Maalaala Mo Kaya August 26: Charice Pempengco Becomes Jake Zyrus

Maalaala Mo Kaya August 26 presents the story of how and why international singer Charice Pempengco chose to become Jake Zyrus. Mutya Orquia and Sharkene San Pedro co-stars with Jake Zyrus himself. Dina Bonnevie stars as Raquel, Jake’s mother.

The episode is written by Benson Logronio and directed by Nuel Naval. The cast includes Paul Salas, Andrei Garcia, Eric Ocampo, Mike Lloren, Karla Pambid, and Troy Montero.

MMK Jake Zyrus: Jumpers and Gowns

As a child, Charice Pempengco was exposed to the stage, having not much of a choice when it comes her wardrobe. She had to use gowns and at that time she already felt uncomfortable wearing those. The only person who understood her was her father. Even if she told him that she wanted to be a soldier someday, her father was open about it. He even gave her  jumper that wrote, “Good Boy,” to her as a gift. It was her mother who rejected the idea of anything that is not ladylike. The reason to this is because her mother wanted Charice not just to sing, but be extremely famous.

At one point, Charice said that her mother’s smile was her weakness. So, seeing her mother smile means winning every singing contest she would join. She did just that. She sang and she won every single time until she reached international stardom. She was well-known as one of the artists under David Foster’s wing. She was also featured in Oprah. The only problem is, Charice felt she was not free to live the life she would like for herself.

Unsuccessful in being “happy.” Although Charice and her family had unimaginable riches, there was discontentment. Raquel, Charice’s mother, always wanted more. Charice did everything and gave everything for her family, but she, too, wanted to feel accepted more. This cycle continued until Charice could not take it anymore. Many times, she tried to take her own life. At this point, something has got to give, and that person was Charice. Even if she tried to be reconciled with her mother after running away from home, she felt she could live another day. She could no longer give herself.     

Charice says goodbye to herself. Charice decided to be a trans-man. She said she is not a lesbian, but a “man.” There was no turning back when she made that choice. It was crystal clear to her. She was now Jake Zyrus. Jake continues to sing and begins a new chapter in life.

Maalaala Mo Kaya’s August 26 episode is entitled, “Jumper.”