Gary Valenciano: Pure Energy, Pure Heart

Gary Valenciano opens up about the greatest encore of his life—grandfatherhood

Not everyone is blessed with the gift of becoming a grandparent, but those who are often describe it the same way: pure joy. For Gary Valenciano, it’s one of his life’s greatest blessings. 

Picture this: it’s a Monday morning, fresh from a long-haul flight back to Manila. Still a little jetlagged and dressed in lounge pants and a loose knit sweater. He’s arrived the night before, yet the very first thing he does is head to his eldest son’s home just to be with his grandchildren—telling them a bedtime story with a mix of many animated voices and watching Wondla on Apple TV. That’s Gary V: always leading with heart and intention, knowing where his priorities lie.

At 61, he is ‘Papi Gary’ to 8-year old Leia and 2-year old Luch—two sprightly and bright kids who light him up as much as he does lighting up any room or stage. At our Modern Parenting cover shoot, it didn’t take much to capture that spirit. Between takes, Gary wrapped his arms warmly around the kids, coaxing not-so-shy smiles and bursts of laughter as we worked on getting that perfect shot. At one point, he even flipped Luch upside down when the two year old tried climbing up his grandfather—sending the entire room into a flurry of awws and giggles. 

It was a pure, rare and intimate portrait of a music icon whose greatest performance these days may just be the role of grandfather, where his energy, love and devotion shine brighter than ever.

A man of many hats

Gary Valenciano has long been celebrated for his many roles in Philippine entertainment. With over four decades in the industry, while many others may become jaded by fame or burn out from the demands, he remains rooted in the impact and good he is able to bring because of what he has built. 

Fresh from “Pure Energy: One More Time” back in December 2024, he shares how he feels so privileged to have inspired and lifted up so many spirits with the performances and music he has brought to the world. He clarifies that he is not retiring, but that the recent huge shows are going to be the last of that scale that he does. 

He explains the physical demands and why he is now choosing a more intimate approach to his shows: “To be on that stage for two and a half to two hours and 45 minutes, it’s really tough on the body. At this age, I’m 61! I’m going to turn over a new chapter and start going into more intimate performances, which I’ve also been able to do in the recent past. And people have said that’s the kind of concert they like watching, too, because it’s like they’re so up close.”

Putting together concerts and live performances are no small feat, and Gary credits family and his team, especially Paolo, in shaping that move toward more intimate shows: “Paolo was the one that really helped me out, helped the team out. Because he said, ‘Look guys, dad only does major concerts once every three or four years… After this one, when is his next one? At 64? And you’re going to expect him to do that? Cannot. It’s right to call it this at this time. And then move into something else that [will allow] people [to] still see him, and he’ll still be moving. But it just won’t have to be a grand, big-scale thing.’”

Lessons in fatherhood, then and now

At home, Gary has always been vivid and animated. While his kids were growing up, the walls within saw moments full of play, storytelling, inside jokes, and discipline—when needed. He reflects on the way he parented Paolo, Gabriel, and Kiana, and the memories that shaped the people they’ve grown up to be.

“Who I am as a parent… Well, really the best people to ask are them [my kids.] Even Paolo, because Paolo has a lot of me in him, but he’s put it on steroids somehow. It’s like his sense of humor is so different. But I love his sense of humor. And then I see myself in that, the way he is. His voice, the tone of him saying his jokes and all,” he grins.

He talks about their home in Antipolo, and how they’d play childhood games together. “ I remember that was the time when Jurassic Park came out. I would always go up and around, acting like a dinosaur, and I would chase them around. And Gabriel, he’s the one that would run. He’d run fast but I could run faster than him at that time. I would capture them, and the screaming that went on and on.” 

He looks back on memories of Paolo as a child, “Paolo kasi was a really, really kind, tender, gentle kid. And he was adorable. He’d rarely cry. And I remember when he was like an infant, the way I’d put him to sleep, he’d be looking at me lang. I’d have him on a rocker, holding him close. I’d say, ‘Go to sleep na, son.’ He’s just there looking up at me. But I know he’s sleepy. I’d gently shut his eyes closed with my fingers and he’s asleep,” he smiles.

And to this day, Gary still laughs at Paolo’s childhood logic. “One time, in the car, I was driving and Paolo asked ‘Papa, are we millionaires?’ I said, ‘Pao, no naman, I think God has given us enough. Whatever we need, God has given us enough. ‘So we’re thousandaires?’ Gary laughs.

On the flipside, Gabriel’s physicality, quick wit, and playfulness live bright in Gary’s stories. “Take it from the way I am, as the middle child. Complete opposite of Paolo. One time, I was so mad at him. I said, ‘Gabriel, you better stop what you’re doing, okay? If the yaya says to do this, you have to do it. Are you listening to me?’ And he snapped his finger at me, at the age of three or four. So I’m looking at him, with this look on my face, I said, ‘Why’d you do that?’

“Gabriel was also one who would stick by me anytime I’m working. Music talaga was his thing,” Gary shares. ”Then, Paolo naman was already into videos and directing even at a young age. He would ask, ‘Dad, can I borrow your camera? I’m creating this thing that I have in mind for school.’”

Then, with his daughter Kiana, Gary recalls gentler, quieter moments. “But I know also for a fact that with Kiana, it was also very, very, very colorful… I would pick her up from school. And she would have her little Barbie dolls. We’d go together to the driving range and while I’m practicing, I could overhear all her stories,” he chuckles.

He shared how whenever his wife Angeli was not home, Kiana would come into his studio. “And she would just hang out with me while I’m working. She’d sit behind me. And then she’d lean against my back and then she’d fall asleep while I’m working. And then the yaya would come to take her up to bed, and we’d say goodnight, I’d tell her that I’ll go up to her in a bit. Those were the moments,” he smiles.

Now that his children are grown, charting their own courses and forging their own paths both here and abroad, their relationships remain close, warm, and collaborative. “Paolo and I rarely come into disagreements. And when we do come into disagreements, it’s funny disagreements… And with Gab, we bond over music. He’ll send me a clip of Hans Zimmer and talk about how it was watching him perform,” he shares.

“Music, dance, video, editing—that’s Gab. Anything that’s live, on stage, on television—that’s Paolo. And with Kiana, it’s her music, not mine,” he smiles, thinking of when she created a remake of his song Sana Maulit Ulit and shared it with him, beaming with pride. “She’s the one I have in my heart and mind quite a bit now because it’s hard to be a songwriter in the United States. And I’m so thankful she found a husband like Sandro, he is a gem.”

Key advice he’d like to pass on to his children is that faith remains the most important thing. “The reality of the need for God. Not a god, but the God,” he says. 

The joy of being “Papi Gary”

Becoming a grandfather, Gary says, feels like a second chance and unbridled joy—without the restraint of having to play disciplinarian, he can just have fun. “The grandchildren are my second chance in life to be the father I wasn’t able to be. So if there’s something I missed out with my children, I have another chance to do it with them,” he says. As he spends more and more time with his grandkids, he delights in Leia’s curiosity and Luch’s physical play. 

When asked how different ‘Papi Gary’ is from ‘Daddy Gary,’ he responds: “I’m a lot more patient… and a lot more fun! I don’t have to discipline because I think Paolo and [his wife] Sam are doing a very good job.”

He wants his grandkids to remember one thing to describe him above all: “Loving, that’s basically it. I think that has everything in it.” He shares how when he spends time with them, he remains ever-present and ever playful. “I’ll get texts from Angeli saying, ‘Please take a photo, or have someone take it!’ But I’m always focused on my time with them. They’re not gonna be that age forever, you have to cherish that while you can.”

Walking on water

Reflecting on a recent moment that greatly affected and changed him, Gary shares that what happened in his show in 2024 was a mix of physical crisis and spiritual clarity, something that he still calls on when he prays these days. “What I encountered on December 20, which Paolo saw me through, and on December 22, when I was still recovering, I really had to practice what I preached, which was to focus only on God. The way it says in Paul, when Peter walked on water. I told God in my mind: I’m gonna do what only one other person did when he focused on you. I’m just gonna let everything go. I feel like I don’t have it in me, but I have it in You. So I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna walk on water, okay?’

He frames that experience as the lesson he hopes will outlive him, especially in his kids and grandkids. “That’s what I want them to always know… that no matter what may lie ahead of you, or around you, if you focus on those things you will drown. Focus on God. Just follow. That’s what I’m hoping for. Following doesn’t mean the waters will get calm, the waves were still there when they were walking, but they were actually walking on water.”

A legacy built

Gary returns to a simple final piece of advice about purpose, one that sums up his life in a poignant message for parents and grandparents alike “Even through the toughest or roughest moments in life, like a typhoon that strikes at midday, it’s never totally dark. Even when it’s makulimlim, there’s still a source of light. And it’s only a matter of time na that light shines through. And with regard to my life, it’s been like that… there have been a lot of moments of turmoil, a lot of uncertainties, but maybe, if I were to sum it up? It’s me being willing to do what I know I’m called to do, even if it goes totally against what the world says I should be doing,” he says. 

For Gary, his calling is clear: “to encourage, to uplift, to rebuild, to redirect, to bless, the many out there who care enough to listen.” Today, his legacy shines most vibrantly at home, as a loving husband and father, and then now, as a grandfather. What began as bedtime rituals with Paolo, Gab, and Kiana, stories told with imagination and wonder, is now joyfully revived with Leia and Luch. “Only this time, I can do even more voices,” Gary laughs. Storytime, cuddles, and simple play have become a new stage where his faith, humor, and boundless energy continue to bear good fruit.

Looking back on the road so far, what he’s had to overcome, and how his faith has carried him through, he says: “I think the biggest misconception that people have is that once you have a relationship with God, everything’s okay. No, it’s not. Yes, you will be okay, despite everything that’s happening.” He pauses, reflecting on time, the thing he prays about often now at his age. “You know, I’m not supposed to be alive anymore. I was given a 30-year lifespan when my diabetes was diagnosed. I was 14. So bale by 44, wala na ako. But I’m 61, I still have a lot brewing in my head. I don’t know how I’m going to be when I fulfill all of those things, but God said, I have plans for you, plans that are not to harm you, plans to prosper you. To give you hope and a future, and that’s how I’ve been living my life.”

The show must go on

If Gary Valenciano’s life thus far were a song, it would be one that keeps returning to the same chorus: God, then everything else follows. A performer and artist at this scale who has filled concert venues of every size, moved generations, and poured his gifts into a faith that has held him through storms, Gary remains deeply rooted in his trust and purpose. 

Today, that purpose is felt just as strongly off-stage, in the quieter shows he puts on for an audience of two: his grandkids. Whether it’s reading stories, engaging in play, or simply being present for their everyday wonder, the role of being Papi Gary, loving grandfather to Leia and Luch, is its own kind of performance—one of pure love, joy, and intention. And in their laughter and embrace, Gary’s legacy comes full circle—faith and love multiplied, passed on to a new generation who will carry that energy forward. 

And so, while the music and the show go on, Gary’s greatest encore is the animated, colorful life he has built with his family—and now, the joy of grandparenting, with Leia and Luch reminding him every day of what truly matters.

Words JUSTIN CONVENTO
Photography ED SIMON of KLIQ, INC.
Grooming and Makeup BERNARD RODIL of Toni & Guy Philippines for Gary V
Hairstyling and Makeup CAROL PAUSO of TONI & GUY PHILIPPINES for Leia & Luch
Styling JOHN LOZANO, assisted by LON MORELOS
Shoot Coordination ANTHONY MENDOZA
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO-TUPAZ

Shot on Location WESTIN MANILA
Special thanks to MANILA GENESIS ENTERTAINMENT & MANAGEMENT, INC. and GV PRODUCTIONS, INC.

Catch Gary V in the following:

• His ASAP Sunday show is now celebrating its 30th Year. They recently staged a spectacular show in Birmingham, England, last August 30.
• Gary V is one of the superstar judges in IDOL KIDS Philippines, now in its semi-final round. Grand Finals will be on Sep 27 & 28.
• Gary V will soon start taping for Your Face Sounds Familiar, another reality show from ABS-CBN, where he co-judges with Sharon Cuneta and Ogie Alcasid.
• He’ll also have a show this coming October 2 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Alabang Hills Village.

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