Janine
Gutierrez:
Girl on Fire

Text by Bianca Geli
Photos by Angelo Villegas, Janine Guitierrez Instagram and GMA Artist Center

Taking on fierce roles that test her acting skills and international projects that magnify her social media influence, Janine Gutierrez is making bigger, bolder steps and spreading her wings to see how far and high she can fly.

Janine Gutierrez is undeniably one of the most regal and sophisticated actresses in showbiz today.

Aside from being an international endorser and a sought-after magazine cover girl, the doe-eyed Kapuso beauty is one prolific actress.

The 29-year-old actress, who started acting at 21, has appeared in numerous Kapuso shows, such as Villa Quintana (2013-2014)
More Than Words (2014-2015), Dangwa (2015), Legally Blind (2017), Victor Magtanggol (2018),
and currently stars in GMA afternoon prime Dragon Lady.

During a break from her Dragon Lady taping, Janine Gutierrez sits down with GMANetwork.com to speak about her journey in showbiz
and the other things that she still wants to accomplish in the future.

At the time of the interview, Janine has been at the location for several hours already. Despite the sweltering heat and the long hours,
the pretty actress still manages to smile and maintain a bubbly composure.

She patiently waits for her turn in between takes. When she is all by herself, she takes out a packed lunch that she has brought for herself.
But before having a bite, she offers her co-stars to eat the merienda being served on the set.

Janine, who comes from a famous showbiz clan, has been in the industry for almost a decade, yet she has remained down-to-earth,
sweet, and naturally caring.

She stars in Dragon Lady as Celestina, a woman with dragon-like features who undergoes a transformation and gets a new identity as the brazen Scarlet out to exact revenge from her former tormentors.

This comes as a challenge for Janine, who’s gotten used to playing roles with a more "goody-goody" image.

She tells GMANetwork, “Masaya kasi ’yung mga eksena sa Dragon Lady it’s a first for me na ako ’yung nangaapi at nanggugulo.”

First Antagonist Role

Despite the challenge, Janine knows how to make light of her first antagonist role.

“Actually, ito ’yung first kontrabida role ko talaga at masaya pala kasi puro mga babae kami madalas na
magkaka-eksena kaya nalalaro namin ’yung mga lines and acting. Nakakatuwa panoorin ’yung mga bangayan.”

She has found new friends in her co-stars as well. “Nae-enjoy kong kaeksena si Ate Aira
[Bermudez, the former Sexbomb Dancer], na may kakampi akong babae na sobrang kalog.

“Minsan natatawa kami sa mga eksena, lalo na itong mga bagong script, nag-uusap kami nina Joyce at
nina Ate Maricar… nakakaloka pero nakakatawa.

“Nag-e-enjoy kaming maghampasan and everything.

“Minsan sobrang dami ng eksena pero hindi ko nafi-feel masyado ‘yung pagod, kasi masaya ’yung mga kasama ko.

“Naging pamilya na rin kami, kahit sa TV puro away.

"Ini-enjoy ko lang talaga and natutuwa ako kapag nakikita kong trending ‘yung mga videos ng Dragon Lady."

Moreover, Janine is grateful to her Dragon Lady family because it has allowed her to spread her wings and
attend to her commitments outside the country. “Actually I’m so thankful sa Dragon Lady family ko and sa
GMA for still allowing me to still do events outside the country kasi pangarap ko rin talaga ‘yun eh.”

Even if Dragon Lady is nearing its finale, Janine still could not believe that she’s now among the
ranks of bankable Kapuso leading ladies.

“Minsan hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala, hindi pa rin siya nagsi-sink in because I look up to a lot
of the leading ladies in GMA so be called a leading lady it’s a dream come true.”

International Influencer

Janine has been expanding her international profile, by working with such global brands as Jo
Malone, high-end retail company Louis Vuitton, and luxury luggage manufacturer Rimowa.

In between tapings for Dragon Lady, Janine sneaks in some jet-setting abroad to attend product
launches and other engagements.

Last year, she visited Japan for Louis Vuitton, and this year she flew to London for Jo Malone for its Brilliant Blossoms launch. She also joined other Pinoy
influencers in Hong Kong for luxury luggage Rimowa.

She excitedly talks about her trip to London for European fragrance brand Jo Malone. “Super saya nung mga pinupuntahan kong events, honestly I’m also really a fan of the brand, sinu-suportahan ko talaga, gusto ko talaga.

“I really enjoy the experience kasi you get to see a different side of it. Like, ’yung sa Jo Malone,
pinakita sa ’min kung paano mag-pair ng perfume. It’s a more in-depth experience at nakikita ko
rin ’yung mga behind-the-scenes ng mga favorite kong pabango or nung Rimowa, ’yung favorite
ko na maleta, kung paano ginagawa.

“Exciting kasi learning experience rin siya for me.”

Janine also sees these opportunities as a chance to unwind and experience cultures outside her
own.

“Whenever I get invited to an event, it’s fun because I get to travel and para siyang ‘workation.’”

It’s a “workation” that she does not mind taking over and over.

“Usually they take you around and show you behind-the-scenes ng kung ano mang brand na nag-
invite sa ’yo and you get to meet people from different countries na nag-invite sa ’yo do'n. It’s
fun kasi I get to meet people from other countries.”

Her love for everything beautiful and stylish is reflected on her choice of clothing. Whether she’s
attending an event here or traveling abroad, her style remains on point.

“Dapat ’wag masyado mag-alala at wag mong kalimutan ‘yung mga pinaglalaban mo."

Family First

Janine shares that her role as Celestina/Scarlet in Dragon Lady came as an unexpected blessing. Though she’s been longing for a role that can showcase her fierce side, it never occurred to her to directly request for such a role. Her Celestina/Scarlet character was something that was naturally given to her.

“Parang binigay talaga sa ’kin. Actually nagulat din ako sa transformation ni Scarlet. Hindi ko na-expect na ganun siya ka-intense."

Janine also says that just like her character in Dragon Lady, she’s willing to fight for her family at all costs. “Parating ako ’yung mataray sa family kasi ako ’yung Ate, ako ’yung panganay. Hindi naman sa nagagalit ako sa kanila, pero minsan ako ’yung nagagalit para sa kanila.

“Kunwari mayroon silang nakaaway, ako ’yung pinaka-affected kasi bilang Ate gusto ko rin protektahan ’yung pamilya ko dahil mahal ko sila, ganun din si Scarlet.

“Pinaglalaban niya talaga ’yung pamilya niya, iba talaga ’yung pinaghuhugutan ng paghiganti niya.”

“Sa pagiging Scarlet ko, na-iinspire ako na dapat palaban ka.”

Overcoming Shyness

Despite the fame, Janine confesses that she has a tendency to overthink at times. She would worry about what other people think of her, causing her to retreat into her shell.

Janine is perfectly aware of this. That’s why she’s learning to overcome this shyness through her daring role in Dragon Lady.

“Honestly ako rin na-iinspire ako kay Scarlet kasi feeling ko ang sakit ko talaga is masyado akong mahiyain, masyado kong inisiip kung ano ‘yung iisipin ng ibang tao.

“Sa pagiging Scarlet ko, nai-inspire ako na dapat palaban ka, dapat ’wag masyado mag-alala at wag mong kalimutan ‘yung mga pinaglalaban mo.

“At maniwala ka na kaya mong ma-achieve lahat ng gusto mong ma-achieve kung talagang pagtatrabahuhan mo.

“So sana ’yun din ’yung makita ng mga tao na nakakapanood ng Dragon Lady. ’Yung mga bangayan pang-fun lang talaga ‘yun, ang root talaga ng story is love your family and kung saan ka aabot para ipaglaban ’yung mga mahal mo.”

At 29, Janine has blossomed into an admirable, independent woman. She once revealed in her
Ask Me Anything vlog what being independent meant to her.

“I think it’s a lifelong process, I’ve been living alone for I think four years now.

But it doesn’t mean that she has been doing everything on her own. Janine believes that asking
for help is also part of the process of becoming independent.

“I think one of the ways to be independent is to ask for help. Kung kailangan mo ng tulong—ask,
and kung kailangan mo magpaturo, magpaturo ka or teach yourself through YouTube.

“It’s hard to be independent, so you should also know when to ask for help.”

“Maniwala ka na kaya mong
ma-achieve lahat ng gusto mong
ma-achieve kung talagang pagtatrabahuhan mo."

Women Empowerment

Asked who her role models are, Janine answers, “My parents talaga, pinalaki talaga nila ako, sobrang swerte ko sa parents ko, sobrang hands-on nilang parehas, kapag kailangan ng seryosong usapan makakausap mo sila kapag kailangan mo ng kakulitan nandiyan din sila.

She also shares that her family, including grandmother Pilita Corrales, are never strict and always lead by example, “Wala naman, hindi naman strict si Mamita, mas sinusundan ko lang ‘yung example niya, kung ano ’yung nakikita ko sa kanila.”

Being the sweetheart that she is, Janine didn’t forget to mention her family helper who has been with her family since she was a child. “Mayroon akong yaya, si Yaya Pat na hanggang ngayon nasa bahay namin siya.

Janine says that she’s learned a lot from her Yaya Pat.

“Sa kanya ko rin talaga nakikita na dapat talaga palaban siya kasi breadwinner siya ng family niya. Nakikita ko rin na talagang protected kaming magkakapatid kasi lagi siyang nandiyan.

“Ang dami niya na ring pinagdaanan, nagtrabaho siya sa ibang bansa and kahit anong hirap na pinagdaanan ng family, nandoon talaga siya so ramdam mo talaga ’yung pagmamahal niya.

“Always try to look at the bright side of things, magaling naman ang mga Pilipino diyan eh. Importante ’yun.”

Perfect proportions

Though she naturally has perfect proportions, Janine maintains her figure and overall well-being by working out.

She once shared through her vlog what she felt about working out regularly: “I’m so happy kasi nakahanap na ako ng mga workout na talagang na-eenjoy ko, yoga before nung nag-aaral pa ako and then I found boxing kasi ayoko talaga ng cardio but with boxing you kind of forget na one hour na pala tayo dito.

“Masaya siya, and I also found pilates, my favorite workout. Parang yoga na may machine. Mahilig talaga ako sa mga slow-paced workouts.

Janine said what gets through her workout sessions is finding the right exercises for her abilities and limits. “But ang advice ko is you have to try and be interested and find out which workout really works for you. Kasi I think you need to find something you enjoy so that it would be easier for you to turn it into a lifestyle.”

When she puts her heart and mind to a project, she commits her 101 percent.

Janine’s feature in Metro Body 2019 is just proof of her dedication and hard work. In fact, in that same feature, she revealed that she achieved the abs that she wanted in just 27 days.

“One of the things that really helped me was, I didn’t really start from scratch. I started going to the gym maybe once every two weeks, so medyo may buwelo na,” she said in her “How I Got Abs in 27 Days” vlog.

Fitness isn’t just a chore for Janine. It’s her lifestyle. “It helps because I didn’t have to start from super zero. Malaking bagay din if you really make fitness a part of your lifestyle, I’m so grateful that I got to achieve it, and sobrang team effort din it was so important for me to be doing this with a friend which is BJ [Pascual].”

She also mentioned the importance of having a fitness buddy. “Malaking bagay if you have a fitness buddy who will keep you in check and make sure you go to your workouts.

“Another big factor was that I mixed it with up with things that I’ve always loved with something new which is the gym, something I’ve done before. It gives you variety so you don’t get bored with your workout."

Aside from working out, Janine also become more careful about what she has been feeding her body. “Diet is so important. I learned from this experience that there are so many options when it comes to eating healthy and clean.

“The hardest part is always the beginning but when you get used to working out and eating clean magugulat ka at what your body can do. It’s still important to keep a healthy balance of enjoying yourself and indulging in the things that you love while keeping a healthy lifestyle.”

Discipline, she says, plays an essential role in her fitness journey.

“Nag-clean food ako for about a month, ’yung healthy food talaga and calorie counted lahat. Bawas sa sweets, softdrinks, sa lahat ng masasamang pagkain.

“Ang workout talaga kasi when I was young madali lang magpapayat pero ngayon kailangan effortan mo na talaga. Nag-diet ako at workout for about three times a week in one month. Kailangan lifestyle change talaga, hindi siya nadadaya.”

“Aside from how important it is to fight for what you want, natutunan ko rin not to take life too seriously.”

Moving up, moving forward

Now that she’s becoming more comfortable with herself and starting to be more outspoken, Janine says she wants to connect with
her fans more.

“’Yun talaga ’yung reason kung bakit sinimulan ko ’yun, kasi mas gusto kong makausap ’yung mga fans ko.

“May mga nagtatanong din sa akin minsan online about makeup or mga random questions lang so naisip ko one way to share everything with them is through my YouTube channel. “Masaya pala, dati nahihiya kasi ako pero na-realize kong dapat ’wag ka masyadong mag-worry tungkol sa mga ganung bagay so sobrang saya and bilib ako sa mga totoong vloggers. Marami pa akong dapat matutunan, pero enjoy lang din."

With so many things going on in her life, Janine remains motivated. She does not want to lose sight of her goals.

In one of her vlogs in her YouTube channel, Janine said, “Sometimes you get overwhelmed when you think too far ahead, pero kung ipa-plano mo talaga ‘yung mga gagawin mo para marating ‘yung mga pangarap mo then it’s less overwhelming.

"Make actual deadlines and make actual goals. So kailangan specific para hindi ka rin ma-overwhelm.

“Use mood boards because it’s visible to you—what you’re working for and your goals. Remember why you’re doing it, and who you’re doing it for.”

Indeed, Janine has come a long way since she has taken her role as Celestina/Scarlet in Dragon Lady last March.

She's realized that one can fearlessly show her brazen side without compromising her values and losing herself.

“Aside from how important it is to fight for what you want, natutunan ko rin not to take life too seriously, learn to laugh at yourself kahit may problema o mabigat ’yung pinagdadaanan mo.

“Always try to look at the bright side of things, magaling naman ang mga Pilipino diyan eh. Tipong kapag nadulas ka pagtatawanan mo ’yung sarili mo. Importante ’yun.”

That's Janine Gutierrez for you. A fierce young woman who can roll with the punches and run after her dreams.