Dingdong Dantes with wife Marian and baby Zia

It was around this time last year when Dingdong Dantes began to take endurance running to heart. Thus, if his hectic schedule permits, he enters fun runs and half-marathons. And with each successful finish, he collects a medal, which he places beside the crib of Maria Letizia, his almost 2-year-old daughter with wife, Marian Rivera.

That’s how he keeps track of his progress. The goal is to run longer distances—and, hopefully—live longer for his loved ones.

“I’ve always known that keeping fit is important for my profession, but having Baby Zia made me more serious about it. I’ve been running, biking; I want this to be a way of life. I hope to be always there for my family,” Dingdong said in a recent interview at the Inquirer head office in Makati City.

“My daughter made me do it!”

Fatherhood, they say, changes a man. And in his case—apart from being more conscious of his well-being—Dingdong observed that he seemed to have grown more patient. It’s a quality that comes in handy, not only when taking care of his daughter, but in handling work-related intrigues, like the recent one about his ongoing television series “Alyas Robin Hood” being a copy of “Arrow.”

Dingdong, 36, is more relaxed these days, as well. He is no longer compelled to pursue many different endeavors all at once. And if needed, he has no qualms setting aside things he’s passionate about, for matters that he deems more important—at least for now.

In April this year, he resigned from his post as the commissioner at large of the National Youth Commission (NYC). The Kapuso star also entertained thoughts of joining the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), but decided that doing his coming drama film, “The Unmarried Wife,” would suffice for this year. All because he wanted to spend more time with his family.

“But that doesn’t mean that I’m any less dedicated to my career and other things outside of my personal life,” Dingdong stressed. “It’s just that I don’t want to miss the important milestones in my baby’s early years.”

What else has changed? I took more risks when I was younger. Now, I think I’m more calculated, because I don’t do things just for myself anymore. I have a family to take care of.