But Danilo has no reason to complain, and he knows it. After his performance in Spirit Warriors, the 24-year-old former Mr. Pogi winner was tapped as host Studio 23’s Nginiiig: Paranormal Investigations (Saturdays, 6:30 p.m., starting March 4). The docu-style series is the latest addition to Danilo’s string of shows, like Daisy Siete and QTV’s My Guardian Abby.
His hands are so full Danilo can’t leave the country and join his fellow Streetboys dancers perform around the world.
At least he can take comfort in the fact that he can enjoy the company of his family and one-year girlfriend Jaycee Parker. The relationship — founded in showbiz as it is – is going strong, unmarred by bickering and intrigues which marked his past romances.
"That’s because Jaycee and I communicate," says Danilo. "We find things out from each other first before anyone else. That’s how we nip problems caused by intrigues in the bud."
Yes, they’ve talked of marriage. But no definite plans have been drawn yet.
His career is the direct beneficiary of Danilo’s peaceful lovelife. Many shows and a couple of movies after, Danilo finds himself enjoying the comforts of condo living, and being able to afford seeing his siblings through school. Two have finished college, while another one will enter the collegiate level in June.
Ironically, college was a luxury Danilo can ill afford before. He had to work after finishing high school. Years before that, Danilo had to make do without a baon and walk from his home in Tarlac to a public school, since the family was hard up.
No hard feelings, though. In fact, Danilo, the eldest in the family, is glad he’s in a position to share his blessings with his loved ones.
"I know that when the time comes and I can’t shoulder the extra expenses anymore, they (his family) will understand," he says.
But he is a disciplinarian when it comes to his siblings’ grades. They must come up with high marks, or, Danilo warned them, they will transfer from private to public schools.
His success story may be the type drama anthologies are made of, complete with plots about a broken family and a rocky relationship with his stepdad. But Danilo says no, thanks.
"My life has become like an open book already," he reasons out. "That’s enough. I don’t want to drag others into the scene by turning my life into a TV drama episode."
His mother may very well agree and understand. But the prospect of her son developing his third eye through Nginiiig is beyond her.
"She herself has a third eye. She tells spirits to get lost whenever she feels their presence in my condo, where the lights just go on and off without anyone touching them," says Danilo.
Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want Danilo to develop his third eye, although he can feel his hair stand on end, and a cold wind blow on his neck without any apparent reason at all.
"I felt the cold wind while I was alone in a corner coming home from shooting a Nginiiig! episode. The scene was shot by a well, and Danilo’s theory is the spirit followed him all the way home.
Given a choice, Danilo says he’d like to ask the team of psychics in Nginiiig! if he could talk to his grandfather, who passed away when he (Danilo) was three.
"I want to know him more. I still remember playing at Loyola Memorial Park by his graveyard," explains Danilo.
Jose Rizal is another person Danilo would like to converse with, if and when.
"I will ask him why he turned around and faced his executioners when they fired their rifles at him at Bagumbayan field. I’d like to get the answers straight from him. But I know he did it because he wanted to prove his sincerity in dying for our country," Danilo reveals.
He has other dreams: to finish his studies and to put up a restaurant because "my parents cook."
Danilo Barrios has fulfilled his family’s dreams of a better life. It’s about time he nurtures his dreams, again, through sheer hard work and tough-as-steel determination.