Jaya will not quit showbiz despite moving to US
Jaya is not closing the door on showbusiness. She will still continue to sing and do concerts despite relocating to the US early July, after experiencing hardships during pandemic lockdowns.
“Hindi na po mawawala sa dugo ko yan (showbiz). Ang nanay ko nga sa kahuli-hulihang hininga ay ang ginawa ang pag-awit, pag-papatawa at pag-e-entertain sa mga tao. So ako, hindi ko ‘to tatalikuran,” the Queen of Soul said during the launching of her latest endorsement Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre System.
“Ang ginagawa ko lang ay simply to rest, and give myself a chance to be a wife, a mother, to serve our church here. I just wanna be normal for a bit. But I’m still going to sing. We’re still going to do concerts,” she added.
She plans to come back to the Philippines to work once the economy reopens but for now, the US will be her family’s residence.
“We’ve been planning to move to the US before Christmas last year. Moving to the US was not an easy decision to make, especially during a pandemic, and as someone living with Type 2 diabetes. However, I realized that I need to choose hope over fear, especially now that I have reunited with my family, and we believe na makakaya namin ang mga pagsubok basta sama-sama,” Jaya told The STAR.
She also recalled how she suffered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the US as early as February last year. She experienced such symptoms as intense coughing and body pains that lasted for about three weeks.
“Pero awa ng Diyos, it went away,” Jaya said and so she was able to do concerts after that.
“Then I came home. A lot of things happened. And then, of course, years ko na rin gustong (mag-move) ‘coz I’ve always lived here (in the US). I’ve always been a resident of the US, and my husband and children are all dual (citizens),” she added.
The singer likewise shared how diabetes has affected her work and lifestyle. She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes shortly after she gave birth to her first child in late 2010. “Minsan manlalambot ka. I’m 51 years old. All the more na na-affect yung moods ko, sometimes I’m normal. Sometimes, I’m a little irritable. And sometimes, I’m sleepy. Those are the things that give me signals that something is going on.”
But this did not stop her from performing since she was able to manage it and make lifestyle changes. “It wasn’t a hindrance yung diabetes ‘coz I know exactly when to eat, na-start ko siyang i-manage,” she said. “I know how to, what time to eat, what to eat, not to eat. I always had water instead of juice. I never had soda. Talagang yun yung changes na you have to get used to.”
“On a daily basis, I think I’m okay but there are those days that it’s a little hard but okay lang,” she said.
Jaya also realized that “having diabetes should not be a hindrance in making big moves.” As the newest celebrity ambassador of Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre System, she endorses the use of the product which “has been making my diabetes management easier.”
The Abbott FreeStyle Libre System is described as “a revolutionary continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology that monitors glucose levels continuously, every minute through a small, coin-sized sensor worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Sjoberg Kho, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, shared some basic reminders for people suffering from diabetes in this time of pandemic during the virtual media conference.
“For patients, who are on stay home diabetes, it’s very important that they stay fit. Do regular exercise. Some people, they cannot go to the gym anymore but there are ways to maintain exercise at home. It doesn’t have to be the gym. They can walk around up and down the stairs, like 30 minutes a day. That should be enough exercise for them,” Dr. Sjoberg told The STAR.
In terms of the food portion, they have to be “intelligent,” he added, “So while at home, the CGM will really help them and tell them what kind of food and what are the portion sizes that they should be taking to avoid hyperglycemia.”
Dr. Sjoberg also warned that patients with diabetes tend to do worse and get sicker should they contract COVID-19. Precautionary measures are still very important, he stressed.
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