Joey Marquez working as a janitor at Clark Air Base in his teen years to help his mom

Before his successful life as a basketball player, an actor and a politician, Joey Marquez worked as a janitor at Clark Air Base when he was a teenager.

"Nasa 14 years old 15 years old pa ko, believe it or not, Pia, maraming hindi naniniwala pero nag janitor ako sa Clark Air Base," he in an episode of "Tunay na Buhay."

[Believe it or not, Pia, not a lot of people know at 14 or 15 years, I worked as a janitor in Clark Air Base.]

"'Yung buong floor nililinis ko. Tapos ang suweldo ko nun 7 pesos a day," he added.

[I would clean the whole floor. My salary was P7 a day.]

Joey said he was born without a father. Since his parents were separated, he said he wanted to help his mother and didn't want to ask her for money.

"So from there, sabi ko I'd like to help. Kaya ko pumasok ng janitor dahil nahihiya ako sa nanay kong humingi ng pera. And then I became a doer, not a dreamer," he said.

[So from there, I said I'd like to help. I took on the janitor job because I was embarrassed to ask money from my mother. I became a doer, not a dream.]

Joey said in all his life experiences he learned that it is important to be resilient.

"'Wag susuko. Minsan kinakailangan mo talaga dumaan sa dilim, para maintindihan mo bakit may liwanag," he said.

[Don't give up. Sometime, you really need to go through the dark to understand light.]

"Kailangan, maging responsable ka sa mga actions na gagawin mo. Never regret anything, 'ika nga e. Palitan mo yan ng bagay na makakabuti hindi lang para sa iyo kung hindi para sa pamilya mo," he added.

[You have to be responsible for all your actions. Don't regret anything. Change your regret with something that will do you good.]

Joey said it is important to show importance and love to one's parents, because "they are the one na kakampi mo talaga."

When he doesn't have any projects in Manila, the comedian can be found in his farm in Indang, Cavite.

Aside from being an actor, Marquez played as a PBA basketball player until the 1980s, before he became a full-time actor.

Joey entered politics as a mayor of the city of Parañaque from 1995 to 2004.

— Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News