An unstoppable one. Diamond Star Maricel Soriano is more in demand than ever and calls this chapter of her life "the busiest season."

Maricel is not only part of the Kapamilya afternoon series "Pira-Pirasong Paraiso," where she plays the role of Amanda, the guilt-ridden grandmother of the long-lost Paraiso sisters, but she also stars in her much-awaited comeback movie "In His Mother's Eyes". She revealed that her return to showbiz was an answer to her prayer.

"Nakakatuwa talaga. Pero pinagpray ko yun eh. Sabi Lord, I want to be responsible again kaya dapat marami sana akong napapatawa, napapaiyak, maraming nakakaintindi, at yumuyugyog pa di ba? Kaya gusto ko yun. Answered prayers," said Maricel, during a recent media conference for the series.

(It's really funny. But I prayed for that. I said Lord, I want to be responsible again so I want to make them laugh, cry, understand, and even dance. That's why I want that. Answered prayers.)

"Kasi dati huwag ngayon or hindi ngayon. May stage ako na ganun. Ayoko. Hindi ko pa maramdaman eh. Sabi ko pag naramdaman ko ito tuloy-tuloy tayo. Ayan na nga. Parang ang hirap magsabi ng no lalo na kung ang ganda ng project. Sa utak ko pa lang naglalaro na eh."

(Before I would say, I'm not going to do it now or not now. I was in that stage. I don't want it. I haven't felt it yet. I said when I feel it, we will do it. That's it. It seems like it's hard to say no, especially if it's a beautiful project. It's just playing in my brain.)

At 58, Maricel is content with her two handsome sons and four dogs. "Ang dalawang anak kong gwapo. Yun ang aking mga pira-pirasong paraiso. At saka yung mga dogs ko." (My two handsome sons are my pieces of paradise. And then my dogs.)

"Kapag may edad na tayo, gusto natin yung mga anak natin malapit sa atin. Lalo na yung mga anak koi lalaki. Minsan tinatanong mo sa sarili mo umuwi na ba sila? Nasa kwarto na ba? Parang ganun. 

(As we age, we want our children near us. Especially my sons. Sometimes I ask myself, have they come home? Are they in the room? It's like that.)

"Ang kaigihan ngayon ay hindi mo na sila pinapagalitan. Kinakausap mo na lang. Hindi na puwede yung nagagalit ka. Hindi nila feel yun. Malabo. Sasabihin nila, chill ma, chill. May mga ganun. Anio ba yang chill, chill na yan? Dapat alam mo yung nmga LOL, OMG. Mga abbreviations. Hindi to tuloy alam kung binebenta na nila ako or what. Pero ang galing ng mga bata. Grabe. 

(The thing is you don't scold them anymore. You just talk to them. You can't be angry anymore. They don't feel that. It's vague. They'll say, chill ma, chill. Chill what? You should know the words LOL, and OMG. Abbreviations. I don't know if they are selling me or what. But the kids are great. It's great.)

"Tapos yung mga aso ko naman, kapag darating ako, laging galit. Parang sinasabi nila, "bakit ngayon ka lang? anong oras na? eto ba ang uwi ng isang tunay na ina? Parang ganun. Binabato kasi nila kasi sa aking yung mga stuff toy. Parang sinasabi nila what kind of a mother are you, my goodness? Sabi ko naman, sorry, sorry. Para kasing mga anak ko yan. Katabi ko sila sa kama," said Maricel.

(Then my dogs, when I come, they are always angry. They seem to say, 'Why are you here now? What time is it? Are you a real mother? Like that. Because they threw the stuffed toys at me. It's like they are saying, 'What kind of a mother you are, my goodness!' I said, 'Sorry, sorry.' They are like my children. They sleep with me in bed.)

Maricel has been a dog lover for a long time. It only stopped for about two decades when her beloved furry friend passed away.

"Matagal na ang fondness for dogs. Namatayan kasi ako ng dog eh kaya traumatic. Dalawang dekada yata ako hindi humawak ng aso. Kasi iniyakan ko ng todo-todo yun. Grabe. Kasi sila very loyal. Unconditional ang love. Kapag malungkot ka kakausapin mo sila. Kinukuha nila ang lungkot mo. Tinatanggal nila yung lungkot mo," she said.

(My fondness for dogs has been around for a long time. I lost a dog, so it was traumatic. I think I haven't held a dog for two decades. Because I cried all over it. It's terrible. Because they are very loyal. Their love is unconditional. When you are sad, they seem to talk to you. They are yours. They take away your sadness.)

"Yung dog ko si Edward nasa garage. Nakatali siya. Yun ang only boy ko na dog. Tapos si Lola (Pomeranian), Bella (Maltese) at si Mira (crossed-breed) silang tatlo ang nakalagay sa kama ko. Ako ang nasa gilid Tapos sa kanila ang buong kama. Nakakatuwa sila," she added.

(My dog Edward is in the garage. He's on a leash. That's my only boy dog. Then Lola (Pomeranian), Bella (Maltese), and Mira (crossed-breed) are on my bed. I'm on the side of the bed. Then the whole bed is theirs. They're funny.)

Maricel also dreams of having a grandchild. "Wala pa akong apo. Nagpapahanap na nga ako eh. Sabi ko sa kanila hindi ba pwedeng ngayon na? Sabi nila ano yan binibili sa department store mama?" (I don't have a grandchild yet. I'm already looking for one. I told my sons, can't we have them now? They mentioned, 'It's not as simple as purchasing them from a department store.')

"Wala kasi akong anak na babae. Lalaki ang mga anak ko. Kaya kapag nakakakita ako ng mga girls, 'anong like mo? ano'ng feel mo? O tapos kuwento ka pa?' Ini-interview ko talaga isa kaya sinasabi ko, kaya tandaan mo dapat beautiful ka di ba at laging fresh. Kinakausap ko sila na parang mga babies ko," she said when asked about her bonding moments with her co-stars.

(I don't have a daughter. My children are boys. So when I see girls, 'What do you like? How do you feel? Or do you have a story?' I actually interviewed them one by one so I say, remember you must be beautiful and always fresh. I talk to them as if they were my babies.)