Special Features
Jake Ejercito Is The Ultimate Girl Dad And We’re All For It
Ellie and Jake’s undeniable bond is the stuff movies are made of. Here’s why we’ve got heart eyes over this sweet father-daughter relationship
Admit it, nothing’s sweeter than the bond between a daughter and her father. Being a a girl dad isn’t easy, but admittedly, it’s fun to watch. You’ll see the most stereotypical guy bravely navigate the world of unicorns and rainbows all just to win their daughter’s heart. And yes, we love how just a smile from one’s little princess could reduce the toughest, manliest guy into mush — exactly the effect that Ellie Eigenmann Ejercito has over her dad, Jake Ejercito.
Sweet, sweet love
Parenting Ellie didn’t come easily at first to Jake. But with an age gap of just 21 years, their current relationship is almost similar of that of siblings. “She’s already past the age when she would just play all day, and she’s started to tease me a lot, telling me straight up if my jokes or TikTok moves are fails,” says Jake. And now the two have become closer, especially after spending lots of quality time together during the quarantine.
Parenting on a schedule
While Jake gets to spend every other week with Ellie, he also gets to split holidays with Ellie’s mom, Andi Eigenmann. It might not sound ideal, but Jake is making do with what he has. The two fill their days with all the “activitings” — painting, doing school projects together, working out, having fun outdoors. In fact, Jake prides himself for introducing Ellie to the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter.
According to Jake, he says that he and Andi try to make the co-parenting setup work out—all for Ellie. And when she is with Jake, Ellie is surrounded by so much love from the Ejercitos. She has 4 boy cousins: Isaiah, Daniel, Michael and Moses, who in reality, are like her little brothers.
And of course being the only girls in the family, Ellie and her Tita Jerika share a very special bond. “I proudly assume the role of Ellie’s second mom and I truly love her as if she were my own. I call her my fifth child, my unica hija, because that’s what she is to me,” Jerika quips.
Her Tito Jacob, on the other hand, is more like Ellie’s big brother. They do so many crazy and silly things together and it is evident that he too, shares a special bond with his only niece. Jake is very thankful to his sister and brother for all the love they give to his daughter, and for making sure that the time she spends with them is always memorable.
A quick run-through of Jake’s Instagram account reveals just how close he and his daughter are, with the doting dad’s collection of captured memories with his princess. He says, “It’s a pretty interesting stage we’re in right now and I’m trying to cherish every moment of it because she is just growing up too fast.”
Being a girl dad
Being a girl dad teaches you a lot of things, including sensitivity and compassion. You can just imagine what all those hugs and affection can do to a guy! And living in a society dominated by hyper-masculinity, it’s always refreshing to see others who value such traits. Because Jake’s so involved in his daughter’s upbringing, there’s no doubt that this strong father-daughter relationship will have a lasting effect on Ellie’s opinion of men and future relationships. Guys who will try to come into her life— in the very distant future— will have some pretty big shoes to fill.
On Ellie: dress by Twilo
It’s obvious that Ellie’s got her dad wrapped around her little finger. Although Ellie’s forced Jake to mature faster, it’s a change for the better that he embraces. We love how he’s a present parent — he’s there for the gymnastics themed-birthday parties and for the cotton candy breaks. And yes, he may not be there for everything all the time, but one thing’s for sure: all of his hopes and dreams are made of Ellie and his own.
PHOTOGRAPHY by Miguel Abesamis
SITTINGS EDITOR Marga Medrano-Tupaz
ART DIRECTION by Ferdi Salvador
MAKEUP by Tamara Pineda of NARS Cosmetics PH (Assisted by Nathan Dalida)
HAIR by Joseph Fantone and Desire Desp of Colorbar PH
JAKE’S HAIR by Roberto Orleanes
STYLING by Maita Baello and Leanne Ledesma of Qurator Studio
Special thanks to:
Palacio de Memoria
Cibo by Margarita Fores
Swab testing by Avignon Clinic
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