Born and raised in San Francisco, Hyacinth grew up in the thick of art and activism. “I grew up in a community where there were artists around me… we all knew the importance of creating art, and that all art has a message, and that to always create and do art with intention,” she tells MEGA. That upbringing forged her as an artist today, one who insists that her work be purposeful.
That purpose now threads through her acting. After a breakout as Elyse in Safe Skies, Archer, Hyacinth has landed the role Grace in Bad Genius: The Series. “My character deals with a lot of pressure,” she says. “She only lives with her dad… and she feels like a burden to show up for him in place of her mom. But at the same time, she has her own dreams. A lot of women grow up pressured to please the people around them, and she’s a big representation of that.”
It’s the kind of role that demands emotional rigor, and that rigor, Hyacinth admits, has bled into her music, too. “Because acting forces you to be true to yourself, I feel like I can deliver more of the story in my music or the songs that I sing.”
But beyond the stage and the set, her work has always been tied to advocacy. Silakbo–Rant & Release, the Facebook community she runs, exists as a safe space for people to be their messy and unedited selves. It’s born from her own struggles. “Back in high school, I went into really deep depression,” she shares. “I wasn’t really taught how to navigate conflict or relationships. Over time, that led to suppressing my emotions…but then I fell in love with psychology. That was the first thing that validated me…then it started helping my relationships. That’s when I knew I wanted to share that with other people.”
If music gave her a voice, and acting gave her emotional fluency, advocacy gave her a compass. Together, they form a creative life with surprising cohesion. Her north star is clear: connection, truth, and intention.
She thinks carefully, then says: culture needs reclamation, not as nostalgia, but as a new habit of intention. “Before I even got into the industry, my biggest intention was I want to help our people—whether it’s being more connected with our culture… or to make it more normal to embrace our own.”
Hyacinth—it’s a name that feels almost prophetic. Like the flower, she’s managed to bloom in her own season, pushing through the weight of uncertainty to stand where she is now. And just as hyacinths return year after year, her place in the industry feels less like a fleeting moment and more like the beginning of something lasting: rooted, steady, and always reaching for the light.
Photographed by CENON AT MAV, Creative Direction by PATRICK TY, Art Direction by CLARE MAGNO, assisted by TROY NONATO, Fashion Direction and Styling by ROKO ARCEO, Beauty Direction by AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON and MARA GO, Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA, Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES-ISIDRO, Makeup by GERRY PENASO, Hair by MATT LEDESMA. Nails by CATHERINE BALINGASA, GENEVIEV PIOQUINTO, JENNIFER PASCUAL, and OGIE RODRIGUEZ of TRIPLE LUCK NAIL SALON, Production Design TIPPING POINT, Fashion Assistant KRISSIE TERUEL, Producer for CaM LOUGIE DELA CRUZ, Lighting Assistants MIGHT MERCADO, RUEL CONSTANTINO, GABRIEL JEFFERSON OLMILLO, SAMUEL PILLON, and ANTONIO BAYLON, Written by LAURD SALEN.
Shot on location at RED APPLE STUDIO
Special Thanks to MIGUEL LAURETA, ELLA TAGACA, ANA YLALIM, and KEN OPIÑA of VIVA ARTISTS AGENCY, THESS GUBI, LAUREN DYOGI, ERIK MIRAS, JEFF RODRIGUEZ, PATRICIA RIGODON, and FRANCES JOSON of STAR MAGIC, CHESTER SINGIAN, JASHLEY CRUZ, and ROCHELLE TUAZON-CHAVEZ of SPARKLE PR TEAM and SPARKLE GMA ARTIST CENTER
