Jennylyn Mercado, Yes! May 2010

A Single Mom makes a pretty home for the only man in her life today, Alex jazz

In July 2008, Jennylyn Mercado moved to this house in a subdivision in Quezon City. It's her third home since she started in show business in 2003.

"Iyong una, 'yong condominium," says Jen. "Maliit talaga 'yon, kasi parami nang parami 'yong gamit ko, e, habang patagal nang patagal. So lumipat kami sa North View [subdivision in Quezon City]. Noong nabuntis ako, napapansin ko na parang sobrang liit na ng bahay, may baby pa, so lumipat kami dito."

She bought this house for P8 million, from a friend who put it on the market. "Iyong friend ko, U.S. citizen siya. Umalis na siya. Iyong mom niya, kaysa naman mag-isa siya dito sa bahay, ibinenta na lang, kasi pinipetisyon na din siya ng anak niya sa States."

Satisfied with the look of the house, Jen opted not to have any renovations done. She simply changed the color palette of the rooms. For this space, the living area, she had the original white walls repainted in a baby-pink hue and decorated with a wallpaper border.

The wall decor on the left, showing eight galloping horses, and the huge gold mirror on the right are pieces from the Mercados' home in Las Piñas, acquired almost 20 years ago. 

Jennylyn was the lead star in the telenovela Gumapang Ka sa Lusak and a mainstay in the variety show Party Pilipinas, both aired on GMA-7. She released her fourth solo album, Love Is, for Viva Records. She's also cast in a remake of National Artist Ishmael Bernal's 1984 hit, Working Girls. The remake is a co-production of Viva Films and GMA Films.

With several projects lined up for her, the Kapuso star initially wanted to buy a house closer to her network, but her instincts as a new mom made her decide against it.

"Tumingin din ako," she explains, "sa malapit sa GMA-7—Tomas Morato, Timog. Pero parang masyadong magulo, maraming sasakyang dumadaan, mausok. Siyempre, pag may baby, kailangan 'yong environment, maayos."

Hanging high up on the front door is a bagua, the octagonal-shaped map or diagram used in feng shui, which is believed to bring luck within the household. Jen's adoptive mom, Mommy Lydia, is a firm believer in feng shui, defined by Webster New World College Dictionary (2009) as "the Chinese practice of choosing and arranging work and living spaces to promote balance, comfort, etc., as in locating building sites or placing furniture."

At the time of the shoot, a few days after the Chinese New Year on February 14, a bowl filled with rice and with chocolate wrapped in gold foil stood on a coffee table (not in photo). A bowl with these contents is likewise believed to be a lucky charm. Also on the coffee table was a glass container into which the Mercados drop coins the whole year round. "Buong taon, mag-iipon kami," says Jen. "Puro mga piso, mga barya-barya namin, 'tapos nilalagay namin do'n, para pag New Year 'sinasabog naming."

These low glass tables were originally in Jen's North View townhouse. The young actress explains her choice of glass tables: "Parang lumuluwag 'yong paligid, parang mas maluwag 'yong sala, 'yong dining room. Pag tinitingnan mo sila, parang may reflection. Pag mas maraming salamin, mas maluwag tingnan."

The sectional couch, bought at a branch of the Play & Display furniture shop, and the curtains were handpicked by Jen herself.

The dining-room windows behind Jen provide a view of the backyard. The house sits on high ground, giving a beautiful view of the rolling hills in the village. At the height of Typhoon Ondoy in September 2009, Jen saw how floodwaters rose in the lower areas. She and her family gave shelter to fellow GMA-7 actress Jennica Garcia, who was also living in the area.

Since that horrifying experience, Jen has grown wary of disaster warnings—so much so that when the next typhoon, Pepeng, was announced, she and her family packed their bags and headed for the safer haven provided by a hotel. The fact that her house is on high ground was what particularly worried her.

"Ayoko lang mag-isip masyado. Baka mamaya, landslide naman isipin ko. Kasi, pag malambot 

'yong soil, di ba nakakatakot? Kaya para matahimik na ako, umalis na lang kami."

At that time, Jen had a photo shoot for the cover story of the premier men's magazine FHM Philippines, for its November 2009 issue. She says she brought her son AJ to the shoot: "Para pagkatapos ko, diretso na kami sa hotel." 

That's the nearly-three-year-old AJ exploring the second-floor hallway. With a toddler roaming around the house, Jen has installed a safety gate at the top of the stairway as a precautionary measure.