There's more to look out for in DJ Jessica

MANILA, Philippines - For a lot of radio talk show listeners, sitting behind the turntables, wearing headsets and dishing out your thoughts and opinions in the airwaves must be among the coolest gigs you could ever do. While being a radio jock does have its perks, it’s far from being just all gab and glam. In fact, it’s mostly hard work, as DJ Jessica Mendoza attests.

DJ Jessica is among the jewels of Philippine radio. At 22 years old, and with only three years of hosting experience, she’s already counted among the prettiest female DJs in the land, shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Andi9, who is actually her co-host in the Magic Top 5@5 spot on Magic 89.9.

“I was warned at the start that it would require much more commitment and hard work, but I took the offer and haven’t looked back since,” she narrates.

For someone so committed, it seems strange that being a radio host wasn’t even in her plan when she auditioned in Magic’s Junior Jock Program as a Communication Arts student who hoped to gain an edge in experience. “I just got lucky when one of the jocks there retired and they asked me if I wanted his spot,” she says.

Her seriousness was evident when she finished her degree with honors, demonstrating brains and beauty that win over both males and females of all ages. That combination is apparently crucial to her current work. “Being a radio jock is much more than knowing your music and having a nice voice,” she says. “It’s being able to present information in ways that are funny and new, and being able to relate with your listeners. Coming up with new segments is a big challenge, and it’s something that my partner Andi and I constantly work on.”

Even if she has built a fanbase with just her voice, she says she keeps a decent diet and exercises regularly to always look and feel good. “I work out at 360 Fitness Club in Ortigas, near the station,” she says. “The head coach, Chappy Callanta, always reminds us to stay away from high-sodium and high sugar foods. I also drink lots of water and get sufficient rest.”

Having worn glasses since she was nine, she also recently invested in eye surgery at one of the country’s top eye clinics, American Eye Center. “It wasn’t a snap decision. I’d been mulling it over for nearly two years,” she admits. “I was a little worried at first. When I consulted Dr. Alnette Tan, she said I was good and ready, and suggested that I try the all-laser LASIK surgery, since it’s safer and more precise.”

What the good Dr. Tan, who specializes in cornea and refractive surgery, used for DJ Jessica’s LASIK procedure was American Eye Center’s most advanced equipment, the Wavelight Refractive Suite. This suite, composed of two of the most advanced lasers available for LASIK surgery worldwide, is known as the world’s fastest refractive platform. Simply put, it is so fast, so safe and so precise, that it is capable of giving 20/20 vision in less than 20 minutes.

“It was really amazing,” she gushes. “The benefits are just endless. I don’t have to worry about straining my eyes because of contact lenses, I don’t have to stress when I forget my glasses or my contact lens solution. I can drive easily at night. I no longer have to squint to use the computers at work. Really I’m so happy and grateful about this procedure.”

DJ Jessica now trains her newfound sights on the many blessings she continues to receive. While she certainly has the looks (and the intelligence) to make it beyond radio, her biggest inspiration right now is the station.

“I’m lucky enough to get to work with some of the best in the businesses, and to follow in the footsteps of legends,” she says. “Some of them trained me personally, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

Not surprisingly, such eloquence is also hard to come by, and it’s what makes her stand out from the rest.