Jericho Rosales on Janine Gutierrez’s losses, success of ‘Quezon’

As a way of supporting his girlfriend, Janine Gutierrez, who recently lost four family members successively, Jericho Rosales said he invited the actress and her sisters to spend time at the beach.

“They needed time to relax. But of course, that’s just one effort. Just sitting down, listening, and understanding her… I know that means a lot,” said Jericho, who has been dating Janine since August 2024.

Janine’s difficult year began in April with the passing of her paternal grandmother, singer Pilita Corrales. Four days later, her maternal grandmother, National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Nora Aunor, who was the adoptive mother of Lotlot de Leon, also died.

The losses continued in May with the death of her uncle, actor Ricky Davao, the former husband of her aunt Jackie Lou Blanco. Most recently, her longtime nanny, Yaya Pat, whom she regarded as a second mother, also passed away.

“It’s been hard for her,” Jericho told reporters during a party organized for him by a digibank company.

“I cannot imagine what the family is feeling right now. I see them, and as a unit, they are very loving and very supportive of one another. They’re incredibly tight as a family, and I guess that helps a lot.”

He continued, “I recently asked Janine to come with me to the beach with her sister. I also told her, ‘You don’t need to work. You just have to process this. If you need the rest of the year to take a break, then do it.’”

“That’s the kind of support I give because I know I can’t take the pain away,” he added. “Just being with her is enough. I’m so impressed by her. I’m learning so much about the family. For the first time, I’ve seen a family outside my own that is this tight.”

Quezon’s success

Meanwhile, Rosales said the Jerrold Tarog biopic “Quezon” in which he plays the titular role, still has a long way to go in reaching more Filipino audiences.

Rosales was asked about the box-office performance of the movie, and whether the controversy surrounding the film contributed to its momentum.

“Yes, we’re on our sixth week. We also have international screenings starting today. We have screenings in the Middle East and, hopefully, more here again for school tours. The journey is still long. It’s been a while since I’ve had a movie stay this long in cinemas. It shows that it’s an important film and peopleappreciate it.”

He said promoting the film was not easy, especially with the challenge of bringing audiences back to theaters. “It feels like we’re promoting movies the way we did in the ’90s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. It’s a mix of social media and being physically present—going to cinemas and surprising people. But the success of ‘Quezon’ made everything worth it. Thank you to everyone who supported the film.”

Asked if the controversies surrounding “Quezon,” including protests from one of President Manuel L. Quezon’s relatives, affected public perception, Jericho said they were prepared.

“Since Day One of making Bayaniverse, Jerrold, the team, and I already expected these reactions. We don’t see it as something that helped our promo, but conversations were bound to happen, and whatever resulted from them was simply a reaction to the reaction,” he said, adding that their team has always respectful of feelings, emotions, and comments.

“Whatever they are, good or bad, we read everything. We welcome everything. It has made us wiser. Like I said before, it made us more accepting, more open, more understanding. As a filmmaker and as an actor, I feel like I’ve been stretched. Parang mas tumibay ang pundasyon ko dahil doon.” /edv