VP/Cover | Into the Princess’ Playground: Zephanie Rules the Game

To be a princess, in the minds of many, is a picture of a young woman with every move reserved as she gently looks over their town from the balcony of their grand home. The world has taught us that princesses wear stunning gowns and sparkling crowns—that the resolutions of their story only begin when a prince charming comes to save them. But in a world of very demure princesses inside the comfort of their castles comes Zephanie—this generation’s pop princess, out in the playground, ruling her game.

Unlike most fairytale stories, her journey to the crown did not come from an inherited throne or the royalty that comes after marrying a prince. It began when she first captivated the nation after joining and winning a national television singing competition a few years ago. There, she proved her singing prowess—that beyond her undeniable capacity to belt songs out, she speaks to the souls of those she serenades and tells them a story that her heart writes. Now, she has become an unstoppable force on stage—a pop princess in the present from whom many people draw inspiration.

Zephanie, among the many representations of today’s generation, holds a soul that dreams beyond what the universe tells her. The pop princess sees the world not from the balcony of her kingdom but through the lenses of a youthful soul who dares to go out in the playground, explore the labyrinth, and swing as high as she can! And so, from the stage, the pop princess leaped onto the sets of teleseryes, unleashing the actress that has always been inside her. Zephanie found her momentum—from singing to acting, she rules the game!

Unearthing Dreams Beneath the Sandbox

Her daring soul has always made itself visible to Zephanie since she was younger. Although she used to be a shy child who kept herself from the eyes of many, this generation’s pop princess found a safer space around her friends and siblings where she could completely transform into another person that her young mind wished to be. It seemed like a sandbox that concealed a thousand characters—dreams that Zephanie was about to unearth.

“Kasama ‘yong mga kapatid at kaibigan ko, mahilig kaming mag-roleplay, na parang kunwari kontrabida kami pareho na magkakabanggaan tapos intense na fight scene agad! Tapos nagpa-practice pa kami no’n kung paano gagawin ang eksena. And every time na nanonood ako ng teleserye or movies, somehow naiisip ko ‘yong idea na ako ‘yong gumagawa ng isang eksena.”
-Zephanie

From a vision that she kept in her mind, the young Zephanie would surely be surprised to discover that years after unearthing her dream characters from the sandbox of their random roleplays, she would become among the names to star in teleseryes.

These dreams began with her fascination with television shows, from which Zephanie drew inspiration to create her universe every time she played as a child.

As a kid who grew up in a typical Filipino household where soaking into the great teleseryes and primetime dramas has become the best form of leisure, Zephanie, before becoming a star herself, first became a fan of teleseryes. These shows made her younger years fun and memorable. She even recalls the days back when she used to rush home to not miss a single episode of her favorite TV drama, which probably shaped the characters she portrayed in the little roleplays of their mundane childhood.

“Ang pinaka-memorable sa akin ay ‘yong ‘Kadenang Ginto’ talaga, kasi ‘yon ‘yong every pag-uwi ko as in, aabangan ko ‘yon kasi! Sobrang drawn ko lang doon sa story. Siguro bilang teenager din katulad nila, naging fan ako nina Francine Diaz, Andrea. Then, pag-uwi ko, diretso na ako kaagad—naka-uniform pa ako no’n. Naging malaking part talaga ng buhay ko at ng family ko ‘yong mga teleserye at iba pang TV shows.”
-Zephanie

If her huge love for television dramas as a child fleshed out the antagonist roles she played in the games of pretend with her friends, it now shapes and breathes life into the characters she portrays in real-life teleseryes where she stars. She now gets inspiration from the likes of Rita Daniela, whose acting performances in ‘Widow’s War’ Zephanie finds exceptional, to color and add layers to the personas that she plays as in her teleseryes. From unearthing dreams and characters beneath the sandbox of her childhood, this generation’s pop princess now unlocks new roles in her journey as an actress as she dares to explore a new labyrinth.

Through the Maze of Artistry

Behind the glitz and glamor of every stage and spotlight, the world of entertainment is a landscape of complex realities—a maze of artistry where one step could either solve the puzzle or lock a challenger down its depths. But for a princess with a soul who dares to brave the things she finds strange, a labyrinth is but a playground of discovery. And so from singing, Zephanie explored the art of acting—a new maze that she is about to solve and master in the story of her artistry.

“Parang naging playground ko talaga ‘siya‘yong acting and ‘yong mga set kasi I get to play with my characters and with the people on set. I guess, I’m really blessed that my first project, Sparkle U, ang mga kasama ko ay mga friends ko along with Direk Barry. Even now sa MAKA with Direk Rod and ‘yong mg a kasama ko, friends ko rin sila, so ang saya!”
-Zaphanie

The pop princess of this generation has found a new game close to the roleplays she enjoyed in her younger years. But this time, with a new set of friends in a playground where things go beyond the dreams beneath the sandbox. Zephanie now acts in front of real cameras, giving life to characters that no longer skip to intense fight scenes but tell layers of stories, inspiring the generation that the pop princess represents.

Although faced with uncertainties at first, Zephanie continues to strive to master a new craft, believing that only by trying can one know. Now, she goes out in her new playground with a brave soul and a heart gentle to herself.

“Minsan kasi we put so much pressure to ourselves, na dapat alam na natin lahat at dapat magaling na tayo agad. For me, we have areas in our lives where we can be patient with ourselves and lessen the pressure kasi we go through the process of working on it. They are opportunities to grow.”
-Zephanie

Similar to the personas she plays in television series, this generation’s pop princess offers a story that not only could move emotions but also spark inspiration. Given a chance to turn her narratives into a teleserye, Zephanie would call it ‘Journey’ along with her ‘Pangarap Kong Pangarap Mo’ as its official soundtrack.

“More than the destination, sa journey, doon talaga nakikita ‘yong mga shift sa buhay mo, learnings, and growth in every aspect of life. Kaya kung ishi-share ko ang life ko through a teleserye, iha-highlight ko ‘yong journey more than the goal and destination that I have. And I feel like once na makarating ako sa certain destination, I wouldn’t stay there. I would still dream for more, and I think I will never stop doing that kasi that’s life—you should keep on going.“
-Zephanie

As the Gen Z pop star continues to tell stories through the characters she portrays that also give a glimpse into her experiences, she also radiates the youthful and dynamic energy of her daring soul to her audience. Zephanie holds the power to shape the lives and dreams of the generation who look up to her, just as she once was a child moved and inspired by teleseryes. And all of these she does as she continues to play through the maze of her artistry.

A Puzzle Piece of Milestone

Every step that Zephanie takes, both in her music and acting career, is a puzzle piece that completes the vision that this generation’s pop star has for herself. Each part represents a milestone that testifies to her journey to the crown as a pop princess with a distinct story far from the fairytales. Zephanie is consistently collecting each milestone as she continues to venture into her playground of discovery.

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Among her brightest breakthroughs is the epitome of a journey that the Gen Z pop star has taken for years now in the world of entertainment—an album that houses songs that moved the audiences of many teleseryes whose official soundtracks were performed by Zephanie: Her Theme Song Collection.

“No’ng sinabi talaga sa akin na magkakaroon ako ng album ng compilation ng mga GMA telserye themesongs na ako ang kumanta, napaisip ako kung gano’n na ba siya karami. And I realized na two years being with GMA, ang dami na pala talaga nila, so that album to me is a souvenir and a proof ng love and passion that I have for singing and music.”
-Zephanie

Each of the 11 songs in Her Theme Song Collection holds a special place in Zephanie’s heart—masterpieces that immediately spoke to her the moment she received the study materials. It seemed like these teleserye songs transcended their purpose to tell the stories of television dramas. They mirrored the real-life experience of this generation’s pop princess—a strong force that allowed Zephanie to convey a vivid and personal testimony through her performances.

These are milestones that Zephanie shares with the people who witnessed her story since the beginning—back when she was unearthing her dreams from the sandbox of her childhood—up to the present as she goes through the maze of her artistry.

The Gen Z pop princess gives credit to the people who supported her as to why she keeps striving to always give a better version of herself every time she shares her craft.

“I want to share this with everyone na nakasuporta sa akin from the start but I also wanna share these songs with the people who look for, like signs of hope and faith in something that they want in life.”
-Zephanie

As Zephanie continues to find every puzzle piece to her vision, she marks not only a milestone in her story as an artist but paints a clear message of inspiration to the generation she is a part of—that chasing dreams comes with challenges and uncertainties but with faith in oneself, it becomes an adventurous journey to end with a beautiful destination.

“If you believe—if you want something and it’s in your heart, it will happen at the right time. Never give up kasi if I had given up before entering GMA or even before joining competitions, I would not be here, sharing these songs and albums with them. So being able to share these songs is a sign na I never gave up on myself, my dreams, and my purpose as an artist.”
-Zephanie

Zephanie’s faith in the power of persisting through the situations fueled her to brave the uncertainties from the moment she unearthed her dreams out of the sandbox, braved a new maze in her artistry, and found the puzzle pieces of her milestones. And all of these, Zephanie did as this generation’s pop princess, out in the playground of discovery, ruling her game of artistry.

Publisher | Richie de Quina & Gwynn Crisostomo
Editor-in-Chief | John Luke Chica
Senior Editor | Chud David Dulay
Junior Editor | Lei Sedero
PR & Advertising Manager | Josh Austria
Digital Manager | Allen Esteban
Words by Chud David Dulay

Photographer | Caryl Manalo
Stylist | Miguel Quilang
Hairstylist | Jana Tan Chin
Make-up by Zephanie

Special Thanks
Cornerstone Entertainment:
President | Erickson Raymundo
Vice President | Jeff Vadillo
AVP for Music/Ad & Promo Head | Caress Caballero
Ad & Promo Assistant | Mika Severa
Zephanie Handler | Cynthia Roque
Zephanie Road Manager | Jay Reyes

Cornerstone Music
Cornerstone Studios