Aian Kirt Landicho, a BS Agricultural Biotechnology student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, claimed the title of first-ever Bilyonaryo Quiz B (BQB) College Edition champion and the ₱1 million grand prize after an all-UP final match.
The decisive question asked contestants to find three six-letter English words from the term “Bilyonaryo” that form a phrase meaning “intelligent dualistic subatomic particle.” Landicho delivered the winning response: “brainy binary baryon.”
Landicho outscored fellow finalists from UP Diliman—Crispin Alvarado III, a BS Mechanical Engineering student who finished with 17,000 points, and Neil Dominic de Jesus, a BS Industrial Engineering student who tallied 14,000 points. Landicho ended with 43,000 points.
“What an exhilarating finale—and in fact, what an exhilarating season it has been,” host David Celdran said as he awarded the champion and runners-up. “Tonight we celebrate the strength of the human mind, the hunger for knowledge, and the courage to compete on the grandest stage of all.”
Landicho, who experienced a bout of heartburn onstage, called the contest “a really thrilling competition.”
“I was up against some of the best minds in the country, and in the end, I managed to triumph,” he said, adding that the win “isn’t mine alone—it’s a triumph for our generation and for intelligence in the country.” He told the Bilyonaryo News Channel it was an honor to represent UPLB.
Runner-up de Jesus said he “really enjoyed these past few months” and encouraged others to join future seasons, calling the experience “very worthwhile.”
Alvarado said he felt “privileged to have been part of this experience” and urged students to “go out of their comfort zones and try something like this in the future.”
Bilyonaryo Quiz B premiered in May 2025 on the Bilyonaryo News Channel with the goal of “bringing intelligence back to Philippine television.” Hosted by former UP Diliman student Celdran—who once served as quiz master for the 1990s show Battle of the Brains and hosts ANC’s lifestyle and travel program Executive Class—the weekly program pits top college students against one another for school pride and cash prizes.
Season 1 began with 27 pre-qualified contestants who faced elimination and semifinal rounds before the final three—Landicho, Alvarado, and de Jesus—competed for the grand prize. Categories included History, Science and Technology, Arts and Literature, Math and Logic, Geography and Nature, and General Information, plus themed bonus rounds for weekly winners.
Applications for Season 2 have closed, and a new batch of challengers will soon vie for the next million-peso prize, according to Bilyonaryo.com.
The final round can be viewed on the Bilyonaryo News Channel’s YouTube page.