Tough Filipina Siren Jennylyn Mercado | Photos

"TOUGH" would be my word to describe Filipina actress and siren Jennylyn Mercado. Why? Because she has been through a lot and it appears her resolve is not shaken. Like the proverbial phoenix, she keeps rising from the ashes.

She was a battered child. Beaten and burned with cigarette butts by her stepfather, who was in detention but was freed by her OFW mother, who came home not to take care of her daughter but to bail out her partner. This sad moment of her life was featured in the TV show Magpakailanman on October 2004.

But that is not all. She got pregnant. Her ex-boyfriend Patrick Garcia ran off when he learned about the pregnancy. She gave birth on August 16, 2008 as a single mom at a tender age of twenty-one (21). And to top it all, she allegedly had a minor heart attack, which had her rushed to the hospital on October 2010.

Still, fans continue to love Miss Mercado. At the 2012 "100 Sexiest Women in the World" poll by FHM Philippines, she ranked 9th. Jennylyn has been in the survey's top 20 since 2004. She was also the magazine's cover girl in two issues (November 2009 and January 2008).

Her movies and TV shows are a hit with her diehard fans. Jennylyn Mercado has, indeed come a long, long way, as compared to her humble beginnings as a struggling recording artist (with Alpha Records in 1999) and commercial model before she got her big break as the winner in the reality TV talent search show, StarStruck Season 1 in 2003.

I wish her the best. She has been through so much rough times. This tough Filipina siren deserves the all the best of what reel and real life can bring.

More photos of our featured Pinay beauty! (click on image to enlarge)

Source: Wikipedia

Pretty Filipina Taekwondo Threesome

Because the global hype for the 2012 London Olympics is heating up, this blog is now featuring pretty Filipina sports-girls, in particular, our Taekwondo "threesome" - Rani Ann Ortega, Janice Lagman, and Camille Alarilla.

In 2009, they bagged the gold medal at the Taekwondo Poomsae event in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

Where's the fighting, you might say!? Well, poomsae, for the uninformed (like me, before I read about it), is a series of martial arts movements used in training. Actual fighting or sparring is another event. I think this is like the "kata" of karate.

Our Filipina taekwondo threesome is a real treat for your eyes and heart. Here's what Eric Caruncho of the Philippine Daily Inquirer said:

"It certainly didn't hurt that the three, who are first cousins, share the same height, physique and - to be frank - good looks. Moving in perfect synchronization, they were a joy to watch".

I couldn't agree more. And it did not escape my attention that our pretty threesome is also a brainy bunch! Ortega is a Sports Science graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP). Lagman is a registered nurse; while Alarilla is a Management Economics graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University. Real gorgeous non-showbiz Pinays (Filipinas), I tell you! 

I am still searching for photos of our Olympians for the 2012 London Olympics. Hope to see more sporty beauties in the Philippine delegation and contingent! I wish you would be the batch to bring home the country's first gold medal! More images of our three gorgeous ladies of Philippines sports!

source: Inquirer Sports, Janice Lagman's Facebook page