Being in the industry for almost her whole life and having a long list of teleseryes and movies under her belt, there’s definitely no doubt that What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim actress Janice De Belen is one of the most versatile and prolific artists in the local entertainment scene. But out of the many roles that she has portrayed through the decades, there’s one that she truly does best – and it’s none other than being a single careerwo-mom to her five beloved kids.

And in the latest vlog of Bernadette Sembrano, she opened up about her joys of being alone and the things that have been keeping her occupied whenever she’s not working on-cam, which includes being a daughter, a hobbyist, and a mom.

Their insightful and lighthearted conversation commenced with the broadcast journalist expressing her delight to find out that aside from her youngest son Yuan, the Kapamilya actress also lives with her dad, Philip de Belen.

“Siyempre naman. Tatay ko ‘yan, ‘no. They raised us and they gave us everything we needed when we were young. At a certain point in our life, it’s our time. It’s not bad. I mean, nobody is forcing anybody to do it, but nasa akin na ‘yon e. In my heart and in my mind, it is my responsibility,” Janice conveyed.

Since we’ve already seen her facet as a kitchen whiz, Janice allowed Bernadette to give us a glimpse of her other sides, such as being an online shopping aficionado and an arts and crafts enthusiast. She brought Bernadette around their house to show some of the quirky yet functional items that she purchased through online shopping platforms, as well as to her “happy place,” which is her office where she usually spends most of her time either going through her computer, doing her personal projects, or just doing nothing. She even gave Bernadette several samples of personalized note cards that she meticulously and lovingly created, much to the latter’s thrill.

Those who are following her on Instagram would know that her handle is “super_janice,” which, unbeknown to us, has a deep and sentimental meaning behind it. According to her, it’s actually derived from the tattoo she had in 2003 when she was around 33 or 34, the time when she got separated from her ex-husband John Estrada and tried going back to school.

“Believe it or not, ‘Super Janice,’ ‘yung Superman [logo] dapat ang gagawin kong tatt. I’ve always wanted to have a tattoo ever since I was 18. The best reason for a tattoo is an accomplishment. You need to earn your stars to earn the right to put a tattoo on your body because that’s forever e. So, ‘di ko na tinuloy when I was 18,” she told Bernadette.

She realized after returning to school to pursue college and ending her marriage that she actually overcame a lot of debacles in life. Thus, instead of getting herself inked with the iconic logo of “Superman,” who is her favorite fictional superhero, she heeded the suggestion of her friend to replace “S” with “J” to remind herself of everything that she went through and conquered during that certain point in her life.

Amidst her busyness as a single careerwo-mom, it really amazed Bernadette how Janice is still able to raise her kids knowing the grueling demands of her career. According to her, being able to own her time and having the freedom to control which project to accept or decline indeed allowed her to be still present in the lives of her children growing up. She was lucky and proud to say that even when her children were still small, there was still a great amount of time that they’re able to spend time at home together.

Bernadette might be all praises to her, but Janice confessed that she still couldn’t help but feel that everything she has done for them is not yet enough. She feels that there’s a part of her that is trying to compensate for something that she couldn’t give them, which is a complete family. Besides, she feels that she hasn’t taught her children adequate life skills, but thinks that the time has already come for them to learn them on their own.

Comparing herself to a hen who likes to keep her brood by her side, Janice admitted that she actually didn’t want any one of her children to leave. However, she realized that it isn’t alright, especially now that they are all grown-ups because she really has to let them go. And the latest one to leave their nest is her daughter Kaila, who has been sharing her moving-out journey on Instagram.

She was advised by people close to her advised her that the time would indeed come when her kids have to take care of themselves, live on their own, and know the ropes by themselves. At the same time, she’s also no longer getting any younger, so she can’t do everything for them anymore.

When asked by Bernadette if she transitions herself as well, Janice explained, “Hindi naman din kasi tinanggap ko na e. Agad-agad. I try to accept things as fast as I can. Why? Kasi I don’t like to be sad for a long time. So, ngayon palang tinatanggap ko na lahat. Tinatanggap ko na tumatanda ako, na ‘okay, one day tatanda ka [and] your children, ikaw na lang mag-isa.’ Tinanggap ko na ‘yon.”

It may have been years already since her marriage ended, but the veteran actress no longer sees herself getting married again for she’s already okay with being alone. Living life alone may be difficult, but she has been used to it and is very okay with it since she’s not attached to anybody. She wants to wake up every morning only thinking about herself and what she would want to do for the day and not having to ask for permission from anyone before doing something.

The interview concluded with Bernadette quizzing Janice about what she’s thankful for, to which she replied, “I’m thankful for the skill that I have been given to be able to raise my children. I am thankful for the other skills that were given to me that I’m able to use in my life. I’m just thankful that I get up everyday and I’m able to live my day. That’s more than enough.”

Catch Janice in the Filipino adaptation of What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim being broadcast on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z every Saturday and Sunday at 7 PM.