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Maalaala Mo Kaya Jan. 14 Episode: Alexa Ilacad, Angelica Panganiban, and Karla Estrada Play The Part Of The Queen Mother

Karla Estrada is Queen Mother in MMK January 14

Maalaala Mo Kaya’s episode is about Karla Estrada as the Queen Mother. It tells the riches to rags story of her life and the challenges in her rise to stardom. Although Karla was born into a rich family, she has not known who her real father was but has been blessed to be raised by her grandfather whom she fondly calls “Papa Lolo.” With a strict mother, particular about academics and earning degrees, as a dreamer, Karla struggles to be who she really wants to be – a Star. Things were going well for some time, but when her grandfather dies, they succumbed to selling their property and belongings forced to embrace the simpler life.  This is where her painful journey to stardom begins.

Karla Estrada Sees the Stage as Her Playground

In a young age, Karla was the kind of student who wants to achieve well beyond grades. She joined declamation contests to express her love for such art, however, her mother was never supportive. Merely talking about it only made things worse between them. When Karla’s Papa Lolo died due to a liver condition, the family lost everything and were forced to leave their subdivision in Tacloban and study in the public school. Even in that loss, the mother’s sentiment about Karla’s desire to be on stage never changed.

Things were difficult for Karla while going to school. She would even beg her classmates to buy banana-cue for her because she did not have money to buy for herself. So when she found out that there was a singing contest, she joined and won the cash prize. Happily, she gave this to her mother but instead of appreciation, her mom was furious and ended that night with spanking. Her mother was adamant in seeing Karla finish her studies in Manila and become either a lawyer or a doctor. Regardless, Karla remained optimistic. Her dream to be an actress and to sing on stage fueled her zest in life. She remained joyful being underprivileged because she looked forward to her goals.

Resilience is Karla Estrada’s Middle Name

When Karla’s uncle, Tito Roland, visited them, she finds out that going to Manila at that time was not yet for her. Once again, her resilience got in the way. Just when her Tito boards the boat, she sneaks in and did not settle for a “no.” She then heads to Manila to start anew and chase her dreams. Unfortunately, her uncle lost his job and is forced to go back to Antique. Being the dreamer she is, she took it positively and went with the flow. She joined beauty contests and pageants, freely being able to express herself in singing and performing. She strongly felt that it is through these means that she can help her family. 

Fame Means Family for Karla Estrada

When Karla talks about being famous, her sentiment is family. She wants to be a star so she can reunite with her father. Growing up, she has never met him and this is why she felt incomplete. Things started to change for her when her uncle found a job in Manila and it was then that she began singing in a music hub in Quezon City. Little did she know that in the audience was a talent manager, Nap Gutierrez.

After her performance he offered her an audition for television. Naturally, Karla was ecstatic but when the day of her audition neared, she got sick with chicken pox. She was devastated. But just when she was about to lose hope, she received a call from Tito Nap saying that she will sing live on television. In that moment, she got what she always dreamed of. She was now famous. The best part was that her mother has finally accepted her and felt proud of her accomplishments. Her appearance in movies and shows were endless. But again, in all that, she wanted to meet her father.

When she visited the last known address of her father, she learned that her father was in the States and did not know that she was alive. When they were able to reach the father through a phonecall, he demanded a DNA test and to that, Karla let it go. She went on in her life a celebrity, but then became pregnant. In full support, her mother assured her that she is there for her. She decided to keep her pregnancy private to protect her child and as she learned to love being a mother, her father, Ramond Ford calls her. He finally acknowledged that he is her father and apologizes for the first phone call.

Karla Estrada Learns The Hard Truth About Showbiz

Karla’s fame gave her everything, but because she fell in and out of love more than once, she learned to raise her children by herself with Daniel Padilla as the eldest. Since she prioritized her children, she would experience not being able to settle bills on time. She did her best and was supportive of her children. The time came when DJ (Daniel) said that he wanted to get into showbiz and since she knew what kind of life there is for him, she felt afraid because she knew that showbiz can be a heartless environment. But with the encouragement of her own mom, she went full on and supported the dreams of her children.

In every audition, she would accompany her son and finally, he got in as the leading man of Kathryn Bernardo. She is a proud mother of Teen King Daniel Padilla and all her children. Karla Estrada’s resilience in fulfilling her dreams was the same kind of resilience she taught her children to have. As a mother, being able to support the passions of her children is her success.

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Categories: Entertainment TV
Kaye Leah Sitchon: Kaye Leah writes to share conversations about coffee and everything that revolves around it. She tries to put the daily-ness of life in words through stories and anecdotes. If she isn't found with a book or a pen, she's teaching in the classroom or baking at home with her Tres Marias. Follow her via #kapekaye on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.