The bond between brothers and sisters is undeniably special. And oftentimes, one sibling’s joy and pain are felt by the others, too. When events inside the family home become overwhelming, it’s comforting to know that we have our siblings to lean on.
In this episode of Magandang Buhay The Podcast, Erik Santos and his sisters Dang and Hadiyah shared how they cope with their mom’s passing and what it was like growing up with an OFW father.
The guests mentioned that their dad Renato, or Natz, worked in the Middle East for 25 years. While the setup was tricky, their mom Angelita, or Nanay Lits, and relatives’ added effort and love made it work. The Santos abode was filled with lovely memories of Nanay Lits' hands-on parenting and positive aura. She was ‘madiskarte’ and hardworking, and she loved to spend quality time with her kids.
For Erik, his love for his mother knows no bounds, as what her love was to him,” Siya ‘yung forever ko. Kumabaga, I’m married to her. Tapos biglang kinuha sa’yo, so for me, ‘yun ang sakit na nararamdaman ko.” At this point of the episode, the siblings turned emotional recounting their memories of Nanay Lits, who succumbed to cancer in November 2022. Erik mentioned that he was beside her from the moment she was diagnosed with her sickness until she took her final breath. Listen to this heart-tugging story in the podcast.
Dang and Hadiyah likewise showed love and strength as they talked about their mom, with Hadiyah, the youngest, saying she feels she had the least time spent with Nanay Lits. To fight the heartache, she avoids getting stuck alone at home where every corner holds memories of Nanay Lits. Sometimes she’d tag along with Erik to his work.
Their mom’s passing is a delicate topic for the siblings, especially since they’re still in the grieving period. But they decided to share their stories, hoping to inspire other kids to treasure their parents.
“Hangga’t buhay ‘yung magulang ninyo, huwag kayong mapagod na pagsilbihan sila kasi hindi n’yo alam kalian na ‘yung last hug, kung kalian na ‘yung last kiss, kung kailan na ‘yung last na ‘I love you.’ So, pagsilbihan n’yo kasi pinagsilbihan nila tayo no’ng mga bata tayo,” said Erik. Though unobligated, the Santos siblings opted to give back to their parents, as part of the values instilled in them. That’s why despite the pain, Erik has no regrets, “Kasi I know na alam ni Nanay na ginawa namin ang lahat para ma-save siya.”
In another segment, Erik, Dang, and Hadiyah took on a fun ‘bukingan’ game! Find out who among the siblings is the best student, most honest, Daddy Natz' lookalike, and Nanay Lits' favorite.
Magandang Buhay The Podcast is hosted by Regine Velasquez, Jolina Magdangal, and Melai Cantiveros.