Guided by faith, Ashtine Olviga finds her way back to music
In her debut single, “Love Like U,” Ashtine Olviga sings about finally realizing that the love you have been searching for all this time is just right in front of you. But while romance may be the first thing that comes to mind with its sweet, breezy pop hook, the actress-singer sees it differently.
For Olviga, the song resonates on a more spiritual level. “We go on side quests in hopes of finding our worth, value, or the kind of love that we feel we deserve. But sometimes, we end up looking for those in the wrong things, and that drags us down,” she tells Lifestyle Inquirer.
“All along, Jesus knocks at our hearts, telling us He loves us for who we are—that you’re beautiful and you’re enough.”
Personal encounter
She was born Catholic but attended a Christian school, which “opened my eyes to reading the Bible.” She also served in a church, though at the time she did so only because it seemed “fun.”
And there were times, she admits, when she didn’t feel like spending time in devotion or having a quiet time—“nakakatamad minsan,” she quips.
Olviga thought she already knew Jesus. But it turned out that knowing isn’t the same as “encountering Him.” That realization came during a particularly trying moment in her life. “May pinagdaanan ako noon kung saan sobrang down ko talaga. Pero Siya lang ang tumulong sa ‘kin. Since then, my love for Him and my relationship with Him have deepened,” she says.
“I have more willingness to read the Bible. I no longer feel like it’s something I’m compelled to do. Nae-enjoy ko na siya,” adds Olviga, who makes sure to say her prayers and carry out her acts of devotion before heading out for work.
This was especially true in the lead-up to, and during the taping of, “Ang Mutya ng Section E”—the breakthrough series that thrust her into the spotlight last year.
Pay that love forward
To be given things and be forgiven for things we feel we don’t deserve is a kind of love that she believes you have to pass on to others. She hopes to do just that through “Love Like U”—or perhaps through a worship song in her planned EP, which she also envisions featuring more danceable tracks and dabbling in unlikely genres like hip-hop.
“Gusto ko, kung maglalabas ako ng albums, may maisingit ako na song dedicated to the Lord,” says Olviga, whose musical inspiration ranges from pop stars like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo to modern worship music acts such as Taya Smith, Planetshakers, and Elevation Rhythm.
Given the chance, she hopes to finally muster enough courage to write and put out her own compositions. As it is, “Love Like U,” while written and produced by Thyro Alfaro, is her first non-cover single and already feels personal to her because she was encouraged to share her input. “I was able to voice my own ideas and suggestions,” she says.
Still, she says this level of creative involvement exceeds anything she has experienced in her past music endeavors. As part of the former girl groups U Go Girls, Ppop Generation, and Litz, her role was limited to recording and performing whatever was given to them. “It would be nice to have a song I can actually call my own someday,” she says.
It’s interesting how Olviga’s career has panned out. For almost a decade, it seemed almost certain that music was the path she would take. Then Mutya beckoned, and the rest was history. Considering how confident she has become with acting, it almost seems surprising looking back at her girl group era and realizing how the spotlight used to intimidate her.
“Sobrang pressure dati kapag kailangan kong magsalita. Kapag may nag-aabot sa ‘kin ng mic during interviews, lumalayo ako at ‘di ko talaga kinukuha,” she says, laughing. “I was used to being with other girls.”
Dance like no one’s watching
Now, she has no groupmates to hide behind—something she must eventually get used to if she is to continue her journey as a solo music act. The debut single was the first test; the next—and bigger one—will be her first solo concert, “Love Like Ashtine,” at the New Frontier Theater on Aug. 22.
Olviga won’t deny that she’s feeling nervous. It has been quite a while since she performed something as extensive as the upcoming show. She will have to regain her stamina to keep up with the physical demands of singing and dancing for hours. And she knows she needs to practice intently until she once again feels like she’s enjoying herself and dancing like no one’s watching.
But beyond the early jitters, there’s also excitement about returning to her roots. Perhaps, like love for a special someone or love for God, “Love Like U” also represents her passion for music, which—despite her shifting career priorities—has never truly left. Now, enriched by experience, it feels like the right time for her to rediscover it.
“Na-miss ko siya,” Olviga says, “and now I feel like I can give more of my heart and myself in every song I make.”
