Jessa Zaragoza (left) and daughter Jayda —PHOTO BY DOC MARLON PECJO
“The best compliment I’ve gotten was that Jayda is a better version of me,” said singer-actress Jessa Zaragoza, proud mom of 16-year-old Jayda Avanzado.
“I feel blessed that God chose me to be her mother,” said Jessa when asked about her proudest moment as a mom. “I’m also proud that Jayda is a songwriter and music producer. She has written a lot while we’re in quarantine, including her first Tagalog song. I would observe her while making music and would be amazed to see that she knows all about string and drum arrangements. I myself don’t know that; and she’s just 16!”
Jessa said not having more children with singer Dingdong Avanzado, her husband of 19 years, had been her “personal choice” because, as performers, they used to travel to the US often. “Jayda would often say she’s a tour baby, because she would tag along with us to every state we went to,” she told Inquirer Entertainment. “I still remember that during shows, I would carry her and feed her formula milk even when we were already backstage. I would only put her down when I was called to perform onstage.”
The Avanzados finally laid low from touring when Jayda turned 6, said Jessa. “We could still have another child then—Dingdong definitely wanted more—but I decided against it. I wanted to still be able to work and be hands-on … taking care of Jayda,” she said. “I had a miscarriage two years ago. I’m now 41 and I feel that my body would not be able to handle another pregnancy. But if God blesses us with another child at this point, I’d gladly accept the gift.”
Jessa admitted that if she had it her way, she wanted Jayda to finish school first before pursuing a singing career, “but then, we already saw her good musicality at a very young age. She’s very confident when she goes onstage. She once told me, ‘This is my world. I’m supposed to be here.’”
In fact, when Jayda turned 9, she told her parents not to host a kiddie birthday party for her anymore. What she wanted was a birthday concert, instead. “She even handed us a piece of paper and said, ‘This is my repertoire—nine songs because I’m turning 9 years old,’” the proud mom recalled. The concert eventually happened with Dingdong’s bandmates backing Jayda up.
“We made her attend band rehearsals. She surprised us all, especially Dingdong’s musical director. They had a one-on-one session, after which, he said Jayda already knew her cues, that she really has a gift,” Jessa recalled. “That was the turning point for me. I realized that performing is really her passion, that it was God’s gift to her. Who am I to deny her that?”Jayda is now comanaged by Star Magic and Cornerstone Entertainment.
Also an important chapter in the life of the Avanzados was when Dingdong decided to run for public office, something that Jessa initially didn’t approve of. “But as his wife, I had to support him,” Jessa explained.
Dingdong, who is Fernando Cyril Veloso Avanzado in real life, served as councilor of Quezon City’s third district in 1998, then as vice governor of Siquijor in 2013. His mom, lawyer Carina Flores, is the incumbent mayor of Oton, Iloilo. “I was worried for the safety of my family, because getting into politics is a serious thing. Also, as a vice governor, Dingdong had to be based there in Siquijor,” said Jessa, adding that she and Jayda couldn’t relocate with Dingdong to Siquijor because she has a regular TV show and Jayda has school. INQ