Actress Kira Balinger has candidly shared her emotional journey of growing up in a broken family and how it shaped her as a person, particularly her longing for a father figure during her formative years.
“Sad to say, but I do come from a broken family,” Kira said in a guest appearance on Karen Davila’s vlog. “My mom and dad separated (when I was) at a very young age. I was only 11 or 12 years old. So, growing up without a father figure, sobrang hirap po para sa akin.”
She recalled moments of envy as a teenager seeing complete families enjoying time together.
“Especially when I would go to the mall, ‘pag nakikita ko ‘yung ibang family na kumpleto, masaya silang kumakain, tumatawa — naiinggit po ako. I can’t lie, naiinggit po talaga ako. I can’t lie and say that I was okay, na [I was] full of love [during my teenage years] when I really needed a father the most,” she shared.
Kira previously opened up about this emotional pain during her stint on Pinoy Big Brother, particularly how her father’s actions hurt her deeply.
“There was a time that I was really upset with him (dad) because of what he did to mom and that was going behind her back for somebody else and that was incredibly painful for me po as a daughter,” she said.
“I just feel like I couldn’t experience my childhood the same when that happened. Of course, I enjoyed being with my mom but there’s always that voice at the back of your head na ‘ay wala kang tatay,’ ‘oh you have nobody to open up your heartbreak to.’ I had to grow up a lot faster, Kuya. Sobrang aga na po akong namulat sa mundo and it really changed my perspective on love,” she added.
Despite their difficult past, Kira revealed that she and her father have since reconnected, especially after he suffered a stroke.
“It was only recently, si dad po, nagka-stroke po siya,” she said. “Talagang naging sobrang sampal po siya sa akin kasi you know, when you’re angry ‘di ba, hindi mo na naiisip ‘yung mga bagay bagay na ‘oh they could go at any minute.’”
“If any of my parents would go, hindi ko rin po mapapatawad ang sarili ko for not making use of the time for loving them, for giving back, and forgiving them,” she added.
She clarified that her father never abandoned them financially.
“Meron naman, I have to give that to my dad. Never po siya tumigil sa pag-support financially, but it wasn’t enough po,” she admitted.
Kira said she entered showbiz at a young age to help her family and ease the burden on her mother.
“I think that’s why I had to put this job first before other things na gusto kong gawin, because the bills don’t stop coming,” she said.
“I had to witness my mom go through major heartbreaks because of what happened with my dad. I also wanted to be strong for her kaya ayaw ko rin po ipakita sa kanya na I’m also hurting, so it’s a lot of suppressed emotions,” she added.
Despite everything, Kira holds onto a personal dream — seeing her parents under one roof again.
“Even if they don’t get back together, basta makita ko lang sila nagsasama sa isang bahay, sobrang okay na po ‘yun sa akin. ‘Yun po ang pangarap eh,” she said.
“Kahit hindi po kami mangarap nang sobrang taas, basta makita lang namin ‘yung parents namin na happy, even if it’s just for the companionship, sobrang okay na po ‘yun.”