Thank You

By Tinna Santos Bonifacio

That's what Judy Ann wants to say to her family as she prepares to leave them behind and start one of her own.

Judy Ann Santos grew up the baby of her family. The youngest of three, she displayed a mature streak early. Despite her young age, she doted on her nephews and nieces. She would change their diapers and give them a bath--in a way, unconsciously preparing herself for parenthood. As the years passed, she began praying for a child to come into her life. It was the unspoken desire of her heart. "Hanggang lumaki sila, ganoon ako. Mga times na 'yon, anak na ang gusto ko," she says.

She got what she wanted when daughter Yohanna, or Yohan, came along. But the arrival of Yohan, now four years old, brought an unexpected bonus: Ryan. And just like that, Judy Ann got more than she had been praying for. "Nung binigay ni Lord si Yohan, saka naman dumating si Ryan. Hindi anak ang binigay sa akin, kundi family."

That it should happen to her is no coincidence, because Judy Ann has always been very family-oriented. Leading the busy life of one of showbiz's youngest superstars has never stopped her from keeping her family uppermost in her mind. When her brother Jeffrey got married, she became his wedding planner, slowing down on her commitments for two whole weeks so she could give it her undivided attention. She went into business, getting a franchise of Anonymous and having her sister Jackie manage it so the latter would have something to do. They had disagreements over certain aspects of the business and how it would be run, but that never changed the way she felt about her sister. "I offered my services to Ricco and Tina Ocampo (the owners of the Anonymous chain) to be an endorser, tapos bayad yung franchise. I wanted to give my sister something to do. Pero mahirap pala 'yon. Dapat pala, sa business, hindi kamag-anak, kasi magkaka-issues kayo. Nag-away kami ng kapatid ko. Pero natuto ako na manahimik na lang. After that, masaya na lahat."

Since her early days in showbiz, she has been guided by a desire to give her family the best. Whatever they wanted, she wanted too--and that's why she worked so hard. She was driven by an inner quest for excellence and by wanting to fulfill dreams, not for herself, but for them. "Ang dream ko lang naman noon is matupad yung wish ni Mommy na mabigyan sila ng sariling property, at saka makabili ng sariling bahay...makabili ng mga properties at magkaroon ng sariling bahay. Na-achieve ko naman. At yung maging stable ang mga kapatid ko."

So now that they are okay, it is her turn to fulfill her own dreams of having a family.

But before she does, she has one last word to share with the people who stood by her. These words, more than anything she could have done or given them, speak volumes.

"Sa lahat ng mahal ko, ang sinasabi ko lang lagi, thank you. Thank you for understanding me, thank you for loving me and for accepting who I am. Thank you for allowing me to be me."

Taken from StarStudio Magazine: Judy Ann Santos Special Edition

What the Future Holds

Judy Ann admits that many times before, she thought of quitting showbiz. She felt she was too young to face responsibilities. But as she grew up, she realized that they were necessary steps to maturity. On the whole, she feels that the industry has been good, maybe too good, to her. "Nasabi ko nga, ganoon ba ako kabuting tao to deserve all the good things that are happening to me?"

Showbiz also brought her the love of her life in the person of actor Ryan Agoncillo. They were first partnered in Krystala, and their romance leapt from the small screen to real life. When Ryan proposed to her in June last year, everyone wanted to know when the wedding would take place. But all that has been heard are rumors. Friends have been asked to keep certain dates open. Bookings have reportedly been secured with several churches and reception venues, so as to keep everyone guessing when the real date will be. Some enterprising showbiz writers have been brave enough to offer one: sometime in May, to coincide with Judy Ann's 31st birthday. That remains to be seen, of course. And when this marriage does come to pass, will she give up her showbiz life? "I'm willing to take the chance to settle down for a couple of years siguro," answers Judai. "Gusto kong mabantayan 'yung paglaki ng mga anak ko. Papunta naman ang lahat ng tao sa pagbuo ng pamilya, di ba? Pero I'm still hoping to be an actress after having a family."

Whatever the future holds for her, Judy Ann is sure to embrace it with open arms. "Lahat naman ng nangyayari sa akin, niyayakap kong pabalik kasi iyon 'yung nagbuo sa akin. I would still love to work in show business kahit sa kabilang buhay, o kung ma-reincarnate ako, sana nasa showbiz pa rin ako."

At the end of the day, a grateful Judy Ann makes sure to always count her blessings. Although people like to call her a young superstar, she likes to think of herself as just another person who happens to make a living in this industry called show business. "Hindi [ko naiisip na superstar ako]. Hindi talaga. Ang alam ko lang ay nagtatrabaho ako. Hindi ako magpapaka-showbiz sa sagot. Tao lang ako, nagtrabaho, nakikita ako sa TV at pelikula. I appreciate everything that's happening, but at the end of the day, I still think, is this really happening, is this still me? Am I worthy of this popularity? For some reason, di ko naiisip. Bakit? Dahil mula pagkabata ko, ito na ginagawa ko. Tinahak ko siya, pinagtrabahuhan. It's a process, a struggle, to make a very good project, to satisfy my hunger and passion for acting. 'Pag nagustuhan ng tao ang trabaho ko, may satisfaction kang nararamdaman na nagustuhan nila. Then I go back, and I count my blessings."

Her Mommy Carol, who has been her guidepost for most of her life, always reminds her that whatever she has now is all temporary. It could be taken away in an instant. "She tells me, "You have to love what you're doing, love the people around you, and put in your head that you're a very blessed person. You have to value everything." Bakit? Dahil di lahat ng tao, nabibigyan ng ganitong klaseng suwerte. Who would have thought na ang batang mukhang siopao dati ay artista pa din hanggang ngayon? I'm pushing myself hard to do everything I know I can do and even some things that I can't do. I always tell myself, if I don't try this, nothing will happen. Gusto ko, at the end of the day, I can say, "At least I tried."

Taken from Starstudio magazine: Judy Ann Santos special issue