Jairus Aquino

Jairus Aquino (born Jairus Reuel Balagtas Aquino on 1 April 1999), is a Filipino actor best known for his roles in Super Inggo, Kung Fu Kids and Luv U. He appeared in several television advertisements before his first television appearance as an actor in ABS-CBN's television series Super Inggo. The series became popular, earning him the household name "Pareng Jomar", also known as "Pambansang Bestfriend ng Pilipinas" (National Bestfriend of the Philippines). Since then, he is seen in ABS-CBN's television shows and films, as part of Star Magic. At present, Aquino is portraying Drake Lagdameo in the ABS-CBN teen oriented show, Luv U, since 2013. Early life Jairus Aquino was born on April 1, 1999 in Caloocan City, Philippines. His family is composed of two older siblings, a girl and a boy, father and mother named Carrie. With encouragement from friends and family support, Aquino began his career as a commercial model at the age of 4. He appeared in several advertisements both for print, media and apparel before he stopped short after his parents became concerned of him being at work at an early age. One of his commercial appearances, for "Dolfenal Mefenamic acid", tells about a father who has a headache and his tagline was "Sabi ni Daddy Mamaya nalang daw" (Daddy says later). Career Super Inggo series: 2006–2007 In 2006, Aquino auditioned on ABS-CBN's upcoming series Super Inggo after his family's friends introduced it. The series is about a 10-year-old boy, played by Makisig Morales, who dreamed to become a superhero. Aquino was given the role of "Jose Mariano Jomar Sebastian", a young child who grew up as a street smart witty kid raised by his "Kuya Paloy", played by Alwyn Uytingco. The series became popular, earning him the household name "Pareng Jomar", also known as "Pambansang Bestfriend ng Pilipinas" (National Bestfriend of the Philippines) as his character defines a loyal brother, a loving son, and a good friend. Since then, he is seen in ABS-CBN's television shows and films, as part of Star Magic. The series boosts his popularity, which paved way for more projects. The popularity of his tandem with Makisig Morales in Super Inggo made him a co-host for ABS-CBN's Little Big Superstar[8] as well as his inclusion in the release of Little Big Star's debut album, Little Big Superstar. It was then followed by another album release entitled Oldies but Kiddies under Star Records, after he joined the kiddie boy band group, "Mak and the Dudes". Following the end of the first season of the Super Inggo series, Aquino was offered to join the cast of Rounin, an ABS-CBN Philippine drama dubbed as tele-epiko or TV epic. He played the young version of "Mythos" where he trained kick boxing for two weeks in preparation for his role. He was paired with Sharlene San Pedro who played as young Selene. Mythos and Selene were the young lovers of Lumeria, who were also the main protagonist of the show. This was their first team-up in a primetime series. In addition, he appeared as a young version of "Miguel" in ABS-CBN's adaptation of Lastikman. These two were his longest cameo primetime appearances during his early career. 2008-2010:Kung Fu Kids and other projects In 2008, Aquino was given the title role in Kung Fu Kids as "Lembot/Fish Boy" following the end of Super Inggo 1.5: Ang Bagong Bangis. Aquino auditioned for ABS-CBN's upcoming television series Kung Fu Kids. According to the director, Malou Sevilla, out of the many child stars who auditioned for "Lembot", the main character of the series, Aquino fits the role the most. Soon after, he learned a couple of martial arts sequences, particularly karate, in preparation for the series. His acting was complimented by his costars in the series, agreeing that he is the best actor among the four other male child stars. It was also the same year where he made his first afternoon television drama series Pieta which was starred by Ryan Agoncillo, as well as his first comedy sitcom That's My Doc with Aga Muhlach, followed by M3 (Malay Mo Ma-develop) together with Ms. Ai Ai delas Alas in 2010. Personal life Aquino enjoys his time with his family and friends. He spends most of his time playing basketball and online games. He also allotted time visiting his Facebook and Twitter account to reach out his fans. Jairus and his family are also active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. At age 9, Aquino already saved money from his earnings in working in the entertainment industry. As a matter of fact, he had helped his parents to have their own car, Toyota LT, which he had earned from Lastikman. He states: "Whenever I had to go somewhere else, we had to borrow my father's car. Whereas right now, I already have my own car, though it is only second-hand. When he was cast in Pieta in 2008, he learns how to cry on set after being taught by the directors Rhayan Carlos and Gilbert Perez and Malou de Guzman. He states: "It was difficult for me to cry before that they had to tell me things before I cry. However, I discovered that drama is just as difficult as comedy because it is difficult to make the Filipinos laugh.