Happy with career, what else does Jaclyn crave for?

Curtain-raisers:

 Friends of showbiz-related lady have been wondering why she came back from living a few years abroad without her foreigner husband and their child(ren?). After snooping around, the friends found out that the lady has separated from her husband who refused to give her their child(ren?).

 Did you know that a very popular actor has filed a case against a company which is marketing a product using his name? The case has been pending in court for a year now but the actor was advised by his home network not to talk to the media about it, to quote the Funfare DPA, “baka daw sumikat pa ‘yung produkto” (which has something to do with, uhm, walking).

 Text message from STAR contributor Edu Jarque: Glad to hear that the Vera Perezes have decided to share their iconic gardens. Your story brought back memories of the fabulous debut of Mrs. Nene Vera Perez’s daughter Gina years ago. Gina was then a student at Assumption Convent. The Vera-Perezes’ ancestral home was where Mama Nene, truly a lady in every sense of the word, graciously received me for the interview she had granted me for my travel column. Many will be pleased with this new venue for memorable milestones.

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One cup of rice per meal (but with lots of viands) spells happiness for Jaclyn Jose whose metabolism must be working so fast that she hardly gains weight, retaining her youthful looks while her contemporaries have grown older, enough to play her mom in a TV show or a movie?

Over lunch with some writers at Romulo’s Café, Jaclyn took her plateful with enviable gusto.

“Hindi ako nagda-diet,” she admitted. “Well, I do but only when necessary.”

In the course of the free-wheeling exchange with the writers, some names were mentioned even if they shouldn’t be, like Albie Casiño who is believed to be the father of Jaclyn’s apo Ellie, daughter of Jaclyn’s daughter Andi Eigenmann.

Tempo’s Ronald Constantino asked Jaclyn, “Kumusta pala ‘yon!”

“Ay,” said Jaclyn, “hindi ko na nakikita at ayoko makita,” adding, “mamaya kunin niya ‘yung apo ko, ‘no!”

Mario Bautista commented, “No wonder you didn’t include him in your list of Best Young Actors.”

“Ay,” replied Jaclyn, “hindi naman dapat. I saw him in Chito Roño’s film, ‘yung horror-horroran ba ‘yon, sinira n’ya ‘yung pelikula.”

Mario countered, “He’s doing comedy in his new movie.”

Jaclyn: “Marunong na siya umarte? Titingnan ko. Hindi niya kaya ‘yon.”

Asked what piece of advice she would give the boy, Jaclyn said without batting an eyelash, “Retire!” She stopped short, “Naku, ito na naman ako. Sa akin kasi, kapag apo ko ang pinag-uusapan…”

Then she continued eating while the conversation veered toward another topic, such as Jaclyn and Andi smoking the peace pipe. Andi has obviously taken after Jaclyn — outspoken, opinionated, adventurous, and daring in choice of roles and charting her private life.

“Andi and I are okay now,” volunteered Jaclyn who has been bumping heads with her daughter particularly over Andi’s love life. Jaclyn’s sibling in the US got sick and Jaclyn wanted to pay him a visit and that kind of softened Andi’s heart. “Okay,” she told her mom, “you go.” Andi has put on hold her plan to leave home with Elle and stay in the condo unit that she has bought. Okay lang, said Jaclyn. “So she will learn how to be responsible.” In the meantime, mother and daughter are in Jaclyn’s care, together with Jaclyn’s 13-year-old son Gwen (by a former lover).

“I take care of everything,” said Jaclyn. “I do the grocery and go to the wet market. After this lunch, punta ako sa palengke. Alam n’yo bang mura ang bangus ngayon? Then, I do the cooking. If I have a shoot, what I usually do is cook four putahe good for three days. Mina-microwave na lang kapag kakainin na. I also prepare the things I need for work by myself. Wala akong alalay. And I drive myself. My day is full,” adding with a faint smile, “wala akong love life. My focus is my children; gusto ko okey ang mga bata.”

In fact, she said that she has been loveless for years, not that she’s wanting of suitors. Successful in career, zero in love life.

What aspect of her life does she think she has failed in?

“Sa love life,” she was quick to answer. “Na-trauma na yata ako. Pero sapat naman sa pagmamahal ng mga anak ko. Gwen is so malambing. He’s always by my side, pa-yakap-yakap, saying ‘I love you!’ to me all the time. So, kung liligaya ako at malulungkot naman ang mga anak ko, huwag na lang.” But if and when she did love again, what would be the foremost qualification?

“Siguro kelangan biyudo,” she laughed. “Companionship na lang,” citing an actress who married an older (rich) man and now lives happily ever after like a princess in the US. “’Yung ganyan,” Jaclyn laughed again.

Is she dominant/domineering, a nagger, controlling?

“No,” protested Jaclyn. “Sa totoo lang, mapagsilbi ako.”

Jaclyn is now managed by Perry Lansigan, in the same stable as Dingdong Dantes, Jolina Magdangal, Gabby Eigenmann and many others. She used to be managed by Ed Instrella from with whom Jaclyn amicably parted ways after more than three(?) decades of partnership. Ed has become more than just a manager to Jaclyn; he’s Jaclyn’s virtual parent, brother, friend, confidante, guardian, adviser, etc.

“Ed is not getting any younger,” explained Jaclyn, “so he agreed naman that I got a new manager. He’s taking medications. I don’t want to add more stress in his life. One less talent to handle is good for him.”

(Now appearing in the GMA sitcom Vampire ang Daddy Ko, Jaclyn will soon start work on Ilustrado, also on GMA, in which she will play a wealthy woman role on the side of snooty, just like in Mundo Mo’y Akin.)

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