What's your favorite memory of your dad?
If there is one thing I’m most grateful for in my life it’s having been blessed with a dad that I am so proud of. Every day of my life I always think of him. Because of his job I don’t see him as often as I want to, but it’s not that bad because he always makes it a point to call me just to ask how I doing. He’s a simple person and so easy to please; the little gifts I give, like a simple white shirt with the name of the country I came from, never fails to bring a smile to his face. Because of his passion for reading, oftentimes in his quite gentle way he never fails to impress our tour guide or foreigner friends because he seems to know much, much more than what they know of their own countries. He’s like a walking encyclopedia which is amazing for a boy who grew up in the province. It’s everything he does and says that makes so many stories that have become memorable to me. With so many stories I wish I could share with you about my dad, I just don’t know where to start, but hopefully one day I can put all his wonderful experiences and lessons in a book so that so I can share with you how great my dad is.
Monica Mitra, student on Ramon Mitra, PNOC director): Daddy is our very own commander-in-chief. He is tactical, worth emulating, strong, hands-on and very protective (he even tracks our whereabouts and spies on our Facebook pages). But even if we just described him as a typical strict father, he is anything but clichéd. Dad puts his own twist on and wit into everything we do together making it uniquely fun every time.
Senator Chiz Escudero on Congressman Salvador “Sonny” Escudero: After my initiation hazing when I joined my fraternity, it was my father who took care of me, applying Omega painkiller to my thighs every morning and evening for two weeks. My mom didn’t want to see or look at me then so it was him, a frat man himself (although I joined a different fraternity), who took care and looked after me at that time, his busy schedule notwithstanding (he was Minister of Agriculture then).
Joy Belmonte on Quezon City Mayor “Sonny” Belmonte: When I was in grad school in London, before cell phones and e-mail were widely used, I would call my dad every Sunday morning at a local phone booth on the way to the grocery to let him know how I was doing. Once, I rang him to whine about how hard a time I was having coping with schoolwork. His response was classic. “Tomorrow, when you go to class, look at the person sitting in front of you; then look at the person sitting behind you; then look at the person sitting to your left; then look at the person sitting to your right. If you believe any of them are more capable than you, pack your bags immediately and come home. You are wasting your time and my money.” Needless to say, his “brutal” words gave me a renewed sense of inspiration and confidence that helped me overcome the challenges at school. To this day, when faced with insecurity, I remember my father’s words, and feel greatly encouraged.
Another story I would like to share about my dad who is an avid fan of musicals: once, my family went to see Les Miserables at London’s West End. When the first strains of Bring Him Home filled the air, we were surprised to hear a severely out of tune voice ring out. Hushed whispers surrounded us followed by angry “shush” sounds. To our horror, Dad was singing along loudly with the soloist — his eyes shut in deep concentration as if he were playing Jean Valjean onstage. My mother, brother Miguel, sister-in-law Milette and I wanted to hide under our seats in total embarrassment. We’ve since got him a CD of the musical and his own stereo system so he can sing along to any tune he fancies — in the privacy of his room without disrupting the peace.
Rica Concepcion Araneta on Raul Concepcion: My love for traveling to discover places and learn about other people’s cultures I took from my dad. As far back as I can remember, Daddy loved to travel yearly with his family. It was almost like a tradition that is now passed on to us, his children. And even now that we are all grown up and have our own families, his children and now his grandchildren included will always be his favorite travel companions. Daddy was not so much of a big shopper, but he had this penchant for very spacious hotel rooms with panoramic views. Since he is and still is a workaholic, he would always bring with him during our travels his office supplies such as stapler, paper clips, colored paper and yes, even his printer to ensure that it is business as usual even if he is thousands of miles away from his office. Now that I am a parent with three children, I still love to travel and tag along with my parents along with my own children.
I guess it is true what they say: no matter how old you are, your whole life through you will always be Daddy’s Little Girl. I am happy being just that.
Lani Atienza Beltran, businessman on DENR Secretary Lito Atienza: Everything about my dad is so memorable. He is the perfect Dad to me. He has become my best friend. We enjoy a lot of experiences together — from unwinding after a full day’s work over cigars in his garden, to the regular Sunday lunch that has become a tradition for my children, to the never-ceasing discussions over current events that leads to family bets, and the fun-filled travels we’ve had together. There are tons of memorable stories, all of them having a great impact in my life, teaching me lessons in life. The most memorable I would say is what he has made his life to be; that makes me so proud to be called his daughter.
Kerry Tinga, student on Taguig Mayor Freddie Tinga: One of the unforgettable memories I have of my father is when we were at the Taguig River Festival. As part of the tradition, to signify the town’s gratitude to our patron saint, people were throwing fruit at the crowd as an offering. I was sitting down in the boat with a hard hat on because I was worried about getting hit. My sister said I was paranoid so I took off the hat and soon after I got knocked on the head by an orange. Just as I started crying, my father ran to my aid. He comforted me and the pain went away. As soon I felt better, I put my helmet back on and tried to enjoy the festival. However, as soon as I stood up again, what do you know? Another piece of flying fruit hits me in the stomach. I sank down and began to cry again. Again my dad came, and he sat with me for the rest of the trip. Thanks to my father’s concern, as well as my improved dodging techniques, I was able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. That is why I love my father: he wipes away my tears when I cry, helps me up when I’m down, and gives me strength to get up and go on. He’s the best father in the universe.
Marilen Tantoco Valbuena, director, Rustans Group of Companies on Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco: I couldn’t be more proud to be the daughter of someone as honorable and as brilliant as my dad. I couldn’t have chosen a better man to raise my two sons. They practically grew up with my Dad and half the credit, if not all, goes to him for the kind of men my sons have become and for the many more achievements and recognitions that they may merit in their lifetime. They learned through his example and Dad’s brilliance is reflected in them. Thanks, Daddy, for extending to my children the love and guidance you have shown me all these years.
Bien Benitez, artist/businessman on BieNvenido Benitez: Memorable are the many summers we spent together in the halcyon days. My father taught me how to swim. We made kites and flew them in our backyard. I learned the scientific names of the plants and animals around us and their functions. Through this, I learned to respect nature and the environment.
These childhood memories are reflected in the artwork that I create. My work depicts the role of people with regards to their surroundings. I am currently preparing my 10th solo abstract painting exhibition entitled “The Secret Life of Plants” which expresses in visual detail the underwater existence of organisms amidst the changing tides.
Partylist Rep. Irwin Tieng on William Tieng, chairman, Solar Entertainment Corp.: My dad loves movies and sometimes we watch them together; this is our bonding time. This man works 16-hour days, including weekends. Inevitably, while the movie is on, he’ll doze off. He’ll always wake up and ask, “Did I fall asleep? What did I miss?” And he’ll have me do a recap, play-by-play, including dialogue. After I do (and this baffles me to this day), he always rewinds the video several chapters and watches from there. Again, after a few minutes, he’ll fall asleep again and wakes up asking the same question. We do this a few more times until we finish the movie. This is how my dad and I spend three hours watching a 90-minute movie. Actually I have memories like this from when I was four or five. We had a Betamax then and watched Jackie Chan and James Bond movies. I’m 28 now — DVD has replaced Betamax — but my dad and I still have this ritual. He’s a great guy and I will always be happy to recap the parts he slept through, even if he just rewinds it anyway.
