MANILA -- A year after Diego Loyzaga returned to the country to resume his acting career, the 26-year-old actor is really thankful with his schedule now that he is again busy, if not even busier, with showbiz work.

Loyzaga started 2021 with Yam Laranas’ “Death of a Girlfriend,” where he was paired with AJ Raval. Then, he was cast in the weekly TV series “Encounter,” the Philippine remake of the hit South Korean drama.

He also joined director Joel Lamangan’s LGBT comedy, “Bekis On the Run,” scripted by Ricky Lee and where he starred with Sean de Guzman, Christian Bables and Kylie Verzosa.

And now Loyzaga topbills the “Money Heist”-inspired film, “House Tour,” megged by Roman Perez, Jr., who earlier directed “Adan” and the more recent “The Housemaid” and “Taya.”

In “House Tour,” which starts streaming October 22, Loyzaga is joined by Mark Anthony Fernandez, Marco Gomez, Cindy Miranda, Sunshine Guimary, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, with Chad Kinis, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Juliana Parizcova Segovia, Liz Alindogan, Raquel Montesa and Jim Pebanco.

“Swerte and blessed,” Loyzaga told ABS-CBN News about his present status in showbiz. “We’re grateful that we are always given an opportunity to work, despite of this pandemic.

“Thank, God, Viva and the management for giving us the opportunity to work despite these hard times. We are grateful beyond words. When you asked me in 2020, this is exactly what I wanted to happen this 2021. I’m thankful.”

In 2018, Loyzaga took an unexpected and much-publicized hiatus from showbiz after he underwent personal problems. His character in the daily soap series, “Los Bastardos,” was prematurely killed off and he hied off to Australia for a much-needed break.

“That was a very difficult for me,” Loyzaga recalled about that chapter in his life.

“I had to do some self-realizing of what I wanted to do or what I really wanted to be. It was difficult. It wasn’t overnight. It wasn’t one week. It wasn’t one month. It took a very long time.

“I hope other people who are going through the same experience, take time off. I don’t know how much time you need so you will realize a lot of things. Find out your weaknesses, find out a part of yourself.”

Looking back, Loyzaga admittedly regretted the opportunities lost when he left showbiz in a huff three years ago. “I had so much more than I thought I had at that time, hindi ko lang siya na-appreciate at nakita,” he said.

“In my absence in showbiz, I realized I could be doing so much more. I could be doing so much harder. But I thank God, Viva and Boss Vic (del Rosario), nagagawa ko na ngayon ‘yung mga bagay na dati kong sinasabing sayang.

“I was lucky enough to be given a second chance to be in showbiz again. Since I’m here, I’m grateful. I’ll make the most out of it. I thank everyone who supported me, everyone who is behind the reason I am given this second chance.”

Just this pandemic, Loyzaga realized a lot of things. “There are so many things you can’t control,” he maintained. ”That brings a lot of anxiety. You don’t know if you will have work. You can’t control if you will get sick or mahawa ka or your family.

“You can’t control when the pandemic is going to end. I guess accepting the things you cannot control also helps. I know it’s a process. Life is a process.

“I’m not saying just because I’ve been through it once, it’s never going to happen again or other people who’ve never been through it before, bigla na lang mangyayari sa buhay. I’m happy that it happened to me and I’m happy that I learned from that process.”

Now, when it comes to the films Loyzaga has been making, doing love scenes with his leading ladies has never become a major issue between him and his girlfriend, Barbie Imperial. Nor did it ever cause a fight or misunderstanding between them.

“Barbie and I always talked about my roles,” Loyzaga admitted. “I would explain to her my role, the concept of the movie. If there are kissing scenes that need to be done, I talk to my director about it.”

For instance, in “Bekis On the Run,” Loyzaga engaged in a sizzling kissing scene opposite Verzosa. “When I made a shout out to direk Joel, I asked him, ‘Direk, do Kylie and I really need to make an intense love scene?”

“Then he asked me, ‘Ano ba ‘yung character mo dito? ‘Di ba mahirap ka? Lumaki ka sa kalye? Isipin mo, hindi ba passionate ka to make love? You don’t think na magiging gano’n ang love-making niyo ni Kylie?’

“I was convinced. It made sense. That’s how Barbie and I deal with our jobs. Lahat naman nadadaan sa maayos na usapan. We’re open to one another. If she’s not comfortable with anything, sasabihin niya sa akin.

“If I’m also not comfortable with something that she needs to do, sasabihin ko din sa kanya. We’re open. Kailangan may magandang conversation.”

In case the tables are turned and it is Imperial who needs to engage in kissing scenes with her leading men, Loyzaga insisted he will also be open “to a certain extent” with what she needs to execute in front of the camera.

“That’s Barbie’s job,” he said. “That’s her profession. Alam ko naman when I entered into this relationship, if there’s anyone who can understand our situation, it’s going to be the both of us, because we are both actors. There’s professionalism that comes with it.”

Sometimes, however, Loyzaga acknowledged that showbiz is a “small world” and things tend to get personal. “The most important thing is that we still talk about it,” he maintained. “It could be something that she doesn’t know what I am not comfortable with.

“I tell her about it, so she will be aware about it. That’s the same way with Barbie about the projects I do.”

Loyzaga attested it doesn’t take much to make him happy. “Just being contended with everything I see that’s in front of me everyday, that’s okay with me,” he said. “We have food to eat, house to live in, we have work and that’s a big factor.

“Sometimes that’s the amazing thing about being an actor. You can forget who Diego is, momentarily. Then enter another world and get into another character. Walang pandemic, walang COVID.

“You finish your lock-in, go home for a few days, then enter another lock-in. I enjoy that and that made me feel safe. Malaking bagay that you can continue working to put food on the table and continue saving money even when it’s such hard time, like right now.

“The fact that we have work is such a blessing in itself. Nakakatuwa lang talaga. We’re ones of those few lucky people who are working despite the pandemic and are still grinding despite everything that’s happening around.”

Loyzaga wrapped up filming of “House Tour” in the Santorini-like location in the north. They had a lock-in shoot for eight days last August, with Perez calling the shots.

“Solid ‘yung cast,” Loyzaga said about his “House Tour” co-stars. “They are the people na naririnig ko and I wanted to work with. It didn’t feel like shooting. Lahat sila magaling. It never got too serious, especially with Kuya Mark [Anthony Fernandez] and direk Roman around.”

First week of October, Loyzaga started his much talked-about film, “Patungong Tayo,” opposite his girlfriend Imperial, with Fifth Solomon at the helm.

“I’m glad that I’m more focused on what I’m doing,” Loyzaga attested. “It’s not that it’s hard, but sometimes, it gets confusing. You’re supposed to be this person and yet, you’re thinking about this person already.

“’Yun lang siguro ang difficulty that I have. Ayoko munang basahin ‘yung susunod na script na hawak ko. Nakakalito. But I like being busy. It’s a good thing for me. I’d rather be busy doing a lot of things, rather than be stagnant at home, doing nothing.”

In March this year, Loyzaga got sick with the COVID-19 virus. “I wasn’t able to tape or shoot,” he lamented. “I hate being stuck inside four walls, not being able to do anything.”

Loyzaga is aware about the second wind in his acting career now and he is thankful about it. “Mas focused ako ngayon sa ginagawa ko,” Loyzaga “said. “Alam ko na din ang hindi ko dapat gawin. If I can sum it up in an easier way, seseryosohin ko na talaga ito ngayon.”