What’s in a trophy? Well, it depends on the owner.
Some of them consider it a prized possession, a priceless keepsake, a timeless reminder of glory and triumph they could never part with.
For others, it’s simply another means to earn, to survive, to keep on keeping on.
Former actor Jiro Manio seems to straddle both, reaching out to social media personality Boss Toyo recently to sell him the Gawad Urian best actor trophy he got for his performance in the 2003 film “Magnifico.”
As seen in the YouTube series “Pinoy Pawnstars,” Jiro did so in the hopes that it will be ensconced in a proper “museum.”
He told Boss Toyo, “Sabi ng utol ko magtatayo ka raw ng museum. Naisip ko, sana mapabilang ako do’n (bilang) dating artista na nakatanggap ng mga award.”
He could’ve just handed Boss Toyo the trophy but he went on to offer it at a whooping 500,000 pesos.
Boss Toyo countered with a 50,000 pesos offer.
Jiro haggled, pushing the item at 100,000 pesos.
In the end, he and Boss Toyo reached an agreement at 75,000 pesos.
“Happy po ako na tinanggap ni Boss Toyo ‘yung (award) ko na pinapatago ko sa kanya para sana mailagay niya sa museum,” Jiro said.
Asked if he wants to return to acting, Jiro maintained that at the moment he is quite satisfied with his work as volunteer at a treatment and rehabilitation center.
Note that apart from the Gawad Urian plum, Jiro also won the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Award for best child actor, and the Film Academy of the Philippines best actor award for “Magnifico.”
He was only 10 years old then.
Jiro continued making movies thereafter but was never able to duplicate the feat.
He made headlines again in 2011 but for the wrong reasons.
Apparently, by then he has succumbed to using illegal drugs, ultimately committing himself to a rehab facility.
He was able to bounce back a year after, going on to finish high school, subsequently appearing in the reality show “I Dare You” in 2013.
But film work never came.
Jiro was thrust back into the spotlight in 2015 after he was spotted wandering around the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Several showbiz personalities including actress Ai-ai delas Alas, who played the role of his mother in the “Tanging Ina” film series, helped facilitate his return to rehab.
He made the news again in 2020 for allegedly stabbing a man following an altercation.
