Children of notable Filipino personalities share favorite memories, unspoken goodbyes to dads in heaven
There's no pain quite like losing a parent. It leaves an emptiness, a space where a beloved face, comforting voice, and constant presence used to be, an absence that lingers long after time passes.
As Father's Day approaches, we turn our thoughts to those beloved dads who are now in heaven. We reached out to the children of some notable personalities, inviting them to share not just cherished memories, but also the unspoken words and the lingering wishes they held for their fathers before they departed this world.
'Just wishing more time with him'
For Florenz Trinidad, son of the late veteran sports journalist Chino Trinidad, the most enduring memory isn't a grand gesture, but a simple, consistent act of love.
"Ever since nung bata kami, lagi niya kami chinecheck bago kami matulog. So lagi siyang naggu-good night, hanggang nung matanda na kami…minemake sure niya pa rin na nagu-good night siya every night," Florenz told PhilSTAR L!fe.
He spoke of a father known for his demanding career, a man constantly juggling projects, yet one who always put his family first.
"Alam natin busy siya, ang dami niyang projects, pero lagi niyang minemake sure na nauuna ‘yung family. Ang dami niyang iniisip lagi, at the end of the day, laging family ‘yung priority niya," he added.
Chino, described by Florenz as "a very emotional person" and "a caring father," tragically succumbed to a heart attack in July 2024 at just 56, while on the way to a supposed meeting in a hotel with Efren "Bata" Reyes and other personalities.
Despite the suddenness of his passing, Florenz holds no regrets, cherishing the wealth of precious memories they created as a family.
"Sobrang blessed ako, sobrang blessed kami as a family na kahit ‘yung dad namin sobrang busy, sobrang dami niyang ginagawang project, minake sure niya talagang andun siya sa lives namin and present siya sa lahat," he said.
"Ang dami naman naming nagawa as a family, ang dami naming good memories, talagang walang regrets, and wala na kong kailangan sabihin sa kaniya na hindi ko pa nasabi. Pero sana mas na-enjoy pa namin ‘yung time namin together lalo kaming magkakapatid na nagwo-work na lahat, nagsa-start na mag establish ng lives; ‘Yung parents namin nakita namin sila na tumatanda na rin, sana mas nakasama pa namin sila na mas relaxed sila, wala nang pressure masiyado sa kanila mag-work," Florenz told L!fe.
He concluded, "'Yung memories namin sa kaniya super blessed, and super thankful na meron kami nun. Walang regrets, just wishing more time with him."
'Sana mabigyan niya pa ko ng isa pang [orange soda]'
Meanwhile, the passing of former senator and revered human rights lawyer Rene Saguisag in April 2024, who was 84 at that time, left a profound impact. His son, UAAP executive director and lawyer Rebo Saguisag, spoke with immense pride of his father's relentless work ethic.
"‘Yung work ethic niya incomparable, ‘yung kaniyang mamba mentality; So kung sinasabi nilang Kobe will wake up at 4 a.m., ganun si papa. 4 a.m. maririnig mo na ‘yung makinilya," he shared with L!fe.
Outside politics, Rebo remembers his dad as a devoted family man. His most cherished memory of him was how he would give them an orange soda whenever they fell ill.
"No matter how busy he is, lagi siyang maagang umuuwi," Rebo shared with L!fe.
"Lagi yan may dalang Royal Tru Orange...Siguro iniisip niya dahil siguro orange, para sigurong prutas, ‘yun yung binibigay samin and for some reason, gumagaling naman kami. Kapag na-o-ospital kami, never niyang na-mimiss ‘yun," he continued.
Rebo also shared how his father truly embodied the Latin phrase, "Ora et Labora" — "pray and work."
"He really works so hard and prayed even harder. Every single day, dadaan ‘yan dun sa may parish church, which was St. Joseph the Worker, bukod pa ‘yan sa pagdadasal niya sa bahay ng rosaryo in the evening," he shared.
In reflection, Rebo shared a profound realization from his father: that the two most painful or saddest houses to visit are those where someone has died and those where someone lost an election.
"Sana he was still here. Itong ilang masakit na dumapo sa ‘kin, mabigyan niya pa ko ng isa pang Royal Tru Orange," he added.
‘Dad, I will be here with you, I will fight with you’
For actress and singer Rachel Alejandro, the stage was where some of her most treasured memories with her father, OPM icon Hajji Alejandro, were made.
"[Ang Larawan] is my absolute favorite, favorite show," she recounted to L!fe. "Every day at rehearsals together, just listening to the music, singing together, listening to him sing the song of his character, Hindi Simple ang Buhay. There wasn’t a single show that I guess, Celeste and I weren’t in tears just listening to how beautifully and how heartfelt he was singing every lyric to that song. I will always keep that memory in my heart," Rachel told L!fe.
Rachel described her dad as an "Alpha," a man whose presence commanded respect and adoration without ever needing to demand it.
"Everyone just did whatever he wanted in our family, without [him] commanding or being strict or forceful, just because we wanted to please him, because we wanted to be with him," Rachel shared.
"Because being in his presence would be just so fun. We always felt so much energy, like you feel elevated to be in his company because he was just so smart, and he was always so funny. So we hung on to his every word, every joke, and every insight about politics, pretty much anything under the sun," she added. "He was just very, very very, very special."
Hajji passed away last April after battling colon cancer. He was 70. Looking back on the difficult time, Rachel recalled how she witnessed her dad struggle with the disease.
"Unfortunately, my dad wasn’t what you would call a fighter; he only lasted two months from the time that he was diagnosed. During that time, I noticed that he was really having a very, very hard time grappling with the diagnosis and, of course, the treatments that were being recommended by the doctors," she told L!fe.
A profound regret now weighs on her heart. "Because I loved him so much and I respected him so much, I never really forcefully said na ‘Dad, no, let’s fight, let’s do whatever it takes,’ I never said those things," Rachel lamented, sharing how she would just support his dad's decision during his battle with cancer.
"I just kept saying it was his choice, but I was never just 100 percent said, ‘Dad, come on, let’s do this, I will be here with you, I will fight with you,’ I guess I was afraid too, that was my realization," she continued.
"If God forbid this were to happen again to any loved one, or any member of my family, I will tell them to fight. I will tell them that I will be there every moment, every day, to fight with them," she added.
Live your life to your fullest potential because that's what I saw in my father. That’s what I saw how he lived his life.
'He would pick me up in school... and share the lessons he learned in life'
Meanwhile, Maxene Magalona's fondest memory with her dad, King of Filipino rap Francis M, was the quiet rides home from college.
"He would pick me up in Katipunan, and we would ride all the way to Antipolo. So it was just the two of us in the car, and in those moments, that was when he would share with me the lessons he learned in life," Maxene reminisced.
The most vital lesson she learned from him was humility, which was crucial for anyone in showbiz.
"One of the most important lessons he shared with me, [was] he made sure that I understood that even though we were in the entertainment industry and that we were appearing [on] television, he said to me that it didn’t mean that we were better than others and that we were above than anyone else," she continued.
Francis M, who battled acute myelogenous leukemia before his passing in 2009 at just 44, instilled in his daughter a deep understanding of equality.
"He told me we are all equal, we are all the same, created in the image and likeness of God. It wasn’t just the words that he shared with me, it was also how he lived his life. He was not perfect, but he was real, he was always authentic," Maxene said, adding that Francis M's authenticity reflected in his life as an artist.
Nearly two decades after his passing, Maxene shared how she realized to "Live your life to your fullest potential."
"Life is truly short and precious, so we have to make the most of our time here on Earth. Enjoy and live your life to the max. Live your life to your fullest potential because that's what I saw in my father. That’s what I saw how he lived his life," she said.
Driven by his example, Maxene aims to "do everything that I can, create all the beautiful things that I can while I’m here on earth, and fulfill my purpose."
"Thank you so much Pop, for all the lessons that you shared with me, for the energy that you shared with all of us. We miss you so much, and wherever you are right now, I love you," she concluded.
Florenz, Rebo, Rachel, and Maxene have different experiences and journeys in life, yet their heartfelt tributes all remind us of one thing: that while loved one may be gone, their lessons, their love, and their memories continue to shape and inspire us.
