So you think you have heard it all? No, you haven’t.
This much has been revealed:
- Charice Pempengco is “dead;” long live Jake Zyrus!;
- Jake has his boobs removed and he’s taking hormones preparatory to his transition to full-fledged manhood; and
- Jake has broken up (dumped?) with Alyssa Quijano for a new non-showbiz girl.
On Oct. 6 at the Music Museum, the newest kid on the block will make his formal introduction at a concert aptly titled I Am Jake, produced by The Mad Union Entertainment Production and Echo Jham Productions. It will be Jake’s coming-out party, directed by Calvin Neria with Troy Laureta as musical director (he’s a Fil-Am keyboardist and record producer who has worked with international artists such as Ariana Grande, Deborah Cox, Iggy Azalea and David Foster who is like a second father to Jake).
“I’m excited about the concert because I will be able to finally express my real self,” Jake told Conversations. “I’m also excited about the kind of music that I will be performing. The concert is perfect for those who want to celebrate themselves.”
Added Calvin, “It might not be the birit singer that you will see on stage but you will be surprised what Jake will present.”
Aside from the tattoos (one in honor of his mom Raquel and another in memory of his dad) all over his arms, Jake bared more of his new persona in an exclusive Conversation.
Why didn’t you have the names of your lovers also immortalized on your arms? You have more than enough space.
(Laughs) “Parang Johnny Depp, hahahaha! May tattoo siyang ‘Wynona Forever’ when Wynona Ryder was his girlfriend and when they broke up, he had the ‘na’ erased and what remained was ‘Wyno Forever.’ Parang ganoon? Hahaha!!!”
If memory serves, I stood as one of the ninongs/ninangs at the baptism of Charice Pempengco and her confirmation as a Roman Catholic. What happened to her?
“Nag-abroad na, hahahaha!!!”
Since you are not my inaanak, I am withholding my gift for you.
“Ganoon po?”
Very BB Gandanghari who said that she killed Rustom Padilla but she couldn’t be accused of murder. No body, no evidence, no crime. See?
“Ganoon po ba yon? Hahahaha!!!”
There are so many Jakes already — Jake Gyllenhaal, Jake Cuenca, Jake Vargas, Jake Ejercito and Citizen Jake (the titular character of Mike de Leon’s comeback movie starring Atom Araullo). Why not Jack?
“Kasi that’s how I feel, eh. Actually, I had many choices — Christian, Kyle. Hindi ko pinili na dapat something na close to Charice. I stood in front of the mirror and mentioned the names na napupusuan ko. When I mentioned Jake Zyrus, kinilig ako. Nice name, di ba? Jake Zyrus.”
So kamag-anak mo na si Miley?
“Pinsan, hahahaha!!!”
Isn’t your “pinsan” coming out yet (joke!)?
“Ikakasal na nga, eh…kay Liam (Hemsworth), di ba?”
Have you already told your Ninang Oprah (Winfrey)?
“Actually, kay Miss Oprah ako unang nag-come out as ‘trans’ in 2014 during my last guesting on her show. It was overwhelming! She called the staffers who used to work for her para daw it would feel like the first time, the same staffers whom I met when I first guested on the show. Miss Oprah had them fly to Chicago. Napaka-tahimik! It was a one-on-one interview. Then, Miss Oprah broke the silence, ‘I’m so proud of you! I’ve been following you!’ Updated talaga siya, silang lahat!”
Hindi ba siya na-shocked?
“Not at all. Feeling ko may alam na sila. Sir David (Foster) was also among the first to know. It didn’t come as a surprise to them.”
So are you going to change your name in your passport, passbook and other documents?
“I will still be using my passport with my full name in it, Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco, unless magpa-sex reassignment ako. Wala pa naman ako dun.”
Are you really having a sex reassignment?
“As a transgender, it’s important for me to feel complete, to feel whole. Everything matters, not only the way we dress up; ang puso, isip at damdamin namin ay lalake kami. Iba-iba kami. A lesbian is different from a transgender. Ang lesbian, they know in their heart na babae pa rin sila. May lipstick lesbian, ‘yung hindi halata kasi babaeng-babae ang dating. May butch, yung nagdadamit babae, nagku-cross-dress sila. Transsexuals are those that have undergone sex reassignment.”
So are you serious about having sex reassignment?
“Not anytime soon. I’m in the transition process, kumbaga nagbibinata pa lang ako, hehehehe!!! I’m just enjoying everything, all the changes. That will happen but as I’ve said, not anytime soon. Kumukuha pa ako ng lakas ng loob.”
You’ve been taking hormones. Doesn’t it affect your voice?
“The hormones are being injected every three months. I had my second shot last week. No effect on my voice; only the range will change. If I hit high notes, high notes na ‘yon ng lalake, hindi sa babae.”
So talagang happy ka na ngayon?
“Yes, I feel so free, so happy, so relaxed. Before, every time I performed as Charice, I was careful about my movement, parang lahat may wall…teka, ano ba itong ginagawa ko, baka may mapansin sila. May mga anxiety akong ganoon, may halong pagkukunwari; ingat na ingat ako.”
In short, you were not your real self.
“Even when I came out as a lesbian, I knew that I was not really a lesbian. At that time kasi, you are either tomboy or bakla. I was afraid that I might be bullied. Yon lang ang nire-recognize nila. They were not yet talking about transgender or the other types. Now, there’s LGBTQI.”
How old are you now?
“I’m 25 na.”
You mean to say that in the past 20-plus years you were pretending to be somebody you were not?
“I felt like I was in a movie.”
How old were you when you realized that you were, uhm, different?
“I was five years old, I was in Grade One. Never akong nagka-gusto sa lalake, I never had a crush on a guy…as in never! My crushes were girls. First crush ko nga si Donna Cruz. My brother and I used to play a game; siya ang artista at ako ang bodyguard at driver. He even gave me a name, Jeric Taperas. I didn’t know where he got that name. As early as that time, I knew deep in my heart that I was a boy.”
Oh so you started early, huh!
“Yes. What people knew was the Charice na girlie-girlie but what they didn’t know was that as soon as I got home, I would take off my girlie-girlie dress at pinapalitan ko ng damit panlalake.”
Have you had a girlfriend?
“When I was 13…kaklase ko, hehehe!!! Puppy love, ganoon!”
And when did you lose your innocence?
“Ano po ‘yon?”
Kelan ka na-devirginize?
“Ha?” (Long silence) “Next question, please. Hehehehe!!!”
‘I am my real self now. I am free and happy, I have no more anxiety or fear. Soon, I will be a complete man…in my heart and in my soul. I am Jake Zyrus.’ — VER PAULINO
Anybody in your family or those around you that must have influenced you?
“I’m not sure, pero ayoko naman sabihing wala.”
Your lola is so funny. Maski anong gawin mo daw, babae ka pa rin at magkakaroon ka pa rin ng regla.
“No more like that. When you’re having hormone injection, wala nang ganoon.”
How is your life now?
“Enjoying life as a man. Enjoying everything new, ‘yung mga hindi ko naranasan bilang lalake.”
And enjoying time with your new love. What happened ba between you and Alyssa? Did you really quarrel about money, mga ganoon?
“Nothing like that happened. We parted amicably.”
What about your differences with your family?
“Well, we are a typical family. Minsan may hindi pagkaka-intindihan, you know. Minsan OK, minsan hindi.”
You were not able to save daw because you are waldas (spendthrift)?
“Who said so? As if they know me well, as if they are sleeping with me. Yes, I am waldas because I buy things that I need for myself, my clothes, my music equipment, and other things I need for my career. It’s my money and I spend it the way I want to.”
How do you see yourself 10 years from now, padre de familia?
(Laughs) “Maybe. I will still be performing and having my own studio.”
At this point, something dropped, creating a loud bang. Charice, er, Jake, reacted by breaking into a little scream. I teased him, “Uy, babae ka pa rin ha!” He laughed and said, “Hindi, pare, ha! Hehehehe!!!”
(I Am Jake Zyrus is produced by The Mad Union Entertainment Production and Echo Jham Productions. Tickets are priced at P4,000 (with meet & greet and autographed poster), P3,200, P2,500, P1,800 and P1,000. Tickets are available at Music Museum, Ticketworld and SM Tickets. Follow Jake Zyrus (@teamjakezyrus on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for more updates.)
(E-mail reactions at entphilstar@yahoo.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)