Through the years, Mama ALWAYS knew how to enjoy life and celebrate the special occassions, whether it is her birthday, mine, my brother's or my Papa.

Every year, she would prepare a noodle dish, it is a must, as it symbolizes long life.

Through her ageing years as I call, but never her term to use...........she hosted her own birthday gatherings in our home. There were always dancing, eating, laughing, joking, singing ,but most of all she enjoyed seeing family and close friends, and bonding with them.

Mama celebrated her special day with "gusto", she is at her happiest being around people.

Today, March 15th is another special day, and as me and my brother are thousand of miles away from each other, we still choose to celebrate the day with her noodles! Me and my brother shared some laughs when we talk about our mom, and being her birthday, she would want us to celebrate.
Me, being the quiet one, chose to celebrate in silence, and prayer. My brother went to visit Mama, and shared the noodle dish with the people in our home.

I am sure today, she is celebrating with Papa, and her father and mother and all the sisters, in laws, brothers and sisters in law, and all her special friends. The life in heaven is surely different from our world. I know in my heart that no matter how special me and my brother is to her, she is celebrating with "gusto" even without us. What more can she ask for? she is with her top special man, our Lord Jesus Christ, who had prepared a special place for her up there.

Up to this day, I still grieve for my Mama and Papa, but in a way, I know I should be happy because they are happy where they are. Who am I to question our Father God's decision to take them back.But birthdays will be birthdays, as me and my brother, to the end will continue to celebrate  our Mama's life, no matter what trials and challenges we are facing. It is what she wants.............

Happy Birthday Mama! You are forever in our hearts, mind and spirit. Each step we make, and journey we are in, you are our inspiration and model of what we do and what we need to do. You have given us the guidance in every way,and continue to do so, and we will try our very best to keep hanging tight to our most Heavenly Father through our constant prayers as how you always told us, to help us and guide us in our lives, even without you and Papa here with us.

We love you so very much................

Loowee and Alvin 

 My mom had a sharp mind till the very end . She loves to read and write and she wrote a lot of books, some are textbooks that were used for schools.  She used to write me letters that gave me so much encouragement in life.

i will always remember my very articulate and very strict teacher in our Pilipino class in UP High School ( in a subject where i usually got red marks due to  my colonial mentality upbringing.) The memory is still etched in my more than half a century mind because she taught us the meaning of discipline, love for the Pilipino language, and the way to engage in intelligent conversation.

Ma'am Manacsa assigned us seats: boy-girl-boy-girl. She was the forerunner of a participatory learning environment  because everyone had to speak. It was not the usual banking kind of class  where  the teacher knew everything. 

She stood at the side of the classroom, always very well dressed, with her spanish fan to keep her cool. She called out our names in class so we could exercise the muscles of our mouths, never miss! we were all very nervous all the time! But I remember her as a very kind person despite this disciplinarian image.

Thank you Ma'am Manacsa for your love and caring for all of us awkward, lost teenagers! We learned many things about life from you with all the  time you spent with us and all the utter patience you showed us.

To the family and loved ones of Ma'am Manacsa, we send you hugs of comfort for her soul going on flight. 

dazzle k. rivera, UP HIgh school, batch '76

Tita Fely & my father Mario S. Espiritu, MD are first cousins but Tita Fely was more like a sister to dad than anything else.  I will forever remember the talks that we had and the stories she would share with me about dad and her as well as Tita Pacita growing up.  I will always cherish what she and dad did - the foundation, Trinidad-Serrano-Espiritu Foundation, that they helped put together to help all our relatives in need & their desire to bring our families together as one.  I will remember all the get togethers she would have at her home and how she would welcome everyone and be such a gracious host.  I remember how she would even call all the "drivers" outside to come in and eat... and eat.... and eat.  It is so very rare to find someone so humble as her who would do such a thing in the Philippines. I can still imagine her dancing the night away with the dance instructors... I can still hear her calling my dad's name, I can picture her tapping dad on the shoulder in the car as we drove different places together.... I remember her trying to help me get permission to go out from dad and how she would reason with him for me.  And I remember how she welcomed my husband into our family... scrub suit and all ... to one of our family gatherings.    Tita Fely had a way of drawing you to her.... through her beauty... her graciousness... her humility... her outpouring of love.... She will always have a special place in my heart and so many others...she will forever be missed....