It's Showtime girl group Baby Dolls has been enjoying their rise to fame following their novelty hit "Ikembot Mo."
The group is composed of former Girls on Fire contestants Chloe Florendo, Ina Ortega, Eriel Reyes, Arianne dela Cruz, and Jelai Ahamil, along with Sexy Babe members Juby Sabino and Johaira Moris. They rose to prominence as the resident dance group on the long-running ABS-CBN noontime show It's Showtime.
But before the fame came the sacrifices — particularly for two of the group's members. In a recent episode of MYX Now, Juby Sabino and Ina Ortega opened up about the lives they left behind before joining Baby Dolls.
Juby had to uproot her entire life from Cebu and relocate to Manila in just three days.
“Binigyan lang ako ng three days to prepare. I’m from Cebu pa po so if ever mag-decide ako, kailangan kong ilipat ang buong buhay ko dito sa Manila alone,” Juby said.
“‘Yun po ‘yung first mountain na na-overcome ko,” she added.
She shared that her life back home was vastly different from her current one in Manila, where she had long been involved in the pageantry scene.
“Sobrang layo po kasi, sobrang different po ng life ko sa Cebu kung sasali man ako sa Baby Dolls,” Juby said. Hindi po ako dancer. Pageantera po ako. Paano ko babaliin ‘yung katawan ko, ‘yung personality na mapasok sa ganitong artistry.”
For Juby, it was a dream and a belief in herself that carried her through the transition.
Meanwhile, Ina Ortega walked away from a career many would envy. A registered nurse by profession, Ina gave up her medical career to become a Baby Dolls member.
"Performing has always been a part of me," she said, explaining her decision. “Tapos ‘yung pagiging registered nurse ko, it happened before Baby Dolls.”
“I was already working sa hospital for five months. I thought wala na akong chance sa dancing or performing,” she added.
She also revealed that she had originally planned to pursue Medicine. But life had other plans as she received an unexpected call that would change her path.
“Girl on Fire was my comeback in dancing. Nu’ng natalo ako dun, akala ko wala na akong chance sa dancing. So I was planning to take medicine,” Ina said.
“But bigla akong naka-receive ng call na ini-invite ako for a girl group. So sabi ko ‘Mommy, kailangan kong i-take ang chance na ‘to.’ Sabi ko rin ‘pag para sa akin, para sa akin. If not, I would take the other path,” she added.
Baby Dolls also made an appearance at the Aurora Music Festival earlier this month, earning praise from fans online for their strong live vocals and polished choreography. Many netizens noted that the group has what it takes to become the next big act in P-Pop.
In March, the girls launched their debut EP, “Zoom Baby Dolls,” which includes five energetic tracks perfect for workouts. They have also toured various areas of Metro Manila as part of a series of Zumba tours.