Detroit will set you free
We will always remember Ching Alano for her funny stories. And her pun-ny lines.
Tanya Lara, who was a member of the Philippine STAR Lifestyle team for 23 years, recalls:
“When Ching came from a US trip, she thought of titling her article thus: ‘Detroit will set you free.’”
During the wake for Ching who died last July 17, we laughed, and cried alternately, when recalling her life and times with us.
Scott Garceau laughs:
“Our colleague Ching had a sly sense of humor, and of course she loved puns and intentional malapropisms (like declaring, ‘Well, well, well, look do we have here!’ with her high-pitched laugh when something funny transpired).
“Also infallibly generous, toting snacks to the office which she’d dole out while telling funny stories. When a layout artist did something wrong, she’d joke, ‘Hoy! God is watching you!’”
“This American she often referred to as ‘dashing,’ which I struggle to live up to, to this day,”adds Scott.
Igan D’Bayan sighs:
“I choose to block out the sad parts, especially the question of why Ching Alano had to leave us so early, and focus instead on remembering her as a generous, always-ready-to-help officemate, a fantastic writer, as well as the Lifestyle Section’s undisputed Queen of Puns. Every Hellday Friday, Ching would arrive late for work (5 p.m. usually, while everyone was buried to the maw in press work), carrying hefty Shopwise bags of Doritos and Lays and detailing her epic journey to the Port Area from Parañaqueor a lunchtime press con, much like The Odyssey before Christopher Nolan. Her gift of chips, of course, was like manna from heaven and usual funny stories became our Friday soundtrack. We all remember the puns. How did she title her story about Vietnamese food at New World? ‘Pho-nomenal!’ She also once posted this nugget: ‘Pizza be with you!’ But my favorite was when our layout artist texted Ma’am Millet to say he could not come to work because he had fallen ill after digging a deep well at home. Ching quipped, “Millet, tell him ‘Deep Well Soon.’”
Lai Reyes says:
“Now we can officially call her The Late Ching Alano. It was our favorite running joke because Ching had a habit of arriving at the office later than the rest of us.
“But knowing Ching, she was never late when it came to the things that truly mattered—showing kindness, sharing what she had, and making people feel remembered.”
Lai recalls that Ching liked writing articles on health with titles like “Eat, drink and be wary” or “From here to maternity.”
Lai adds that Ching enjoyed using famous lines from celebrities, as told to us by Ricky Lo, such as “You can never can never tell,” attributed to an actress.
Therese Jamora-Garceau notes:
“Way before the Barbie movie made it trendy, Ching was a fan of pink. She loved it in everything, from lipsticks to bags to clothes. And she embodied that color’s soft femininity perfectly, always accessorized in pink. I don’t think I ever saw her in a pair of pants, for she was always in girly pink clothes.”
This femininity, however, didn’t match her other favorite thing: cussing.
Our colleague Chelo Banal-Formoso says:
“Ching was a sweet, loving and thoughtful friend who cursed like a sailor. One of our staff writers came from a press coverage one day where she met Ching. She told me, “Sabi ni Ching, ikaw daw ang nagturo sa kanyang mag-mura.” I said, ‘She did?’ and might have added a few expletives to confirm Ching’s claim. I didn’t sit Ching down and teach her, ‘If this happens this is what you say’ and so on. Like most reporters, she was quick on the uptake, a fast and earnest observer. My sincere apologies to Ching, her family, her angels, her saints and her God for the bad influence. Atonement came last year when after having had a change of heart and soul, I invited Ching to a weekly online bible reading session with our friend Linda Bolido. She accepted with eagerness. After we finished the book Genesis, we opted for a New Testament book and began reading the gospel of John. Our last session was on John 19 and then Ching had to go for treatment. And now I’m sure Ching is being welcomed warmly by her Lord and Savior and her other bible heroes.”
Chelo, Linda, Jingjing Romero, Joy Buensalido and I formed a group chat we called “Birthday Buddies” because we met up for lunch during our birthdays. But Linda says their group with Chelo, Mario Baluyot, Lita Consignado, Jojo Gatbonton, Butch Pajarillo and Robert Mananquil was originally called the Butong Pakwan Gang because they loved munching this only snack they could afford during their Bulletin days as reporters.This all-UP group adopted Ching, the only one from UST—but a magna cum laude in journalism, take note.
Concepcion (“Ching”) Alano was my assistant at the Weekend Magazine of Daily Express for some 10 years before she joined me at the Philippine STAR Lifestyle Section for another 30 years.
I have known her well enough, from the tip of her cursing lips, to the hem of her pink mini-skirts.
So one day, decades ago, I asked my husband: “If I die, will you remarry?” Before he could even answer, I said: “I want you to marry Ching Alano.”
I chose Ching because I was sure she wouldn’t be an evil stepmother to my kids. I saw how she was a loving Tita to Maay and Jopo, the children of her oldest sister Chelle Yorro who she loved like her own. Ching also doted on the daughters of her younger sister Meng Ong—Jennifer, Agnes and Lia who, in turn, lovingly looked after Ching especially during her last few months.
Ching was one of the most beautiful human beings I knew. She had a soft spot for the underprivileged and she would rush to the aid of friends in need. I noticed that she was making chika to our columnist-doctor, and later I saw her hidden agenda: She wanted this columnist-doctor to come to the aid of our officemates who needed medical attention.
During her wake, our artists Boy Suerte, Rey Rivera and Jerry Tanegra, and production man Nestor Soria could not control their tears recalling Ching’s acts of kindness they experienced over the years.
Ching officially retired from STAR in 2017 after which she still continued writing for Lifestyle. However, in March this year, she texted me: “It is with an aching pain in my heart that I share with you my latest health condition. I thought it was just a case of a swollen leg until the neurosurgeon found lesions on the frontal lobe of my brain.
“Don’t worry about me because I am getting the best medical care, eating well and sleeping well. I have a personal caregiver and a maid. My sister cooks for me and sends me food. You must regret rehiring me because I see a long road ahead.
“I will beat this! But when dementia takes over or God finally calls me home (not yet, please), trust that I will never forget you. Because the heart never forgets.”
Lai says: “The ‘late’ Ching Alano may have left us too soon. But every time someone groans at a terrible pun, every time laughter breaks through tears, every time kindness is extended without expecting anything in return, Ching will be there.”
Surely, Ching joins her older sister Baby who died in 2024, and Ricky Lo in heaven where the sound of their laughter follows their latest exchange of scoops. But are cusses allowed there? “God is watching you, Ching,” Scott laughs.
As Ching Alano often said: “The more, the many-er.”
