Jiro Manio

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Jiro Manio (born 9 May 1992) is a Filipino former actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the drama film Magnifico (2003), for which he won the Gawad Urian for Best Actor at age 12, making him the youngest-ever winner in that category. For that same film, he also won the PMPC Star Award for Movie Actor of the Year, FAP Award for Best Actor, and FAMAS Award for Best Child Actor—thus winning the Philippine movie grand slam. Earlier, he won the Best Child Performer award in the 2001 Metro Manila Film Festival for his role in Marilou Diaz-Abaya's Bagong Buwan (2001). He also received acting award nominations for his performances in Mila (2001) and Foster Child (2007). Manio also appeared in the comedy film Ang Tanging Ina (2003) and its sequels, the fantasy television series Spirits (2004–05), and the gay-themed comedy Manay Po (2006) and its sequel.

Starting in his late teens, Manio's personal life has been mired with controversies including drug abuse and an arrest for alleged frustrated homicide.

Manio was born to a Filipina mother Joylene Santos Manio (died August 8, 2006) and Japanese father Yusuke Katakura (片倉 裕介). He was raised by his grandfather and had a younger brother named Anjo Santos.

Manio attended grade school at Holy Child Parochial School in San Juan, Metro Manila^[1] (now Saint John the Baptist Catholic School) and graduated from high school in 2012 through the Philippines Department of Education's (DepEd) home study program at Rizal Experimental Station and Pilot School of Cottage Industries (RESPCI) in Pasig.^[2] He planned to study Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) in culinary studies at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the Malate district of Manila.

He starred in the digital film Tambolista for Cinema One network and in Ang Tanging Ina Niyong Lahat with Ai-Ai delas Alas. In 2004, he won the Best Actor at the Gawad Urian and the Best Child Actor award at the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS) for the movie Magnifico.^[3]

He was a member of ABS-CBN's talent management agency Star Magic from 1999 until his termination in June 2009 due to unprofessional behavior.^[4]

In 2010, he transferred to GMA Network and appeared on that network's show Pilyang Kerubin, top billed by Barbie Forteza.

Manio later became a drug addict and fathered two daughters named Sisha Calliope and Mishka Caxiopeia out of wedlock with his longtime partner who is four years his senior. He had his first-born when he was fifteen years old.^[2]

On May 18, 2011, the news programme TV Patrol confirmed that Manio underwent rehabilitation treatment for drug addiction. He then entered a drug rehabilitation facility after realizing that he was throwing his life away.^[5] With the encouragement of his foster father, Andrew, and his manager, Magnifico director Maryo J. delos Reyes, he committed himself to the Home Care rehabilitation center, where he underwent therapy for almost a year. After the initial phase of his rehabilitation, Home Care allowed him to finish his senior year of high school.^[6]

On June 30, 2015, Manio was spotted wandering around Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. Manio, who was scavenging for food and living off the kindness of airport staff, had apparently run away and gone missing from Cainta four days before, following a supposed altercation with relatives.^[7][8]

On July 1, 2015, four days after wandering around NAIA, he was finally brought home by his half brother, Anjo Santos, after Manio's relative saw his picture that appeared on different social networking sites.^[8]

Comedian Ai-Ai delas Alas and other artists offered Manio their help to get his life back on the right track, but he refused it.

When he was asked by reporters if he is still open to new projects in the near future, Manio refused to continue his work as an actor.^[9]

In January 2016, Manio was released from a rehabilitation center after months of treatment but returned to in February due to his chronic health condition.^[10]

Manio was arrested for allegedly stabbing a man in Marikina around 7:20 pm on January 17, 2020.^[11]

In 2024, Manio sold his Gawad Urian Best Actor Trophy to Boss Toyo about 75,000 pesos value.

• Jiro Manio at IMDb
• Official website