3 weeks ago
6
Nathalie Tomada - The Philippine Star
February 20, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — JM de Guzman has nothing but admiration and gratitude for girlfriend, Donnalyn Bartolome, for being a big part of his support system, particularly in his personal recovery journey.
“She has helped me a lot. So much. I am really happy and proud that she became part of my life,” he recently said of the singer and influencer in an interview with The STAR.
He continued, “Sa recovery ko, bilang tao, grabe siyang magmahal. Grabe siyang mag-alaga bilang tao, bilang anak. Basta saludo ako sa kanya. Idol ko siya. (In my recovery, as a person, she loves deeply. She takes care of people so well, both as a person and as a daughter. I really admire her. She is my idol).
For one, Donnalyn helped him in achieving one of his latest career milestones, which was opening a franchise of a coffee shop in Greenhills, San Juan City.
As the couple spent their second Valentine’s Day this year, The STAR asked JM about what made him fall for Donnalyn.
“She saw me at my lowest — mentally, physically, spiritually,” he said.
“You know, the kind of things you wouldn’t like in a man, I showed all of those to her. Like having no motivation, no goals, no preparations, no inspiration, etc.
“She accepted me. She loved me. For me, it’s like… I’ve fallen many times in life and almost everyone disappears. The people who told me they loved me disappeared. But when she saw me like that, she didn’t leave me.
“That thought is always instilled in my mind. And I really treasure people like that. There are also others who stayed by my side.”
Is JM now at a point in his life where he is ready to settle down?
“Preparation na lang siguro (Maybe just preparation). But if you ask me, I already want to,” he admitted.
Meanwhile, JM’s next big project is the ABS-CBN series “What Lies Beneath” alongside Jake Cuenca, Charlie Dizon, Julia Barretto, Janella Salvador, Bela Padilla, among others.
He most recently starred opposite Beauty Gonzalez in Lemuel Lorca’s faith-themed film “Paquil,” where he played a recovering alcoholic. Interestingly, prior to “Paquil,” he also portrayed a recovering addict in Nuel Naval’s “Adik Sa ‘Yo.”
It’s no secret what JM has gone through in his personal life — from rehab to recovery from substance abuse. So, it’s definitely a challenge to take on a role that seemingly mirrors his real-life struggles.
Wasn’t he scared to tackle roles that hit close to home, so to speak?
“I’m also scared,” he admitted. “Because as much as possible, I want my work to be separate from my personal life.
“Ayoko nang may konek pa sa past ko yung mga nagiging roles ko (I don’t want my roles to be connected to my past). But as a storyteller, as an actor, I feel it’s my duty to tell the story of someone recovering.
“To show a story or portray a character who went through that situation… if others watch it, they might also be inspired… like there’s a light within their family, or something like that.”
But more than just an acting challenge for JM — it has also become part of his advocacy.
“Yes, it’s like a newfound purpose. Advocacy na rin. Medyo against kasi ako sa pagpatay sa mga nagkaroon ng past, or addicts (I’m quite against the killing of people who had a past, or addicts).
“I still believe there is hope. I believe that a person can be healed as long as there’s love from the family and love from God.”
“Naitutuwid yan. Hindi dapat ine-end.”
At the moment, JM could say that “I’m mostly healed.”
“But of course, I don’t want to be arrogant, I don’t want to be overconfident,” he shared.
“There are still temptations. Sometimes, you feel weak. Sometimes, you wake up in the morning, and you’re not as strong. So my support system is still there. I have a spiritual adviser. I have two psychiatrists.
“I go back to my rehabilitation facility to reground myself, to talk to counselors. That’s constant, every month. I have sessions with them. And that’s to make sure I don’t fall back into the same things that happened to me before.”
JM also spoke about how his faith has helped him deal with his personal challenges.
“For me, I always put God first in everything I do, especially in my craft. I offer everything to Him before I do anything,” he said.
“Hindi po nawawala yung Diyos sa akin. Even in my mistakes, I know He is still there, watching over me. But He just wants to teach me something to make me stronger as a person.”
