More Mother’s Day memories
More moms share their favorite Mother’s Day memories and tell us how they’d like to be celebrated today.
“My favorite Mother’s Day memory is eating out with the whole family and enjoying my mom’s favorite dessert—a banana split. But what stays in my mind and heart the most is a photo of our mother with us, her four daughters, taken on Mother’s Day 2021. It was her last with us, and that memory is something I will always cherish.
This Mother’s Day, I would truly appreciate some quiet, uninterrupted time with my two big boys, my husband and my son. Online distractions and individual schedules often get in the way of quality family time, so having them all to myself on Mother’s Day would be the best gift.”
—Angel Javier, VP for corporate affairs at GMA, mom of one
“I don’t think there is just one favorite memory. But what is most special to me is the collection of cards my kids have made for me since they first learned to write. Each year, they create Mother’s Day cards filled with heartfelt messages that become longer and more meaningful over time. It’s truly priceless to witness their growth and see how their expressions of love and thoughtfulness mature. I keep all the cards with me in my side table as a reminder that I have everything I will ever need in my life.
I am grateful that I feel celebrated as a mother everyday because of the little things that are special to me. Just recently, my daughter told me, ‘Mama, you can’t leave tomorrow because if anything happens to me, only you know what to do!’ I am just so grateful every single day that my three amazing children call me Mom. This Mother’s Day, I cannot ask for anything more.”
—Marga Nograles, Tourism Promotions Board COO, mother of three
“I don’t have a particular Mother’s Day memory of my mama especially growing up because I was always in Manila. But when I was a young girl, when I was in elementary, I always thought of her as a “superwoman” talaga. Every time she would come home from work, she would bring us, her kids, a little bag of bread as pasalubong. Sobrang tuwang-tuwa na ako nun, parang fiesta na ang bahay. We lived simply, but we were never poor in spirit. Kahit munti lang ang pinagsaluhan namin, my mama always made sure na masaya kami, at parating may makakain. So every day was Mother’s Day para sa akin. I miss her so so much. She passed away in 2023.”
—Bayang Barrios, singer-songwriter, mother of one
“My favorite Mother’s Day memory was Mother’s Day 2021. I was hospitalized for COVID for almost a month, April 20 to May 14. I was hoping to be discharged before Mother’s Day, but the doctor didn’t allow it because he said I might suffer a relapse and readmission would be close to impossible during that time as all hospitals were full. I cried a lot. I was discharged on May 14, two days before my birthday, and we celebrated Mother’s Day and my birthday on the same day. I was very emotional because I thought I wouldn’t make it to my next birthday. Now, I’m celebrating my second life after my COVID experience.
As a mother, I want to be celebrated as a pillar of strength and the one who blazed the trail and rolled out the red carpet so that my kids and grandkids can walk with fame.
I’m not a traditional mother like most. We usually think of mothers as those who wake up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for her family, do house chores, go to the principal’s office, attend PTA meetings and all. I was always different, which brought me a lot of guilt for not being like the other mothers in my circle. I always wanted something different. Sure, I took care of my kids when we had no yaya. And, don’t get me wrong, I love my kids dearly. But taking care of four kids by myself is a task that would have probably worn me out beyond repair. But if my kids got sick or there were really serious matters that needed my urgent attention, I’d always be there by their side. I was also the type of mom that didn’t pester my kids about their grades in school or the accomplishments and the accolades they received.
I never put any pressure on them. But I would tell them what makes me happy in the things they do and applaud them to OA extent when they did well. My type of mothering was being the pillar for them that would prepare them to face the hardships and failures of the world. I thought beyond the present and would delegate to others the physical task of caring for them while I took care of preparing for their future.
I want them to not only be financially stable, but also independent. I was always independent and that’s what I wanted my kids to be when they grow up and after I’m gone. I wanted to leave a legacy that would make them proud. I’m happy that my kids, despite me not giving them any physical punishments, have grown up to be exactly what I wanted them to be.”
—Marge Organo, glass sculptor, mother of four
“I guess it’s hard to choose, but one of them would probably be during the pandemic. Because my second son is a pandemic baby. So, I was pregnant with him. And I usually have gestational diabetes when I’m pregnant. It’s the pandemic, you’re locked in the house, and you’re not allowed to eat because of gestational diabetes. My husband brought home sunflowers for me just to make me feel better because I was having kind of a difficult time. That sticks out. I was just, of course, emotional. I cried because I was pregnant. Yeah, and I’m not even a flower person. But I just really appreciated the gesture in that particular time. I guess it was something I needed.”
—Cerah Hernandez Co, host and voice artist, mother of two
“I think last year. Because I’ve only celebrated it twice so far. It was a very simple dinner. But for me, it’s special because it’s my first time to celebrate it and experience what makes the day special.”
—Jessa Tandayu, mompreneur and breastmilk donation advocate, mother of one
“My favorite Mother’s Day memory goes way, way back with me as a kid also. Because when I was younger, we used to be in the children’s choir. And every Mother’s Day, we have a tradition that we would sing in front of the church. And then, we gave flowers to our moms as a tribute. It taught us to celebrate our own mothers. So now, when my kids do gestures like that, it always brings me back to that memory. It makes me feel nostalgic.”
—Sheila Catilo, photographer, mom of three
“I guess my favorite memory is really the time spent together when we travel. I’m not really a theme park person. But when we travel, our children love theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, especially the ones nearby. They’re so easy to go to. So I guess that’s my favorite memory because I really see the world through their eyes when they go to these theme parks. And I end up liking it as well because I really see them enjoying it and jumping up and down. So for me, that’s really the most memorable.”
—Vanessa Pastor-Ledesma, consul of Montenegro to the Philippines, founder of Mercato Centrale PH, mom of three
“Every year is memorable, although we don’t spend it grandly out of town. Maybe when they were kids, they would write cards. I’ll wake up in the morning with breakfast in bed made by my husband and cards from my kids.”
—Yen Dreyfus, PR, lifestyle content creator, mom of two
“Sleeping. Because of Mother’s Day, since my kids were born, I’m just activating events, doing Mother’s Day for a lot of brands. So on Mother’s Day, all of us get busy.
So a lot of sleep, a lot of ‘me’ time, a lot of quiet time. Because those are very rare when you become a mom, right? Since our work is digital, all the clients, especially on Mother’s Day, that’s one of our busiest seasons. We usually celebrate either before or after. And my love language is travel and food. So as long as I get to travel and I get to eat what I want, that’s enough.”
—Em Sulit, PR specialist, mother of two
“I want to be celebrated every single day. I think moms are special. Every day, they (my family) make sure everything is organized and everyone is happy at home. Two years ago, my husband allowed me to go on a trip with my girlfriends in Bali, child-free.”
—Joana Gube, Hey Jow PH founder and owner, mom of two
“I just really want to spend time with my kids. They’re growing up so fast. I think that’s why I’m holding on to them. My eldest is already leaving for college, he’s studying abroad.
So, I’m holding on to each day, each minute that I could spend with him. Because it’s different. He actually just left for a trip with his batchmates. They went to Italy and they visited the Pope. When he was there, of course, I was so lonely.”
—Tim Tam Ong, jewelry designer, mother of two
“It actually doesn’t matter what it is—a treat in a restaurant or a spa or whatever it is, as long as I wasn’t involved in planning it. Yes, because normally what happens is I still have to think about what we are doing as a family for Mother’s Day. So, it’s nice to not think about it. Even if we just stay at home and actually not do anything, as long as I didn’t have to plan that day, that would be perfect.”
—Marie Faith, Pinay Girl Boss founder, writer, and mom of three
