It was a normal Thursday for all of us, just starting August right a.k.a spending an hour this morning on Instagram. Scanning through our feed full of the latest celebrity posts, someone new and fresh caught our attention—Marthena Jickain.
She looked chic and dainty in the debutante photos that her mother, Aiko Melendez, uploaded. Marthena just turned 18 and Aiko was one emotional momma. After all, she is Aiko's youngest daughter. In case you're curious, Marthena is Aiko's daughter with her former husband, Martin Jickain.
So while everyone was greeting Marthena with their sweetest birthday greetings, we were already invested in knowing more about her. Below, we've gathered some fast facts about the pretty Marthena—and it turns out that she's got the beauty and the brains for sure!
8 Things To Know About Aiko Melendez's Daughter, Marthena Jickain
1. She's a '06 liner!
Marthena was born on July 28, 2006. She celebrated her 18th birthday this 2024 through an intimate gathering with her friends and family. Aiko noted in a post that only 50 people were invited to really keep it intimate within their closest circles.
In a photo from the event, Marthena was seen with her brother Andre Yllana, her mother, Aiko, and Aiko's current partner, politician Jay Khonghun. In an interview, Aiko even asked Marthena if she was comfortable with their present family setup.
The 18-year-old confidently said that there was no problem at all and that she was okay with her mother's relationship, calling him Tito Jay as well. "Lucky pa nga ako, kasi when Tito Jay came, I had the [father] figure that I didn't have in my life, I'm thankful for that."
2. She's now an Atenista.
An 18-year-old girl full of potential, Marthena got accepted into the Ateneo de Manila University. She'll be taking up a bachelor's degree in Development Studies.
ALSO READ: 10 Celebs Who Attended Ateneo De Manila University
3. Marthena was supposed to study abroad.
Before she set her eyes on Ateneo, Marthena had her hopes of studying abroad for college. However, Aiko admitted that she was not ready to let Marthena go yet on her own.
In their one-on-one interview via Aiko's YouTube channel, Marthena apologized for how she made her mom feel after expressing her desire to study abroad. "When I wanted to go abroad, I'm sorry if you felt like I was gonna leave you behind. I just wanted to explore. But I'm sorry if you felt that way," Mathena stated.
"We will get there anak," Aiko mentioned that in the future, she'll surely be able to live with the fact that Marthena will be out there building her own life.
READ MORE: 7 Things No One Tells You About Studying Abroad
4. She wants to be a lawyer.
Marthena seems to have big ambitions and with the support she's been receiving from her family, there's no doubt she'll get there. Another one of her dreams is to be a lawyer.
During their interview, Aiko also revealed that Marthena took up a crash course about law at Oxford University. Marthena disclosed that it was her mother's influence that made her interested in becoming a lawyer. But she also noted in the same interview that she's still exploring possibilities and still has a long way to finalize her dream. After all, she's now in college and she'll have all the opportunities to see what really fits her.
"It's still a long time coming, I still have a lot of years to think about...I think it was also your influence, siyempre kasi you're in public service," she told her mom during the interview. ICYDK, aside from being an actress, Aiko is also serving as the 5th District Councilor of Quezon City.
Aiko also asked Marthena if there's a chance she'll pursue public service. Not closing any doors for now, the 18-year-old had a simple and decent response to it saying, "Definitely it's not out of the picture. Iba kapag nakakatulong ka sa tao...I just don't know if it's todo na public service or behind the scenes," she stated.
5. She's also a volleyball player.
She's got the beauty, the brains, and also the brawns. Yup, Marthena is also an athlete. She's been playing volleyball for years. It was revealed that she once trained as a spiker, and now her current position is as a setter.
Of course, as a player, she idolizes some of the greatest volleyball players in the country. She didn't shy away from disclosing that Jia De Guzman is her ultimate bias in the volleyball world at the moment. "Now that volleyball is really moving worldwide, it's not just sports, it's more like passion for others... [My idol] Jia de Guzman, iba 'yung discipline niya and hard work niya sa court," she said.
6. She has a very close relationship with her brother, Andre.
No matter how old she gets, Marthena will remain a baby girl to her family, especially to her Kuya Andre.
"Thank you you're the kuya that I have. Hindi ko inakala na magkakaroon tayo ng ganitong relationship...I hope that whatever you do for me, I'm willing to do as much or beyond pa," she told her brother during the interview.
7. She's not pursuing showbiz—for now.
After everything, the real question: is Marthene joining showbiz soon? The 18-year-old debunked the question. Although she enjoys doing endorsements, and commercials, she's not yet ready to focus on bigger roles which is either to be a full-blown celebrity.
Talking about showbiz, she proclaimed, "Right now, it's not my focus. I'm not out of my shell for that kind of stretch out of my comfort zone. Gusto ko muna mga endorsements muna, commercials, guys baka naman."
8. Marthena is on Instagram!
Of course, Marthena is on IG. If you wanna see more of Marthena, you can scroll through her feed at @jickainmarthena.
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