Dannyka Manangan

Jona Viray talks about growing up in a broken family and choosing forgiveness

Article (news)

Nikka Avegail Sabio

Push Team

<div><em>Content Warning: The following article contains discussions on abuse.</em></div><p>OPM singer Jona Viray has opened up about her painful past and the long road she took toward healing and forgiveness.</p><p>In her emotional interview on Toni Talks with Toni Gonzaga, the Fearless Diva revealed how growing up in a broken family and surviving childhood abuse shaped her both as an artist and as a person.</p><p>“May mga nagsasabi sa akin na siguro kaya ganoon ka kumanta na very emotional kasi nga yung napagdaanan ko sa past. Hindi nila alam iyon actually ang alam lang nila ay broken family na nae-express ko sa pagkanta. I never shared this part of me before,” Jona said.</p><div> </div><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-13" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDjueSvylEl/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A13%2C%22os%22%3A2415674.300000012%2C%22ls%22%3A305794.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A305799.10000000894%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-13" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Jona described her early childhood as simple and happy. At just three years old, she was already singing for her parents, performing in church, and joining contests by the age of seven.</p><p>“Noong una masasabi ko na masaya yung childhood ko talaga,” she stated. “Masaya yung life noon. Very simple life. Yung father ko nagtatrabaho sa factory sa frozen goods tapos naalala ko na maglalako lang kami sa hapon tapos mom ko very hands on sa pagtrain sa akin sa pagkanta.”</p><p>But that happy picture changed when she began witnessing her parents’ frequent fights and eventual separation when she was only ten years old.</p><p>“However, noong 10 years old na ako, doon ko na naririnig na nagkaroon ng away yung parents ko. Nasa kwarto sila. Kada sigawan nila, sobrang nairinig mo talaga na baka pati may pisikalan na kasi mga mga kalabog,” she recalled. </p><p>“That time, as a child parang medyo nonchalant ka na parang there’s something wrong na nangyayari pero di ko alam paano ako magreresponse. Naging sunod sunod iyon na pangyayari. Nagkakaroon na sila ng major marital problem na hindi nasolve. Naglead na siya sa pagpapalayas ng father ko sa mom namin.”</p><div> </div><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEIQUMczYRc/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A2415685.5%2C%22ls%22%3A305794.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A305799.10000000894%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>The separation deeply affected Jona, turning her once cheerful personality into one marked by silence and detachment.</p><p>“Habang lumalaki ako, doon na narealize yung mga bagay, na na-grow na yung hatred and yung mga sinasabi sa paligid ko about my mom,” she added.  “Naging disconnected ako sa social setting. Yung masaya kong childhood noon naconvert sa pagiging introvert na until now nadala ko iyon. Kung hindi dahil sa showbiz, hindi babalik yung masayahin kong side.”</p><p>Over the years, Jona’s pain slowly transformed into strength. Known first as the Soul Princess and later as the Fearless Diva, she said she now understands the deeper meaning behind her title.</p><p>“Noong early stage ng singing career ko, ang binabansag sa akin ay Soul Princess kasi maemosyonal kumanta pero after that stage binansagan na ako na Fearless Diva kasi napakafearless kumanta on stage. Pero ngayon, narealize ko na may purpose pala bakit tinawag ako na fearless,” she explained.</p><p>“Now, I feel fearless and I feel strong enough to share my journey from the past na for a long time, tinago ko na evens a sarili ko dineny ko rin, na tinago ko under the rug kasi sa sobrang sakit ng pangyayari na iyon, ayaw ko na maalala na naging part pala iyon ng buong buhay ko,” she continued.</p><div> </div><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-15" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPLzsEggVyF/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A15%2C%22os%22%3A2415722.100000009%2C%22ls%22%3A305794.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A305799.10000000894%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="722" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-15" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Jona revealed that despite her mother’s many attempts to reconnect after her victory in <em>Pinoy Pop Superstar, </em>she found it difficult to let go of her resentment.</p><p>It was during the pandemic that she began to reflect and realize the importance of family.</p><p>“Hanggang dumating yung pandemic, isa iyon sa nagparealize sa akin how important your loved ones talaga. Major realization sa akin na nandyan pa mga hala kos a buhay kaya maswerte pa rin ako na nandyan sila,” she expressed.</p><p>Jona’s desire to reconcile with her mother grew stronger during that time. Slowly, they began rebuilding their relationship.</p><p>“Ang sabi ko ang sarap pala magkaroon ulit ng magandang relationship with my mother,” she revealed. “Hanggang dumating last year, Christmas time, doon sa bahay namin sa Rizal with the encouragement of my manager, I invited her through my kapatid din doon na nagsimula yung magkita kami. May awkwardness pa rin pero ang sarap sa pakiramdam na ito na yung time ko to make reconciliation.”</p><div> </div><div><strong></strong></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-16" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMQ6S3BsSY/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A16%2C%22os%22%3A2417151.400000006%2C%22ls%22%3A305794.8000000119%2C%22le%22%3A305799.10000000894%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="746" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-16" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Today, Jona sees forgiveness not as a single act but as a conscious, ongoing choice.</p><p>“Aaminin ko, until now nagrerecur pa naman yung pangit na moment from my past, mga trigger moments na maalala mo pero tama na it’s your choice na talaga to forgive yung past mo. By the grace of God, siya nagbigay sa akin ng courage and ng strength to really open up about my life,” she said.</p><p>Aside from opening up about her broken family, Jona also revealed that she was sexually abused by her father at ten years old, a painful memory she had kept to herself for decades.</p><p>“Noong bata ako, at 10 years old, naging biktima ako ng molestiya from my father. After ng pangyayari na umalis yung nanay namin. That time, hindi ko alam kung paano magrereact kasi hindi ko alam ang mga iyon,” Jona shared.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/hssUvqByhus?si=ga-EDcAA43gvdTrR"></a></strong> <a href="https://youtu.be/hssUvqByhus?si=ga-EDcAA43gvdTrR"></a> <a href="https://youtu.be/hssUvqByhus?si=ga-EDcAA43gvdTrR"> <iframe width="681" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hssUvqByhus" title="The Childhood Secret Jona Tried To Hide For Many Years | Toni Talks" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </a> <a href="https://youtu.be/hssUvqByhus?si=ga-EDcAA43gvdTrR"></a><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/hssUvqByhus?si=ga-EDcAA43gvdTrR"></a> <br/></strong></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Despite the trauma, she continued living with her father for years, choosing silence over confrontation. As she matured, Jona began to understand the weight of what she endured.</p>

<p><b>Jona Viray looks back on childhood and relationship with biological mother.</b></p>