Rushing to meet her Creator

That was the saddest homecoming news I ever received in my life: Being told that Chat Silayan had died – of colon cancer.

Last Friday at around 4:30 p.m., I called up my executive producer Reylie Manalo to tell her that I was back from my trip abroad and that I was already available for anything they might want me to do for Startalk.

It turned out that Reylie was really going to call me up to tell me that I was doing the story on Chat Silayan. What about Chat Silayan? – I asked Reylie. "She died," my executive producer said. I know I heard her right, but I was hoping she got things wrong.

Chat Silayan dead. That can’t be, I told myself. Right before I left the other week, The Philippine STAR photographer Richard Chen had also died and I felt bad because I was unable to attend his wake since I had to leave early Sunday morning.

I eventually found out that Chat had died late Sunday night at the St. Luke’s Medical Center after having been confined there for a couple of months. I had not put my phone on roaming before I left and I was totally clueless on what was going on here in the Philippines. Finding out that Chat had already been dead for five days was therefore a complete shock to me.

That very evening, I went to Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park to pay my last respects to Chat. After giving her husband Mike Bailon a long, warm hug (it had been years since we last saw each other), I condoled with the rest of the family: Her mother Antoinetta (based in Los Angeles), aunt Aurora Silayan-Go and Chat’s siblings. Brother Rellie Silayan – or Pogi, as Chat fondly called him – had been made the official spokesman and he had to deal with all the media people who trooped there to report on the death of the beauty queen-turned-actress. Rellie was also thrust into the limelight when Lino Brocka died in that car crash in East Avenue 15 years ago. He just happened to pass by the scene of the accident and played Good Samaritan by keeping William Lorenzo company – providing moral support to the actor inside the wrecked car while waiting for help to come by.

Rellie and family were particularly busy that evening because it was the last night of the wake for Chat and there was an endless procession of friends who went to Santuario: former Student Canteen co-host Chiqui Hollmann-Yulo (Eddie Ilarde and George Javier had dropped by earlier), former Binibining Pilipinas-Universe/actress Maria Isabel Lopez, Pinky de Leon, ABS-CBN executive Chit Guerrero and the people from CBN Asia who were there to conduct a service. (One of them, Lizbeth Milarpis was so nice she even offered video footage of Chat – in case we needed any for Startalk.

The next day, I returned to Santuario de San Antonio for the Catholic Mass and, later, another Christian service where Gary Valenciano sang two songs. I had to leave Santuario ahead of everyone else, however, since I had to rush to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque for Startalk’s live coverage of the funeral rites for Chat.

Chat was going to be laid to rest at the Bailon mausoleum located in one of the prime spots of the cemetery. I was told that the funeral cortege was finally able to leave Santuario de San Antonio at 3 p.m. Taking the Skyway, it was already wending its way to the cemetery at 3:35.

From one side of the mausoleum, Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano and I stood as Pastor Jeric Soriano asked family and friends to say their final words to Chat. And then it was over and everyone released white balloons to the sky.

After the rites, I finally had the chance to have a talk with Mike Bailon to catch up on each other. He also re-introduced me to the kids: Victor, Timothy and Michaela. I say reintroduce because I had known them since they were little – or in the case of the two younger ones, when they were in their mother’s womb.

To help the children cope with Mommy’s loss, Mike said they’re putting more pictures of Chat at home. He is also bringing them to LA for a vacation anytime soon, but will be back in time for the school opening in June. Mike also promised to minister to me again and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll be more successful this time. (The seed you helped plant is still there, Mike).

Then it was time for me to go. Taking one last look at Chat’s final resting place, I remembered suddenly how she hit the headlines in 1980 – right before she went to the Miss Universe pageant in Seoul, Korea. Since her plane ticket was delivered to her late, she missed her flight and there she was being photographed by local media at the airport – travel suit, Miss Philippines sash and all – but minus the aircraft to bring her to Seoul. She left for the pageant the following day, conquered the hearts of the Koreans and placed fourth.

This time, however, she seemed to have left way ahead of schedule. But I can’t blame her. Having long put her trust in the Lord, Chat was obviously in a rush to be with Jesus Christ, our Savior.

(Next: My deep friendship with Chat Silayan-Bailon).