Jiro Manio. Image: Screengrab from YouTube/GMA Network
Jiro Manio admitted that he misses being in the entertainment industry. Still, he’s not committed to making a showbiz comeback anytime soon since his doctors had advised him against doing so as it might trigger stress.
Manio confessed that there are moments when he missed being in showbiz and that he still receives offers to be included in projects, as seen in a “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview on GMA Network’s YouTube channel on Friday, Jan. 19.
“Pinipili ko ang mga tinatanggap [kong offers]. Pero hindi na katulad ng dati na babad talaga ako sa TV (I’m being choosy with the offers I receive but I’m not as immersed as before when I was still on TV), he said.
The former child actor then disclosed that his doctors in the rehabilitation center advised him against making a showbiz comeback for now due to the demanding nature of the job.
“Pinagbawalan po kasi ako ng mga doctor sa rehab kasi baka maging effect daw ng stress ko, magkakasakit ako ulit. Hanggang ngayon, nagte-take ako ng medicine (My doctor in the rehab advised me against doing so because it might cause stress, I might get sick again. Until now, I’m still taking medicine),” he said.
Manio also explained that his doctors advised him against staying up too late or getting too overwhelmed with his emotions as it might affect his health.
“Bawal akong mapuyat, bawal ako masyado magalit. Bawal ‘yung mga substance,” he said, noting that he wants to focus on recovering before returning to showbiz. “Sinasabi ko sa [mga nagtatanong sa’kin b’at hindi pa ako bumabalik ng showbiz], kailangan ko ng full recovery.”
(I’m not allowed to stay up too late. I’m not allowed to get angry. I’m not allowed to indulge in certain substances. When people ask me why I’m not returning to showbiz, I tell them that I need to make a full recovery.)
He also explained during the interview that pausing his acting career made him realize that he needed space to do things that he wanted to do, although he didn’t expound on the topic.
“Hindi po. Parang feel ko lang that I need some space para magawa ko ang sarili kong kagustuhan (No, I feel like I need to do space to do what I wanted to do), he said.
Despite this, when asked by Abunda during the “Fast Talk” portion if Manio will return to the entertainment industry, he responded with a “no.”
Earlier this month, Manio made headlines after selling his Gawad Urian Best Actor trophy to internet personality Jayson Luzadas, also known as Boss Toyo, for P75,000. The trophy was given to the actor after his performance in the 2003 film “Magnifico,” which also bagged him a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award.
The former child actor admitted days later that his financial situation was what urged him to put his trophy for sale.
In 2011, Manio was escorted to a drug rehabilitation center where he remained until 2017. A couple of years after his arrest in 2020, he was brought to a rehabilitation center and served as a co-facilitator.