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After spending his first two weeks in "Your Face Sounds Familiar" battling nerves and self-doubt, Jarlo Base finally found his rhythm in Round 3 of the 'competition' when he took on the challenge of transforming into Kapamilya actor, singer and songwriter Jericho Rosales.
WATCH: Jarlo Base impresses with his heart-fluttering take on Jericho Rosales
His effortlessly 'kilig' and on-point performance of Jericho's "Pusong Ligaw" stood out to both the judges and his co-celebrity performers, who ultimately voted him as the week’s winner, as shown in the November 9 episode. That night, the self-doubt was replaced by a little more faith in himself as he realized he was exactly where he needed to be.
WATCH: Jarlo Base earns the highest score for his Jericho Rosales impersonation
Born Into Music
Jarlo’s family speaks the language of music. His father plays the violin, his siblings sing in choirs and bands, and his mother—the creative one who named him “Jarlo” (might be a playful twist on "Carlo")—loves to dance, her favorite being the tango (so yes, Jarlo's got some moves in his DNA too). As the middle child in a brood of five, he grew up learning how to listen—to music, to people.
His older brother, whom he considers his role model, first taught him how to play the guitar when he was seven until music has become his obsession, the good kind. He tells ABS-CBN Studios, during a first-hand interview after his “YFSF” winning moment, that he’s always had an "obsessive" personality, meaning he goes all in once something captures his interest. That fixation on the guitar, which later expanded to piano, led him to explore not just instruments but songwriting and production, basically diving into the many corners of his musical creativity.
Jarlo is pretty much a well-rounded guy. Outside music, he makes time to hit the gym or play his ultimate love in the sports department, basketball, “Kung kaya ko pa rin with my time now, mas pipiliin ko mag-basketball talaga every day,” or maybe just anything that keeps his body active and his mind clear. Physical activity, he says, helps his creativity flow better.
A Rough Start
When the world slowed down in 2020 due to the pandemic, Jarlo found his own way to keep moving through music. He wrote, recorded, and uploaded songs online, which gained traction on YouTube and Spotify. Tracks like "Kalapati," "Malumanay," and "Humpay" found their way to OPM listeners who connected to his honest and mellow sound.
In 2023, his single "Kalapati" earned him the Awit Award for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist. By March 2025, he officially joined Star Magic.
In October this year, Jarlo was announced as one of the eight celebrity performers for the brand-new season of "Your Face Sounds Familiar," the hit weekly show where celebrities take on challenges of transforming into music icons. When he got the call, the team was still finalizing the lineup and asked if he could audition. “Ang mga ginaya ko po noon sa audition were Michael Jackson, Juan Karlos...” he recalls. Unlike others who came in with costumes and make-up, Jarlo’s tryout involved just a few lines and a quick chat about his background. “Parang may kulang [na isang celebrity]. Ako 'yong last one [na tinawagan] tapos nagustuhan," he reveals.
But after getting in, he still couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty as he doesn’t consider himself a celebrity in the same sense as his fellow “YFSF” performers. For him, the word “celebrity” carries a recognition that he feels he hasn’t reached yet. “Siguro para sa akin, celebrity is ’yung talagang kilala ka ng mga tao, ’yung name mo pa lang, alam na nila. Parang for me, yes, I've been an artist, a songwriter, producer for a long time. Pero, hindi ko po masabi na mayroon akong 'celebrity status.' Lahat po ng kasama ko wala na talagang kailangan patunayan," he ponders, his words humble and courteous, often punctuated by a sincere “po.”
Besides, he views himself as more of a working artist than a public figure. "Para sa akin po, for the longest time din, happy na ako na even if I'm not well-known basta I am able to provide for myself or sa future family ko sa paggawa ng music, masaya na ako no'n eh." But at some point, he realized that mindset also kept him from aiming higher, "I felt like I was limiting myself for the longest time." Humility can sometimes blur into lack of confidence, and Jarlo knows this feeling too well.
For his “YFSF” debut, he took on international R&B star Usher. The following round, he transformed into the Philippines' R&B King, Jay R. And those two performances were... rough.
"Hindi ko talaga nabigay ’yung best ko," he admits. "And nakita rin po ng judges ’yun. Tapos kinakain ako ng kaba, which has been my weakness ever since I was a kid. Basketball days ko pa lang po, kaba ko na ’yung problema ko.”
That stage fright translated into scores. His impersonation of Usher landed him at the bottom with only seven points combined from the judges and his co-performers—the same spot shared by Rufa Mae Quinto and Dia Mate.
To be fair, he barely had time to prepare as he jumped into taping just a week after getting the confirmation that he’d join the show. "Halos wala pong tulog, tapos Usher agad, so may choreo. Wala ako sa kondisyon, wala ako sa lahat. Tapos, sobrang taas ng boses ni Usher. Kung ’yung range niya nasa 10, 'yung range ko naman is 5." Not to mention, he was still finding his footing in a completely new world. "Nabigla po talaga [ako]. Kabadong-kabado. Ang dami kong takot. Tapos, na-intimidate pa ako sa lahat," he says, adding that the “YFSF” team was welcoming and supportive, though being new to them, they were also figuring out how to help him settle in. Jarlo actually thought of quitting after that first show.
The following round, things got even tougher as he once again placed last on the leaderboard with just five points. After the performance, the show arranged a live video call with Jay R from the U.S., allowing the hosts to chat with him on-air and for the R&B crooner to share his thoughts on Jarlo’s impersonation. And instead easing his nerves, it only made him feel more heartbroken.
“He was very nice, he was trying to be nice,” he says of Jay R. “Pero pakiramdam ko hindi siya natuwa. Hindi siya ’yung parang, ‘Oh, you did so well, nagaya mo ako.’ Feeling ko, baka na-disappoint ko siya. He was very nice but feeling ko hindi siya masaya,” he admits, his tone hinting at the sting of wishing he could’ve done better. When I tell him he might’ve just been overthinking it, he smiles and shrugs. Maybe, he says, Jay R just isn’t the expressive type, but that was honestly how it felt to him right then.
Round 2 became his wake-up call, the point he knew he had to pull himself up, “So, ’yon ’yung isa sa mga driving force ko rin na, ‘Hindi na mauulit ’yon.' Kasi, na-heartbroken rin ako d'yan." He didn’t know it yet, but his breakthrough was already on its way.
Painting Jericho Rosales
By Round 3 (Week 5-6), Jarlo altered his energy. He managed to somehow replace fear and pressure with focus, and though the nerves were still there, he's learned to work with them.
As we speak, there's this newfound confidence in him that came from winning with his transformation as Jericho. “Ngayon po, it feels amazing kasi nanalo ako,” he enthuses. I tell him he seemed to have found the show's dynamic, he nods, "Yeah, actually, that's a really nice way to put it po."
Don’t get him wrong. Jarlo is elated, yes, but not carried away as he knows better than to focus on the win alone. What makes him happier is knowing he did his assignment right. "Dito naman po kasi, my job is gayahin 'yung icon, do it as close as possible and mapa-feel sa audience yung kailangan ipa-feel. So, kung magawa ko po 'yun every week, masaya na po talaga."
Just like in his previous transformations, the first thing he felt upon learning his third icon was sheer nervousness, if anything, even more intense this time. “Kasi po, nasa isip ko, si Usher kaya ko [gayahin] kasi kaya kong sumayaw. Kaya kong daanin sa sayaw ’yung panggagaya. So kahit di ko magawa ’yung pagkanta niya, magagawa ko sa sayaw. Si Jay R naman po, R&B naman ako, makulot-kulot naman ako, so kaya ko rin ‘to,” he explains.
But Jericho was a different story. “Dito po kay Jericho, kinabahan ako kasi akala ko, ‘Ay, hindi ko ito kaya.’ Kasi wala naman siyang skill na kaya kong gawin or similar kami,” he relates. Jericho is best known for his brilliance in the acting landscape, which Jarlo has never truly explored apart from a few commercials and minor theater work in school.
But in the process of studying Jericho, he found an unexpected similarity with the actor's psyche. "'Yung galaw namin, medyo similar in a way na we're both comfortable," he says, describing them both as laidback guys. "'Di ba, mayroong mga mas macho, rigid, mayroong mga mas talagang tahimik. Kami ni Jericho, parang chill."
“Inuna ko siya honestly sa boses,” Jarlo recalls when asked to break down his process of becoming Jericho. Once he mastered the tone and memorized the song "Pusong Ligaw" enough for muscle memory to kick in, he began layering in the small gestures.
Yet, something still felt missing. “Nung nira-run ko siya sa bahay, parang may mali. It didn’t feel right,” he looks back. It wasn’t until the day of the performance that it finally clicked, “Na-realize ko, for me to be able to do this successfully, kailangan paglabas ko ng stage, ako si Jericho—hindi ’yung ginagaya ko si Jericho.”
So, instead of replicating Jericho’s skill set, he thought, why not focus on who Jericho is? With Usher and Jay R, he had zeroed in on mastering the technicalities alone, such as the vocals and the movements. But this time, he decided to approach it differently by internalizing Jericho's personality.
It helped that the groundwork was already there, since he's used to getting a lot of compliment about his striking resemblance to the Asian Drama King, not just in appearance, but in the way he moves and even speaks (and while doing the interview, I see it myself). That, perhaps, was his cue to stop imitating and start embodying. "It’s all in the mind,” he reflects.
Jarlo also came up with his own little exercise to ease the nerves by rehearsing in the most unexpected places—like the mall. He'd walk through aisles and open spaces, humming and mimicking Jericho’s gestures as people passed by, starting in quiet spots and then to busier ones. “Pipilitin kong hindi mahiya kahit mukha akong ewan,” he spills, laughing. Sometimes, people would notice and react, wondering what he was doing but he didn't mind. “Ito ’yung isa sa mga preparations ko na kapag nalaman [ng viewers], feeling ko, matatawa sila." It may look funny to others but it paid off. If he could risk looking silly there, he thought, he could face anything on stage.
It also helped that, unlike his first two performances where everything felt rushed, a week-long delay due to a typhoon gave him the breathing room to fine-tune the details this time. “Parang nagpinta ako," he explains, drawing an analogy, “tinapos ko ['yung painting] in three days. Pero hindi ko pwedeng ilabas dahil ‘pag naulanan, masisira. So pinatuyo ko muna. Pagbalik, parang naka-immerse siya sa akin.”
It was during that pause—that drying period, so to speak—when everything settled in him. “Parang na-absorb na canvass ’yung paint,” I say. “Yes,” he smiles, “exactly.”
When asked how long he rehearsed, Jarlo estimates about three weeks in total. “Pinaka-busy po ’yung first one and a half weeks. Tapos may isang week na medyo nag-chill ako, pahinga. Tapos ’yung last few days, doon po ako nag-review ulit. Pero relaxed na lang.” He did most of the reviewing on his own. Sometimes just in front of the mirror, sometimes with friends. “Iba talaga 'pag may magsasabi, ‘Ay, parang ano ka dito,’” he laughs. But most days, he’d practice alone, studying his reflection until every move felt instinctive.
And when did he know he had finally become Jericho? He smiles at the memory, “After ko pong magpahinga.” The delay, instead of breaking his momentum, allowed the performance to sink and eventually live in him, much like letting the paint dry before revealing a finished piece.
Exhibiting the Painting
Then it was time to take the painting out onto the stage. Jarlo came out of the "Your Face Sounds Familiar" iconator carrying every ounce of hard work and faith he’d poured into the act. The nerves, of course, didn’t just disappear—they never really do.
“Grabe, opo,” he admits when asked if he felt nervous mid-performance. And yet, somehow, he enjoyed it. “Parang kailangan mo ibigay ’yung best mo, ’yun lang ’yung kailangan mong gawin,” he says. “Kasi kung hindi, hindi ka magsa-succeed. May ganun akong drive. ’Yung feeling na, this is me—akin ’to.” He describes the moment as liberating, like finally breaking free from the same fear that once kept him small.
As aired in the November 8 episode, the response was electric, with the audience and judges ‘vibing’ with his transformation. The panel that night, made up of Ogie Alcasid, Sharon Cuneta, and mentors Klarisse De Guzman and Nyoy Volante, showered him with praise.
Ogie, the OPM Chief himself, called his take on Jericho’s “Pusong Ligaw” a breakthrough performance, while Sharon revealed early that out of all performers that night, she already had three names in mind for her highest score, and Jarlo was one of them.
For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to feel proud. “For a few seconds po, parang sabi ni Ms. Sharon na, 'Ikaw ’yung isa sa tatlong gusto kong bigyan ng eight points.' So parang, oh wow, galing ko naman,” he recalls. But just as fast, that familiar tug of doubt crept back in, which he’s long accepted as part of the process. "Kalaban ko po talaga ’yun. Sanay na ako do'n," he says. "So, masaya ako na they liked it pero hindi ko inisip na mananalo ako.”
He wasn’t thinking about winning. How could he, when everyone else was that good? “Ang galing ng mga kasama ko. Talaga naman po, as in,” he points out. When it was the performers’ turn to vote for their standout of the night, everyone meant it when they said it was tough to choose. Each celebrity had their own strength, with each performance raising the bar.
In the end, it came down to a close contest between Jarlo and Alexa Ilacad, who impressed with her fierce interpretation of BLACKPINK’s Jennie. But the deciding votes from their co-celebrity performers tipped the scales in Jarlo's favor. To them, he was the revelation of the night, the plot twist who finally broke out of his shell and showed what he was truly capable of.
As the week’s winner, Jarlo took home ₱50,000, and maybe something even more valuable—the confidence to finally believe he belongs on that stage.
Even after being named the third “YFSF” top scorer, Jarlo was still trying to process what had just happened. "Promise, the whole time, sabi ko, ‘Totoo ba ’to?’" he relives the moment.
When asked if there's anything he would have done differently, he takes a pause before shaking his head. “Wala na rin akong masyadong magagawa.” Then, with a tone equal parts relief and pride, he adds that he felt stretched in the best possible way. “It could’ve been worse, pero napaganda ko siya. May mga times talaga na may kaba, pero parang na-shake off ko.”
More than the cash prize, what mattered to Jarlo was the look of admiration and validation on his co-performers' faces. “Hindi ’yun biro,” he muses. "After, they're telling me that they're proud, they were so proud of me, ganyan, ang sarap sa feeling."
To be seen by your peers, especially when you once doubted you belonged beside them, felt like a win on its own. And then there was the thrill of discovery, that rush of realizing he’d unlocked a side of himself he didn’t know existed. “Feeling ko naging actor ako, in a way,” he says, recalling how, for three minutes, he became Jericho Rosales. “Parang may bagong craft akong nadiskubre.” Asked if he’d ever try acting for real, Jarlo smiles, intrigued by the thought, “Definitely."
And if Jericho were to watch the night's performance, he hopes he’d be pleased, “Feeling ko matutuwa siya. Kasi mararamdaman niyang inaaral ko siya.”
For Jarlo, his “YFSF” stint is about becoming himself. “Kahit hindi ako manalo dito, pero pagdating ko sa dulo, gusto ko ibang performer na ako.” And judging by how he’s slowly learned to outgrow his fears and turn them into fuel, it’s safe to say he already is.
There’s something magnetic about watching a performer surprise even himself—and that’s exactly what Jarlo does on "Your Face Sounds Familiar," week after week.
Do not miss an episode of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” every weekend night, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z and iWant. Viewers can also catch it on TV5 every Saturday, at 8:15PM, and Sundays, at 8:30 PM.