my family is trying our best to be strong, days after internment

The death of mommy heals all wounds in our family, and makes our family stronger now

elena and bambi, they have been friends since they are in grade 2

This is Joanne, inspecting the mass card sent by President Gloria arroyo for dad

we had a small party, a very private moment which is also a despidida for my sister Elena flying to USA the next day

This is daddy arriving at wack wack for our private family get together, it starter 7pm

this is Mommy's chair at what we call "small room"this is where she sit in the afternoon, where the air con is much much cooler,

behind the chair is her oxygen tank, and her walking stick, in which dad always put it in her bed besides him every night

she has alot of dress 3 cabinets of fine dresses, but lately her attire is duster everyday

Mommy's dress. i could still smell her at this point

all our family and friends are at dads room to cheer him up .... our family is united again, but no more mommy

this is a pic of my sister te with Patricia, ram and jc

good thing ate dianne and tita magda is here, after prayers its news and horoscope time, this is what daddy enjoys most, he likes horoscope, today the Monday issue of inquirer is not yet delivered so i have to compose my own wit the intention of uplifting their humor....... almost every day i pray hard just to uplift their spirit and laugh, i feel so successful if i made daddy laugh hard, the like stories about Obama, Michele ( who dad say is not a good looking first lady), the united states wars. the new Orleans flood and etc

prayer time, for the past five years we pray after breakfast, I say I believe in god, Daddy says 3 our father, mommy says 6 hail Mary and ate ina say 6 hail Marys as well but in Filipino.... then part of our prayer is " lumakas po sana katawan ni daddy, mommy at ate ina" today i have a hard time editing this phrase.

This is how my dad looks day after interment of mommy, so sad, it really breaks my heart,

As I approached dads room they open the door for me......... as usual, at this point for the past 5 years i forget all my problems and put a smile in my face and shout real hard these ....... " Hi Daddy Hi Mommy,Hi ate Ina.......Good morning "

Today i opted not to shout those words because it is quite hard for me to omit mommy name.

I take this photo as I approached our stairwell, this is the first day I will go up at my fathers house after Mommy's internment, it is a very lonely place,

from the view finder of my camera, here is what I see...........

I again started my 430am trip to the market to buy food for my parents and ate ina ( now also for ate dianne and Tita Magda) but no more real vegies , vege proteins for mommy. when I drop by Cherry supermarket near wack wack I have a very erie feeling seeing mommys favorite supermarket items:

toss green salad package, thousand island dressing, sun flowerseed, brrown rice, prk and beans, canned laing, canned corne kernels, slmon fillet, lapu lapu .......

My mothers kidney doctor has several cases of unexplained death during dialysis DR CAYCO OF MAKATI MEDICAL

IT IS VRY HAD FOR US TO ACCEPT MOOMY A WALK IN PATIENT LIVELY AND ALERT UPON BE ADMITED FOR CHECK UP , TO SIEZURE AND DEATH IN 7 DAYS

In the beginning, I always tell both of my parents at this visit of mommy to the hospital is the most routine, less pressured and just a passing week to escape from the heat of Manila during summertime and enjoy the constant 22 celcius and 45% humidity at Makati med.But it turns out ver different.

internment day , nine days after makati medical rotine check up

daddy whisking holy water on the coffin of mommy assisted by my sister elena and my brother in law Ramil

every one caught by surprise when dad made is speech at he memorial park..... he said thanks to all.... and the she never fights and quarrels with mommy, and all differences will be settled in a day, and for he past 56 years, it will be only tonight that he will be alone in the room with out mommy,

many cried and feels his grief

my cousin jun from California giving a small talk during the private mass

Te giving some inspiring thoughts and thanks for everyone

dad viewing mommy in the coffin for the last time

Daddy with ate Tomeng garcia, 83 years old wife of his late friend PIlising Garcia is late jolly friend in his child hood. the over flowing support from old friends buffer our heartache with a smile, at the back is ate ina, my dads 100 year old sister, who until now doesn't want to sleep in his own room

all the way from nagcarlan Laguna, to symphatize with our Family, with tita lita

I caught this dads emotional pic, in my view finder

my heart breaks in this photo.... it says every thing about love and affection

april 25, 2009

withthe Calixto siblings, Tony aou vice Mayor and emi a councilor, malaki utang na lob namm sa family nila. thier father Duay helped my father return to politcs after 1971 debacle with Pablo Cuneta.

with Dual Calixto, they used to be the young concilors in Psay way back 1950s

our ciys most adorable councilors Grace, my inaanak and Emi

ate dianne and tita magda, they came all the way from california, cross several zone, from thier flight they suffer change of pressure, time zonechanges, seat cramps , and now jet lag just to be with mommy

with my twin sisters, all smile but with a crying heart for the loss of mommy whom we loved very much

since 2004, after mommy stroke, i read the new paper and horoscope daily , i made them real laugh, s ometimes i invent and add funny horoscope, shown here is my routine readng it at the Magalanes mortuary with mommy lita, and daddy very much interested, daddy shown here laughing out loud, while kuya resty...... smiling widely.....

this is ate ina, with my father i law, they have known eachother since 1980,s at this photo it sho that ate ina is very gracious old lady, she enjys talking with people at the wake

Bambi with te and nana, since 1979 they play and travel together as kids, had a reunion at mommys wake after several decade ,

In the 80,s when they were in high school the three of them always seet at the back of the van in our wekly outings to the provinces, this photo means alo to me

Kuya resty and I sharing some stories. at the wake, I enjoy talking with him, he s so knowlegable ...... just like me....... hehehe

w just opened the casket and removed the pearls of mommy dangng over her neck, shown here is Ramil and cid re arranging the flowers after

daddy giving some instruction in the wake........... he mention the flowers that are so nice given by bambi..... all imported from the highlands of Columbia and Holland.

mommy,s wake april 23,2009

Joanne and her friend Emily,

at the wake, Kuya hermie, Ate Ina, and Daddy with luz, watching the crowd at the Magallanes mortuary

Ate Ina, talking with Mommy Lita at the wake

consoling dad after he first saw mommy at the wake in the coffin, at this photo we were praying Hail Mary to keep us strong at heart, as mang ado looks on

this is the first time daddy see mommy in the coffin, he was crying out loud here, it makes me so sad to see him this way.

daddy as he first enter the chapel ........

mommy i love you..........