I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD TALKING ABOUT MY FATHER. JUST BY SAYING HIS NAME PLEASES ME & MAKES ME FEEL FORTUNATE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE I WAS HIS DAUGHTER, BUT WE SHARED SO MANY MOMENTS BOTH SAD & HAPPY. MY FATHER'S NAME WAS APOLINARIO & LEFT THIS WORLD AT AGE 79 WITH A SMILE ALTHOUGH HE WAS RATHER A SERIOUS MAN & VERY SENTIMENTAL. WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO US, HE WOULD GO TO HIS ROOM KNEEL DOWN & PRAY. SOMETHING I WILL MISS ABOUT MY FATHER IS HEARING HIM TALK ABOUT ME & MY BROTHERS & SISTERS WITH PRIDE & WITH TEARS OF EMOTION IN HIS EYES DESPITE OUR MISTAKES. HE WAS THE HARDEST WORKING MAN I HAVE EVER MET & NEVER STOPPED DESPITE OF HIS DIFFICULTY WALKING AROUND. I HAVE LEARNED SO MANY THINGS FROM MY FATHER AS WELL AS MY MOTHER WHOM HE JOINED NOW TOGETHER IN HEAVEN. HE TAUGHT MY MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ME TO VALUE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS & TO PUT IN SECOND PLACE ANYTHING THAT DID NOT GIVE A TRUE MEANING TO OUR LIVES. WE NEVER SAW MY FATHER DRUNK; I MEAN HE DRINKS SOCIALLY BUT NEVER DRUNK OR VIOLENT. HE WAS A CONSERVATIVE MAN, BUT HE UNDERSTOOD US & GAVE US FREEDOM. HE WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN HIS COUNTRY HE WAS BORN AND INVOLVED POLITICALLY. HE DID A LOT OF THINGS FOR HIS LAND; A "SANITARY HEALTH INSPECTOR", & TAUGHT US THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE WELL YOURSELF BUT TO FEEL BETTER WHEN THE REST ARE ALSO WELL. I WILL MISS YOU A LOT "PAPA", AND I HOPE YOU KEEP YOUR WORD & BE WITH US EVERYDAY OF OUR LIVES. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US EVEN THOUGH NOT TOO LONG ENOUGH TO SHARE TOGETHER WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN UNTIL THE END. WE LOVE YOU PAPA. I'M NOT READY FOR GOODBYE OR SEE YOU LATER, NOT READY FOR THE END, NOT READY FOR REALITY FOR THIS LIFE WITHOUT YOU IS A FORGOTTEN DREAM. BUT GOD HAS HIS OWN PURPOSE AND HE CAN CLAIMED YOU HOME ANYTIME IN HIS TIMELINE. KNOWING THAT YOU ARE GONE WON'T MAKE US ANY EASIER. I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH PAPA , INFINITY AND BEYOND.

THE GIFT GOD GAVE ME WAS YOU! I WILL NEVER SAY GOODBYE TO YOU PAPA BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE END FOR US TO SEE EACH OTHER. YOU WILL ONLY BE GOING TO A PLACE WHERE THERE'S NO PAIN NOR SUFFERING FOR YOU WILL BE WITH GOD. YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE TO LISTEN, LOVE, AND DEFEND ME IN EVERYTHING. YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. IN MY SUCCESS & FAILURES YOU WERE ALWAYS PROUD OF ME. I'M VERY GRATEFUL & PROUD OF YOU PAPA AND DEEP INSIDE MY HEART YOU'RE ALWAYS BE. I REMEMBER LAST TIME WE WENT HOME AND HELD YOUR HAND & HOW YOU LOOKED AT ME IN THE EYES.IF ONLY I COULD TURN BACK THE TIME I WOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU GO. I FELT THE WORLD STOP AND MY HEART STOP BEATING WHEN THEY TOLD ME YOU WERE GONE........HOW I WISH I WAS ONLY DREAMING. JUST LIKE THE RAIN; TEARS FELL DOWN FROM MY EYES AND I SHOUT IN FRONT OF CINDY FOR COMFORT SINCE I AM ALONE TO SHARE THIS TRIBUTE. THANK YOU DAD ....FOR ALWAYS UNDERSTANDING, LISTENING, CARING AND LOVING ME YOUR WHOLE LIFE. THE GREATEST GIFT THAT GOD GAVE ME WAS YOU....... MY PAPA.... IT'S DIFFICULT TO LET YOU GO BUT I MUST ....I MUST RETURN THE GIFT GOD GAVE ME.... TILL THEN; SEE YOU IN HEAVEN..................

ME AND MY WIFE FELY WERE VERY THANKFUL TO THE GOODNESS YOU'VE SHARED TO US SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OUR MARRIED LIFE. IT IS STILL VERY FRESH TO US HOW YOU STEERED THE TALKS DURING OUR "PAMANHIKAN" IN GAUS. YOU'VE TALK TO FELY'S PARENTS AND ASK HER HAND FOR MARRIAGE. YOU'VE DONE IT VERY PERSONAL AND INTIMATE. I ASK YOU TO BE MY NINONG BUT YOU DECLINE IN FAVOR OF MAMA NANING. YET SINCE MY CHILDHOOD I KNOW YOU TO BE A PART OF OUR FAMILY. ON MONDAYS, WE WERE ONE IN ATTENDING THE MASS IN THE CATHOLIC CEMETERY AND OFTEN CALLED EACH OTHERS "CLASSMATES". YOUR PASSING MIGHT BE A CAUSE TO GRIEVE, BEING HUMAN. YET, ON A DEEPER SINCE, DEATH IS A SOURCE OF JOYFUL EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT IS ONLY IN THIS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN OUR CREATOR. YOUR DEATH DOESN'T STOP US FROM LOVING YOU, FROM BELIEVING IN YOU AND REMEMBERING YOU BEING PART OF OUR JOURNEY. FAREWELL AND SEE YOU SOON IN THE FOLD OF OUR CREATOR.