For many young performers, entering show business begins with a desire to become famous, appear on television or perform in front of an audience.
For actress and singer Glaiza De Castro, the motivation was more practical.
She wanted to help her family build a more comfortable life.
“My motivation was really to help my family, as cliché as it may sound,” De Castro said. “I wanted a comfortable life for us since we didn’t have our own house then and we were living with grandparents, renting and moving a lot.”
She entered the entertainment industry at around 13 years old, an age when many teenagers were still focused mainly on school and friendships.
Her early years in show business became both a training ground and a way to contribute to her family’s future.
Starting With Kuya Germs
De Castro began performing on Mastershowman: Walang Tulugan, the late-night variety program hosted by the late German “Kuya Germs” Moreno.
“It started when I was around 13 years old,” she said. “I was part of Kuya Germs’ Mastershowman: Walang Tulugan where we’d perform every Saturday at midnight.”
The program gave young artists regular opportunities to sing, dance and appear before an audience.
“Sometimes, it was just pure dance,” De Castro said. “Other times, we were asked to prepare songs we’d like to sing.”
The weekly schedule required discipline. Performers could not simply arrive and step in front of the camera without preparation.
“Every week may rehearsals, so it was a good training ground for me to discover and hone my skills in performing,” she said.
Those rehearsals allowed De Castro to develop confidence and learn which areas of performance suited her best. They also introduced her to the demands of an industry where preparation often takes place long before the public sees the finished performance.
For a young artist, the experience provided more than exposure. It taught her the importance of consistency.
Every Saturday created another opportunity to perform, but it also required her to show up, rehearse and improve.
A Passion She Inherited From Her Parents
De Castro’s interest in performing did not come from nowhere.
Her parents had also been involved in entertainment, and their background influenced her decision to pursue the same path.
“My parents are my huge influence and biggest supporters,” she said. “Since they are also from a background of entertainers, sa kanila ko nakuha yung passion for performing.”
Their experience may have helped them understand both the appeal and the demands of the industry.
Show business can offer opportunities, but it also requires patience. Young performers may attend auditions without receiving a role, spend hours in rehearsals or work late into the night without any assurance that a project will lead to lasting success.
De Castro’s family understood that her career would require sacrifice.
They also understood why she wanted to pursue it.
Her goal was not only personal recognition. She wanted to improve the circumstances of the people closest to her.
The family did not yet have a home of their own. They lived with relatives, rented and moved from one place to another.
That experience gave De Castro a clear reason to work.
A television appearance or performance represented more than a career milestone. It was another step toward the stability she wanted for her family.
Giving Her Earnings to Her Mother
De Castro began earning while she was still young, but she did not manage the money herself.
“Yes, but back then, I used to give all my earnings to my mother and she used to handle my finances,” she said.
Her mother then gave her an allowance.
“She would give me allowance to buy anything I want and that felt good,” De Castro said.
The arrangement allowed her mother to manage the household’s financial priorities while De Castro still had some money for her personal needs.
It also protected a young earner from having immediate access to everything she made.
Young artists can face unusual financial pressures. They may start earning amounts that are larger than what their peers receive, but they may not yet have enough experience to manage the money carefully.
Parents often step in to make decisions about saving, household expenses and long-term needs.
In De Castro’s case, her mother became the person responsible for handling her early income.
Asked what she did with her first earnings, De Castro gave a brief but direct answer.
“Save,” she said.
The response reflects a financial habit that appears to have been established early.
Although her earnings came from performance, the money was not treated merely as an opportunity to spend. It was connected to the larger objective that brought her into show business in the first place.
Money Became Another Motivation to Work
Earning from entertainment also changed the way De Castro viewed work.
“Yes, definitely,” she said when asked whether her perspective about money changed after she began earning from her career. “It also kind of motivated me to keep on working harder.”
Her answer shows how income can reinforce ambition.
The money represented proof that her effort could produce a tangible result. Rehearsals, late-night appearances and performances were no longer only part of a dream. They could contribute to her family’s security.
For a young person, this realization can create a stronger sense of responsibility.
Earning provides freedom, but it can also increase the pressure to continue working. Once an individual begins helping the household, career decisions may affect more than personal goals.
De Castro’s early financial experience was therefore closely tied to family.
She worked because she wanted to help them. Her mother handled the money. Savings became a priority. Each new opportunity offered another chance to move closer to the comfortable life she had imagined.
Building Stability Through Show Business
De Castro’s career eventually expanded beyond the late-night performances that introduced her to the industry.
Yet the reason she began remains important to her story.
She entered show business at 13 with a passion for performing that she inherited from her parents. At the same time, she carried a practical goal: to help her family secure a more stable life.
“My motivation was really to help my family,” she said.
That motivation gave purpose to the long rehearsals and Saturday midnight performances.
Her first earnings did not immediately become money for unrestricted spending. She turned them over to her mother, received an allowance and began saving.
The arrangement may have seemed simple, but it established an important connection between work and responsibility.
For De Castro, show business was not only a path toward recognition. It was a way to give her family greater comfort, security and the possibility of finally having a place they could call their own.
