While helping celebrity decorator Badang Rueda with Christmas decorations at the home of Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, TikTok singer Jake Villamor never imagined it would be the start of a new chapter in his life. Impressed by Jake’s charm and presence, Regine, the country’s “Songbird,” brought him to meet Ogie.
But nothing happened after that meeting, Jake shared during his press conference organized by ATeam. “I faced a lot of rejections. So noong ‘di ako binalikan, baka wala na, baka may ‘di nagustuhan.”
After six months of silence, Jake finally received a message from Ogie telling him to prepare. Since then, Jake has been on a whirlwind of activity. Under ATeam, the 28-year-old Ilonggo has filmed a music video and is currently undergoing vocal and performance training. He’s also secured endorsement deals with Belo and Urban Smiles.
Following his successful Jake and Kolette Madelo casting in the music video for Ogie’s single “Hanggang Dito Na Lang Ba Tayo?”under ABS-CBN Star Music, the “Jakette” pair will reunite for Ogie’s next music video, which will be released on August 15.
“Syempre hinahasa pa namin si Jake. Ayaw naman namin siya ihaing nang hilaw na hilaw pa siya, so ine-expose muna namin siya sa mga audiences,” Ogie explained. “Sanay na sanay si Jake mag-stream — ‘yan ang expertise niya — but I want him to also venture into live performances, kaya sinasanay muna natin siya bago namin siya isalang sa mga malalaking project.”
But that’s only the beginning.
“Soon also, we will be releasing about four songs, successive. Tatlo ang recorded na, and meron pa siyang i-record na isa,” Ogie revealed. “These are songs that we’re very, very excited about. Pag pinaparinig ko sa kanya, nae-excite siya, nagugustuhan niya agad — and it’s a team effort. Of course, Paolo [Bustamante], our resident director and board member, is also writing one song. I’m writing three.”
For Ogie, guiding Jake has stirred up nostalgic feelings. “Alam mo, ang feeling ko is the exact feeling no’ng bata pa ‘ko when I was starting to record. Syempre may mga kanta na hindi ko na puwedeng kantahin ngayon because hindi na bagay sa akin. So I’m happy that Jake is 28 — I can give him songs that I feel like gusto kong kantahin pero ‘di na bagay sa akin. But mas bagay sa kanya — mas bagay sa edad niya, sa sensibilities niya, mas bagay sa fanbase niya. I am very, very excited about that. Abangan niyo po ‘yun.”
Jake expressed deep appreciation for the mentorship and the opportunities ATeam has given him.
“Under ATeam, I’ve never had to ask for anything,” he shared. “I’ve never felt pressured. Hindi ko maramdaman na trabaho siya. Di rin niya pinaramdam sa akin na talent lang ako at manager ko siya. We were doing work, we were having fun. We can talk about anything under the sun, and ‘yung bond namin is more than just manager-talent — I think it’s friendship.”
Jake officially joins ATeam’s roster alongside talents like Lara Maigue, Poppert Bernadas, and Ferdinand Aragon. A former seafarer who found fame through singing videos recorded in parking garages on TikTok, Jake has also tested the acting waters with the 2024 Boys’ Love project “Sky Valley.”
With Ogie Alcasid’s guidance and ATeam’s full support, fans can look forward to more music and more performances from Jake.
“We really manage talents, and the answer to the question [of whether we continually look for talents to manage] is always yes. But I think we are a company that looks at character.
“Like si Lara Maigue, Lara has been part of ATeam since 2014. We’re already on our eleventh year. When I saw Lara, walang nagma-manage… and now she has her own condo and her own car, and she’s been able to support herself — and that’s something I take pride in as a manager.
“And for all the others who became our talents, that is always my hope for them — that they become financially stable. Kasi at the end of the day, hindi naman tayo pwedeng artista lang dito, ‘di ba? Ang lagi kong tinatanong sa kanila: Ano ba ang aim mo? Magkano ba ang gusto mong kitain? Ano ba ang, kumbaga, costing mo buwan-buwan? Ang kita mo dapat mas malaki dun sa ginagastos mo.”
So when asked what his wish is for Jake, Ogie – who is turning a year older this August – jokingly said, “Sana ikaw na ang may-ari ng parking lot,” referring to the garage where Jake usually records his viral TikTok videos.
