From being one of the most popular child and teen stars of the 70s, Janice de Belen turned out to become one of the most sought-after veteran actresses to portray maternal roles in movies and teleseryes at the present.
She has been active in the local entertainment scene since 1978, but it was only in 1995 when she first appeared in a Kapamilya show through the family drama Familia Zaragoza. It was then succeeded by her supporting stints in other two classic and notable soap operas, Mula Sa Puso (1997-1999) and Saan Ka Man Naroroon (2000-2001).
It took 11 years before we saw her again on ABS-CBN after working in a rival network. Marking her comeback in 2011 was her starring role in the family-advocacy drama Budoy, in which she played the doting adoptive mother and guardian of the remarkable titular character (Gerald Anderson) inflicted with Angelman Syndrome.
A year after, the 50-year-old actress was chosen to take part in the top-rating primetime series Ina, Kapatid, Anak as the domineering and affluent Beatriz Elizalde-Marasigan who presented herself as the mother of the lead characters Margaux (Maja Salvador) and Celyn (Kim Chiu).
She once again portrayed a loving adoptive mother in the 2013 teleserye Honesto, wherein she took on the role of Lourdes Galang, the woman who found and unhesitatingly took care of the titular character (Raikko Mateo) ever since he was a baby.
In 2015, we admired her as Rose Luna, the best friend of Sophie's (Janella Salvador) deceased parents who looked after and treated her as her own daughter. She was fondly called by the lead protagonist as "Teacher-Ninang" in the daytime series Oh My G!.
Janice stayed on the daytime slot as she scored her umpteenth role as a mom through Be My Lady, portraying the dutiful matriarch of the Crisostomo Family --Marcela, or also hailed as "Nanay Marcy" by Phil Oliviera (Daniel Matsunaga). He was the young boy she used to foster when she worked as a domestic helper in Singapore and later on become the husband of her daughter Pinang (Erich Gonzales).
She had her debut on the fantasy anthology Wansapanataym last year when she was tapped as the scheming Lorna Ortiz, the mom of the main girl Stella (Elisse Joson) in the “OfFISHially Yours” episode.
Apart from these remarkable series, she also lent her exceptional acting prowess in the drama anthologies of ABS-CBN -- Maalaala Mo Kaya and Ipaglaban Mo.
And now, we're excited to find out what kind of matriarch her character Amelia Guerrero is going to be in the upcoming action-drama series The General's Daughter, which will have its pilot episode on January 21 on Primetime Bida.