After an extended acting hiatus to focus on her family, Jennylyn Mercado has officially renewed her contract with GMA, reflecting on her 21-year journey with the network that she calls “home.”
The contract-signing event was held Tuesday at the Kapuso station’s Studio 6, and graced by GMA president and chief executive officer Gilberto Duavit Jr., executive vice president and chief financial officer Felipe Yalong, senior vice president for Entertainment Group Lilybeth Rasonable, and Jennylyn’s management team Aguila Entertainment chief executive officer Katrina Aguila.
Jennylyn took the opportunity to address rumors, even online backlash and speculations that she was leaving GMA during the roughly three-year break that followed her pregnancy with Dylan, her daughter with husband Dennis Trillo.
“Alam ko po medyo natagalan dahil, sabi nga ni Sir (Gilberto) Duavit, may mga na-prioritize ako,” Jennylyn began, addressing why it took her time to renew her contract.
“But there were many speculations, a lot of people got angry, there were assumptions, some were happy, some got annoyed, and I had bashers — so many. But I had nowhere else to go. My destination has always been clear — always GMA. So I can say that I am home.
“Actually, I don’t know if it’s correct to say ‘I am home, I am back,’ because I never really left. It’s like I just went on vacation or went grocery shopping, and then came back to my family to have dinner together again...
“It’s just like that — I just returned to my family. I was only gone for a while.”
“To be here means so much. Wala pong ibang nararamdaman kundi gratitude,” she said.
The renewal of her contract became an emotional moment for Jennylyn, especially since it was the second time she was going through this milestone without her Mommy Lydia, who passed away in 2016.
“I remembered my Mommy Lydia because second time ko na ‘to na contract signing (na wala siya). Palagi siyang kasama, pero ngayon, wala siya… parang kulang,” she told The STAR in a separate interview.
Despite that, s
he reiterated that she’s “very grateful and I’m just so happy that I’m here again.”
Duavit described the actress as an OG homegrown Kapuso, who first rose to fame in 2004 when she became the first-ever “StarStruck” Ultimate Female Survivor. She was 16 years old then.
But Jennylyn could rightfully claim the title of Ultimate Survivor in real life, having faced and survived countless challenges, both on and off-screen.
“Sa dami ng mga pinagdaanan sa loob ng 20-plus years, ang dami ko ng nalagpasan na pagsubok. Happy naman ako na lahat yun ang dami kong natutunan. Ngayon, hindi ako magiging ganito kalakas siguro kung hindi nangyari ‘yon,” she said, pondering on how each trial has shaped her into the person that she is today.
What she would consider as the toughest time of her life was during her first pregnancy with son Jazz at the age of 21. “Yun ang pinaka matinding pagsubok — my first pregnancy. Alam niyo naman lahat yun. Ang daming nawala. Wala akong katuwang noon…
“Never ko nagawa (taking a break) sa firstborn ko because I had no choice kundi bumalik agad sa trabaho after two months or three months of giving birth. I was a breadwinner. Matatanda na yung parents ko. Nung nanganak ako, kasabay yun ‘di ba namatay yung father ko.
“Challenging yung part talaga na yun. Nag-abroad pa ako kasi nga hindi pa ako fit bumalik sa taping at shooting. Rumaket ako abroad para lang magkaroon ako ng income. Mananakawan pa ako, walang natira sa bahay, so yun nga yung pinaka-challenging na part ng buhay ko,” she further looked back.
On the question on how she was able to bounce back and sustain her career, Jennylyn believes it’s a “gift from God.”
“Siguro yung lakas na yun, isa yun sa mga binigay talaga sa akin ni God. Kailangan mo ‘to, sa dami ng oras na pagdadaanan mo, sa dami ng pagsubok na pagdadaanan mo. Isa yun sa mga talagang gift na binigay sa akin na hanggang ngayon, matatag pa rin ako,” she shared.
She now enjoys a much different situation today, something that not just network bosses, but also her long-standing supporters are proud to witness.
When she got pregnant with her second child, Dylan, she made the conscious decision to take a step back and enjoy what she couldn’t when she first experienced motherhood.
“I waited so long for that moment... So that break, those two to three years I took to focus on my family, was very much worth it,” she said.
“I really focused on the kids — their studies, raising them, and disciplining them. It felt so good to sleep and wake up with them, to eat meals with them. I couldn’t do that before because I’d leave while they were still asleep, and when I got home, they were already asleep again… I really enjoyed that time.”
On top of that, she now has a partner in life.
“But now, dahil may katuwang na ako sa buhay, andyan si Dennis, may kasama na ako sa araw-araw na buhay,” Jennylyn said.
With Dylan nearly three years old, Jennylyn feels it’s the right time to return to showbiz.
“For 20 years, I’m thankful that they’re (GMA) still here. After all that time, they’re still here to welcome me into my home. I’m happy to be back again.”