Jessica Sanchez on balancing career comeback, motherhood: My daughter runs my schedule

Nathalie Tomada - The Philippine Star 

April 13, 2026 | 12:00am

Jessica Sanchez has opened up how motherhood — she’s mom to months-old daughter named Eliana May with husband Rickie Gallardo — has completely changed her life.     

MANILA, Philippines — Following her “America’s Got Talent” big win late 2025, Jessica Sanchez is set to headline her Philippine homecoming concert on May 16 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, marking the kickoff of her “Seasons” world tour.

And this time, the powerhouse vocalist is taking on more than rehearsals and recordings, she’s doing it all as a first-time mom.

She described how motherhood has quickly become both her biggest joy and her toughest challenge.   “I love it. It’s the most amazing thing. It’s the biggest challenge I think I’ve ever gone through. It’s taught me how to be a stronger woman and I just love it. I love my baby girl and I love being a mom,” she said during a recent virtual press interview.

“I have baby fever with my baby. And they grew up so fast. It feels like yesterday she was just a newborn and now she’s this chunky girl. So I’m like, what’s going on?

“And plus I want her to have a little brother, sister very, very soon. But hopefully, you don’t hear me announcing on the stage in May I’m pregnant,” she quipped.

One thing’s certain, this new role has reworked her everyday life in ways she never imagined.

“I thought being on ‘AGT’ nine months pregnant was a challenge. But the first two weeks postpartum was probably the craziest experience I’ve ever gone through in my life. The hardest. I had no sleep and I didn’t realize that, you know, after giving birth, you’re like, immediately a mom, and it’s like go time and there’s no stopping,” she shared.

Now past five months postpartum, Jessica said she’s learning to embrace the unpredictability that comes with parenting.

“And honestly, my daughter, she runs my schedule, so she’s the boss. And I’ve learned to love it and just kind of listen to her and get into a flow,” she said.

That adjustment comes as she prepares for a packed schedule, including a new album, her first all-Tagalog EP and an international tour.

“Preparation is crazy... This is like a whole new level. Being a new mom, like, has really, you know, strengthened me as a woman. It’s really fun and exciting and also crazy just trying to figure out how to navigate my days,” she admitted.

“Because not only am I a new mom, but I’m also working on an album and a Tagalog EP and getting ready for the concert. Also other gigs that are going on. I’m just trying to do my best.”

Even simple things like travel now come with added layers of planning.

“It has been a little crazy traveling. I’ve been trying to figure out my travel situation with the baby,” she said, noting that details for her tour stops are still being finalized.

Aside from these, motherhood likewise changed how she uses her voice.

“The hormones have been really difficult. I think it’s been harder to figure out my voice than it was when I was pregnant because of all the hormones that have been happening in my body.

“But I am working with, you know, an amazing vocal coach out here who really knows the scientific process of the vocal cords.

“He’s been teaching me a lot and helping me kind of regain that strength and how to sing in a healthier way. So I am giving you guys the best of the best for May.”

Amidst her hectic schedule nowadays, Jessica finds it fulfilling that she now has a mini-me to share her passion for music with.

“It’s so funny because here’s a little story. When I was on ‘AGT’ and I sang Golden Hour, that’s the song that she would really kick inside my belly to all the time. Every time. Every time I sing it now that she’s here, when we play it on YouTube, she calms down,” she shared.

“Every time she’s screaming, when we play it, she stops crying. She actually really enjoys my singing, which is really sweet.”

She continued, “I feel like she’s gonna naturally want to sing because I’m always singing to her and I’m always playing music. Whether she wants to be a singer professionally, like, that’s up to her, but I think she’s gonna love music,” she said.

Motherhood has also influenced her artistry, pushing her to venture into a more emotional direction in her music.

“I’m just embracing my emotional side and I really want to give my supporters what they’ve been asking for, which is the vocals and just the deeper lyrics,” she said.

“I’m excited to release more music and release those kind of songs.”

Jessica couldn’t stress enough how grateful she is for this phase in her life, experiencing personal fulfillment and career momentum.

“It’s been a little crazy, but I am so grateful and so blessed to be able to have these opportunities,” she said.

“And I just cannot wait to land in the Philippines, give you guys an amazing show.”

Tickets to the concert, presented by Wilbros Live and co-produced by RS Francisco of Frontrow, are now available on Ticket World outlets and website.

Women find success in a digital world

 

BY LINDA BOLIDO

APRIL 13, 2026

Honorees of the Inquirer Women of Power Awards 2026 gather on stage, celebrating leadership, innovation, and impact across industries.

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Women leaders who have successfully navigated an increasingly technology-driven world took center stage at the recent Inquirer Women of Power awarding ceremonies, an event that underscored how leadership today is being reshaped by both innovation and intent.

Across the two-part gathering, which included the Women of Power Summit themed Guarding Legacies, Guiding Generations, honorees and attendees demonstrated a shared understanding: leadership in this era demands the ability to apply technology with clarity, responsibility, and purpose.

Globe Business Special Recognition for Digital Innovation recipient (center): Gigi Puno, chief information and technology officer of GoTyme with presenters.

As co-presenter, Globe Business highlighted women who are actively shaping this shift. Filipina leaders who are driving meaningful transformation within their organizations while ensuring that technology remains grounded in human insight and real-world impact need to be celebrated. These are women advancing their industries and influencing how innovation is designed, governed, and sustained.

Globe Business Special Recognition for Enterprise Excellence recipient (center): Leah Gonzales, artist and repertoire director of 1Z Entertainment with presenters.

Globe Business shared that the strategic intent behind every innovation should be considered equally important as the pace of implementation. As KD Dizon, Vice President and Head of Globe Business, emphasized at the summit, true leadership is anchored in the “why” behind the technology. By focusing on how tools create meaningful value for enterprises and society, the company champions putting people first. This human-centric approach is fueled by a long-standing commitment to empathy, collaboration, and malasakit.

Paolo Prieto, president of Inquirer Interactive Inc., delivers the closing message at the 2026 Women of Power Awards.

At the heart of the celebration was the Globe Business Special Recognition, which honored women who exemplify leadership across three key areas:

DIGITAL INNOVATION – for leading initiatives that drive transformative change through technology and digital solutions

ENTERPRISE EXCELLENCE – for demonstrating leadership and strategies that advance business growth and organizational impact

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INNOVATION – for harnessing innovation to uplift communities, teams, or industries

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, chairperson of Inquirer Interactive Inc., delivers the opening remarks at the 2026 Women of Power Awards.

Each awardee reflected a different facet of leadership in action, but all shared a common thread: the ability to turn technology into something purposeful, measurable, and inclusive.

Beyond the formal program, the event created space for connection and exchange. Attendees engaged in conversations with peers across industries, shared experiences, and built new networks. Moments of celebration—from candid interactions to creative photo installations—captured the energy of a community that continues to grow in both influence and impact.

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For the awardees, the evening marked a recognition of their contributions and the paths they have forged. For the broader audience, it offered something equally valuable: direct insight into how today’s most effective leaders think, adapt, and move forward.

More than a celebration, the Inquirer Women of Power served as a reminder that the future of leadership is already taking shape—driven by women who are choosing to lead with purpose, act with intention, and build systems that enable others to succeed alongside them.

******

Between dream and duty

 

By Sam Azalae Pepito

When I was a child, I carried a ready-made answer to a question adults loved to ask.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I never paused. I never hesitated: “A civil engineer.”

It came out of my mouth as naturally as saying my name. No matter who asked—relatives, teachers, neighbors—the answer stayed the same. Maybe it was because I had relatives who were engineers. Maybe it was because I could already imagine myself in that world. Or maybe it was because, early on, I believed that building things meant I could also build a place for myself in this world.

In elementary school, I often brought home “Best in Math” ribbons. In junior high, I realized it was more than luck. Numbers felt familiar to me. I wasn’t afraid of them; in fact, I felt at home. I joined contests, sat in the front row during quizzes, and collected medals and certificates that quietly told me I belonged here.

Senior high school felt like confirmation. I took the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) strand, survived calculus and physics, stayed on the principal’s list, and spent long nights with formulas and problem sets. Every recognition felt like a step closer to the person I had been claiming to be for years. College was no longer just a dream. It was a door I was about to open.

I’m almost a civil engineer, almost there.

Or so I thought.

A few weeks before enrollment, my mother talked to me. There was no sermon. No forcing. Just a simple conversation that carried unexpected weight.

“Have you considered accountancy?” she asked.

She mentioned my aunt. Stable job. Comfortable life. Able to travel. No constant worry about money. As she spoke, I realized it wasn’t really about a course. It was about security. About a future where I would not struggle the way she once did.

I didn’t want to agree. I never imagined myself working with financial statements. This was not the answer I had been rehearsing since childhood.

But another question slowly replaced my certainty: Whose dream have I really been chasing?

I have always wanted to make my mother proud. Many of my achievements, even the ones I rarely talk about, were partly for her. So when it came time to choose, I wasn’t just choosing a program. I was choosing between two versions of myself—the child with a dream, and the son who carries gratitude and responsibility.

I chose what she wanted.

Entering the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) program was my first real shock. Being “good at math” was not enough. The world I knew disappeared. Variables were replaced by vouchers. Equations by transactions. Logic by layers of rules, standards, and procedures.

In high school, I studied hard, but I also studied with confidence. In accountancy, I studied with fear.

Not because I was stupid. But because I was humbled.

I used to rely on instinct. In BSA, instinct does not save you. You need discipline. You need process. You need to start over even when you feel you should already know better. And that hurts the ego.

I told myself it would be easy. It’s math-heavy after all. I was wrong.

There were nights I stared at the same problem for hours and still did not understand it. Days when I went straight to bed after class, not because my body was tired, but because my heart was. I cried to my parents more than once.

“Ma, I think I might fail.”

Sometimes they would ask, “Do you want to shift?”

And every time, something inside me tightened.

“I don’t want to.”

Not because I love accountancy. Not because this is my dream. But because shifting feels like losing to a decision I agreed to. Losing to the promise I want to keep. Losing to the version of myself who wants to be someone reliable.

So I stay.

Not heroically. Not beautifully. Most days, I stay simply because I’m tired but still breathing.

Here, I learned that sacrifice is not always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like sleepless eyes. Like coffee at dawn. Like walking into class even when you want to turn back.

I used to think success meant being excellent. Now I’m learning that sometimes, success means being resilient.

I cannot say I love this program. But it matters to me. Because it represents a choice I made not only for myself, but for the first person I ever loved in this world.

Still, I wrestle with a question: How far should a child’s duty go?

I care is a moral act, then choosing BSA is my way of caring. But I also wonder—does self-offering have a limit?

I don’t know the answer yet.

What I do know is this: every day I choose to continue, I repeat a promise to myself.

I will finish this degree.

I will take the board exam.

I will pass.

Not because this was my first dream. But because I have learned that dreams can change shape—and still carry meaning.