Regine Velasquez says singing is now last on her list after 40 years

“I could not really ask for anything more as far as my career is concerned. Kasi marami nga d’yan I didn’t even ask for. I was just very blessed to be given the opportunity to do them—movies, TV shows. Hindi ko na iyon iniisip, hindi ko na iyon pinangarap,” she shared during the media conference on Friday.

Looking back, the singer said she is simply grateful that she was able to spend four decades doing what she loved most: singing.

“So I’m very, very grateful to be able to still be here, nadaan ko ang 40 years,” she said. “It’s such a milestone doing things that I loved most, which is singing. Nag-sold out pa iyong three nights ng concert ko. It’s wonderful. I have nothing to complain about.”

With such a long and successful career behind her, Regine admitted that she no longer feels the need to prove herself or ask for anything more.

“Wala na akong kailangan patunayan pa. Wala na akong kailangan hingin pa kasi ibinigay na sa akin lahat,” she declared.

One of the biggest realizations that came with the finale concert was her acceptance that getting older is inevitable.

The 56-year-old singer admitted that accepting the reality of aging took time, especially after experiencing the peak years of her career, when her powerful voice and stage presence made her one of the country’s most celebrated singers.

“It took a while. Wala kang choice kasi I cheer it, I feel it, I can see it that’s the way it is. I know that aging catches up on you. Lagi nga nilang sinasabi, ‘age is just a number,’ but it’s not, and it really isn’t,” she said.

Rather than fighting that reality, Regine said she has learned to embrace the different stages of her life.

“I realized that it is okay. I’ve experienced being young, I’ve experienced having a high voice, I’ve experienced na pinagkakaguluhan ng mga tao. I experienced all that, and it was good. Maybe it’s time to slow down,” she explained.

For her, slowing down does not mean completely walking away from music. Instead, it means allowing herself to experience life beyond the career that has defined much of her identity.

The emotional weight of the word “FINALE” also became clear to Regine even before she stepped onto the stage.

She recalled seeing the poster for the concert after her sister Cacai sent it to her. The word “FINALE” immediately made the reality of the moment sink in.

“No’ng pinadala sa akin ni Cacai iyong poster, pumunta ako sa banyo, tapos umiyak ako kasi parang nagulat ako na parang it’s real. Tapos ang laki, nakalagay ‘finale,’ na it’s happening. Tapos I cried,” she recalled.

She even admitted that she initially tried to hide how emotional she was from her husband.

“Tapos nahiya ako sa asawa ko. I didn’t want to show them na I’m really emotional about it,” she added.

Even now, talking about the concert continues to bring out her emotions, not necessarily because of her voice, but because of what the finale represents.

“So whenever I talk about it I’m really emotional. Not so much about my voice but the fact that I’m giving up something that I have been doing for 40 years,” Regine said. “Yes, it’s sad.”

After spending most of her life prioritizing her career, Regine now wants to give herself permission to focus on the people and roles outside showbiz.

She wants to slow down and be more present as a wife, a mother, a sister and an aunt.

“Ang sa akin ngayon, ang gusto talagang gawin is to slow down a little bit and be present to be a wife first and being mom. If there’s opportunity out there na pwede pa akong maging singer, then I will sing,” she said.

“Ang priorities ko ngayon to be a wife, to be a mom, a sister and maging tita, and huli na ang maging singer.”

For someone who has spent 40 years putting singing at the top of her priorities, Regine acknowledged that her decision may sound unusual.

“I know that it’s weird to hear about na parang last na in my list ang maging singer kasi buong buhay ko iyon ang laging una and pina-prioritize ko noong mga panahon na iyon,” she admitted.

“But now, it’s about time na unahin ko ang buhay ko.”

Her “FINALE” concert, therefore, became more than a closing chapter in her musical journey. It allowed her to recognize everything she has accomplished while coming to terms with the realities of aging and the passage of time.

Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid will stage her final major solo concert, “FINALE,” at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on October 17, 18, and 19, 2026.

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