After four decades in music, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid remains one of the most enduring voices in Filipino music, not only because of what she has achieved, but because of how she continues to evolve.
In 2026, as she marks her 40th year in the industry, Asia’s Songbird finds herself at a rare crossroads: reflecting on a decorated, well-lived career, while also stepping into a chapter defined by change, uncertainty, and rediscovery.
Photographed by Shaira Luna. On Regine: Gown by Neric Beltran. Jewelries by JJ Jiao.
At 55, Velasquez-Alcasid is still, at her core, exactly who she was when she started: a girl who just wanted to sing. But time, as it does, has brought change.
“I’m 55, but I think people think I’m still in my 30s and they think my voice is still in my 20s. They think that I can still sing [like I did] in my early 20s, and they still expect me to sing that way. It’s hard,” Velasquez-Alcasid admits to Billboard Philippines.
She continues, “My voice has gone through changes and this is the worst it has been. There is such a thing as a menopause voice, kasi parang kung wala ka nang estrogen, kumakapal yung vocal cords mo (because when your estrogen runs out, your vocal cords get more tender). I remember, I had a concert in February and I was fine. It was in the same year, ‘Regine Rocks’ was November, it just suddenly changed. Just like that, it suddenly changed. Just because I was in menopause.”
Photographed by Shaira Luna. On Regine: Gown by Ehrran Montoya. Jewelries by JJ Jiao.
These changes have required Velasquez-Alcasid to re-learn how to sing and accept that while this is, admittedly a scary chapter of her career, it’s still an exciting one.
“Change is good. It’s inevitable. Ako, lagi ko na lang naiisip (I always think) that the 40 years that I’ve experienced having that big voice is wonderful. It’s more than enough,” she says. “I still have my voice, it’s just different and I’m okay with that. It’s still exciting, it’s still an exciting chapter.”
It is, in many ways, unfamiliar territory. And yet, she steps into it the same way she always has: with honesty, with courage, and with a love for music that refuses to die.
Read the full cover story here.
Photographed by Shaira Luna. Creative & Art Direction Gelo Quijencio. Styling by TeamRainXEm Rain Dagala & Em Millan assisted by Rio Camantigue, Elaine Villapando, James De Vera, & Hanns Enerlan. Makeup by RVA. Hair by Jonathan Velasco. Production Design by Chila Zialcita assisted by Jun Mojica, Anthony Vasquez, Allan Breis, & Anne Quiogue. Photography assisted by Emelito Lansangan & Karlo Baylon. Videographer Easel Manes. Production by Mika Cruz.
Written by Franchesca Basbas. Billboard Philippines, March 2026.