My mother is one of the strongest and bravest woman I’ve ever known. She is a homemaker and raised nine children. She’s been through a lot of storms in life but still gets up and continues living a happy life. She taught us to be God-fearing, humble and brave. She raised strong daugthers as well. My eldest sister came to Hong Kong at a young age of 20, aiming to give our family a better living. She sacrificed her studies so she could help our parents send us, her younger siblings, to school. Now she has a family of her own with gorgeous four daughters living here in Hong Kong. My second eldest sister left home as well to earn money for her family. She will do everything to provide for her daughter. The last but not the least, my youngest sister is also very tough. She raises her children while her husband is working abroad. And she still manages to look after our old parents and my son. My mother is bedridden and requires constant care and attention but she never complains and never gets tired of her. She does it with pure love. Kudos to the women of our family. Happy Women’s Day!
— Marife Balistoy
My wife is loving, caring, thoughtful, understanding, considerate and protective of her family. She is also soft-spoken, humble, shy and does not like social gatherings. She took care of our children when they were young until at such time that they grew up a bit before she worked as a teacher. She is a good mother to our six children. She teaches them proper discipline, good norms, manners and behaviours, etiquettes and other social disciplines. When I was hard up to send our children to college, she applied for a job abroad to help me finance their educational expenses in college and in high school. Her first year of employment as a middle school teacher in China was good. She worked really hard there and then came home in 2013. In November 2016, she worked as a senior high school teacher in the Department of Education. She is now a permanent teacher at Pinto National High School, which is far away from home at the municipality of Alfonso Lista. Again she is enduring the pain of traveling to and fro weekly. When that place was under Enhanced Community Quarantine, she dedicatedly worked hard to construct a module for her students. I admire and love her very much throughout my life. She is my wife, the mother of my kids and most of all my heroine.
— Jimmy Pagaddut
I consider the women in my family as fighters. Our great grandparents and grandparents, amidst the hardships of life, were able to raise their children. I admire my aunts on both parents’ sides because they succeeded by self-learning.
Of course my highest gratitude is for my mother, she is far from perfect but considering her situation that at a young age she brought up seven children. She helped my father raise us and tried to let us all have a good education that they never had. Her ways may not be able to meet our present standards of raising kids and she made mistakes. But we were made to be tough and independent people. What we have now, we owe to our parents and of course to God.
— Florita Pihoc
My mother has a special place in my heart. Carrying me in her womb for nine months, she gave me life. Since then, she keeps giving happiness to our family. She nurtured me, taught me, dressed me, fought for me, held me, shouted at me, kissed me but most importantly she loves me at her best and unconditionally.
Another great woman in my family is my sister. She is my best friend who taught me the importance of kindness and consideration not only while playing games but in facing the realities of life. My sister is the most lovable girl I have ever known. I thank God for blessing me with these two wonderful ladies in my family.
— Justin Leung
The title “mother” is greater than any profession a woman could ever have. They do more than what they ought to be and even exceed their limitations for the sake of their families. As a daughter of an overseas Filipino worker, it is hard to live without the care of a mother, but I am truly grateful that God has given me Theresa Baring Goden to be my mother.
I know I am not a perfect daughter, I have disappointed her. I have failed her numerous times but she never failed to be a good mother to me. We should give our parents love and respect, appreciate them no matter what they are capable of providing us, no matter how they look, no matter who and what they are.
— Cheene Rose Goden
