They find strength in vulnerability and sisterhood
What does an empowered woman look like?
For these four actresses, empowerment is as much about vulnerability, acceptance, and friendship, as it is about confidence, agency, and independence.
For most of Gabbi Garcia’s showbiz career, it was her parents who did the decision-making. But now, at 26, she’s the captain of her own ship, charting the course of her future.
“I’m an outspoken person. I’m not afraid to say yes or no to a lot of things. Whenever I make my own decisions, I feel like I’m in control of my life. And that makes me feel very much empowered,” Garcia told Lifestyle.
Seeing how much she has matured in recent years, both as a person and as an artist, Garcia’s parents have quietly taken the backseat.
“My parents used to be a lot more involved in my life—bantay-sarado, if you will. But it feels good to know that they trust me enough to choose the projects I want, what to do with my money, or with my personal life.
“It’s great having that kind of validation from my parents. It reinforces the feeling na kaya ko na,” added the actress.
But there’s also a softer, more unassuming side to empowerment, Garcia pointed out.
“I feel like being genuine is in itself empowering—and that can be hard especially today [in the age of social media] … It’s also about not allowing yourself to get sucked into negativity, and not having to resort to pulling each other down,” she said.
Heroines
As an only child, Ysabel Ortega, 26, used to believe that personal growth was something that could be achieved only by facing challenges on her own. Make no mistake—her parents are always there for her, she quickly added. But she prefers not to burden them, if she can help it. “I feel a sense of achievement going to my parents and knowing that I already had everything sorted out,” she said.
And playing heroines on television, like Jamie Robinson in “Voltes V: Legacy,” only reinforced this kind of mindset later in life.
But as it turned out, being a strong woman, Ortega pointed out, doesn’t necessarily mean doing everything and solving all your problems by yourself. Acknowledging that we need help, she said, isn’t a sign of weakness.
“It’s a misconception that we have to go through everything alone. You can ask for help. That has been quite the revelation to me. I recognize that there are people around me who can empower me, too,” she said, adding that accepting help is only possible when people accept their flaws.
“There were moments in my life when insecurities consumed me. But as I grew older, I realized that we need to embrace our flaws—no one is perfect. And it’s only when we recognize our weaknesses that we can turn them into strengths,” Ortega told Lifestyle.
Support system
This is why having an unfailing support system is crucial, Mikee Quintos pointed out. “Being with my family—laughing with each other, teasing each other, or comforting each other—that can be empowering, too,” Quintos told Lifestyle.
“I feel like I can deal with whatever life throws at me as long as I’m with my family. And I feel blessed and grateful to have them,” the actress, 27, said.
Julie Anne San Jose echoed Quintos’ sentiments, adding that it’s with her family that she can completely let her guard down—a respite from the constant noise of showbiz. “Home is where I can express my emotions and let it all out. My family keeps me grounded. I know that they will accept me for who I really am as a person. And feeling that you’re accepted can be empowering,” San Jose, 30, told Lifestyle.
And when things get too overwhelming, choosing yourself—and taking care of yourself—San Jose said, shouldn’t be seen as an act of selfishness. “Empowerment is a feeling, not just a state of being. I feel empowered whenever I choose myself. There are times we have to prioritize ourselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” she said.
Comfort zone
Curiously, as actors-performers, this delicate interplay between strength and vulnerability is most pronounced whenever they’re onstage or in front of the cameras, doing what they do best.
“As people, it’s natural for us to build walls to protect ourselves. But as an actor, you have to break those down to be more emotionally accessible. That can leave you feeling exposed or naked, if you will. But knowing that I was able to embody my character, you get an instant sense of fulfillment after,” Quintos said.
“I have been singing all my life, but I still get nervous before I go up onstage. But once the music starts playing, and I’m right there, singing and doing anything related to music, that’s when I feel most confident,” related San Jose, who was known primarily as a singer before venturing into acting.
Because soap operas and fashion shoots are Garcia’s comfort zone, her foray into hosting was a leap of faith—one that required lots of practice and adjustment. The transition wasn’t easy, she admitted, but career-enriching, nonetheless.
“It’s one of the big decisions I made for myself. It’s hard, but it feels so good to be in control of an event or a show,” related Garcia, who has hosted beauty pageants, like the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines. She also cohosts the ongoing season of the reality talent search, “Pinoy Big Brother.”
The four actresses are part of GMA 7’s new primetime series, “Slay,” which airs Mondays to Thursdays, at 9:25 p.m. The murder mystery series follows Sugar (Quintos), Liv (San Jose), Amelie (Garcia), and Yana (Ortega)—“pretty girls with ugly pasts”—who become prime suspects in a murder case involving the suspicious death of a fitness influencer.
And so far, in the time they have spent working together, Garcia, Ortega, Quintos, and San Jose were reminded of yet another defining aspect of women empowerment: sisterhood—and how it helps cultivate self-awareness and empathy “amid differences.”
True enough, in her costars, Ortega found the sisters she never had. “We all help each other and learn from each other. I can always ask them for advice,” she said. “Now I know what it feels like to have sisters … a group of women who are there to support you and cheer for you.”
