I should do everything P2M asks of me – pag sinabi raw na tumalon ako, kailangan ko raw tumalon. So, I did."
Because of their good working relations, rapport and complementing personalities, Jiggy thinks their tasks seemed easier. "Sa amin, walang sisihan, tulungan lang," he proudly says.
However, the four-day adventure was not a breeze for this team. In fact, during the Cebu-Boracay leg of the race, Kara got irked when they found themselves caught in the middle of a misunderstanding with staff members of the show about the mechanics of the game. "Na-bad trip talaga ako," Kara admits, "but, I am a Hulk Hogan-type of a person. Anger makes my adrenaline rush – it makes me stronger, move faster."
True enough, there was no stopping Jiggy and Kara, as they traveled practically the whole country, emerging as the contest’s strongest team after that incident.
As with other reality programs, the P2M episode of Extra Challenge made Jiggy and Kara face their worst fears – heights and worms, respectively. "From the start, I already told Jiggy I really do not like worms," Kara says. "So, I freaked out and cried when I learned I had to eat worms in Cagayan De Oro."
She adds that Jiggy’s support made it easier for her to overcome her scelociphobia, fear of worms.
To help Jiggy in the challenges that required him to overcome his fear of heights, Kara made it a point to make the tasks seem easy and enjoyable to ease his tension. "I also did that to challenge his ego," she quips.
Asked to describe his experience of jumping off a bridge and rapelling from a 23-storey windmill in Ilocos, Jiggy admits, "Before I did these, my knees weakened. But when it was over, it felt good. Astig. I’ve conquered my fear of heights."
It was also their first time to try Sinanglaw, an Ilocano delicacy made of cow’s entrails and intestines. "I thought I would throw up before I could finish that half-bowl of Sinanglaw," Jiggy divulges. "That experience was really different."
Physical stress even caught up with Jiggy and Kara during the last leg of the race. "In Laoag, my whole body was in terrible pain," Kara says. "I already had pain-killing ointment all over."
Left by almost everyone, Lady Luck smiled on Jiggy and Kara and took them to the road where buses going to Vigan pass. It placed the two back in the game and made everything shift in their favor, until Jiggy and Kara were declared winners.
"When our names were announced, I began crying out of sheer joy," Kara recounts. "It was fulfilling. Looking back at all the challenges, I am proud we overcame all of it."
Kara also relates that Julia, her five-year-old daughter, was so happy when she won. "My daughter wants us to transfer to our new house already," Kara explains.
"Sabi ko kasi noon, we still didn’t have money to buy things for the house. So when we won, she knew we can already buy things."
Aside from furnishing their new house, Kara also intends to allot part of their cash prize for her upcoming wedding with long-time boyfriend Jojo Tagle.
"Before joining P2M, I told myself that if God will allow me to win, I will allocate a portion of my winnings to my wedding," Jiggy shares. "So that’s where my winnings will go."
The two, however, share that, more than the P2 million cash prize, the essence of their Extra Challenge experience lies in the friendships they have gained throughout the race.
"When Joyce had her despedida, I was invited. Ang saya, isipin mo, you rub elbows with celebrities," Kara amusingly shares. "I know I have developed good friendships with my co-challengers."
Jiggy and Kara also learned a lot from this experience.
As Kara elaborates, "It made us aware of the many things we still can do, feel how much God loves us and realize further how helpful and friendly our kababayan are."