Mahigit sa kalahating oras ang haba ng inilabas na unedited interview ni Korina Sanchez-Roxas kay Nic Chien, 19, ang transman na anak ni Lea Salonga.
Nagkaroon ng isyu ang panayam ni Korina kay Nic pero naresolba agad ito, kaya mapapanood ang kabuuan ng pag-uusap ng dalawa sa Rated Korina YouTube channel ng multi-awarded broadcast journalist.
Kumpara sa edited interview na unang lumabas noong Pebrero 3, higit na maigting ang mga pahayag ni Nic sa unedited video ng pag-uusap nila ni Korina.
Dito ay ibinahagi niya na siya ay 14 years old nang maging sigurado siya sa kanyang sexual orientation bilang transman.
Balik-tanaw ni Nic: "Mom was on tour. We were in America. I was in a hotel and I was going to, like, take a bath.
"I was looking in the mirror, I was naked and I saw my body and I was like… I kinda figured out, 'Wow, I don’t really wanna look like this.'
"I didn’t like seeing boobs and like my hips going like this, like feminine. It was nice to look at aesthetically, I guess, as an artist because I like to draw.
"So aesthetically, from an artist’s standpoint, seeing the human body is nice. But I didn’t want it for me. I didn’t want a female form for me."
Ibinahagi raw niya ang kanyang nararamdaman sa isang matalik na kaibigan.
Sabi ni Nic: "I called my friend, my best friend, I told her, 'This is how I’m feeling.' And they were like, 'I think you’re trans!' And I’m like, 'Really?'"
Nag-search daw siya ng videos tungkol sa mga nag-transition na transmen, at dito raw niya nakumpirma kung ano ang nararamdaman niya.
"I was like, 'Oh my god!' ani Nic.
Agad daw niyang ipinaalam sa ina na si Lea kung ano ang kanyang saloobin.
Pagpapatuloy niya, "I confronted my mom in the morning. I was like, 'Hey, I think I’m trans.'
"And at the time, she was like, ‘Uh, well, okay. That’s a big change, so let’s think about it a little bit.'"
Read: Nic Chien, trans son of Lea Salonga, reveals he is bisexual
NIC CHIEN ON THE TIME SHE IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS BISEXUAL
Pero bago pa iyon, Grade 5 si Nic nang magkaroon siya ng kamalayan sa pagbabago sa kanyang sexual orientation.
Noon ay itinuring niya ang sarili na bisexual. Naa-attract sa babae o lalake ang isang bisexual.
Lahad ni Nic: "I knew the language because my mom has many friends who are queer, and growing up on the Internet, you learn a couple of things. So I had the ability to label myself.
"And my parents, at the time—I don’t blame them for this—they were like, ‘Are you sure? You’re very young. You could change your mind. Don’t label yourself right away coz you don’t want to be trapped with the label.'
"Which is completely valid. And I kind of agree, like, 'Don’t put pressure on yourself with label.'"
Noon pa lang ay bukas na rin siya sa kanyang magulang, at suportado raw siya ng mga ito.
Lahad pa ni Nic: "I remember I told my mom in the car, I was around 11, or so, I was like, 'Mama, I think I’m bisexual.' And she was like, 'Okay.' That’s it.
"And my dad was more like, 'Um, okay. You’re still really young. Let’s see,' which is totally fair.
"But as time goes on, nothing changes.”
Read: 9 celebrity parents who embrace and support their LGBTQ+ children
ON transition as a TRANSMAN
Ngayon ay mas sigurado si Nic na siya ay transman, o pagtukoy sa sarili bilang lalaki.
He at they ang mga pronoun ni Nic para sa sarili dahil ayaw niya na tinatawag siya na
"she."
Paliwanag ni Nic, "My pronouns are he, they. I have the they for people who like, you know, coz I’m open to whatever. For me, I’m okay with whatever. Just don’t call me a she coz I don’t look like one anymore."
Sumailalim si Nic sa testosterone replacement therapy noong March 2025.
Isa sa mga epekto nito ay mas bumaba ang kanyang boses, at nagkaroon siya ng adam's apple.
Dumaan din siya sa top surgery kunsaan nag-flatten ang kanyang dibdib kaya di na niya kailangang gumamit ng binder.
Ipinagtapat din ni Nic ang matinding depression, insecurities, mental at internal agony na kanyang pinagdaanan bago ang kanyang transition.
Read: Jake Zyrus finally finds himself: "This is who I really am, and I am ready to show the world."
ON CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER TRANSMEN
Nakatulong daw sa kanya ang pakikipag-usap niya sa ibang transmen tulad ni Jake Zyrus.
Si Jake, o dating kilala bilang Charice Pempengco, ay isang ganap na transman.
Lesbian ang unang pagpapakilala ni Jake sa sarili bago siya mas nakasiguro na siya ay transman noong 2017.
"I actually talked to Kuya Jake Zyrus... I talked to him and he’s also trans. I talked to another friend of my mom and she’s also transman.
"And just asking like, 'Hey, how did you know that you really wanted to do this? How do you know that you are trans? How did you know that you could do this?'
"I honestly... Unfortunately, I forgot the specific advice that they gave me.
"But I remember, parang they knew talaga when it was time, and they knew that they would feel better if they did it and they do.
"And I have no regrets.”
Si Nic ay isang aktor at visual artist. Pangarap daw niyang sundan ang yapak ni Lea bilang Broadway star.
Acting din ang kursong plano niyang kunin niya sa kolehiyo.