The Comedy Concert Queen opens up about her silent battle with depression and tells us
why being on top isn’t all fun and games.
Text By Jansen Ramos
Photos by The Clash, Sunday PinaSaya, Hay, Bahay!, and CelebriTV
If there is one artist that exudes the same vibe on and off cam, it is Comedy Concert Queen Aiai DeIas Alas.
The 54-year-old comedienne is feeling the outfit she’s wearing—an eye-catching ensemble of satin and neon—when she enters the green room for The Clash shoot.
She greets everyone in the room in a friendly, cheery voice, including the ones that she barely knows.
One can easily see why Aiai, after 30 years in the industry, is still the star that everyone admires and adores. She’s friendly, she’s funny, she’s down to earth.
Before making it big in showbiz, Aiai worked as a stand-up comedienne at sing-along bars, where she eventually got discovered.
Luck seemed to be on her side because that moment jumpstarted her career on-screen.
In 1991, she started her TV career on GMA Network as a host of the Saturday late-night musical variety show RSVP, with Dawn Zulueta and Ariel Rivera. She then moved on to hosting for variety shows in an earlier timeslot, Lunch Date (1991-1993) and Salo-Salo Together (1993-1995).
In 1998, she received her first-ever acting award, the Best Comedy Actress from Star Awards.
Though singing was not exactly her strongest suit, her quick wits and relatable character eventually got her the chance to share the concert stage with some of the biggest names in the business.
While her co-performers regaled the audience with their voices, Aiai took care of the laughs.
Her brand of comedy earned her the moniker, Comedy Concert Queen.
Aiai recounts, "No'ng time na nagko-concert ako, modesty aside, ang mga kasabayan ko na sina Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez kaya naging Comedy Concert Queen ako kasi ako lang 'yung komedyanteng nagpe-perform at nagko-concert, kahit 'di naman ako marunong kumanta basta nag-pi-feeling lang ako.
“Wala rin akong J.Lo-J.Lohan no'n kasi 'yung mga gimik ko noon, ako lang 'yung nakakaalam, iniisip-iisip ko lang. Wala akong masyadong nakasabay na komedyante sa showbiz kaya isa rin 'yun sa mga dahilan kung bakit, kumbaga, nagtuluy-tuloy 'yung career ko."
Aside from being the Comedy Concert Queen, Aiai has also been dubbed the Box Office Queen, thanks to her 2003 blockbuster film Ang Tanging Ina, which was directed by the late director Wenn V. Deramas.
Aiai was so remarkable in her portrayal of the hapless Ina Montecillo that she received the Best Actress award at the 20th PMPC Star Awards for Movies in 2004.
Her love for acting on the silver screen has not waned to this day. May it be mainstream or indie, she still enjoys making movies.
Even the international critics have lauded her performance in the 2018 film School Service. That movie earned her a Best Actress award at the 39th Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal in March 2019.
Asked if she feels pressured to surpass the success of her movies, Aiai admits that in the years that followed Ang Tanging Ina, she did feel the pressure to pull in better numbers.
"Noong mga nasa twenty years pa lang ako sa showbiz, after Ang Tanging Ina, 'yun 'yung parating stressed ako kapag may pelikulang ilalabas kasi masyado 'kong pressured kasi kailangan mahigitan ko 'yung Ang Tanging Ina or kaya kapantay no'n."
She eventually learned to go a little easier on herself.
"Iba na ang panahon ngayon so okey na 'ko.
“'Tsaka modesty aside, matagal na rin ako sa industriya, 'yun 'yung pinanghahawakan ko na lang. Kumbaga, lahat 'to napagdaanan ko na kaya 'di na 'ko nape-pressure.
“Parang wala na kong kailangan i-prove sa mga tao kasi lahat nagawa ko na. Kumbaga, ine-enjoy ko na lang 'to na gift sa 'kin ni Lord na extension ng career ko.
“For so many years, God is so good. And sa edad kong ‘35,’ hanggang ngayon ay marami pa rin akong project, marami pa rin akong pelikula.”
Show business has been her bread and butter for the past 30 years. She has experienced the ups and downs, including the fear of being and staying on top.
"'Di ba may kasabihan na 'It's lonely at the top?' Naranasan ko 'yun," Ai Ai says.
"'Di mo kasi maiintindihan 'yung nararamdaman mo, mas more of pagod ka sa dami ng ginagawa mo 'tapos ang daming taong gusto kang kausapin, parang lahat sila gusto ka.
“'Tapos lahat didiktahan ka na, ‘Gawin mo 'to, gawin mo 'yan,’ 'tapos hindi ka na makahinga.
“'Yung pagod na pagod ka na at wala ka ng time sa sarili mo, so na-o-overwhelm ka kaya I think kaya ka nalulungkot. Kaya sinasabi nila na 'it's lonely at the top' kasi pagod ka 'tapos lahat sila parang gustong kainin 'yung pagkatao mo 'tapos wala kang magawa kasi binigay sa 'yo 'to, biniyan ka ng Diyos ng pagkakataon na sumikat."
It was then Aiai decided to slow down because her mental health was starting to be at risk.
She recalls, "Nauso 'yung depression sa 'kin 'tapos binigyan ako ng Prozac, 'yung anti-anxiety [anti-depressant].
“Ang effect non, nanginginig ako, nahuhulog 'yung mga bag ko. Lutang ako no'n 'tapos 'pag kinakausap ako, wala akong pakiramdam, hindi kita naiintindihan. Walang pain, walang depression, pero 'di kita naiintindihan.
“Wala akong emosyon kaya nag-super devotion na lang ako kay Mama Mary at kay Lord.”
Aiai taught herself to overcome her anxiety because she had to do it not just for herself but for her loved ones as well.
She shares, "Maraming umaasa sa 'kin. Marami pa rin akong plano sa buhay ko. Of course, kahit may asawa naman ako, siyempre, gusto ko rin naman matulungan siya pagdating sa trabaho and we're planning to have children. So 'yun ang isang dahilan kaya hindi ako pwedeng mag-retire. I think pahinga lang."
She then emphasizes, "Marating ko lang ang edad ni Miss Gloria Romero, okey na 'ko."
Aiai’s love life is as enthralling and interesting and intriguing as her showbiz career.
The biological father of her eldest son, Sancho, is the late theater actor Rey Maltezo Dela Cruz, who died of an undisclosed illness in 2015.
Aiai then married singer Miguel Vera, with whom she has two children, Sean and Sophia. Following her marriage to Miguel, she survived an abusive month-long relationship with Jed Salang.
Right now, Aiai is living her best life with her 25-year-old husband Gerald Sibayan together with her children and adopted son Seth.
She shares, "Almost magkaka-edad naman sila so parang silang magkakabarkada. Gerald is a gift from God. Napakabait ng asawa ko and napakasuwerte ko.
“Meron na siyang private plane license so konting kembot na lang at malapit na.”
Aiai is busy finishing a movie for Regal Films. She wants to focus on her pregnancy next year.
She shares, "I-ta-ry ko muna na ako then 'pag hindi kaya, 'pag hindi succesful, but I hope mabait ang Diyos, magiging successful. Saka ko i-ko-consider 'yung surrogacy.
"Pero ako muna, healthy naman ako, super healthy, kaya alam kong kakayanin ko.
"I work out tapos 'yung lifestyle ko same pa rin. Puro organic 'yung kinakain ko, mga vegetables and fish, and sobrang training sa gym. Simula noong nag-organic, nag-mellow down 'yung pagiging praning ko, 'di ba loka-loka 'ko dati?
“Lahat papatulan ko talaga, away man o hindi away."
Aiai is referring to the time her romance with Gerald became the sitting duck of criticism (and ridicule) from netizens.
She says that she’s become immune to it. Looking back, she can say that she and her husband have proven their doubters and bashers wrong.
"Mali sila dahil six years na kami. Gano'n talaga. Sa December 12, two years na kaming kasal and sa April, six years na kami. Kahit ano man ang sabihan nila, wala naman silang magagawa kasi kasal na kami ni Gerald saka gano'n naman ang relationship."
Aiai just laughs off the many scandals she got involved in the previous years.
She recounts, "Ang dami kong love life noon. 'Di lang ako nag-pi-feeling, na-experience ko lahat, and ang dami kong na-experience na maganda at pangit na naging maganda.”
She continues, "Siguro 'yung buhay ko no'n kung may social media, tapos na tapos na ang career ko sa dami ng nangyari sa buhay ko, sa dami ng scandal sa buhay ko. Dati press lang, walang social media.
"Sa thirty years, ang dami kong nagawang pelikula, ang dami kong concert. Kung noon pa lang may social media na, patay! Sira na 'yung career ko."
Truly, Aiai lives her life like an open book, its pages exposed for everyone to see.
"'Yun naman ang buhay ko ever since na nag-start ako ng show business.
“Hindi ako nagsisinungaling sa tao. 'Yung buong buhay ko, alam nila kasi honesty is the best policy, 'di ba? Maganda 'yung honest ka lang na wala kang tinatago, so ayokong magtago lalung-lalo na sa fans ko kasi balang araw, magbu-boomerang din naman sa 'kin 'yan 'pag tinago ko.
“Wala namang sikreto na hindi nabubunyag so mas maganda na open ako.
“And kung ano man 'yung opinyon nila lalo na ngayon because of social media, wala naman tayong magagawa do'n. Ang mga tao gano'n naman talaga, basically.”
At 54, Aiai is still on a roll.
With her background in music and award-winning performances, it came as no surprise why the multi-faceted performer is returning as a judge in GMA’s singing competition The Clash.
She says, "Excited ako, siyempre, kasi looking forward naman ako sa The Clash everytime and looking forward din ako sa bagong contestants so I’m so happy.
“God is good dahil kasali pa rin ako sa second season."
Aiai also rejoices in the success of others, most especially of those she’s closely working with.
She expresses her excitement for her Sunday PinaSaya co-star Julie Anne San Jose who was chosen as the new Clash Master, together with Rayver Cruz.
Aiai says, "Si Julie ay sobrang talented din na bata at lahat alam ‘yon.
“Kanta, sayaw, she plays musical instruments so happy ako and gano’n din naman si Rayver kasi bagay silang dalawa as hosts. I think ibang genre naman ’yung ipapakita ng dalawa."
She has done different comedic acts, but she assures the viewers that she still has something new to offer every time she would step in front of the camera.
She says, "Ngayon marami akong bago, pinaghahandaan ko sila. Sa bahay, gumagawa ako ng comments kung saan babagay 'yung mga gawa ko at saka, siyempre, darating pa rin si Birdie and Friends. Marami siya ngayong kaibigan. Makikita n'yo na 'yung mga kaibigan ni Birdie at kapamilya niya.
She then stops and says, "Ay hindi pala, Kapuso pala!"
That spontaneous humor let the woman, whose protruding chin became her ticket to stardom, come through with flying colors.
As she looks back on her downfalls and victories, Aiai remembers the people who helped her achieve the enviable status that she now enjoys.
“Siyempre, si Boy Abunda, tagal ko na rin siyang manager. Marami akong naging manager, unang-una si Tita Angie Magbanua. Tinulungan ako ni Nap Gutierrez [movie reporter] sa showbiz.
“Of course, ABS-CBN, Star Cinema, GMA, Regal Films, Viva Films. Ang dami kong pasasalamatan. Lahat ng naging direktor ko, actually top one lahat ng direktor sa pelikula sa soap opera, sa TV.
“Lahat ng nakasama kong artista, malaki man o maliit, pasasalamatan ko.”
Success does taste a little sweeter when you have a grateful heart.