With her impact on Pinoy pop culture, Regine Velasquez is truly an icon. And on her birthday, she received a special celebration fit for a superstar as fans paid homage to her unparalleled contribution to the entertainment scene and the lives of people she continues to inspire. Her ‘Ate,’ Megastar Sharon Cuneta, also dropped by to personally deliver her greeting and talk about their precious friendship in this episode of Magandang Buhay The Podcast.
Among Regine’s special guests was Danica Goc-ong, also known as Dan Vibes, who spreads positivity on the internet through her hilarious voice lessons. It turns out the Songbird herself loved watching Teacher Dan’s videos during the pandemic.
Regine also met Joaquin, or Wax, a fan who made her the subject of his thesis, which discussed her impact on the LGBT community. Wax mentioned that queer people like him are inspired to embrace their true colors, thanks to Regine’s star power and how she openly expresses her love for their community.
From laugh-out-loud conversations, the episode took a dramatic turn when Sharon surprised the birthday girl. Though they never lost touch, it was their first time seeing each other in the flesh since their “Iconic” finale tour in the US last March.
Regine turned emotional looking back on her journey, of which Sharon was a big part, as she was a huge Sharonian growing up. She remembers fancying Sharon merchandise from the stores where she would pass by while walking home from school. But her allowance was just enough.
“Mr. DJ” was the first song she memorized. She watched all of Sharon’s movies in cinemas, resonating with her poor girl character in “Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala,” not to take revenge but to make a name for herself one day. Regine did, even more than she dreamed of. At that point of the episode, the icons shared encouraging words about success despite poverty. They talked about patience, choices, and building opportunities.
Regine also admitted that her voice isn’t as powerful anymore. There was a time when she lost her voice during a concert, so she lost her confidence as well. Now, embracing the changes in her voice, she just sings from the soul and tries to touch her listeners.
“Ngayon ‘pag kumakanta ako, yes, I may have a hard time making my voice come out but my passion is there. So when you see me cry, it’s because I feel the song. Meron akong konting struggle, sure, na-humble ako pero nakita ko ulit ‘yung passion ko sa pagkanta. This is what I love to do and I will continue to do it,” she mused.
Her co-hosts Jolina Magdangal and Melai Cantiveros also warmed her heart with their birthday messages.