His birth was a miracle in itself as Kobe (McCoy de Leon) was a rainbow child of couple Marizo (Janice d Belen) and Wilfred (Raymond Bagatsing). And as the story concluded, our hearts fluttered to find out that even his death was a vessel of miracle to someone he bestowed the ‘gift of sight.’
Set in the province of Borongan, Eastern Samar, the Maalaala Mo Kaya “Gift of Sight” episode followed the story of Marizo and Wilfred who did all their best to nurture and protect their two kids. They fortunately managed to raise doting and responsible children. However, as much as Marizo would like to shelter them from harm, Kobe’s eagerness as a teenager prompted him to break his parents’ rule to not drive Wilfred’s motorcycle. Wishing to see his girlfriend and keep her company, Kobe rode on the motorcycle along with his two friends. The fun turned to tragedy as the group encountered a road accident. Kobe was rushed to the hospital and remained conscious for a while until he began experiencing seizures while on the way to a bigger hospital in Tacloban City. Kobe was declared in comatose upon arrival.
As Kobe remained unconscious, the Tejero family’s world came crashing down little by little. Tears overflowed as those closest to Kobe started seeking forgiveness for their individual guilt. Kobe’s friends and girlfriend visited in the hospital and apologized to his parents for what happened. Meanwhile, Wilfred also sought Marizo’s forgiveness for allowing their eldest to go out that fateful night.
The Tejero family was slowly losing all their hope. It was then when Marizo decided to make Kobe’s memories more meaningful by donating his organs. Kobe’s cornea was donated to the Eye Bank Foundation in Eastern Visayas. And through MMK, they were able to meet Joaquin Enrique Arig, the recipient of ‘the gift of sight.’
The episode garnered positive reviews from audiences mainly on the touching narrative itself and the authentic, heart-rending performances of the cast led by veteran stars Janice De Belen and Raymond Bagatsing together with McCoy de Leon. In this behind-the-scene compilation, the cast was caught sharing light moments off-cam. McCoy was a ray of sunshine as he displayed his cute chinito smile and fun side on the set. Of course, a complete photo of the cast and crew before pack-up time was officially announced!