Savoring home life

CEBU, Philippines - She’s Asia’s Songbird, a lifetime recognition she’s earned not without a fair share of grueling work. These days though, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid would much rather be a Domestic Diva – waking up to cook husband Ogie Alcasid’s meals, waiting up at night for the actor-singer to come home from a long day’s work, witnessing their almost-three-year-old son Nate’s many firsts…

Slowing down from the slave that is the showbiz grind is much deserved for the 44-year-old, who’s been enthralling audiences with her trademark birit for the past 28 years or so.

Thinking out loud in half-jest that “hindi ko na panahon,”  her Friday mall show at the SM City Cebu Northwing proved how the powerful songstress can still pull in a huge, enthusiastic crowd, even with the rise of younger female singers who’s captured a new generation of rabid, social media-savvy fans.

Talking to the Cebu entertainment press folk, Regine was a picture of contentment as she answered queries on motherhood, her upcoming talent show, how she and Ogie keep the fire aflame, and whether there’s anything left for this Queen to prove.

Cebu is the eighth leg of your current regional tour. So far, how has the experience been going around the provinces?

Obviously, I’ve been having fun, because otherwise, I wouldn’t do it. I’m very thankful to GMA for giving me this wonderful day for my friends and fans to see me, because when I have concerts, they don’t all get the chance to see me. Bilang may anak na ako, I rarely do out-of-town shows, so overnight events like this is easy for me. It’s a big deal for me when fans come out to watch my show and have fun with me, kasi parang hindi ko na panahon eh (laughs). I feel very touched and feel very blessed that I’m able to see them, I’m able to entertain them. It’s always exciting to see the people who’ve been supporting me all this years.

You’re set to host the upcoming reality talent show ‘Bet ng Bayan.’ With all the previous and present talent shows on TV, what sets this apart?

Well, it might not be different for anybody else, but it’s different for me, because it’s the first talent show I will be hosting that will not just cater to singers. There will be singers, dancers and kakaibang talento. I don’t know what this kakaibang talent is…siguro yung kakain ng apoy o buhay na buwaya (laughs). We are open to groups and duos. Usually, laging lamang yung singer, or yung dancer. Medyo dehado yung iba. So this time, each category will have a winner. And what’s also exciting about the new show is that it’s nationwide. I will be going around the regions for the semi-finals to choose each region’s representative. Plus, I think maybe it’s time to look for another superstar again. So you support your own representatives. Its every Saturday but there will be brief daily updates.

Will having another show aside from ‘Sarap Diva’ not affect your quality time with the family?

Well, it’s only 12 episodes for me, so it’s not as bad kunwari kung binigyan ako ng soap…yun, wala akong life masyado. Ito kasi once a week, although I have ‘Sarap Diva.’ Medyo mahirap din ito kasi nationwide eh, I have to travel a lot, but like I said, its only 12 shows, so it’s okay. Kung medyo kailangan akong tumagal sa isang lugar, I can always bring Nate with me. Aside from hosting ‘Bet ng Bayan,’ they want me to sing, so I will also have performances on the show.

Your last GMA-7 series was ‘I Heart You, Pare!’ in 2011 where you played a woman pretending to be a homosexual man. What kind of soap opera would you like to do next?

After I gave birth and signed with GMA again, ang dami naming pinag-usapan na concept. But I guess, hindi tumatama doon sa tamang schedule. Maybe it’s not yet time to do a soap, which is okay, because I’m still enjoying being a mom. So I’m happy that I’m given ‘Bet ng Bayan,’ which is by the way, a huge project.

Any upcoming album?

Not yet, since I’m still promoting the old one. For this year, lang yan talaga, but it was recorded last year. One year yata akong nag-record niyan. That’s the longest album I’ve recorded. Kasi nga I have so many issues with my voice. Apparently, when you give birth, lahat ng mga kalamnan mo parang nasa Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao…parang ayaw nilang mag-gather. Nakakaloka.

Any movie roles in your wish list?

Nagka-offer ako this year pero I didn’t do it, kasi mawawalan na ako ng time kay Nate. Ngayon kasi, kapag gumagawa ako ng decision, I have to plan my life first kasi meron na akong baby, nag-asawa na ako eh. Kawawa naman ang asawa ko, so I schedule it in a way that I still have time for them. Yung asawa ko busy din so kawawa naman yung anak ko. Plus, he is at the stage of his life na ang cute-cute. Toddler years eh. I don’t wanna miss those days. So okay naman ako na ganito muna. Siguro, next year, I think next year mabibigyan ako ng soap opera because it’s part of my contract. But if not, I’ll be good with that too.

How do you take care of your voice?

You know I’ve been having problems with my voice also. Apparently, most singers suffer from that. As we get older, it’s really getting harder. They say you just have to keep using your voice, pero hindi pa rin eh. Its acid reflux –they call it ‘singer’s nightmare’ and everybody that I know seems to suffer from it, like Martin [Nievera] has it, Gary [Valenciano], ZsaZsa [Padilla]…we all have it, and we cannot do anything about it. There’s no cure. It’s a part of the stomach yung muscle na dapat nagko-close. As you get older, syempre nag wi-weaken yun, and for us singers, bumubuka siya. Kasi we keep using our diaphragm. Hindi na siya  properly sumasara. I inquired, and they say you can have it operated, but it comes back so what’s the use? So medication talaga, proper diet, you have to be sitting down for you not to have an attack. It can be managed, but sometimes, even if I don’t eat anything that would trigger it, I’ll have it. Minsan naman, I’ll eat anything kahit bawal, and I don’t have it. I think it’s also stress, since I already know that I have that, I keep thinking about it. Now I have a allergy so lalo siya lumalabas. It’s really hard, I’ve been having difficulties, kaya lang hindi ko pinapansin. Kung mag-crack yung boses ko, eh di ano? At least nasa tono ako lagi. Yun lang yung laging concern ko. Kung maging  rocker voice ako, eh di rocker.

At this stage in your career, do you feel you still have anything left to prove?

I don’t really care (laughs). Sometimes, I sing my past hit songs with very high notes, I miss singing them and I want to enjoy them. Not for anybody, not to show off, although inside I’m challenging myself especially lately that I have this condition.. But it’s really more for my enjoyment. I want to enjoy singing them again because they are my songs. I recorded them. Gusto ko tignan kung kaya pa talaga. Sa kung kaya, kaya pa naman talaga. Nothing has changed, my range is still the same. It’s just that I have a condition that I have to deal with day in and day out. I don’t know when it’s going to come out, minsan paggising ko wala, and in the middle of the day I have it.

Before stepping on stage or facing the cameras, are there moments you still get nervous?

I think being nervous if you’re a performer is very normal. It’s where you get your adrenaline. Plus, if the song is new, medyo naninibago ka, but you want to challenge yourself. Nasanay na kasi ako eh so nilalabanan ko. I try to calm myself down because if not, I tend to over-sing. Sometimes, I motivate myself to feel excited if I don’t feel anything, because it’s important to have that energy.

Your son Nate just went to school. Any separation anxieties?

This was his second week of going to toddler school, actually. No separation anxieties, kasi medyo sanay kami kasi nagsa-Sunday school siya eh. When we go to church, meron silang Sunday school so we leave him there. Kahit paano, may practice na kami, and even him. Although lately nagkakaroon siya ng needy moments na ayaw niyang paalisin either one of us. The first day, he got so excited – hindi niya kami pinansin lahat. This second week, doon siya medyo nag-adjust. I guess he realized ‘Ah iiwan pala ako dito.’  They are being taught how to read ABC. Nate already reads; he’s a weird kid. Now, we have to teach him the fundamentals of reading. We used to let him watch ‘Baby Can Read’, which taught him sight reading. Now, my friends said that he is already decoding Meaning, he’s reading each letter and he knows it if you read the whole thing it will make a sound. Balak kasi namin hindi pa siya ipapasok sa school because we wanted him to get a little bit older. But since he’s been reading and he seems interested…which is very rare these days kasi sanay na sanay ang mga bata sa Tablets. We thought, might as well send him to toddler school so that he’ll be taught proper reading and comprehension.

This early, do you see signs of Nate becoming himself a good singer?

He loves to sing. He hums all the time when he’s doing something. Ako, pag may ginagawa ko, kumakanta ako and I don’t even notice that I do. Sometimes, humming or singing  is part of my concentration. As far as being a musician or a singer, I have no expectations. He can be whatever he wants to be. I don’t want to put pressure on him, because the fact that both his parents are singers and are in the business – it’s enough pressure for the kid. I don’t want to add to that anymore. All I wish is for him to have a relationship with God and everything will start from there.

Are you a spoiler?

We tend to…all parents are like that but I try not to because isa lang siya eh and he’s privileged because mom and dad are working very hard for him to have a good life.  It’s very hard to balance na he’s privileged and yet gusto namin na hindi niya alam na privileged talaga siya. Sometimes, we cannot help spoiling him kasi ang cute eh! Ako kasi I grew up with nothing, so gusto mo ibigay yung hindi mo nakuha before. I’m trying to hold back a little bit. Not to mention yung mga ninong at ninang na kung ano-ano yung ibinibigay. Sobrang dami talaga niyang things, sobrang blessed siya. Hopefully hindi naman maging brat, but we are trying to discipline him.

What traits has he inherited from you so far?

He kind of sounds like me when he talks. Nagta-Tagalog kasi siya so tina-Tagalog namin.  Lahat ng mannerisms ko sa pagsasalita, yung mga bukang bibig ko, nadidinig niya so ginagaya niya. Buti na lang hindi ako mahilig magmura (laughs).

What aspect of your own parents’ upbringing would you like to apply to Nate?

My parents were very good at encouraging us, especially me kasi ako yung kumanta na. Papa was so good at boosting my confidence without making me arrogant. Because when I got better, hindi ako yumabang eh. I was confident enough, but not to the point of being big-headed, so I guess I want to do the same for my child. Like I said, I have no expectations, he can be whatever he wants to be. I wanna be there, I will support and encourage him kung ano man ang gusto niya, and he’s into a lot of things.

What if your son will turn out gay?

I really pray otherwise, not for anything else, but only because it’s a hard life. You cannot really say na magkakaroon ka ng partner for life, very seldom that you’re able to find a real partner. I only pray that he doesn’t, but if he turns out to be, magpapakulot ako. Kalahati ng buhay ko binuhay ako ng mga gay, so I’m okay with it, I’m not scared about it. But because it’s a hard life, I want him to have a somewhat normal life.

When you don’t have work, what’s a typical day for you?

My schedule is very relaxed these days. Although by the last quarter of the year,  I’ll be a little busy because I have a new show. Once or twice a month, I do regional shows. ‘Sarap Diva’ is once or twice a month, so it’s typically an easy kind of schedule, which I really like because I get to be with my son. I’m very thankful to GMA because I’m given this kind of schedule that I’m still able to be a wife and a mom. Problema lang tumataba ako pag walang ginagawa, kasi kumakain ako pag walang ginagawa. But I’m trying to lose weight again because I have a new show.

What do date nights between you and husband Ogie usually consist of?

Usually during Saturdays, if both of us don’t have work, we go out and watch movies. Ganyan lang naman yung little things that make us happy. It’s wonderful to be married, it really is. After we got married, seriously, we haven’t had a fight. Mas nag-aaway pa kami nung before at tsaka kahit nung dati  never kami nagkaroon ng malakihang away, parang isang beses lang nangyari.  Every day I laugh, that’s all I do. He wakes up and he cracks me up. Apparently, I also make him laugh kasi tawang-tawa siya sa akin for some reason kahit hindi naman ako nagpapatawa.

Give us one example how he cracks you up every day.

Minsan sinasayawan niya ako. Meron siyang bagong choreography. Tawang-tawa ako, tapos nire-record ko. Tinatanong niya ‘Nilagay mo sa Instagram? Ilan yung nag -like?’  He makes me laugh all the time. Because I wait for him to arrive home, I kinda like that feeling. Normal na normal yung buhay namin because usually, hinihintay ng  babae yung asawa niyang dumating di ba? When he’s home, I prepare his meals. And he likes to eat out. Ang pasyal lang naman namin malling eh, dinadala namin si Nate sa toy store at binibilhan namin ng isang toy, tapos we will have dinner. Yun lang yung date namin. And then we have a small study group that we do every week which is a big help in our relationship.