As he prepares for his highly anticipated concert in 2026, beloved OPM icon Ice Seguerra reflects on a pivotal moment in his life — the courageous day he embraced his identity as a transman.

This transformative step not only marked a significant chapter in his personal journey but also stands as a proud milestone that he cherishes deeply.

During an interview for his upcoming show "Being Ice Live!" at the New Frontier in Araneta City on Feb. 27, Ice recalled that moment when he finally came out as his identity. He forgot which show he appeared on, and it was never intentional that he would come out that time.

"Noon tinanong ako kung lesbian ako, hindi ako sumagot ng yes or no. Pero yung pagka-edit nila, it felt like I said yes. (When they asked me if I was a lesbian, I didn't answer yes or no. But when they edited it, it felt like I said yes)," recalled Ice. And the rest was history.

Ice firmly believes he made the right choice, a decision he stands by with conviction. Yet, in the quiet moments of reflection, a nagging thought creeps into his mind—that his journey to stardom might have soared to even greater heights had he chosen to remain in the shadows.

"Feeling ko kung hindi ako out, I'd be a bigger star. May endorsements left and right. Hindi ko rin alam kasi maliit lang ako. Pero at what cost? (I feel like if I weren't out, I'd be a bigger star. There are endorsements left and right. I don't know either because I'm just a little girl. But at what cost?)"

"Takot ako noon mag-out sa sarili ko because I knew maaapektuhan ang career ko. (I was afraid to come out on my own because I knew it would affect my career.) I am glad I came out. Happy ako, I am able to share my songs and myself.

"At the same time, hindi ko na kailangan magtago kung sino ako. Hindi ko kailangan itago kung sino ang mahal ko na. (At the same time, I don't have to hide who I am anymore. I don't have to hide who I love anymore.)"

"Kaya kong mag go back and forth sa normal Ice or showbiz Ice na ito lang ang suot ko. Hindi ko kailangan mag-pretend. What you see is what you get. (I can go back and forth from normal Ice or showbiz Ice with just this one thing I'm wearing. I don't need to pretend. What you see is what you get)," Ice confessed.

Ice has just returned from a much-needed break with his wife, Liza Dino, in Spain, where they celebrated the New Year. Feeling refreshed, energized, and inspired, he invited members of the showbiz press to discuss his upcoming concert at the Fire and Ice office in Quezon City.

"Right now I am treating myself as a new artist, kahit 40 years na ako next year in the industry. 'Being Ice' is my way of reintroducing myself. Before, with my past albums, I was singing other people's songs, and that's fine. Kumbaga it was made for me. Pero syempre, if you are not writing the songs, parang you are telling other people's stories. (Right now I am treating myself as a new artist, even though I will be 40 years old next year in the industry. 'Being Ice' is my way of reintroducing myself. Before, with my past albums, I was singing other people's songs, and that's fine. I guess it was made for me. But of course, if you're not writing the songs, it's like you're telling other people's stories.)"

"After so many years of being in the industry, parang ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng maturity and courage to share my innermost feelings. (After so many years of being in the industry, it seems like only now have I had the maturity and courage to share my innermost feelings.)"

"Parang napansin ko, when I write songs or poems, it's like an extension of myself. Noon parang may pressure ako na dapat maging hit song. Paano kung hindi? Instead of doing that, hindi na lang. (I've noticed that when I write songs or poems, it's like an extension of myself. Back then, I felt pressured to have a hit song. What if it wasn't? Instead of doing that, I just didn't)," said Ice.

Twenty-five years after Pagdating ng Panahon became one of the most defining songs in Original Pilipino Music, Ice is returning to the place where his story was first projected—and choosing, this time, how it begins.

Being Ice: Live! at the New Frontier, happening on Feb. 27, is not a repeat of the earlier Newport staging of the concert memoir. It is a homecoming in the truest sense: a return to New Frontier Theater, the Cubao venue where Ice’s films premiered during his childhood stardom, and where he was first seen by the nation—before he had language for who he was becoming.

Opening the concert with Pagdating ng Panahon—a song that for decades closed his shows—marks a deliberate shift. Once a symbol of arrival, the song now serves as an acknowledgment rather than a climax, allowing the rest of the night to move into stories that came after fame: survival, quiet work, and authorship.

“For a long time, that song was the ending people waited for,” Ice shares. “Now, I want it to be the beginning—and then let the rest of my story walk out on its own.”

Set in Cubao, the concert traces a full arc that many audiences never get to see. After childhood fame receded, this was where Ice stayed—singing in small rooms, performing in showbands, and continuing to work when the spotlight was gone. He spent most of his years on Imperial St. in Cubao, in a house given to him by popular film producer Mother Lily Monteverde. Those years, often left out of public memory, form the emotional backbone of Being Ice, a concert structured not as a hit parade, but as a memoir told in chapters.

"Sa Cubao, noong sumadsad ang career ko, merong Joker's (bar) doon kung saan doon ako nagso-showband. Doon ako pinanood ng producers ng 'Pagdating Ng Panahon' album. Cubao is beautiful place for me kasi para siyang pugad ng normal na buhay. It witnessed everything. Even the start of my relationship with Liza. I live there, so she would pick me up there. I was 16. First kiss namin naka-park yung car sa may gate namin. (In Cubao, when my career was on the wane, there was Joker's (bar) where I also performed with a band. The producers of the 'Pagdating Ng Panahon' album watched me there. Cubao is a beautiful place for me because it was a nest of normal life. It witnessed everything. Even the start of my relationship with Liza. I live there, so she would pick me up there. I was 16. Our first kiss was when the car was parked at our gate.)"

"And then the New Frontier Theater. That's where I had most of my films premiered. Ako never ko na feel showbiz talaga ako. Kasi nga bata pa ako nagstart so parang normal lang ang lahat for me. When I see Vic Sotto, parang Tito ko lang siya. Noon kapag makikita ko yung billboard ng movie ko sa EDSA-Aurora crossing, parang ang weird ng feeling. (I never felt like I was really in showbiz. Because I started young, everything seemed normal to me. When I see Vic Sotto, he's like my uncle. Back then, when I saw billboards for my movies at the EDSA-Aurora crossing, I felt weird)," Ice recalled.

“This isn’t a comeback,” Ice says. “It’s a return to the place that saw everything—including the parts people didn’t clap for.”

As the concert coincides with Valentine’s Month, its growing momentum reflects more than seasonal demand. Audiences are responding to a show that invites connection rather than spectacle—one that treats love not as romance alone, but as endurance, community, and the choice to stay.

Supported by brand partners aligned with the concert’s values of comfort and shared experience, Being Ice: Live! at the New Frontier continues to build anticipation as a one-night-only event rooted in memory, place, and presence.

Twenty-five years after Pagdating ng Panahon, Ice returns not to relive an ending—but to finally decide where the story begins.

Ice and Liza celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary last December 2025. But the celebrity couple have known each other for 13 years. Ice characterizes his bond with Liza as nothing short of 'perfect,' a harmony that resonates with warmth and understanding. Yet, like a delicate melody, there have been moments of discord—misunderstandings and spirited discussions that arose, but he refrains from labeling them as fights. Instead, he sees these moments as opportunities for growth, adding depth to their connection.

"I can't imagine myself without her. It's perfect. Alam ko walang ganun. Even kung paano siya magalit. People are lovable until they get mad. Makikita mo yung negative side ng personality nila.

"I told her, 'Sakto ka for me.' Sometimes yung part of you na hindi gusto ng other people about you, mga past relationships, kaya ko sya. Hindi ako yung type of person na sasabihin ko na hindi ko na kaya ito. (I told her, 'You're perfect for me.' Sometimes, the part of you that other people don't like about you, past relationships, I can handle it. I'm not the type of person to say I can't handle it anymore)," Ice also said.

At this point, Ice is convinced he has unraveled every secret and nuance of Liza's being. Their bond has deepened to such a degree that there are no more barriers or facades between them; they share their thoughts and feelings openly, laying bare their souls in a way that feels almost sacred.

"Ganun kami ka open ni Liza. Everything about her alam ko. Maayos kaming mag-away. (Liza and I are that open. I know everything about her. We fight well.). I don't call it a fight. When we have discussions, we think about how we are going to fix it. It's difficult because it requires a lot of introspection.

"Naniniwala ako na every positive emotion comes from love. The negative ones come from fear. For me, dalawa lang ang mood niya, love and fear.

"The last time we had one, it really made me go deep down. Ano ba yung pinagdaanan ko or fear ko kaya? I was protecting myself big-time. I think the only way you can heal is that hindi mo tinatakbuhan yung mga bagay na nakapanakit sa'yo. (The last time we had one, it really made me go deep down. What was I going through, or was it fear? I was protecting myself big-time. I think the only way you can heal is that you don't run away from the things that hurt you.)"

"Kami lang talaga eh. Minsan nagsosorry ka then mauulit na uli. I believe in cycles. You realize paulit-ulit na. It's because meron ka pang hindi nahi-heal sa sarili mo. That's why paulit ulit. Maayos lang yan kapag inayos mo rin yung aspeto na yun sa buhay mo. (It's just us. Sometimes you apologize, and then it happens again. I believe in cycles. You realize it happens again and again. It's because there's something you haven't healed in yourself. That's why it happens again and again. That's okay if you fix that aspect of your life, too)," Ice said.

"Being Ice Live!" will be staged at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, on Feb. 27, 2026. Tickets are available via TicketNet and Fire and Ice Live through 09178771758.