Actress Angel Locsin pushed back against criticisms that her stepson, “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Joaquin Arce, is a “nepo baby.”
Joaquin is the son of Angel’s husband, Neil Arce, from a previous relationship. He entered the reality show’s “PBB Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0” in October 2025.
On his 124th day inside the “PBB” house, he was asked a question during the “Ultimate Tapatan” segment by evictee Anton Vinzon:
“Kino-consider mo ba ang sarili mo na isang nepo baby? Or na-influence ka lang ng pamilya mo? Or sadyang ibinoto ka lang gamit ang kanilang pera?” he asked.
Joaquin’s stepmother is award-winning actress Angel, while his father comes from the family behind the local ice cream brand Arce Dairy. His father is also a film producer.
Meanwhile, “nepo baby” is a term used to describe individuals whose parents are famous, wealthy, or influential, and who succeed in similar fields, often with the implication that their success is aided by family connections and privilege rather than hard work.
The term has also been used to refer to the children of some government contractors during the height of the flood control projects scandal, who flaunted their lavish lifestyles.
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In the “PBB” episode, Joaquin told Anton that he had instructed his family not to spend money voting for him in the house.
“Everything na I want to achieve in this industry as an actor, because it is my dream to be an actor, gusto ko na deserve ko siya,” he said.
“Kasi lagi akong tinatanong, ‘Do you want to work with your stepmom [Angel Locsin]?’ Lagi kong sinasabi na, I think it’s a prize to work with her. I think I have to deserve it. I think I have to be a good enough actor to be able to act with her,” Joaquin added.
“With that being said, I think if I were to win and if I were to deserve a spot, I think I have to deserve it. Dapat taumbayan ang pipili sa akin,” he continued.
Eight of Joaquin’s former housemates remained unconvinced.
Outside the house, Angel took to social media to share her opinion on the matter.
“Bihira lang akong mag-social media ha. Pero nagulat ako sa comments ng ilang tao dito. Ano namang kasalanan ni Joaquin at naging asawa ko ang dad niya para ma-brand siya as nepo baby?” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, February 25.
“Para namang hindi ako nag-dyip o bus papuntang tapings ko dati. Ka-level ko pala si Discaya? Lol,” the actress added, referring to the government contractors known for their lavish lifestyle.
“Pero ‘yung pera ko, hindi galing sa nakaw. ‘Yung 12k [12,000] na boto ko kay Joaquin sa buong journey niya, baka dagdagan ko, ma-asar ko lang ‘yung ibang makagawa ng issue. My son could have asked me for a project, but ang hiniling niya is mag-audition sa PBB. ‘Wag bitter. Nakakapanget ‘yan,” Angel said.
Bihira lang akong mag social media ha. Pero nagulat ako sa comments ng ilang tao dito. Ano namang kasalanan ni Joaquin at naging asawa ko ang dad nya para ma-brand sya as nepo baby? Para namang hindi ako nag dyip o bus papuntang tapings ko dati. Kalevel ko pala si Discaya? Lol.…
— Angel Locsin (@143redangel) February 25, 2026
Angel’s post has earned 19,000 likes, 1,900 reposts and nearly 440 replies so far.
Last year, Joaquin said he needed to “earn” the “right” to work with his stepmom, who is known for her acting chops in teleseryes.
Before his “PBB” stint, he appeared on runways as a model for various brands.
Joaquin also signed with Star Magic as an artist in 2025, but reiterated that he wanted to earn the right to work with his stepmom before appearing onscreen with her.
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