My Experience at the Survivor Philippines Season 2 Auditions at SM City North

I’m letting you, regular readers, followers and plurk friends out there, in on a little secret about the GMA 7 Survivor Philippines Season 2 auditions at SM City North. Yesterday, I went dark online for 10 hours, left plurking, my online computer training and blogging for a while and I tried out and lined up to audition of personal curiosity and interest. Let me just make it clear that I have no intention of being a celebrity and taking home the P3 million prize. I just like the show itself and the challenge it posed.

At the Survivor Philippines Season 2 auditions after passing the first level

So, after getting my wife’s support the previous day (which she gladly and sincerely gave) I left home North at around 8 AM for the GMA 7 Survivor Philippines Season 2 auditions at SM City and drove thru at McDonald’s to grab some breakfast. I arrived at SM City North at around 9 AM and lined up at the sidewalk of the carpark building. I thought the line was short because it was moving fast but realized that we were all supposed to make our way to the fifth level of the carpark building for the auditions.

Lining up at the sidewalk of SM City North carpark building

When I got to the fifth floor, I then proceeded to a table so I can get my queue number for the auditions and I got the number 01621 which means that I am the 1,621st in line. At about 9:30 AM, loud music started playing and more people arrived. At exactly 10 AM, the facilitators of the auditions started giving instructions. They explained that there will be 2 levels of auditions to be held that day. At the first level, we were to be interviewed by batches of 5 and those who make it past the first level were to be ushered to the SM City North’s food court where the second level of the auditions were held.

I was the 1,621st to arrive

I estimated that about 5,000 to 6,000 auditioned for Second Season of Survivor Philippines during Day 1 at SM City North

Aspirants were interviewed five at a time, with nine interviewers available

The venue for the second level screening

I spent most of the day waiting, chatting with the new friends I met, taking pictures, covering some celebrity appearances and worrying about the schedules I had to bump off. I was supposed to go to our camp fund raising concert’s venue at around 3 PM but since the concert was at 8 PM, I figured I would have enough time. And I did make it on time but that’s a different story.

I, and four other companions, got interviewed at around 4 PM and the wait was all worth it because I was able to make it past the first level. I then felt more excited about the Survivor Philippines Season 2 as we who passed the first level were assigned official numbers for the second level auditions. I was glad to have met Ricky, an ex-PBL player who played for Paralux, and Grace, a working student taking up Nursing. There were about twenty of us in our batch who were ushered to the second level auditions venue and there, we were seated by fives. I met other new friends, Ivy, a nineteen-year-old, and Joey whom I connected with for a while because of our common interest in soccer.

Ex-PBL player, Rick and me after passing the first level

Me and Grace, a working student, after passing the first level screening

Grace, Ricky, Ivy (passed the second level) and me waiting for our turn for the second level screening

(bottom from left) Grace, Ricky, Ivy and Joey (passed the second level)

For the second level auditions, we were asked to face a couple of screeners who asked us to say why we deserved to be the next sole survivor. We were each given a 15-second limit to give our answer. After that, they asked us each a follow up question and were ushered down from the stage then to the backstage for the results.

Well, just for your information, I did not pass the second level but I was glad that two of the friends I met (Ivy and Joey). I hope they make it past the third level, sincerely. The result still feels challenging enough to make me consider about auditioning again at the Survivor Philippines Season 2 auditions at SM San Lazaro, (March 29 and 30) but I was glad it turned out that way because I still made it on time for our fund raising concert.