In a sit-down interview with Ogie Diaz, Mark Herras opened up about prioritizing his family and not caring about what people’s opinions are of him. 

In an interview posted on Ogie’s YouTube Channel, Mark got candid about his life now. Once known as the “bad boy of the dance floor,” he was asked if he still had his dance skills.

Mark answered, “Oo naman, nakakasayaw naman. Kaya pa naman sumabay.” And when asked if he feels insecure whenever he sees younger dancers, Mark said, “Never naman ako na-insecure. Di ko sinasabi na magaling ako. Pag nakakita ako ng sobrang galing na bagets, hands down.”

Mark mentioned dancer Ken San Jose and praised him for his abilities. Mark said that you can’t really compare their dancing styles because “Iba ang energy nila compared sa amin before.” 

When asked about how he is doing now, Mark answered that he’s been “very busy, being a dad,” adding that it makes him very happy.

He also mentioned that it was his first time in a while being interviewed and address the claims he lost his career because he focused on his family. Mark answered that he doesn’t really regret choosing his family and prioritizing them.

“Never naman pumasok sa isip ko na magiging dahilan ‘yung pamilya ko, at yung pagfocus sa anak ko para mawalan ako ng career. Kung nawalan ako ng career, okay. Pero hindi ko pinagsisisihan yung ginawa ko na binigay ko ‘yung oras, ibinigay ko ‘yung lahat ng pwede kong panahon sa pamilya ko,” he said.

Mark added, “‘Wag niyo idadamay ang pamilya ko. Ibato niyo na sa’kin mga pwede niyo ibato, wag lang pamilya ko. Kasi nananahimik yung pamilya ko.”

In addition, Mark also shared that his dedication to his family is because of how his parents raised him. He mentioned that he didn’t really grow up with a complete family, and he was raised by gay parents.

“‘Dun kasi yung naramdaman ko na buo ‘yung pamilya ko. Kahit hindi ko kasama lumaki yung nanay ko, di ko kasama lumaki yung totoong tatay ko, but with my gay parents, sobra-sobra pa sa magulang yung nakuha ko. Binigyan nila ako ng magandang buhay.”

Mark opened up about how he would break down at certain times after his gay parents passed, expressing how thankful he is to them.

 “Maraming-maraming salamat po for taking care of me, maraming-maraming salamat po sa buhay na binigay niyo sakin.” He added that if he could go back in time, “Wala akong ibang gustong maging magulang kung hindi sila. And I’m so thankful for that.

“‘Yung experience ko na ‘yun with the family, ‘yun yung inaaply ko with my family.” 

Mark added that in connection with what he mentioned earlier about the negative comments regarding his family, “Ibibigay ko lahat para sa pamilya ko.”

When opening up about working, Mark got candid about sometimes asking for “rakets” or jobs. He mentioned that, “Sanay ako ng may ginagawa eh, sanay ako ng may trabaho At mas nadoble ‘yun nung nagkaroon ako ng anak.” He mentioned that he now understands what it’s like to have a child and the responsibility of taking care of a child. 

“Past is past,” Mark mentioned when the topic of saving up for the future came up, referring to his early days in showbiz when he had plenty of projects and could have stashed away some of his earnings. “Ang pinaka-importante sa’kin is the present.” He added, “Kasi hindi ko naman pwedeng iasa lahat. Gumagawa lang ako ng paraan, kasi meron akong batang binubuhay.”

When asked about the previous controversy of borrowing ₱30,000 from his former manager, Lolit Solis, Mark explained that it was an old story and while he did borrow the money, he had already paid it back in full. What prompted the controversy was Lolit wanting Mark to be talked about, hence the issue resurfaced. Mark admitted that when it happened, he wasn’t ready for it to come out, and he was already married. He decided to cut ties with Lolit because he didn’t want his wife to be involved in the issue. 

Having a family has changed Mark’s point of view, as he puts his family first by working hard and being disciplined to arrive on time and doing his job well. He said, “Hindi ko na siya ginawa at gagawin dahil sa word na ‘responsibilidad, at bilang tatay na ako.” 

Watch the full interview here: 

—By Samantha Prats