With big milestones and exciting new goals ahead, the first few months of 2025 have been eventful for Jennica Garcia. This year, she's planning to host seminars again, but this time, with a wider audience and not just limited to moms. She's also just moved in to a bigger condo unit with her two daughters. Her followers might get a little glimpse of her new space soon as she's also set to return to livestreaming.
On top of that, she's back on the Kapamilya primetime slot via "Saving Grace: The Untold Story," which originally aired on the digital platform Prime Video and is now coming to free TV with additional episodes.
Talking to Kapamilya Chat, Jennica gave a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of "Saving Grace: The Untold Story," the Philippine adaptation of the hit Japanese series "Mother." The naturally introverted Jennica admitted that she was mostly reserved on set because she understood that her co-stars would also need some quiet time to focus and prepare for their emotionally heavy scenes. "I feel like by not talking to them, they will get to do what they want," she explained. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to bond with her co-stars; she just respected their space and process. Besides, she was also busy during breaks, either poring over her script or catching up on schoolwork.
In the story, Jennica plays Sarah Banaag, the abusive mother of the titular character, Grace, portrayed by rising child star Zia Grace. When asked to describe Sarah in one word, she chose trauma. Sarah carries the weight of her own past, trauma and pain passed down from her own mother, which inevitably spills into how she parents Grace.
From the moment Jennica took on the role, her goal was to make viewers see just how dark Sarah’s heart really is, "I really made sure that people get to see the evilness in her." But more than just playing a villain, Jennica wanted Sarah to feel real because, in reality, mothers like her do exist. There are parents who think they’re doing a great job just because they're sending their kids to school or putting food on the table, not realizing that’s just the bare minimum.
To bring Sarah to life, Jennica didn’t just study her bad side, backstory, and mannerisms, she also had to learn to root for her. And that was the hardest part. How do you find empathy for a mother who’s a monster? But she had to, in order to knit the character into her own flesh and make the portrayal organic. "Dahil siya ang pino-portray ko na role, kailangan ko din aralin kung paano rin siya mahalin... 'Yung, 'kailangan kita mahalin kasi hindi ka nila mahal, at the same time, hindi mo rin alam kung ano ang pagmamahal.' So tina-try ko 'yung best ko na ibigay pa rin 'yun sa kan'ya," Jennica shared.
The Kapamilya actress goes all out with preparation for every teleserye assignment she takes on. She creates a vision board mapping out her character’s traits—both good and bad—so she knows exactly how they would react in different situations. This process also helps her differentiate Sarah from her past roles and make sure she brings something fresh to the audience every time.
What makes this project even more interesting for Jennica is that it’s her first time playing a bad girl—and not just any villain, but a terrible mother, a stark contrast to who she is in real life. But what’s fascinating about Jennica is how naturally acting comes to her. The emotions and nuances just flow out of her effortlessly once she convinces herself that she is the character.
She reveals that she finds it easier to be in character than get out of it. What she does whenever she struggles to let go of a character is write them a letter. She’s kept these letters private, but for the first time, she’s planning to share her letter to Sarah once "Saving Grace" finishes its free TV run.
Even now, Jennica can’t help but get emotional when asked her message to Sarah. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Sarah, I'm very sorry because you didn't get the childhood that you deserve. I'm sorry you didn't feel loved but I want you to know that I tried my very best to love you and understand where you are coming from. I doesn't mean that because you got hurt and you made a lot of mistakes, you cannot move forward in life. Stop looking at the past. Repent and move forward. I'm here for you."
Jennica boldly confessed that this 'hugot' comes from a season in her life when she "rebelled against the Lord." She opened up, "I purposefully did things that I know He will not like." She said it all stemmed from a feeling of betrayal. She questioned why God let her down despite her faithful obedience as His daughter.
She used to be quiet about this chapter in her life, but now she's opening up in the hopes of reaching others who might feel stuck in the same situation, those who think they can’t return to God because of shame from their past. Jennica shared that what saved her from the "devil" was repentance, acceptance, and a renewed focus on her relationship with the Lord. She also emphasized the importance of having a strong support system—people who will guide you toward healing and away from the weight of the past.
This is her story of redemption. Of being saved.
Catch Jennica in "Saving Grace: The Untold Story," starting March 3, at 9:30 PM, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, and TV5. It also stars Julia Montes, Sharon Cuneta, Janice de Belen, Christian Bables, and child star Zia Grace.