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20240208-Xyriel-Manabat

GRETCHEN FULLIDO

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- After a hiatus from the limelight, former child star Xyriel Manabat, who celebrated her 20th birthday on January 27, has made a resounding comeback, rekindling her passion for acting and advocating for body positivity.</p><p>From a young age, Manabat was determined to shine on screen. </p><p>&quot;Gusto ko talaga at mahilig ako mag-imitate ng mga commercials, mga scenes, mga clip that my mom sees na gingaya ko sa TV. I also have a video when I was two years old where I would introduce myself, like, hello, my name is Xyriel Manabat, parang nag-a-audition po,&quot; she said in an interview for &quot;On Cue.&quot; </p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="950" height="534" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vfB-7ue5Fxo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Her supportive parents even encouraged her to join Little Miss Philippines.</p><p>Despite her early start, breaking into acting wasn&#x27;t easy. “Noong nag-start po ako, grabe lahat talaga ng auditions, all the go-sees. Sometime, like in one day, we go to different buildings just to try out and audition,&quot; Manabat recalled. </p><p>She persisted though, joining various contests and going to auditions, before landing her first significant role in &quot;Agua Bendita” and then “100 Days to Heaven.”</p><div><strong>Hiatus from showbiz</strong></div><p>However, the constant demands of her career led to a decision to step back and quit acting. Looking back, she said she must have experienced burnout. “Hindi ko lang alam na &#x27;yun &#x27;yung term, gusto ko lang may ma-fulfill sa youth ko. But I didn&#x27;t know that part of me was burned out na po kasi, araw-araw, buong kabataan ko, nagwo-work ako,&quot; Manabat said. </p><p>She longed for a normal life. “Gusto ko &#x27;yung alarm ko hindi dahil sa pullout at pupunta sa location, gusto ko &#x27;yung susunduin ako ng service and hindi ako mag-a-absent sa school,&quot; she said wistfully.</p><p>Her focus shifted to academics, where she thrived: &quot;Since I started high school, I was a consistent honor student po. When I was in junior high, natapos po ako ng salutatorian.&quot;</p><p>In 2023, Manabat&#x27;s return to showbiz in &quot;Dirty Linen&quot; took fans by surprise, and she openly discussed her reasons. “Practical reason is financial. But my friends tell me, non-showbiz or showbiz friends who are still there, &#x27;pag nakwekwento ako, when they see the pain in my eyes, you know, it’s still there. Pwede ka pa rin umarte,&quot; she said.</p><p>With the success of her back-to-back top-rating projects “Dirty Linen” and “Senior High,” Manabat hopes to dabble into more serious dramatic roles. </p><p>“For now, I want to do a heavy drama again because I miss it. When I was young, they always asked me, aren&#x27;t you tired, iyak ka ng iyak? But now, I really miss it. &#x27;Yung may ganong depth sa character.”</p><p>Now that she’s more mature, Manabat hopes to be able to work with her idol Judy Ann Santos again. She first worked with Santos when Santos did a cameo on “100 Days to Heaven.” She also hopes to be able to work with Jericho Rosales and Piolo Pascual.</p><div><strong>Body positivity</strong></div><p>But her transition from a child star to a young lady with a full figure also attracted a different kind of attention, especially in her comeback show “Dirty Linen.”</p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s always a double standard,&quot; she noted. &quot;If I wear what someone my age wears, &#x27;pag sa kanya fashionista or elegant, but when it’s me sinasabi nila, hala ano na nangyari sa batang &#x27;yan? There&#x27;s a double standard just because our bodies are different but we&#x27;re wearing the exact same thing, exact same brand, color, fit. But just because dahil iba &#x27;yung pagkalapat sa katawan namin, bigla nalang kasalanan ko, now it&#x27;s my fault that I chose to wear that when I just want to become confident in my own skin.”</p><p>Despite the challenges, Manabat remained true to herself. “Nahirapan ako doon sa close-minded people but I don&#x27;t even have to correct them. Because I don’t owe them anything, but I owe myself the clarity and the peace of mind that I deserve. So if I can voice out and if I can defend myself, why not? Why be silent if I&#x27;m fighting for the right thing?&quot;</p><p>Now a champion for body positivity, Manabat is unapologetic in her stance: &quot;Just because we&#x27;re public figures doesn&#x27;t mean we&#x27;re public property. They don’t own us. I will not adjust just because they&#x27;re there, because that mindset will be more rampant if we don&#x27;t call them out. Lalong mano-normalize kasi na dati pa naman may ganyan kasi wala naman nagvo-voice out, walang nagca-call out. So if we can try to stop them in our own way, and if we have the voice and the platform, we can use it to call them out and to tell them that it&#x27;s wrong, that it&#x27;s not right to do that.”</p><p>Her journey through mental health issues has further strengthened her resolve. &quot;I&#x27;ve faced anxiety and depression, battles that were as real as any scene I&#x27;ve ever filmed,&quot; she revealed. &quot;I want to tell anyone who&#x27;s fighting the same fight: it&#x27;s okay to seek help. It&#x27;s courageous to embrace therapy and to find your path to healing.&quot;</p><p>In her advocacy, Manabat embodies the spirit of a warrior — bold, unyielding, and deeply compassionate. Her words and actions serve as a beacon of hope, inspiring a generation to stand up against unrealistic expectations and to embrace their true selves. </p><p>Xyriel Manabat&#x27;s story is not just one of fame and success; it&#x27;s a testament to the power of self-acceptance.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/20/24/senior-highends-in-full-circle-moment-for-gov-acosta">&#x27;Senior High&#x27; ends in full circle moment for Gov. Acosta</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/11/23/xyriel-zaijian-get-praise-for-senior-high-breakup-scene">Xyriel Manabat, Zaijian Jaranilla get praise for &#x27;Senior High&#x27; breakup scene</a></div><div><strong>Related videos:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="950" height="534" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hx9K96HCaXY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="950" height="534" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UxH8HE7z-eY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>After a hiatus from the limelight, former child star Xyriel Manabat, who celebrated her 20th birthday on January 27, has made a resounding comeback, rekindling her passion for acting and advocating for body positivity.</p>

After a hiatus from the limelight, former child star Xyriel Manabat, who celebrated her 20th birthday on January 27, has made a resounding comeback, rekindling her passion for acting and advocating for body positivity.

Xyriel's empowering comeback from child star to body positivity advocate

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Xyriel's empowering comeback from child star to body positivity advocate

GRETCHEN FULLIDO,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 08, 2024 06:27 PM PHT

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Xyriel Manabat

body positivity

Senior High

mental health

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