Ace admits that a comment from a family member hurts more than a comment from a friend
Content creator Ace Carrera says that the remarks made by his relatives about his skin complexion have badly severed his already-low self-esteem.
Months after his “It’s Showtime” appearance for the “Expecially For You” segment in February 2024, Ace was launched as the new face of skin-whitening brand Frontrow on May 29, 2024.
During an interview with select members of the press, including FreebieMNL, Ace was quite candid about his past—particularly on receiving some hurtful comments about his skin complexion—more surprisingly, from his relatives.
Battered by these remarks, Ace admits seeking resolve from whitening products.
He says, “May mga pinagdaanan ako, may mga naging hugot ako sa buhay, bakit naging conscious ako sa sarili ko physically. Gusto kong, in a way, parang gumwapo or sabihin natin na alam mo yun, maging maganda yung dating.
“Noong bata pa kasi ako, ako yung bata na hindi pansinin. And to be honest, may mga pinagdaanan ako before na talaga namang hindi ko malilimutan, although, normal naman yun bilang bata—kailangang ma-experience.
“Pero, kasi ang experience ko, laki po ako sa Tondo; Binondo, Tondo, doon po ako lumaki sa squatters area. So, palaging babad sa initan tapos lagi akong nagba-basketball sa kalye, sa labas ng bahay namin.
“And mababa yung self-esteem ko, bata pa lang ako dahil sa itsura ko—maitim, madaming pimples, patpatin tapos mahinhin po ako. So, ganun akong klaseng bata noon.”
IMAGE: acecarrera_ on Instagram
Ace also reveals that his physical looks greatly affected his confidence to pursue romance. Admittedly, he says that he shied away from courting anyone because of his appearance, but what affected him most were the uncalled-for comments from his relatives.
He recalls, “May mga pagkakataon na hindi ko malimutan, noong nagkakaroon kami ng family reunion tapos mismong family members ko pa ang nang-aasar sa akin.
“Every time nakikita nila ako, dumadalaw ako sa mga events namin or gathering namin, laging sinasabi sa akin at paulit-ulit kong naririnig yun na, ‘Ba’t ganyan ang itim-itim mo? Para kang kutis kahoy.’
“Tapos, ‘Ang dami mong pimples. Saan ka ba nagpupu-punta? Saan ka ba nagsusuot? Yung mga ate mo, yung mga kapatid mo okay naman. E, ang lahi natin magaganda at gwapo, parang ikaw lang yung naiiba.’”
While Ace understands that it was put rather lightly, the impact it had on him was still heavy. As he puts it, “In a way sa kanila, parang biro lang yun pero ako kasi, dinamdam ko siya.”
IMAGE: acecarrera_ on Instagram
The persistent remarks on his complexion have affected him in a way that his feelings were down in the dumps every time there was a family reunion coming up. More so, he emphasizes that receiving a comment from someone related to you hurts worse.
He says, “So, every time na lang na nagkakaroon kami ng family reunion that time, parang nada-down ako instead na minsan, i-enjoy ko na lang yung moment. Pero, every time kasi nakakarinig ako sa mismong family members ko, mas masakit—ang sakit, nakaka-down talaga.
“Minsan nga, kahit tropa mo lang ang mang-asar sa ‘yo na maitim ka or madami kang pimples, wala lang, e. Pero kasi, ‘pag family members mo na ang nagsasabi noon, doble yung sakit.
“Mas nakaka-down kasi nga mahal mo sila sa buhay, kamag-anak mo sila, kadugo mo sila, at sa kanila pa nanggagaling yung mga ganung pang-aasar.”
Ace Carrera recalls his first shot in showbiz
At a young age, Ace already dreamt of becoming an actor that he went through workshops together with his sisters.
But Ace had his ways harder than them.
While his sisters would land gigs easily, he had a hard time catching the attention of talent scouts. Even more so, he would get unnecessary comments about him not being physically attractive.
In one instance when his mother asked a scout agent why it was taking Ace quite some time to land gigs, the talent coordinator flat-out answered: “E, kasi Madam, yung anak mo maitim. Yung anak mo ang hinhin, hindi masyado nagsasalita.”
Ace says that while he did not stand out as much, he used to be very active during workshop sessions. And upon hearing those words, he felt his self-esteem get smaller to the point he asked himself, “May chance pa ba?”
All things considered Ace took these remarks as pivotal marks. These have been his defining moments, in a way that he really pushed himself to improve his physical looks to rise above criticisms.
Now, Ace has been launched as the first ambassador of Frontrow, a testament to its products’s effect on him.
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Banner Art Dani Sison
