Dad at your service

Mayor Freddie Tinga

Clad in his "Forward Taguig" blue polo shirt that speaks so much of his unwavering commitment to better Taguig, Mayor Sigfrido "Freddie" Tinga talks about his other career – being a "terrible" father to three wonderful kids – Kyle, 10; Kerry, eight; and Kody, three.

"When my wife Kaye and I got married in 1994, we were a bit pressured to have a baby. Every time my mom called us up in the States, part of the conversation was if Kaye was already pregnant," Freddie, the eldest in the Tinga brood, begins. "So when she finally conceived, I was expecting a boy. When the ultrasound reported a girl, I was kind of disappointed. I guess Kaye saw it."

After a while, Freddie realized that he was blessed to have Kyle, their first daughter. "It turned out girls pala are so malambing," he declares. So when Kerry came in two years later, he felt all the more blessed as a father.

But parenthood for the seemingly perfect couple was not a bed of roses. "We went through hard times. Kaye’s pregnancy with Kody was a difficult one. I told her I was already okay with the two girls around." But Kaye knew better. The wife was aware that someday, her husband would need a buddy to engage in his favorite sports. Today, golf time for the young public servant also means bonding with his kids.

In his line of work where he is also father to his "adopted" children, Freddie doesn’t complain. Why, he has kids that understand and appreciate his chosen vocation to be of service to a bigger "family." In school, the kids proudly describe their father as: "My dad helps a lot of people."

"How am I as a father? I am extremes that I sometimes go overboard. When they fight, I get angry because it’s the least I would want to see my kids engaging in – not respecting one another," Freddie continues. "But when I am malambing, I am very malambing. I treat them out or we just bum around the house."

Freddie, however, admits he is a "terrible" dad. "I am not good with dates. I am not also a hands-on dad. I don’t check their assignments and expect them to top their classes. Those aspects I leave to my wife. There are really certain things mothers do better than fathers," he humbly admits.

But his imperfections make him all the more a perfect Papa to his kids. "On weekends, I make it a point that I spend quality time with the family," Freddie explains. For this 41-year-old father, what matters is that he is there when they need someone to talk to.

"When on unexpected days I need to work, I bring my children with me. If not, the kids call me up and we talk over the phone."

Yes, he might be terrible with birthdays and anniversaries, but Freddie knows his kids only too well and describes them oh-so proudly. "Kyle is the bookworm. She reads almost everything. Kerry is the sociable one. She is just so friendly and very kikay. Kody, on the other hand, is makulit but also very malambing. They help lessen my stress when I get home after a hard day’s work," quips Freddie, his eyes beaming with joy. "I realized my kids are growing up so fast. I want them to grow up being nice people to everyone."

True enough, he seems to be enjoying a lot in between and during every shoot with his kids, who were kind enough to flash a smile every time the photographer positioned his camera to capture their bonding.

With this body language, I witnessed how close to and comfortable his kids are with him. I can’t help but be amazed with this man who serves his town selflessly and loves his family more than everything else. After the shoot, Mayor Tinga excuses himself to visit school children to hand out notebooks. "I want to go with you," Kody insists as he holds his dad’s hand tightly.

Once, when he brought his children to a theme park, Kody couldn’t help but shout "I Love You Papa!" in the middle of a ride.

"Hearing those words is enough for me to know I am a good father after all," he ends.