Honoring Nanay!

Yesterday, we honored our Nanay Efigenia by gathering around her to celebrate Mother’s Day.

There was a lechon of a young native pig I raised in my farm, chocolate cake, bouquet of roses and some old songs.

Nanay, 90, has been suffering from Alzheimer’s which erased much of her memories but she would smile when our oldest brother, Pat, sings some of her favorite old songs.

Our Nanay is a very strong woman, surviving adversities in her childhood.

She raised all of us 11 boys in a way where we really felt the love of a mother to temper the very strict ways of our father.

Both she and Tatay, Bernardo, were public school teachers who struggled to send us all to school burying themselves deep in debts which were only paid off with their retirement benefits.

In spite of all the hardships, Nanay was proud that her sons all became professionals.

Before she lost her memory, she saw me become Governor with my three other brothers becoming Congressman and Mayors.

It was a joy that our father did not savor as he succumbed to brain cancer shortly after I won as Mayor of our hometown M’lang in Cotabato.

I know she would have been the proudest Nanay had she known that her son was appointed by President Rody Duterte as Secretary of Agriculture.

How do I honor this wonderful woman?

I have made a vow that as her son I will protect the family name that I carry and never to stain it with malfeasance or issues of corruption in public service.

More than the cake, the lechon and the flowers, this I believe is the best way to honor this great woman, our Nanay.