Moms and Dads
Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza on Family and Parenting
90s singers Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza share how they keep their relationship intact and how they parent their daughter Jayda.
Marrying someone from showbiz has its ups and downs, most notably keeping the relationship away from the public eye. But singers Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza managed to weather the challenges, especially now that they are raising their daughter, Jayda, who is also making a name for herself in showbiz.
The couple sat down with Toni Gonzaga during an episode of her online show to talk about their life as a couple, raising Jayda, and the decisions they made to keep their dynamics working.
Dingdong: The admiration for Jessa
The couple has been married for 21 years and to date, Dingdong still admires his wife. When Toni mentioned that they were still in the courtship stage, Jessa said: “I feel blessed.”
“I think you have to keep it exciting. It should not be monotonous,” Dingdong said of how he makes their relationship work. “I hate that you just get into a certain pattern or habit. I want to keep things exciting. And I want to do certain things spur of the moment.”
Dingdong added that he also tries to give Jessa compliments as much as he can whenever she least expects.
Before getting together, both shared that there were already qualities they found attractive about one another including professionalism when it comes to work.
Staying together despite the odds
When they got together as boyfriend and girlfriend, the two managed to go through struggles considering the gossip thrown about their relationship.
“If I were younger, I would have not dealt with it the way I did,” Dingdong said. “And siguro we wouldn’t be around today. Kasi madaming showbiz couples and they don’t make it.”
“Very publicized yung aming relationship,” Jessa recalled. “And madaming humahadlang.”
“Doon pa lang makikita niyo na yung mga pagsubok na pinagdaanan namin. Grabe yung how things were twisted. Doon namin nalaman na siguro para sa isa’t isa kami kasi we stood the test of time,” Dingdong chimed in.
While many have scoffed at their relationship, Dingdong and Jessa proudly showed that they were able to prove them wrong and are still together. And all though they managed to work things out, they still learn from each other.
Dingdong Avanzado on being a dad
Raising a teen can be quite a challenge and no one knows that more than Dingdong, most especially since he made sure to be by Jayda’s side during the early years.
“Jayda and I used to be very close. We were playmates,” he said.
Jessa echoed her husband’s words, saying they were always together. “Sila yung naglalaro ng Barbie.”
When they were based in the US, Dingdong shared that he was the one who would do her dollhouse and play video games. “And nung nagbago na yung phase niya, adolescence, biglang medyo distant.”
“Hindi ko alam kung nahihiya siya or nawala siya pero biglang iba.”
Although Jayda is still close to him, it’s Jessa who she runs to when it comes to difficult conversations. “Pag nag-uusap kami, it’s always about her music, anything related to her craft,” he said.
Dingdong on daughter Jayda: My approval matters to her
But regardless of what their relationship is now, Dingdong is proud that he was a present dad in Jayda’s life. He also sees that his daughter has learned a lot from the conversations they had.
“When she talks and certain nuggets of what I tell her come out, I feel touched because nakikinig pala siya. My approval and my opinion matter to her,” he said.
Asked what makes Dingdong a good father, Jessa said: “Itong asawa ko, loving talaga. Alam ko na hindi lang siya good provider financially but yung pag-provide niya ng security sa aming mag-ina, sa family namin.”
Dingdong added that it’s not just about the money. “Money comes and goes. Security is how you make them feel. And I’m glad to hear that from her. That she feels secure.”
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