(From left) Pilita Corrales, Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez and Jackie Lou Blanco | Image: Instagram/@jackielou.blanco
Jackie Lou Blanco recalled how her mother, veteran actress-performer Pilita Corrales, became a solid foundation for her career in show biz, as she noted that she had a good upbringing because of her mom.
Sitting down for Amy Austria’s vlog, Blanco said she got to enjoy show biz and wasn’t shocked by how the industry works because her mom was an inspiration and taught her and her sibling Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez not to be boastful.
“Coming kami from a Spanish family pero very down to earth ‘yung mom ko. My mom started young, she worked her way to where she was pero never niya kaming pinalaki na maging mayabang,” she said.
“Hindi [kami] entitled so I wasn’t culture-shock. Yes, may mga words na hindi ko normally naririnig, pero na-enjoy ko being with more people. ‘Ah, ito pala ‘yung mundo ng nanay ko. Masaya pala,’” added Blanco.
The “Misis Mo, Misis Ko” actress looked back on how her mom helped her to nurse a broken heart, noting that her mom’s attitude became her guide to dealing with problems in her life.
“I think ang blessing siguro for me before was my mom. I remember I had a break-up once na sobrang sakit. And my mom would say, ‘Naku, tomorrow is another day. You have to wake up and find out kung anong klaseng araw bukas kasi kung hindi magiging ganon ang attitude mo baka mamiss mo ‘yung blessings the next day,’” she narrated.
“Survivor kasi ‘yung mom ko. She’s gone through so much. So that’s something that I remember, na parang naging gabay ko whenever I would go through something difficult in my life,” emphasized Blanco.
The actress also recalled the time she was kidnapped by her father and how the “Asia’s Queen of Songs” handled the situation, which contributed to Blanco’s having an opportunity to know both her parents despite being a broken family.
“Ang pinagpapasalamat ko lang sa nanay ko, she could have sent my dad to jail but sabi ng mom ko, ‘No. I know your dad did that because he loved you so much.’ Kumbaga parang wala, pinatawad lang niya,” said the actress.
“Even if my parents were separated, I had the best of both. I had my mom, I had my dad. But if my mom siguro was mapagtanim, pwede niya pinakulong ‘yung daddy ko. I would have never known my dad in that way but sobrang selfless kasi nung nanay ko. Up to this day, I’m so blessed that my mom had such a big heart. So I owe it to my mom talaga,” she affirmed.
Hailed as the “greatest singer in the Philippines,” Corrales had a notable career that spanned six decades in performing and acting. Her distinguished vocal style and her signature “backbend” are what set her apart from other singers.
Corrales was first married to Gonzalo Blanco and had a daughter, Jackie Lou. The veteran singer then gave birth to her second child, Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez with Filipino actor Eddie Gutierrez.