‘Bittersweet’ Cebu return for Jackie Lou Blanco after mom Pilita’s passing

CEBU, Philippines — Jackie Lou Blanco was preparing for the last four shows of her latest play “Deadma” with co-star JC Santos when news came that her mother, Pilita Corrales, passed away on April 12.

“I had two performances that day,” she said during a press conference Sunday, April 27, at Cebu Parklane International Hotel. “I had to continue performing because I had no alternate actress, and I know my mom would have wanted me to honor my commitment. That’s the hardest part.”

It was a bittersweet journey for Blanco to return to her mom’s hometown of Cebu City two weeks since the passing of Asia’s Queen of Songs. She said, “It was very hard because it’s unimaginable to lose a parent, even if you know they will eventually go. My mom was 87, and she would have turned 88 in August.”

“The other day, I woke up and got my phone to call my mom, only to realize that she is not here anymore,” she continued. “It’s difficult because when somebody passes, you are on autopilot, attending to many people who are extending their condolences. After a while, it hits you that your mom is not here anymore. My mom may have died peacefully, but it’s still so hard.”

“Grieving is a journey. There are days you are okay, and other days you are not okay. There is no shortcut to grieving. You grieve for your loved one for as long as you need to grieve.”

The actress recalled her teenage days visiting the city with her mom when Corrales had shows, taking beach trips to Moalboal, visiting her alma mater Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion, and her former ancestral home where she was raised before fame took hold.

“She would tell me stories of the things she used to do here in Cebu, like how her grandfather would ask her to sing. These wonderful stories she would tell us of what it was like growing up here in Cebu with her family,” she shared.

“Coming back here is bittersweet. But I feel closer to my mom because this is where she is from, and everybody I met for the past few days had beautiful stories about my mom – that she was wonderful and gracious. My mom had always been true to her character. I can’t help but be a proud daughter, and I want to continue to honor my mom,” she added.

Her niece, Janine Gutierrez, will be producing a documentary about her “mamita,” to be directed by “Sunday Beauty Queen” documentary filmmaker Baby Ruth Villanueva, which was announced last year yet.

“They are still finalizing. All I know is that me and my brother [Janine’s father] Ramon will be part of the documentary and we will be interviewed,” she said.

Blanco was also in Cebu City to promote Skyscrapers International Cebu’s Coach Eddie 10-in-1 Healthy Coffee Blend, which has introduced a new variant for men featuring key ingredients such as maca, ginseng, and epimedium.

The company’s CEO, Eddie Mahilum, who hosts his own health and wellness radio show “Skyscrapers Health Program” for DYAR (765 AM) Sonshine Radio, said that they tapped Blanco as brand ambassador because she is a known fitness enthusiast at the age of 61.

“Jackie has been a huge help. She inspires senior citizens, who are usually our main market because they hear my show on the radio, and word of mouth really helps,” Mahilum said.

Blanco recently played Carla Abellana’s mother in GMA Network’s “Widows’ War,” which is now available to stream on Netflix.

Looking back on the series, where the camaraderie among the cast made the frequent four-hour trips from Metro Manila to Bataan worth it, she said, “What I loved about my character [Ruth] is how colorful she is with the things she wears. I had so much fun.”

“But my takeaway from Ruth is not to be materialistic. What’s important is being content with what you have. It’s not to say you can’t wish for better things, but it’s about knowing what your priorities are, which are love and family.”

Blanco’s upcoming projects include a movie for this year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival, a guest appearance on the upcoming TV5 action-drama series “Totoy Bato” starring Kiko Estrada and Diego Loyzaga, as well as an online series on ABS-CBN’s streamer iWantTFC. These shows will be her first projects outside GMA after a decade of exclusively starring on Kapuso soaps.

She told The FREEMAN: “It’s nice to work with different teams and stations. We are just one industry, and it’s nice that you can do that so often nowadays.” — (FREEMAN)