Eighteen children from six serious relationships.
This is the real life of Tito Dolphy. And it makes me wonder, how did he manage to keep them all together? Admit it, with so many children there would be conflict, and yet in Tito Dolphy’s last days, we had a glimpse of his children, especially Eric Quizon, composed, collected in the face of the family’s greatest challenge — Tito Dolphy’s passing.
Eric was the official spokesperson of the family, and it was he who broke the news that Tito Dolphy was in critical condition. We waited for his regular press conferences, wherein he answered our prying questions and explained Tito Dolphy’s condition, even better than some doctors.
He was patient with the media’s questions about his father’s health. When I saw him at Heritage Chapel, I told Eric that I was inspired by his strength. “I get my strength from my dad,” he said.
I had that rare opportunity to be in Tito Dolphy’s wake at the Heritage Park for three consecutive days because I anchored Umagang Kay Ganda. People outside the gates lined up, eager to get a glimpse of Tito Dolphy. But there I was, not a family member, but “feeling” like I knew Tito Dolphy personally amongst all the relatives and children in the chapel.
I saw two men seated at the left front pew of the Heritage Chapel. I recognized Ronnie Quizon from his interviews on television; the other man, I assumed, is also a son of Tito Dolphy because he, too, was wearing a shirt with Tito Dolphy’s image in prayer.
“I’m Carlos, I’m the one they call Sonny,” he introduced himself.
I thought, “Ah, he was the one who got sick in the US and who Tito Dolphy was so worried about.”
Sonny and Ronnie had no resemblance. They revealed that they are of the same age, 47. Both come from mothers with the surname Smith. Ronnie’s mother is Alice Smith, while Sonny’s Gloria Smith.
Yes, the two Smiths overlapped. How can they get along? “You don’t fight?” I asked.
“We fight. I got into a brawl with Eric before,” Ronnie said in Filipino. “But we fight like normal children. There are no illegitimate siblings in the Quizon family.”
“I knew about our other siblings at an early age,” said Sonny.
“We were ‘conditioned’ while we were young,” Ronnie added.
“Yes, that’s the word ‘conditioned,’” said Sonny.
I don’t think it was a mere mental conditioning of this complex reality, but an honest-to-goodness regard for all his children.
According to the brothers, Tito Dolphy treated them equally. If he gave something to one child, he made sure that the others would also have their fair share. Whenever their dad would go out of town, he had pasalubong for all 18 children.
“He knew all our sizes and he had excellent taste in choosing clothes for the girls,” recalled the Quizon’s kuya.
Kuya Boy, 60 years old and the eldest of the Quizon children, said in an interview in Umagang Kay Ganda that their dad had a soft spot for the girls in the family, but they were all loved “equally.” Again that word — equal.
Nicole, his daughter with Zsa Zsa, gave a very emotional eulogy to her dad wherein she said that although she is adopted, they were loved equally.
Even actress Maricel Soriano, who played Tito Dolphy’s daughter in the sitcom John En Marsha, attested that she found a daddy in her onscreen father.
In the course of all the reports told about the King of Comedy, much of his private life is revealed, and is perhaps even bigger than the screen persona he has created in his 66 years on TV and in the movies.
Testimonies are unanimous about a very kind and generous man, treating the “maliit na tao” in the same way as the big stars. Some would say it was because of his humble beginnings selling peanuts in the theaters. He was generous not only with material things, Tito Dolphy was generous also in giving advice about his comedy to fellow actors. He was generous with his time.
In one of Tito Dolphy’s interviews, he shared that his doctors told him to stay away from public places because he was already ill and his immune system was low, but then, “how can you say no to people who want to have their picture taken with you?” One can imagine the man’s generosity even in illness towards complete strangers. Even for a snap shot moment, we feel important.
Kuya Boy said when they were young, their father would spend two hours per family on special occasions like Christmas. (Note: he didn’t say “two hours only.”)
I wonder whether Tito Dolphy had a conscious effort to spend time with all his children equally, or did he take a mental note of the gifts he gave his children to make sure that no one would be envious. Most probably.
However, hearing all the kind things said about the man, I humbly think that it was not difficult for Tito Dolphy to keep a balancing act when it came to his children. He just gave himself fully to his 18 children, which he normally did not only towards them, but towards all those around him.
Today, we bury our King of Comedy and we join in the Quizon family’s sorrow. Thank you for sharing with us your father so generously, and though not blood-related, he is a part of us as he is yours.
Rest in Peace, Tito Dolphy.
(E-mail me at nagmamahalateb2@yahoo.com.)