Alice Eduardo is afraid of her mother
When a powerful woman becomes powerless in front of her mother, she reveals an endearing character of obedience and fidelity.
Alice Eduardo, president and CEO of the 27-year-old Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corp., is “afraid” of her 83-year-old mother Elisa Galang Eduardo.
“My mother’s ‘claim to fame,’ so to speak, is that I am afraid of her. It’s true. It’s very true. I’m afraid of her. She tells her friends that. Her words are unbendable. She sticks to her decisions. Her words are Gospel truth,” says Alice, an open, sincere smile escaping from her already happy aura. When she talks about her mother, her joy is as open as the sky.
Why is “The Woman of Steel,” an apt sobriquet given by PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez to Alice, afraid of her mom?
“It’s more of respect. I have the utmost respect for Mamá. I want to make her happy by giving her all the respect that she deserves. She sacrificed a lot for us,” she says.
She’s not the Alice Eduardo in front of her mother Elisa, a CPA who ran several businesses in their hometown of Jaen, Nueva Ecija. It is her desire to serve her mother well. She brings her mom and dad to their doctors’ appointments, travels with them. “And I have not gone abroad for vacation since the pandemic because I cannot bring my mom and dad.”
Elisa is a big influence on Alice’s life — be it personal or otherwise. “I have to consult my mom before making a decision, big and small decisions. I need to get her approval. Her approval matters a lot to me. Kahit gaano ka-lucrative ang project, ‘pag sinabi ng Mama na ‘wag (No matter how lucrative a project is, when she says don’t pursue it), because she’s a very good judge of character and situation, I won’t pursue the project.”
Because they literally live next door to each other, Elisa becomes fidgety when she sees Alice’s bedroom still unlighted when it is already close to midnight. When she can’t contact Alice, she calls her driver, her secretary, her security, her household staff. Elisa finds comfort when she knows her eldest daughter is on her way home.
“I feel like I am 16 years old when she looks for me at night,” Alice chuckles. “I enjoy it. I savor it. I feel loved.”
Every day is Mother’s Day between Alice and her mother Elisa. Every morning, she regales her parents with stories of what happened the day before. “I have breakfast with them every day. Sometimes, when it can’t be avoided, I bring paper works to their house just so I can be with them. I want to see them all the time. I want my parents to feel the love I have for them. That’s the least I can do for all the sacrifices they did for me and my siblings,” says Alice, adding that when she can’t join her parents for lunch or dinner, she calls their household to check on their food and to check if they have already eaten.
Her being a hands-on daughter is not just brought about by their proximity to each other. Alice says it is in her nature to be there for them. She and her three children once lived a few kilometers away from her parents but Alice came back after a month because her parents’ welfare was always at the back of her mind, in the center of her heart.
“My company has been there for 27 years. For 20 years, my mom and dad would always be my companion when I visited sites or when I would close a deal for projects. It was my parents who would be with me in the car, not my engineers. That was the way I closed my business deals. My mom would be praying the rosary in the car while waiting for me. When she saw me with a straight face after a business meeting, she knew how to comfort me. ‘Why, anak, what happened?’ When she saw me with a happy look, she was happier than me. ‘Wow! Good news,’ she would say. Then we would drive to a restaurant to celebrate. Chinese food is her favorite. Ever since, my parents are always part of the biggest blessings from God,” Alice recalls.
“I am the adviser of Alice. I accompanied her to her projects in Pangasinan, La Union, Batangas, Cagayan, everywhere. I was praying the rosary in the car while she was closing deals,” Elisa tells this writer when Alice brought me to her mother’s house to meet her.
“I always tell Alice never to get mad at her people. I remind her all the time to love all her employees. Mentras na mas mabait siya sa lahat, lalo pa siyang tinutulungan ng Panginoon (The more she is generous to everyone, the more God blesses her),” she adds.
“Mamá keeps me grounded. She’s the one watching how I deal with my staff. She tells me always never to get mad. She reminds me of the blessings that I have. She reminds me also to share them with others,” Alice said.
What important lessons did Alice learn from her mother?
“Helping people who are in need. That’s very important to her. I learned it from her. In Jaen, Nueva Ecija where we came from, she always had food for people who came from church. During fiesta, our house was open for everyone. My mother treated everybody equally. When she goes abroad, she has pasalubong like clothes and watches for every staff at home. Even to this day, Mamá always has a ready stock of food for the household. I inherited that trait from her,” Alice says.
“Kapag busog ako, gusto ko busog din ang lahat. Ganyan din ang ugali ni Alice (When I am full, I want others to be full also. Alice is also like that),” Elisa says.
“She taught me to respect people, especially the elders. She always mentions that the second God here on earth are your parents and the elders,” Alice adds.
Alice is not coy about saying her mother pampered her with love — “with so much love.”
“She gives me immeasurable love, unexplainable love. So immeasurable that my mother’s love inspires me to be better, to do better. She’s caring and compassionate and hard working. I learned those traits from her,” says Alice who can work non-stop with only five or six hours of sleep a day.
“My mother’s love is so unconditional she will do everything for her loved ones. She sacrificed a lot of things for her children,” Alice says.
“Napalo ako. Nakurot ako ng Mamá when I was a kid. I would hide from her to escape her pinching. Habulan. Even if I hid under the bed or the table, she would get a stick and kneel to reach me. She disciplined me. I grew up fine and well-rounded. I am always grateful for her love,” recalls Alice with an impish smile.
How much does Alice Eduardo love her mom?
“I can’t live without her,” she says, tears looming in her eyes. “I love my mom more than my life.” *
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