Instead of beating deadlines, entertainment press reporters Glen Sibonga and Demai Granali raced against time to outdo their opposing team in ABS-CBN’s top-rating game show “Minute to Win It” this week.

Glen, a columnist for tabloid “Ang Bagong Tiktik” and a contributor for PEP.ph, and his partner Demai, one of PEP.ph’s section editors, experienced firsthand the nerve-fraying mood in the studio while playing the show’s challenges.

The press duo gamely dueled against M.O.R. 101.9 DJ’s Popoy and Eva Ronda in the first part of the game show’s Head to Head Challenge where they aimed to score four points first. Glen and Demai, however, lost to the DJs and failed to play for the P1 million jackpot prize.

Demai, on a blog post on PEP.ph, wrote about her ”Minute to Win It” experience and said that what looked deceptively easy on TV was actually harder to do in real life and in the actual game. Not even a healthy amount of preparation and practice will determine the outcome of the game, she said.

“We think it’s so simple when we watch it on TV, but once you’re inside the 60-minute circle, it’s different. What other contestants say is true – nervousness, excitement, enjoyment, desire to win, and everything else get muddled when you’re playing the game. And the conditions—the cheering crowd, dancing lights—make it even harder for you to concentrate,” she wrote.

“Nonetheless, I enjoyed every minute of the game. It was as if I was a child again,” Demai added.

Glen, for his part, described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience and an instant bonding moment with his partner Demai.

“It was a great privilege for me to join. Even if we lost, I felt that I was still a winner because I knew I could go through the challenges and share the experience with my family in the studio,” he said.

Watch “Minute to Win It” from Mondays to Fridays at 11AM on ABS-CBN. For updates on the program, visit www.facebook.com/minute2winitPH and follow @Minute2WinItPH on Twitter.