'I was told I was ugly': Regine Velasquez recalls comments when she was starting

MANILA – Regine Velasquez admitted that when she was a teenager, several people told her she would not make it in the entertainment industry because of how she looks.

Nonetheless, Velasquez told Bianca Gonzalez in the TV host’s vlog that this never hindered her from proving herself as a singer.

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“Yun yung [laging comment] sa akin, ‘Hindi masyadong kagandahan. Baka hindi siya sumikat. Maputi lang.’ I was told to my face, ‘Baka hindi sumikat kasi hindi ka masyadong maganda. Siguro dapat mag-ayos ka pa,’” she said.

But Velasquez said this did not make her insecure.

“I’ve always heard that since I was a little girl. I’ve always thought I was not pretty because I was told I was ugly. But that didn’t make me insecure for some reason. I accepted that fact kasi sila 'yung tumitingin eh. But in my head, ‘Wait till you hear me sing.’”

For Velasquez, her confidence in her singing talent, coupled with the support from her family, helped her in her career.

“Hindi ako naging insecure kasi my father would always have his way of making me feel confident about myself. As a matter of fact, naging challenge for me. Sinabihan akong hindi sisikat kasi pangit. Talaga ba? Let’s see. Gagalingan ko pa,” said Velasquez, who is in her 35th year in the business.

Asked how she powered through the low points in her life, Velasquez said she just kept showing up every time.

“Words iyan ng asawa ko, you have to show up kahit ano pang nangyari sa 'yo, kahit anong mood meron ka, depressed ka, when you have a schedule, you show up. That’s all I did, I kept showing up, may boses o wala, may sakit, malapit na mamatay, I’d show up,” she said.

“Alam mo 'yung kasabihan sa industry na the show must go on, I guess they say that because your audience don’t care what you’re going through personally. They don’t have to know, they don’t care. They are there to be entertained because they probably have their own thing. They are probably going through some heavy stuff too like you. Lahat naman tayo we go through it.

“Sa thinking ko, if I don’t show up, hindi mo nagawa 'yung what you’re supposed to do. You’re getting paid to do that. Or kahit na walang bayad, actually mas mahirap nga hindi mag-show up sa walang bayad kasi nakakhiya yun eh,” she added.

Besides, Velasquez said the love that she feels from her audience instantly heals whatever she’s going through at a particular moment.