HOW MARK RIVERA'S PANDEMIC ORDEAL TURNED OUT TO BE BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR HIS SHOWBIZ CAREER

Naging emosyonal at umiyak ang hunk actor/singer/model na si Mark Rivera nang mapag-usapan ang mga hirap na pinagdaanan niya noong kasagsagan ng pandemya na hatid ng COVID-19.

PHOTO: Patrick Diokno / Mark Daniel Rivera Facebook page

Apat na taong hindi nakita at nakapiling ni Mark ang kanyang pamilya dahil tulad ng alam ng lahat, nagkaroon ng mahigpit na health protocols tulad ng lockdown na nagsimula noong March 2020.

Nahinto ang mga biyahe at paglalakbay sa buong mundo, rason upang napakaraming pamilya na magkakalayo ng lokasyon ang hindi nagkita at nagkasama.

Isa si Mark sa pinaka-naapektuhan ng nasabing lockdown dahil stranded siya sa Pilipinas noong mga panahong iyon habang ang kanyang mga magulang ay nasa Milan sa Italy kung saan nakabase ang mga ito.

Panimula niyang kuwento, "It was very hard kasi my mom really risked her life. She got COVID in Milan. In Italy you know, it was the country na tinamaan ng pinakasobra!

"My mom was in the ICU [intensive care unit] for three weeks, she couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t fly kahit gusto ko. So… I really wanted to visit my family during Christmas season.

"And suwerte din, I was there to visit my family at the same time opportunity came, to be part of Unbreak My Heart."   

Nakapanayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Mark, na artist ng ALV Talent Circuit ni Arnold Vegafria, sa Summit Hotel sa Annapolis, Greenhills nitong nakaraang Martes, May 30.

PHOTO: Mark Daniel Rivera Facebook page

Pebrero ng taong kasalukuyan huling nakapiling ni Mark ang kanyang pamilya sa Milan kung saan nag-shoot ang TV series na Unbreak My Heart kung saan isa sa mga cast members si Mark bilang si Jacob sa collaboration ng GMA 7, ABS-CBN at VIU Philippines. Pumasyal ang pamilya niya sa set at nakapagpalitrato pa sa ilang artistang kabilang sa serye.

December 22, 2022, bago mag-Pasko, noong muling nakalipad si Mark patungong Italy dahil maluwag na ang restrictions ng pandemya.

At sa mga Instagram posts niya during that time nakita ng mga taga-ABS-CBN na nasa Europa si Mark kung kaya siya napiling mapabilang sa cast ng Unbreak My Heart na sa Italy kinunan ang maraming eksena.

Pero bago ang masayang reunion nila ng kanyang pamilya ay dumanas ng matinding kalungkutan, anxiety at depresyon si Mark dahil nga sa pagkakasakit ng kanyang ina na sinabayan pa ng pagkakasakit rin ng kanyang lola na narito sa Pilipinas.

"Sobra, kasi I was the one to take care of my grandmother here in the Philippines. And… I was the one to do the groceries for my relatives, I was the driver of my health worker, a nurse.

"So it was very hard. Kahit na gusto kong… I wanted to be there [in Italy], but I couldn't leave my relatives here. Ang hirap hatiin ang sarili.

"Pero I was just being positive. I just wanted to be healthy and take care of myself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—para mabigay ko rin yung energy na kailangan nila, so I could support them emotionally kahit malayo ako.

"It was really hard.

"Kasi I lost my grandmother here in the Philippines, she got COVID."

Ina ng ama ni Mark ang tinutukoy niyang nagkaroon ng COVID at pumanaw noong 2021 sa Pampanga, bukod pa ito sa isa pa niyang lola na inalagaan rin niya na nasa Maynila na tinamaan rin ng mapaminsalang coronavirus.

"She is the grandmother of my cousin, by blood. But she is the one who really took care of me, taught me Philippine culture, [how to speak] Tagalog, how to cook.

"She’s still alive, she’s ninety-seven, but she’s bedridden."

Ninety-two years old naman ang lola niya sa Pampanga noong ito ay sumakabilang buhay. Hindi na nakita ng ama ni Mark, na nasa Italy nga, ang ina nito dahil nga sa lockdown.

"So there was so much pain at the same time, back-to back, ang daming nangyayari, tapos walang work, walang taping, so I didn’t know how to help my family, hospital here is so expensive compared to Italy.

"There, they are supported by the government, dito sa Pilipinas milyun-milyon ang ilalabas mo, what you save for your entire life ilalabas mo for one sickness.

"Tapos, yung mom ng mom ko na-COVID din and that time the hospitals were full! So they were moving around in hospitals hindi sila tinatanggap, so my grandmother was in the ambulance for two days! Looking for a hospital.

"From Batangas ililipat namin sa Antipolo, from Antipolo to Manila, Manila to Southwoods [in Laguna], buti sa Southwoods tinanggap siya.

"So parang back-to-back, parang nasaan yung rainbow nitong pandemic," at dito na nagsimulang mabasag ang boses ni Mark at umiyak.

"I’m sorry," paghingi pa ni Mark ng paumanhin dahil sa kanyang pag-iyak.  

"Yesterday, I posted on my social media that Unbreak My Heart is really the rainbow of this pandemic because it really gives me joy and hope about the future, about life.

"Kaya ayun, very grateful ako with what's happening in my life right now."

"Super thankful, that’s why also during the hard times I joined a church. My family’s Catholic and I was alone and my family’s far, I didn’t know how… I am not the type of person who always call all the time, I really want someone to talk to in person.

"So that’s why naging Christian ako, I joined Favor Church and it really helped me during these hard times, during the pandemic, kahit may restrictions my COVID, I was going to church every Sunday.

"Kahit may face shield, mask, kailangang mag-swab, I would still go every Sunday to church.

"So I think it’s part of life, part of growth ng isang tao ang mga challenges, how God wants to shape you, to prepare for certain things for your next chapter.

"So I’m thankful kahit papaano, kahit mahirap ang mga challenges, na now, I am who I am right now!"

Lahat raw ng ginagawa niya ay para sa pamilya niya. Ang pamilya raw niya ang motivation niya, at nais raw niyang mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay pa ang kanyang pamilya kaya patuloy na lumaban sa mga hamon at pagsubok sa buhay.

"Hindi ako puwedeng madapa, I have to be strong, whatever opportunity they give me, I’m just gonna take it."

Bukod sa Unbreak My Heart ay itinuturing ngayon ni Mark na blessing ang pagkuha sa kanya ng Bench Underwear at Bench Active Wear bilang endorser.

Ang buhay at pag-ibig ng mga magulang ni Mark na sina Jesus (or Jay Rivera) at Helen Laylo Rivera ang pinagbasehan ng pelikulang Milan nina Piolo Pascual at Claudine Barretto na isang blockbuster movie ng Star Cinema noong 2004.

2023-06-04T16:09:37Z dg43tfdfdgfd