MANILA, Philippines — After a long hiatus, Jennica Garcia is enjoying a second shot at showbiz and getting “back-to-back-to-back” projects. And no one could perhaps be more supportive than her mom, veteran star Jean Garcia.
Besides her major acting comeback in the Kapamilya primetime series Dirty Linen and soon in another drama titled Fractured, the 33-year-old is currently co-host to Melai Cantiveros in the traditional-digital (TraDigital) platform PIE Channel’s interactive game show Ur Da Boss.
Jennica wants to literally follow in her mom’s footsteps now that she’s been given another chance to revive her career in the entertainment industry.
“I don’t think many people know but my mom, it was also her second shot at showbiz when she made it big with Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” she recently said, in response to a Philippine STAR question, referring to the 2000 ABS-CBN hit drama.
“Pinagdadasal ko sana na pareho kami ng kapalaran ni Mama kasi pagbalik ko after my seven years of hiatus, pareho na ng age ni Mama eh. If history repeats itself, ayos na ayos po sa akin yun,” added the actress, whom this paper interviewed on the sidelines of PIE Channel’s first anniversary presscon.
(“I’m praying that I will have the same path as my mom’s. Because when I came back after seven years of hiatus, I was the same age as Mama when she made a comeback. If history repeats itself, that’s fine with me.”)
Jennica further shared that she only received two pieces of advice from Jean, who continues to be sought-after as an actress.
The first advice she received was when she first entered showbiz at the age of 17.
It was to “be nice to everybody,” she said.
“Regardless of their position, be respectful,” she added.
The second advice she got as she re-entered the business.
“Itong pagbalik ko, dito na niya sinabi, ‘Anak, ganyan-ganyan ang nangyari sa akin. Parang nag-trabaho ako sa Japan para mabuhay kita, nag-migrate ako, tapos nag-offer ang ABS-CBN ng Pangako Sa ‘Yo and tinanggap ko. Mula noon, hindi na ako umalis ng bansa. Nakasama na kita kasi nagtuloy-tuloy na ang trabaho.’”
(“When I returned to showbiz, she said, ‘Anak, that’s what happened to me. I worked in Japan to support you, I moved there, then ABS-CBN offered Pangako Sa ‘Yo and I accepted it. Since then, I have not left the country. I’ve been able to be with you because of continuous work.’”)
She added, “Mama ko po kasi ito, kaya ganito magsalita. Sabi niya, magaling ka naman na artista, kailangan lang mabigyan ka ng tamang eksena, tamang role. Makikita nila yun, magtiwala ka lang.”
(“She’s my mom, so she talks like this. She said you are a good actress, you just need to be given the right scene, the right role. They will see that, so just trust.”)
For Jennica’s ongoing project with PIE — Ur Da Boss airing weekdays from 7 to 8 p.m. on Free TV, YouTube and the Pie Channel website — she admitted that she also drew inspiration from her mom.
Since this is her first-ever hosting gig, she would watch old clips of her mom hosting during her That’s Entertainment days.
“Maybe because I started out as an actress, I’m very dependent on my character to build my confidence, to build the how-tos of how I will present myself,” Jennica said.
“And so I did the same for my hosting. It’s so nice when I hear Melai, when I hear Jolens (Jolina Magdangal) say that what you see on PIE Channel is the real them. I want to say that, too. But it’s really just 50 percent because my real self is not pang-host (not for hosting),” she candidly admitted.
“But I’m just thinking that for this one, I’m going to be the ‘90s version of Jean Garcia to make it work.”
One thing is certain, her heart is full of gratitude for the non-stop opportunities, including the validation and praises she’s been getting for her performance and even for her onscreen pairing with co-star Christian Bables in Dirty Linen. In the first place, she never thought a comeback was possible for her.
She explained, “Hindi ko po talaga akalain kasi kung titingnan po natin parang impossible na po talaga. Gawa po ng ang dami na pong artista ngayon, dalawa ang anak ko, hiwalay (ako) sa asawa ko. ‘Di ko pa alam saan galing ang pagmamahal. Sobrang overwhelmed po talaga ako. Kasi ‘di ko po talaga alam ano yung ginagawa ko, kung bakit ganitong suporta ang binibigay sa akin ng mga Kapamilya natin.”
(“I really didn’t think it would happen because if we look at it, it’s really impossible. Because there are so many artists today, I have two children, I’m separated from my husband. I still don’t know where the love comes from. I’m really overwhelmed. I really don’t know what it is that I am doing that the Kapamilya are giving me this kind of support.”)
Amid this “second wind,” she is equally grateful to her entire family as their support made it possible for her to focus on her showbiz work once more.
“(The schedule) can get really overwhelming because I have children, too. So the field trips of my children and the activities that they do in school, if my presence is needed, (I’m there), stuff like that,” said the single mom of two.
“People think I’m strong and I can do it all, but no, I have people behind me. That’s why I’m able to do it. My Papa and his wife Amy, I entrust my children to them whenever I have work,” she said of her dad, former actor Jigo Garcia.
She also calls on her Ninay, her mom’s bestfriend. They’re not related by blood, but she was the one who raised her when her mom worked for a time abroad.
And her mom Jean steps in at times to lend help whenever she’s not swamped with teleserye tapings. “I just want to be clear here that I’m not raising them on my own. Their grandparents are there, my Ninay is there to help me. I’m really thankful to God for the gift of family,” she said.
Meanwhile, during the PIE presscon, Melai revealed that a recent guest, Ryan Bang, appeared to be interested in Jennica and tried to get her number. She’s also being linked to Christian, with their Dirty Linen “love team” attracting its own following.
When asked if she was ready to find love anew after being estranged from her husband (actor Alwyn Uytingco) for almost three years now, she said that since last year she’s been open to “dating and being in a romantic relationship again.”
She said that although her parents separated, growing up, she found a father figure in her mom’s then Japanese partner and the father of her younger sibling, Kotaro Shimizu. She never felt lacking in that aspect, she said.
“That would be so nice if my children would grow up that way, that they also have a father figure. Kaya lang po, kahit open po ako sa dating wala pong nakapag-pa-ibig,” she said.
Jennica had suitors and tried the dating scene for a bit but none worked out for her.
This is what she learned so far: “Pakiramdam ko po, sa akin lang po ‘to ha, first year of being single, you’re broken and dating is the last thing on your mind. That’s based on my experience, it could be different for others.
“On the second year, you get a bit excited (to try it) because you’re healed already. You want it, you’re game for it.
“But you know, on the third year — because I’ve been single for two and a half years now — there’s no romantic relationship. Your standards have gotten higher because you now know how to be happy.
“So parang pag-iniisip ko kapag kung meron kayong manliligaw ngayon, parang dapat galingan mo kasi marunong na po ako, parang alam ko na paano maging masaya.
(“So, when I think about it, if I get suitors now, I feel like they have to level up because I now know how to be happy on my own.”)
Recently, Jennica touched her followers when she shared online that she can now afford small luxuries, like finally buying an aircon and water heater, for her small family.
She added, “I always pray and super remind ako kay God, ‘Ikaw yung husband ko, ikaw ang father ng children ko. Lord, ipakita mo sa akin yan, ipa-feel mo sa akin yan.’ So, ayan na-feel na nga, ang daming work and tapos provided for kami.”