AFTER portraying challenging and award-winning roles on TV and the big screen, Urian best actress awardee Janine Gutierrez will take on the role as producer for the first time in the documentary about her Mamita, Pilita Corrales, who died on April 12.

“We started filming snippets about Mamita, the last one was her 85th birthday last year,” Janine said. “We gathered together on her birthday. We want to include that so the people will know who was really Mamita behind her Asia’s Queen of Songs title.

“We want to show how she was a singer, a mother and lola, how she was behind the scenes. What many people don’t really know.”

Since last year, Janine and her team have been gathering Pilita’s archives, from ABS-CBN, her films in the past, her performances, her rise to being a top singer and being Asia’s Queen of Songs.

“Mamita’s life was really inspiring and I want to share that to the Filipino people,” Janine said. “Even her love life is included in the documentary. We will interview a lot who became connected to her life through the years. We will talk to a lot of people.

“A lot of her files in her archives in San Juan house were destroyed by the Typhoon Ondoy in 2009. We are not rushing anything. I know it will be a long process.

“We need to gather a lot of files. I just want to work on the legacy of Mamita and present the documentary on the right time.”

Janine wants to present an encompassing coverage of Pilita’s life, the important moments that happened to her as an artist who performed in other countries, like Australia and the US.

“There are really docus which I like, like Celine Dion’s which showed her life, how she started, her struggles, how her life is today,” Janine said. “I think when the people know about Mamita’s life, they will really be interested. That is inspiring.

Also working on the project is documentary film director Baby Ruth Villarama.

Long before Janine made a name for herself as an award-winning actress known for impressive body of work, her stellar background and lineage precede her.

The daughter of Ramon Christopher Gutierrez and Lotlot de Leon, Janine has long navigated the complexities of fame while carving out her own identity in the entertainment industry.

While other showbiz babies have been content being identified with their popular parents, Janine bravely stepped out from the shadows and background of her famous parents and grandparents.

She was only in second grade when she discovered in her Sibika subject and saw her famous grandmothers – Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales and the country’s superstar and award-winning actress Nora Aunor – in the text books.

“I have to admit that I’m really privileged because bata pa lang ako because they were already asking me, ‘When are you entering showbiz?’,” Janine disclosed. “Sobrang advantage ko. I just tried to make up for it when I’m already in showbiz.”

Providing fans with a heartfelt narrative that is both relatable and inspiring, Janine has long been compared to her parents who were stalwarts in the showbiz industry.

Janine is the eldest among the brood of four talented children of Monching and Lotlot, as her parents were fondly called. Janine’s parents were erstwhile love team partners in many big screen projects in the past.

Janine recently gave an intimate glimpse into her own life and how she stepped out of her parents’ shadow.

Admittedly, she was often compared to her parents early on in her career. She candidly discussed the pressure that comes with such an enviable legacy that is both a blessing and a challenge.

While she is undoubtedly proud of her parents, Janine earlier expressed her desire to be known for her own work and contributions to the industry.

“I had to learn on my own to define success and carve a journey on my own terms,” said Janine, who detailed how she embraced opportunities that aligned with her passions rather than simply following in the footsteps of her famous relatives.

Janine’s parents, Monching and Lotlot, separated when she was only 12. “I must admit it was really hard to accept it at that time,” she said. “That was the time when ‘The Buzz’ was still around and other Sunday shows. Everybody knew what was going on.

“Sometimes sa school, I had ad exam then there was a note from the teacher, ‘There’s a rainbow always after the rain.’ There was a time when even the principal would ask how I was. That was nice and thoughtful.

“Marami akong nalalaman na balita na hindi naman totoo. Sometimes, my mom and my lola (Nora Aunor) wouldn’t be okay at the time of my parents’ separation. There was a time when there was a TV crew and a van outside our house waiting to get an interview.

“It was really difficult to evade the press. That was the reason I also didn’t want to get married too young. That was traumatic for me. I didn’t understand everything then.”

Janine and her brother Diego, the only boy in the brood, stayed with her dad Monching, while Jessica and Max went with her mom.

Janine earlier aspired to become a diplomat or ambassador to Spain, where her paternal grandmother, her Mamita Pilita Corrales, had her roots. “That was in my bucket list to trace where my Mamita’s family originated from,” she said.

Janine took up European Studies in college at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). She earned her degree and planned to go into Foreign Service, but eventually, she joined showbiz, too.

Lotlot eventually became Janine’s manager when the latter entered showbiz. However, they had occasional disagreements.

“Our working relationship clashed and that became stressful for me,” she said. “I even went into therapy. Nagka-alopecia pa ako and I had a shampoo commercial at that time.”

Yet, Janine, who witnessed the break-up of her parents plastered in the news, is careful to engage into just any romantic relationship. When she eventually decides to settle down, she doesn’t want she and her partner to readily separate.

She wants the relationship to be for keeps that’s why she pleads for the pubic and the fans not to push her into tying the knot.

“It’s refreshing to share my life with someone who understands my life of being in the public eye,” Janine said.

The biggest lesson she learned from her mom?

“My mom is a survivor,” Janine said. “She’s made the best of the situation in her life. She kind of ended her career when she had me when she was only 17. So I always felt kind of a little bit guilty.

“One time, I asked her if she had any regrets when I was born. She said, ‘No anak, I always wanted to have you.’ I owe everything to her. I always felt responsible.”

Janine appreciates her dad who will rescue her in any situation she was in. “Literally, he will be there. He will arrive. He will literally rescue me.”

That new-found clarity allowed Janine to explore roles and diverse projects that showcased her versatility as an actress.

In 2020, Janine won her first Urian best actress award for “Babae at Baril,” directed by Rae Red. Earlier in 2027, she earned an Urian best supporting actress nomination for director Atom Magadia’s Cinemalaya drama, “Dagsin.”

Janine knows how to save her earnings. “Matipid ako,” she smilingly admitted. “I know ang pag-aartista, hindi laging maaasahan. So ipon lang talaga.”

“My goal is to make good projects There will never be another Nora Aunor. The universe or God always has a plan for you. When you want something in life, just keep on working towards it and the opportunity will return to you.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio