Bibihirang magpaunlak ng panayam si Jake Ejercito sa media lalo na pag tungkol sa kanyang sarili at sa pamilya.
Pero mapalad ang Real Talk ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na magkaroon ng exclusive interview tungkol sa kanyang pagiging ama kay Ellie Eigenmann, ang kanyang dalagitang anak.
Nangyari ito sa pribadong birthday celebration ng kanyang pinsang si Jem Ejercito sa RockStar KTV sa Greenhills Mall noong nakaraang October 20, 2026.
Si Ellie, 14, ay anak ni Jake sa aktres na si Andi Eigenmann.
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Sa huling panayam kay Andi sa vlog ni Karen Davila noong July 2026, sinabi niyang nasa "extreme difficult level" ang pagiging magulang sa isang teenager.
Bagong yugto raw ito ng parenting journey niya sa anak.
Aniya: "You know, we have a teenager. Ellie's turning 15 this year, and she's going on to Grade Nine, so we're being faced with more difficult challenges.
"I mean, I feel like every teenager's parent can relate.
"So, I feel like us really getting along and seeing eye to eye is more inevitable at this stage more than ever."
Read: Andi Eigenmann grateful for successful co-parenting with Jake
JAKE EJERCITO SAYS DAUGHTER ELLIE "HAS HER OWN MIND"
Ito rin ang unang inusisa ng PEP kay Jake.
"I think every day is a new experience. Siyempre, my only daughter. It's exciting and should I say scary at the same time.
"Siyempre, she has her own mind. She has started going out with her friends.
"So parang it's a balance of, of holding on to her and at the same time, slowly letting go and letting her experience life by herself."
Ayon kay Jake, it's not like meron siyang na-miss out bilang ama dahil kahit pa unconventional ang sitwasyon nila, nasubaybayan niya ang paglaki ni Ellie.
"Well, fortunately for me, from the very beginning naman I was there. Even while, while Andi was pregnant, I was there.
"So, hindi naman yung makabawi kasi nandoon naman ako ever since.
"So, yeah. Yung feeling ko ngayon is joy and pride kasi she's already in junior high school, and she's doing, doing really well. So yeah, really proud of her."
Read: Andi Eigenmann, Jake Ejercito on Ellie's 13th birthday
IS JAKE EJERCITO A strict DAD?
Isa rin sa tinalakay sa interview ang tungkol sa parenting style niya ngayong teenager na si Ellie.
Istrikto ba siyang ama?
Saad niya: "Yun nga, like I said, ayaw ko rin kasi maging masyadong strict.
"I would say I'm a disciplinarian, but, at the same time, hinahayaan ko rin siya to, yun nga, to experience life by herself.
"Lumalabas na siya with her friends. Parang she, gusto ko rin na, she learns how to live by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
"Importante yun, e, for her to experience it herself."
Gaano ba ka-open ang communication nila ng kanyang "dalagita"?
Usually kasi, ang anak na babae ay mas open sa ina at ang lalaki naman ay mas open sa ama.
Nakangiti niyang sagot: "Not as, not as open as I'd want her to be.
"Fortunately, nandiyan yung mom ko, nandiyan yung sister ko.
"So mas yung girl bonding nila, doon, doon niya naano...
"We're close, pero siyempre hindi niya rin nasasabi lahat and that's understandable and that's part of it."
May crush na ba si Ellie? Nagkuwento na ba ito sa kanya?
Natatawa niyang sagot: "To be honest, no. But she's fourteen. I mean, nung fourteen ako, alam ko na, di ba, may mga crush na rin nun that time. Lumalabas na rin.
"So I won't be surprised. Hindi ko naman siya, hindi ko naman siya pagbabawalan.
"Pero siyempre, may boundaries."
Mas marami pang ikukuwento si Jake sa two-part series ng Real Talk sa YouTube channel ng PEP.ph soon.
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