Being moved by Janine Gutierrez's words isn't entirely shocking—especially when you know she's always been very intentional with her roles.
"Sa harap talaga ng anak niyo, Sir? (Really? In front of your child?)" says her timid department store employee character in Babae at Baril (The Woman and The Gun) (2019).
"Don't you want to give this thing a shot? Try lang natin. Tapos, if it doesn't work… at least we tried," the lovestruck AM Fernandez confronts her best friend-slash-romantic interest in Ngayon Kaya (2022).
"I need her alive!" demands Iris Buenavidez in Lavender Fields (2024). And her unpredictable double roles—as Alexa Salvacion and Mila dela Cruz—in Dirty Linen (2023) have too many memorable phrases to mention.
But of course, apart from the many hats the 35-year-old acclaimed actress has worn, there's also Janine as Janine—authentically herself. Lucky for us, we got to hear her words live from no better place than the annual Cosmopolitan Philippines Women of Influence Recognition Dinner. As the headliner of this year's Women of Influence Awardees and as our March 2025 cover star, Janine handed us exclusive notes on girlhood yet again during her award acceptance speech, no less.
The core theme? The value of choice—which, looking back, has always shaped the way women navigate the world.
READ MORE: Janine Gutierrez Is Intentional With Her Craft—And Destiny
Janine Gutierrez's Speech At The Women Of Influence 2025 Recognition Dinner
"I look up to so many of you, and you guys are so much cooler than me. But to be included in this list is such an honor, so thank you so much Cosmo," Janine began her speech in acknowledgment of her fellow awardees.
"[Earlier, I said] that I didn't really know why I was part of this list. I do have my advocacies and everything, but to be honest, after the last elections, I was so disheartened and I kinda laid low in being super hardcore about my advocacies and everything," she confessed.
"But when I did read the article, it turns out that I was recognized for my choices for work. So that's one thing I didn't stop doing—working. And in my work, I always try to choose roles that champion social justice and women empowerment and inclusivity. I'm so grateful to Cosmo for recognizing that, and I'm just so happy because it's something I've always tried to do, but I didn't know when it was apparent," she continued.
All smiles, Janine scanned the room and continued delivering a heartfelt message. "Thank you so much for seeing me and seeing my choices. I guess life really is a series of choices, and sometimes you get disheartened, heartbroken, or discouraged, but the key is to just keep going and to keep making these choices that lead you toward your goal. You never know who could be influenced by just you getting up and trying again the next day."
It was already a heartwarming speech—an acknowledgment of how influence plays, plus a call to action to your audience, making them realize how our actions sometimes become bigger than ourselves. But the actress took the extra step and slowly plunged into a more vulnerable territory.
"It took a lot of growing up before I became confident in my choices. When I was younger, I would always be swayed by people telling me what to do. And I think that's another experience of girlhood, 'di ba? Kapag bata ka pa, mas makikinig ka sa sasabihin ng ibang tao kaysa maniwala ka sa what your gut is telling you or what you want for yourself," she explained.
"Sometimes, you're afraid to dream, and you don't really believe that you can achieve the things that you want to achieve. If there's anything that I really want anyone who's watching or listening to know: I hope you believe in yourself as soon as possible. Especially the younger people—if there's anything that I would encourage you to do, [it] is to really just believe in yourself and love yourself. That will inspire so many girls and women around you."
To her, intentionality isn't just a mindset—it's a story that lives on. "I do believe that your life is your art, and your life is your legacy," Janine added, expressing her joy about being dubbed The Creative Catalyst.
READ MORE: This Is Girlhood: Meet The Cosmopolitan Philippines Women Of Influence Awardees Of 2025
"The simple choices that you make, like what you're going to eat today, or 'I'm going to post something about Masungi [Georeserve] today and share that knowledge with my followers and my friends—these small things that you do every day really do make a big impact," she said, recognizing the backstory of fellow awardees Ann and Billie Dumaliang. "You don't have to have, like, a huge movement or a huge success story right away."
"It's the small things that you do every day that really do make a change and inspire the women around you—and that's your activism; that's your art. And I'm a result of the women around me who have helped me to be brave," she said. "So, thank you also, because listening to all your stories tonight [has] inspired me, and hopefully this experience that we have together can be replicated in many other groups, whether in school or barkada."
The speech's conclusion perfectly mirrors her perception of girlhood: a community of women who empower each other.
