BY STEPHANIE BERNARDINO
Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez has accepted that it's no longer her "time."
Despite this, the seasoned singer-actress is grateful for the success she enjoyed the last four decades.
“I know that it’s no longer my time. But, I’m still here. And I’m still doing what I love to do most, which is performing, singing, recording, doing 'ASAP,'” Regine said in an interview on "Tao Po."
According to her, she's "very blessed" that she is still able to do her passion.
"But ako naman, parang alam ko naman na meron ng mas magagaling... mas magagaling na yung singers ngayon," she said.
More than anything, Regine is content that she is able to share and impart lessons to a younger generation of artists.
"You know lahat ng singers, those kids in 'ASAP,' kapag humihingi ng advice, yun talagang I would just really give it to them. I am happy that I'm able to inspire other artists," was how she put it.
Regine then turned emotional, declaring: "Habang may makikinig sa akin, siguro, I'll keep singing."
She added: "Kasi parang kaya mo bang iwan yun? When you love something, di ba you fight for it? You work so hard to be able to be successful at it and then just one day you decide: 'I don't wanna to this anymore.' Parang, mahirap gawin."
"God gave you this wonderful talent, and you should share it with everyone."
Regine said that the way she sees it now, she is not just a singer.
"We entertain people. We inspire people. Hopefully, we inspire other artists, also. So that's how I look at it now.”
Regine was just five years old when she started singing, sharing her realization even then: "I wanna do this for the rest of my life."
She joined different amateur singing contests to fulfill her dreams.
"Ito yung dream mo e. You do whatever you can to make your dreams come true,” she related.
Apparently her beginning in showbiz wasn't smooth.
When she won in "Ang Bagong Kampeon" in 1984, someone told her then-manager: "Naku, hindi yan sisikat kasi, oo, magaling siya kumanta pero hindi siya kagandahan."
But rather than feel insecure, Regine proved herself.
"Lagi kong sinasabi, wait until you hear me sing. Pinapatunayan ko naman yung sarili ko sa kanila na I also deserve to be part of this industry."
This is not the first time Regine opened up about her mindset regarding her career.
Last year, she echoed the same sentiments, relating: "I’m very aware that it’s no longer my time, kasi we all are given naman our own time in the industry and in life in general."
“So, natutuwa ako na nandito ako ngayon to mentor. And more than the fame right now, at this time of my life, I love that part (mentoring) because they listen to everything that I say. And they think they learn from me, and I hope they are.”
Because she experienced so many things being in the business for that long, she feels like it's her duty to pass down what she has learned."
