MANILA, Philippines — Singer RJ Jimenez expressed his gratitude after reconnecting and reconciling with fellow singer Yeng Constantino, 18 years after the two friends stopped communicating.
The singers first became friends on the reality singing show “Pinoy Dream Academy” in the mid-2000s. Their closeness at the time also fueled speculation among fans that they were romantically involved.
Years later, the former “Pinoy Dream Academy” housemates found themselves together onstage once again when Jimenez joined Constantino for the second night of her 20th-anniversary concert, “Biyaheng Bente,” on Aug. 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
During their reunion, Constantino opened up about what put a strain on their friendship. She recalled becoming jealous of Jimenez’s manager at the time, Tin Rodriguez, who is now his wife. The situation eventually led Constantino to distance herself from Jimenez.
In a social media post following the concert, Jimenez said he was thankful that Constantino remembered him despite their long period without communication.
“With so many friends in the industry, I believe the concert would still have been hugely successful even without me, and yet you remembered me despite the fact that we cut off communication for over 18 years. Thank you for this!! It means a lot to me,” Jimenez wrote as translated to English.
Jimenez congratulated Constantino on reaching 20 years in the music industry, praising her talent and the impact of her music.
“You are truly a blessing to the industry! You are so talented. All of us are moved and inspired by every song you write,” he wrote.
“I saw how the Lord prepared you to reach this success. Keep going! Congratulations!!” Jimenez added.
He also said he was happy to see Constantino with her husband, Yan Asuncion, whom he praised for his personality and support.
“I’m happy to see you with your amazing husband, Yan Asuncion. By the way, I love his personality! He is so kind and loves you so much! He seems like such a great person to have as a friend! Please tell Yan thank you for letting us have fun together onstage,” Jimenez wrote.
For Jimenez, however, the most significant part of the evening was not their performance but the conversation they had during the concert.
“Lastly, I am thankful for what happened onstage. More than singing ‘If We Fall in Love,’ I didn’t expect the conversations we had there, and because of that, I became even more grateful to you,” he wrote.
Jimenez acknowledged that he had held on to anger toward Constantino for years, even after deciding to simply forget about it.
“Yung ‘galit ko sayo kinalimutan ko na lang’ (The anger I had toward you that I had simply forgotten about), because I thought it never needed fixing,” he wrote.
“For all these years, I didn’t know that it had actually been heavy. And because of that night, it feels lighter now. Thank you, Yeng!” Jimenez wrote.
“I am thankful to be part of your journey in life. And I’m also thankful that you became part of my life. And to be honest, I’m not the only one who is happy and proud of you. My wife, Tin Rodriguez-Jimenez, is too. We love you!” he wrote.
Constantino responded to Jimenez’s message on Instagram, saying she also enjoyed their reunion and thanking Tin for allowing them to reconnect.
“RJ! Haha, that was so much fun! Thank you also to Ms. Tin @tinrjimenez for letting us have fun together,” Constantino wrote.
She looked back fondly on their time together on “Pinoy Dream Academy,” saying Jimenez had made that chapter of her life easier.
“I will always love that chapter of my life when I was with you on PDA. Thank you for being there for me. That journey became lighter because I had you there with me,” she wrote.
Constantino also made clear that she was ready to move beyond their past conflict.
“Let’s leave the negativity behind. We’re OK!” she wrote.
“And God is good because He gave both of us good spouses,” Constantino wrote.
“Thank you for saying yes to the concert. I appreciate you so much, bro,” she wrote.
“Biyaheng Bente,” celebrating Constantino’s 20th anniversary in the music industry, was held Aug. 28 and 29 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.