Fun Facts You May Not Have Known About Rising Star Ashtine Olviga

Never underestimate the power of a Wattpad adaptation to put a young actor on the fast track to stardom. If you need recent proof of that, just look at Ashtine Olviga. With her lead role as Jay-jay Mariano on the series adaptation of Ang Mutya ng Section E, Ashtine achieved a kind of breakthrough many actors dream of. The show helped turn Ashtine into an overnight star who remains steadily on the rise.

To the casual viewer, Ashtine’s arrival on the scene might seem sudden, but it’s a lot more than that. Behind Ashtine’s peak is nearly a decade of hard work from an artist who is a lot more dynamic than some may realize. With that, get to know more of one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2020s below.  

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Her Debut Was on a Reality Talent Competition Show

Every big star starts somewhere, and for Ashtine Olviga, it was on a singing competition. In 2016, she competed on the first season of Born To Be A Star. While she didn’t win the season (it went to Shanne Dandan), it did give Ashtine the push to pursue her showbiz career. The rest, as they say, is history.  

One of Her First Acting Roles Was in a Sarah Geronimo Movie

Even as a rookie actress, Ashtine was already working on the films of A-list stars. Her second acting role was a supporting character in Miss Granny, the time-traveling romantic musical starring Sarah Geronimo and James Reid. For her acting debut, meanwhile, she appeared in the rom-com Bakit Lahat ng Gwapo May Boyfriend?!, which starred Anne Curtis, Dennis Trillo, and Paolo Ballesteros.

She Used To Be a P-Pop Idol

Ashtine has stated in the past that acting is her first love. But along the way in her acting journey, Ashtine took a detour into being a P-pop idol. In fact, she was a member of three P-pop girl groups. In 2017, she debuted in the P-pop group UGG, or U Go Girls. Two years later, she joined P-pop supergroup PPop Generation (Team A). Her most notable foray into P-pop came in 2021 when she was a member of girl group LITZ, which had a couple of bangers in Natataranta and Kidlat before unofficially disbanding in 2022. None of these groups are currently active, but its members, like Ashtine, have gone on to find success in other fields. You could say she did it for the plot.

Ang Mutya Ng Section E Was Her First Leading Role

With how natural she is as Jay-jay onAng Mutya ng Section E, it’s both impressive and surprising to know that it was her first-ever leading role. Ashtine made her acting debut in 2016, and it took nine years for her to be the main character in a project, one that changed her life and the trajectory of her career. The nearly decade-long wait just puts into perspective the importance of patience, perseverance, and hard work in achieving your dreams.

She’s a Musician

Ashtine is a triple threat because she can act, sing, and dance. Outside of her work on TV and film, Ashtine is also an artist, making her solo music career debut with the single Sabihin Mo Na under VIVA Records in 2019. Since then, she has sporadically released singles, such as covers of Sa Bawat Sandali and Sa Panaginip Na Lang in 2025, and performs on stage during mall tours.  

She Has Her Own YouTube Channel

If you want to get to know more of Ashtine beyond the spotlight, the young star has her own YouTube channel where she posts glimpses and snippets of her offscreen life. From behind-the-scenes looks, song covers, vlogs, and more, the channel gives fans a more personable side to the actress.    

Photos: MEGA ARCHIVES, ARON GUEVARA (via Instagram)