How Chin-Chin survived an inferno

(Second of two parts)

In the last seven days since the tragedy, friends in media have graciously respected Chin-Chin’s request for privacy and for this we are truly grateful. Aside from the excruciating physical pain caused by her burn injuries, there are also the emotional and psychological debris left by the life-threatening experience. Evenings are particularly bad for Chin-Chin as she continues to have nightmares repeating scenes from the fire. Her heart jumps with every sudden sound. Some nights, she would cry herself to sleep, missing and worrying about her mother. Although she could not visit the ICU, she constantly monitors Mama Cecile’s condition through the nurses and doctors that attend to her and remains thoroughly informed about her situation.

The few times she had been able to see some footage of her burning house on TV, Chin-Chin’s eyes never showed bitterness or regret. She is profoundly sad at the loss of her family archives and personal mementos, yet she is certain that God has a divine plan for her life and willingly submits herself to its unfolding. She also commiserates with the many families who have lost their homes (and for some, even their loved ones) in the many fire incidents that plagued the country that same week.

Meanwhile, Chin-Chin is humbled by the outpouring of love and support from her colleagues in various sectors. Fellow artists and advocates, representatives from different religious groups, relatives, even long-time fans and long-lost friends have all rallied to support her in this defining moment of her life. "She has given so much of herself to protecting Mother Earth and to honoring Motherland," as one of the messages we received said. "Now it is time to accept the love and gratitude of those who benefited from her selfless efforts."

We are pleasantly surprised at the huge number of pledges for prayer and material support that Chin and her mother are receiving. It truly affirms my belief that man is indeed good by nature. Because when tragedy befalls a fellow human being, our normal instinct is to reach out and support that person. And we’ve seen that overflowing in the last seven days, hopefully much more in the days to come. Just like recuperating from burn wounds, getting one’s life together after losing everything to flames can be a slow and painful – yet utterly cleansing – process.

When asked about the heroic feat of saving her ailing mother from the burning house, Chin-Chin insists it was a spontaneous act of filial love. "There was no question about it," she recalls. "The moment I opened my eyes and saw tongues of flames, my only goal was to get Mama out of the house. It was so clear. I didn’t really care about anything else. I wasn’t even thinking of anything else. I didn’t really care much about the material things that got burned. All I could think about was protecting my mother."

The series of reports that came shortly after the incident hailed Chin-Chin as a hero, having risked her own life to rescue her ailing mother. Most of her close friends know, however, that the last three years had already been no less heroic for her, as her mother’s physical condition continued to deteriorate and required more expensive medical procedures. Yet, despite the odds, she maintained sobriety and cheerfulness through the ordeals of her personal life.

Sometimes people think that just because they see Chin-Chin playing a glamorous role on TV, then her life is spared from day-to-day trials. That is certainly not true. It has been very difficult for her since her mother fell gravely ill, but she has chosen to suffer everything in silence and continue to joyfully provide for all her mother’s needs, sometimes even when she had to forego her own. Her time was divided between tapings and personal caregiving for her mom, interrupted only by advocacy work. It was not the typical lifestyle of a single, independent and successful woman – a Time Magazine Asian Hero at that – yet she never considered it a sacrifice.

"Nothing is a burden if it is done out of love," she would always say, especially when friends began to worry about her well-being. "For as long as Mama is conscious, then I will do everything in my capacity to support her in her life’s journey, according to God’s will for us."

It has been seven days since the incident as I write this. Asked what message she had for readers who have followed reports of her ordeal, Chin-Chin had only this to say: "Tell them to never lose their faith, even in life’s darkest hours. The flames of desperation can be mesmerizing; at one point you are just tempted to leave everything behind and succumb to the fire. But there is that little voice inside your head, no – inside your heart – that tells you to get up and find a safe place. It tells you never to give up because this is not about you, it’s bigger than you. God is the prime mover here, we’re only co-fulfilling. And when you find that you’ve lost everything you’ve grown accustomed to in life, you fully realize what life is not. Given a chance to move forward and start anew, always keep sight of God’s plan for you. And never allow anything or anyone to take away your joy!"

The words of the Magnificat are constantly on her lips: "The Lord has done great things for me and holy is His name." Chin-Chin Gutierrez is a genuinely beautiful human being and our lives are blessed by knowing her.

(The author is a professional journalist and TV producer who has been Chin-Chin’s artist manager for the last three years, and with whom she shares a commitment to ecological and cultural advocacies.)