Jiro Manio faces more challenges in career, family life

“THE spirit is willing but the flesh is not,” so goes a saying when a person would like to do something but he cannot due to lack of strength or energy.

Sadly in Jiro Manio’s case, he neither has the spirit nor the flesh to go back to the one he once loved: acting.

In Vignettes’ January 16 issue, we wrote how excited the loyal fans of the former child actors were to see him revive his showbiz career via ABS-CBN’s “Batang Quiapo.”

It’s just too bad that Coco Martin — who has been known for giving jobless and inactive peers another shot at showbiz — may no longer be able to do just that.

 

Sadly, Jiro Manio neither has the spirit nor the flesh to go back to the one he once loved: acting. FACEBOOK PHOTO/JIROKATAKURA

In his guesting last January on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” Jiro disclosed that his doctor has advised him against returning to his craft “for health reasons.”

Whether he likes it or not, Jiro — who’s still under medications for treatment of his drug-related problem — needs to be constantly reminded of the do’s and don’ts since he hasn’t fully recovered yet.

No to staying up late. No to taking on roles which require him to deliver intense emotions. Most importantly, no to taking drugs again.

At present, the “Magnifico” star has already gone home to their residence in a town in Rizal Province. He’s no longer a volunteer staff at a Bataan drug rehabilitation facility. To be precise about it, the 31-year-old former actor is in between jobs.

Jiro admits to willingly taking on jobs except acting on TV or in the movies.

To while his idle time away, his activities from sun up to sun down include nothing but tinkering with his gadget.

And yes, what also keeps him busy is getting his eyes fixed on social media.

In case you’re searching for him on Facebook. Jiro is not who he’s named on Facebook as he goes by the name Jiro Yusuke, the last name being his father’s.

And speaking of whom, despite his tireless, frantic quest for the father he hasn’t met all his life, Jiro may as well throw the towel in.

In an interview by PEP.ph with Ai Ai de las Alas, the comedienne swore that Yusuke does not intend to show himself up to finally meet Jiro in person.

Ai Ai told the online portal that she had actually scoured most of Japan to get to Yusuke’s residence hoping to meet up the old man in the flesh.

What the comedienne thought was her successful house visit ended up as a chance to unravel the truth behind Yusuke’s deliberate no-show all throughout his son’s life.

“He said he lost interest because the help he was sending to Jiro’s grandmother wasn’t reaching her. It’s like Yusuke developed a phobia of Filipinos, or worse, anger! So now, he has no plans to see his child anymore.”

Perhaps privy by now to the personal convo between Ai Ai and his father, Jiro won’t give up on his hope of reuniting with his dad.

Here’s praying that both spirit and flesh of the senior Yusuke are willing to reconnect with Jiro.

But will it be all in the distraught son’s dreams? Poor Jiro.