Jaya is celebrating her 30 years in show business this 2019 through a concert.
Titled At Her Finest, the concert will be held on April 3 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Jaya will showcase all the important milestones in her career since she first performed using her screen name in 1989.
On television, 16 of those 30 years were mostly spent with her former mother network, GMA-7.
However, her 30th anniversary will be celebrated with ABS-CBN, her new home for almost three years.
When PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) brought this up during her February 27 videoke blogcon held at Cornerstone Studios, Jaya expressed her appreciation for those 16 years of her life with the Kapuso network.
She pointed out, "The years that I spent with GMA are very precious to me.
"Contrary doon sa mga sinasabi ng tao na wala akong utang na loob, you know, that’s a place I had two marriages and my children.
"I had One Proud Mama, All Star K, Party Pilipinas, SOP, and Sunday All Stars. I did soaps. Ang dami dami kong natutunan sa GMA.
"And I think, you know, we are given such seasons sa buhay natin na may season na ito 'yan, tapos ito naman, tapos ito naman.
"So yung season na yun was very much appreciated. I enjoyed every minute and every second of it kasi nagkabahay ako dahil sa GMA, sa mga projects, and I even did GMA Records pala.
"Ang dami dami kong natutunan and napakaraming nangyari sa buhay ko because of GMA."
When she decided to transfer to ABS-CBN, Jaya considered that time as a transition period for her life.
The 48-year-old singer continued, "But like I said, the season now is change. And with that change, I had to be very brave.
"Ano ba ang dapat kong gawin because I have a family? Ano ba yung dapat kong i-expect, because they’re going to get upset? And what do I have to look forward to? Because I know that when I do go with that change, things will get better.
"I’m not saying that it wasn’t better then, but natapos yung season na yun, e.
"And when it ends, you have to find another place of work and ABS was really the next step, but I didn’t know how to do it."
Jaya already said in past interviews that she handled the business side without a manager for eleven months. This prompted her to entertain thoughts of leaving showbiz.
She recalled, "So for a year and a half or so, wala akong manager. I was getting all my gigs from email, and I put my email on Instagram, Facebook, diskarte galore.
"And I was just praying, God, help me. What do I do? And then I almost gave up nga, di ba? I almost packed up."
During that time, Cornerstone Talent Management, headed by Erickson Raymundo, came to her.
She also revealed in previous interviews how Kyla and Erik Santos, both Cornerstone talents, helped her to become part of the talent agency.
During the MYX Magna Awards in 2016, both singers urged her to have a manager even though Jaya said she could manage herself.
Eventually, Jaya agreed to have a meeting with Cornerstone's bosses.
"Palagay mo na Tuesday 'yon, meeting tayo, Friday 'yon, okay, nangyari na.
"So anong project? Nagpapatawa pa ako. So the next step is really do something for ABS."
Jaya admitted that during that time, she really wanted to stay with the Kapuso Network.
"Kasi gusto ko pa sa GMA, e, kasi I wasn’t envisioning nga ABS.
"Wala talaga sa hinagap ng imahinasyon ko yun, na talagang... 'Paano mangyayari yun, e, noon nga, hindi naman ako yung kinukuha diyan?' Yun yung thoughts ko, ano.
"Yun yung parang five years old na nag-isip na, 'Ayaw naman nila sa akin,' ganyan ganyan."
Despite her apprehensions, a new opportunity opened for her when she was tapped to become a judge in It's Showtime's "Tawag ng Tanghalan (TnT)" segment.
The veteran singer continued, "The next thing you know, 'TnT' was opening up for another hurado.
"And I had few days ba or a week to decide, and I had a soap.
"The day the soap ended, the next day, Saturday, launch na. I had a production number and I sat as a hurado for 'TnT.'"
Jaya knows that with her decision, there were people who wouldn't be pleased.
She elaborated, "So like I said, God puts you in your seasons, and there’s no way you can control anything when He decides.
"Kaya sabi ko, bahala ka na, kung may magalit sa akin, ano man mangyari, I will obey. And when I did, it was so smooth.
"I knew that magkakaroon lang ng nega for a few moments and then after that, it will pass, and then I can move on, and that’s what I’ve been doing.
"I’ve been very fortunate na nasa ABS ako, three years, three seasons na ang 'TnT' so what will I be complaining about?
"I am so grateful for GMA and all the people I’ve worked with.
"And now, I’m super grateful to Cornerstone and ABS because they really... parang I was put in a good place, in a good home."
This may also be the reason why, Jaya said, that she wasn't feeling any pressure regarding her upcoming concert.
"I think kaya nga sabi ko, itong 30th year na concert, parang walang ka-stress-stress kasi, ano pa bang ikakatakot ko? Ano pa bang ikakahiya ko?
"Ano pa bang ikakanerbiyos ko, e, plinantsa na ng Diyos lahat?
"Ayan, mag-enjoy ka na lang. Whoever wants to go there if they want to witness your growth and your progress and your artistry, they will go. If they don’t, okay lang.
"But for me I really want everyone to come and see because I have so much that I want to share and I feel, confident na ako ngayon with everything."