VITTO MARQUEZ, the 26-year old son of Alma Moreno and Joey Marquez who became part of the Kapamilya Hashtags male group, looks so jolly and cheerful at the presscon and premiere night of “Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa” that you wouldn’t think he went through a bout of debilitating depression during the pandemic.
“Nawala kasi ang Hashtags tapos, during the pandemic, bawal lumabas ng bahay, nakakulong ka lang, so na-depressed ako,” he confesses.
“But now, I’m okay. I’m coping with it. Ang depression kasi, hindi naman lubusan mawawala, but you can fight it to lessen your feelings of being depressed.
"At that time, nung puede nang lumabas, ayoko pang lumabas.
"I got offers but tinanggihan ko kasi I felt I wasn’t ready.”
He was fortunate that his family and his girlfriend were there to support him.
“To be honest, five months after the pandemic began, I was thinking of ending it all.
"I’m not going to lie, naisip ko talaga yun pero nilabanan ko, kaya nag-stress eating ako.
"Kain ako ng kain kaya tumaba naman ako. Now, natatawa ako kapag naiisip ko yun.”
He got five projects which he turned down, including “Boy Bastos”, which went to Wilbert Ross and became his launching TV series.
“But I’m happy it went to Wilbert, na kasama ko noon sa Hashtags. Panay nga ang pagpapasalamat niya sa akin.
"Kasi nagkaroon din siya ng depression and I was there for him. He’s like a brother to me.
"That time kasi that the offer came for me, ayokong yung depression ko, maka-apekto sa trabaho ko at sa mga kasama ko.
"Hindi ko lang magagawa nang maayos ang work ko kung hindi naman ako okay. So I took my time.”
Last year, TV5 offered him to do a sitcom, “Kalye Kweens”, with his mother.
“It’s a big help na kasama ko sa work ang mama ko,” he says. “I felt ready na akong lumabas uli, magtrabaho, go back to normal.
"I was still nervous reporting to the taping but I fought it. Nakapagpalakas talaga ng loob ko ang mama ko.
"Lagi kaming nag-uusap. Going back to work is also therapeutic for me.
"And after that, dumating ang ‘Working Boys 2: Choose Your Papa’ and it felt nice to be going back to work doing a TV series and a new movie.”
Being with his “Working Boys 2” co-stars Wilbert Ross, Mikoy Morales, Nikko Natividad and Andrew Muhlach really buoyed his spirit.
“Lock in yung shooting namin, so lagi kaming magkakasama and we had great camaraderie on the set. Lagi kaming nagkukulitan, on and off camera, so masaya lang.
"It’s a happy set and a happy movie. We play jobless young men who formed an app called Choose Your Papa.
"Puede kayong pumili sa amin kung meron kayong papa-gawa, like papa-luto, papa-laba, papa-sama, papa-masahe and other papa jobs.
"In the process, we encounter a lot of hilarious clients and many funny experiences.
"So don’t miss ‘Working Boys 2’ when it opens in theaters nationwide this Wednesday, March 29, para sumaya ang buhay nyo at hindi kayo ma-depress.”