You can consider someone as family even without blood relations. If love prevails, anyone can be considered as family. That is what an abandoned teenager learned while he was in search for his real parents in the December 19 episode of Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan.
Lance Abarquez, 13, had been separated from his biological parents since he was a baby. He never met them while he was growing up. All he knows is that his father left him in the care of a friend named Nano, who then passed him on to a neighbor, Nanay Sol, after he broke up with his wife. Nanay Sol then took on the role of being Lance’s mother, teaching him how to read and write. Nanay Sol, however, succumbed to a heart attack, and another friend took the cudgels of caring for him. A police raid on his new carer’s home traumatized him. A banana cue vendor, Ate Epeng, would then watch over him before their neighbor Nanay Helen chose to take full responsibility over him. Eventually, Nanay Helen became Lance’s foster mother. She treated him like a true family member and showed him the love and care that he deserves. But Lance still didn’t lose hope that he could someday meet his biological parents.
Nanay Helen Blanker took care of her siblings at a very young age. Her brother was able to help alleviate their situation when he started to work as a direct seller of a cosmetic line. But her brother passed away at an early age because of colon cancer. When Helen lost his older brother, one of her siblings physically maltreated her and her mother. That was why, eventually, she decided to leave her family. Nanay Helen chose to help Lance immediately because she knows how it’s like to experience being helpless.
Every Christmas, Lance shared, he wishes Helen a longer life so that she can witness him graduate from school and give back to her for all the goodness she has shown. Apart from this, Lance also yearned to finally meet his biological parents.
As he was selling tinapa to make a living, he met Jewel Vidal and her mother, to whom he shared his heartbreaking life story and how he wishes to meet his real parents. While hearing this, Jewel took his picture and posted it on social media. Little did she expect that her post would turn viral. Many people messaged Jewel claiming they were Lance’s real parents but without proof.
Until Joseph Vincent Molina and Josephine Gayagoy, Lance’s alleged real parents, responded to the viral post. Joseph and Josephine got into a relationship at a very young age. They eventually decided to leave their families and live together. However, when Josephine got pregnant with Lance, her relationship with Joseph turned sour and they separated after she gave birth to Lance, leaving Joseph and their newborn. At this time when Joseph was busy with work, he would leave their baby with his friend Nano. However, when he tried to get Lance back, he lost contact with Nano. Since Lance wanted proof that Joseph and Josephine are indeed his true parents, he asked for a DNA test. And the results showed that they are indeed his biological parents.
Lance is very happy that he finally met them. But even though he is not related to Nanay Helen, Lance is very much grateful and thankful to have been under her guidance. Both Joseph and Josephine were also thankful to her for all the love and care that they gave to Lance.
Watch Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan, hosted by Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, every Saturday at 7pm on the Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and A2Z Channel 11.