Jennylyn Mercado continues to be one of the actresses to watch this year. Aside from snagging the lead roles in two successful soap operas (Gumapang Ka sa Lusak and Little Star), she played the lead role in the period movie Rosario, a Metro Manila Film Festival entry based on the life of TV5 owner Manuel V. Pangilinan’s grandmother. Jennylyn’s love life isn’t doing so bad either, thanks to her current boyfriend, Dennis Trillo. But life wasn’t always a breeze for this young actress. Over two years ago, at just 21, Jennylyn faced the challenge of going through a pregnancy and learning to be a mother without a partner by her side. To add to this, her father’s death and issues about her personal assistant allegedly withdrawing all the money from her bank account added to her burdens.
You might think that such big blows in life would leave Jennylyn broken, but she faced her problems head on and eventually conquered them. In the March 2011 issue of Women’s Health Philippines, she candidly talks about her experiences and feelings and shares some heartfelt advice on being positive in the face of adversity. Read what Jennylyn has to say about getting your life back on track.
1. SAY A PRAYER.
“Sobra lang siguro ’yung faith ko kay God (I have great faith in God),” Jennylyn shares. When you are up against something greater than yourself, anchoring yourself to a higher force gives you strength, she says.
2. KEEP FAMILY AND FRIENDS CLOSE.
These are the same folks who will gladly carry some of your load. “Kasama na yung mga sulsol nila on the side, pampatapang (This includes the advice they give on the side. They make me feel brave),” Jennylyn says.
3. DON’T LET IT SHOW.
Jennylyn kept a brave face through those difficult years. “I had to learn how to handle myself [gracefully],” the actress says, explaining she had to be stronger, especially for her mom. Looking as though you have a problem will only affirm its existence, Jen says. “Mas lalong lalabas ’yun. (It will just make the problem bigger.)”
4. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING.
Her already stressful pregnancy was made more stressful by intrigue. “There was talk that the baby was not Patrick’s,” Jen says. “Of course, that hurt kasi hindi ako ganu’ng klaseng babae (because I’m not that kind of girl).” She looked for the positive and found it: What didn’t kill her would only make her stronger.
5. DISTRACT YOURSELF.
Whenever Jennylyn feels down, she turns to other activities to de-stress herself. Her instant solution? Retail therapy! “Kaysa naman i-mukmok mo siya, tapos wala kang magawa kundi umiyak (It’s better than getting depressed and crying over it),” Jen shares. “Pinapahirapan mo pa ang sarili mo. (You’re just making things hard for yourself.)”
For more on Jennylyn Mercado's experiences and advice, grab a copy of the March 2011 issue of Women’s Health from bookstores or magazine stands near you.Also in this issue:
- 100% Surefire Stress Solvers
- Age Proof Your Skin
- Bikini-friendly Burgers
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(Photos by Philip Sison)
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