After six years of working abroad, Marine Transportation graduate Jake Villamor decided to return to the Philippines to chase the dream he had always carried, which was becoming a singer.
His journey began with social media videos of him singing in parking lots, a style inspired by Seattle-based Vietnamese-American singer, songwriter, and producer Johnny Huynh, who rose to fame on TikTok with his garage performances.
A year ago, Jake tried it himself in the parking lot of the building where he lives and was surprised by the warm reaction from netizens.
That same passion eventually caught the attention of Ogie Alcasid, who recently introduced Jake as the newest artist under A-Team Talent Management. The label, owned by Ogie, also manages singers Lara Maigue, Poppert Bernadas, and Ferdinand Aragon.
According to Ogie, it was his wife, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, who first discovered Jake and encouraged him to take him on as a talent. Ogie met Jake in December 2024 while Christmas decorations were being set up at their home.
“Last Christmas, Badang (Rueda) was fixing the decors at home, and Jake was assisting him with the lights. I was in the basement rehearsing for a show. Then my wife came down carrying Jake along and introduced him to me,” Ogie recalled.
Curious, Ogie checked Jake’s Instagram and found numerous singing posts. Impressed by his voice, he told Jake they would talk soon. But with a busy schedule, Ogie wasn’t able to follow up right away, and months passed before they reconnected.
Jake admitted he thought Ogie had lost interest. “I faced a lot of rejections, so I was already at the point of trying to move on, get over it, and move on with my life. I thought maybe he saw something he didn’t like, and he didn’t want to push me as one of his talents,” he said.
Then, in April 2025, Ogie sent him a message inviting him to be part of the music video for his new single “Hanggang Dito Na Lang Ba Tayo.” “Thankfully, he messaged me on Instagram, ‘Jake, please standby because I want to cast you for my next video.’ That’s when we started talking constantly again,” Jake said.
Now officially part of A-Team, Jake will release four songs, three written by Ogie, which he believes have the potential to be big hits.
Ogie, for his part, expressed full confidence in Jake’s abilities. “I’m very excited for Jake, and my dream is for his dreams to come true,” he said.
For Jake, this is the opportunity he had been waiting for. “Music has always been my passion,” he said. “Now, I’m ready to give it everything I have.”
