MANILA, Philippines — ABS-CBN actress Dimples Romana last week recalled family tragedies early in her life that forced her to grow up quickly and take care of her family.
“Coming from a very simple family… nung mga bata pa kami, lumaki ako na ang papa ko ay postmaster. Namatay siya at 42 years old, aneurysm. Sa post office mismo siya namatay,” Dimples shared during the JuanLife Personal Accident Insurance media launch recently.
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(When we were young, I grew up with my dad working as a postmaster. He died from an aneurysm at 42 years old. He passed away at the post office itself.)
Dimples was only 16 at that time.
“And my mama had to make sure na ma-cover na lahat ng kailangan namin – tatlo kaming magkakapatid. Nu'ng namatay si papa, namatay na rin 'yung kapatid ko no’n eh. Leukemia naman ang ikinamatay niya,” Dimples narrated.
(My mom had to make sure that all three of her children’s needs were covered. A sibling of mine had also died by the time my father passed away. She died of Leukemia.)
Dimples entered show business at only 12 years old to support her mom and take care of her sister Sarah who had Leukemia.
She, like many household "panganays" (firstborns), became the breadwinner of her family and gave all her savings to her mom.
The actress gained her first television break at a young age with the primetime Kapamilya hit series “Esperanza” in 1997.
“So you can imagine lumaki ako sa isang pamilya na survivors kami.”
(So you can imagine I grew up in a family of survivors.)
Recently, Dimples proudly surprised her mother, Virgie, and siblings Bam and Angeli.
“We found a lovely, cozy home close to where I live, had rooms enough for my Mama and siblings, with a huge backyard and front yard. Sakto. The Lord made way,” the actress’ Oct. 28, 2018 Instagram post read.
During the press con, Dimples also shared that her husband recently underwent a surgery to correct his sleep apnea before it becomes serious.
Because of the tragedies she experienced in her family, the mom of two makes sure to follow the adage "prevention is better than cure." As such, she has invested in insurance plans.
"Dimples is a relatable brand endorser for JuanLife because she represents our target market: family nurturers who are central in every Filipino family and will do anything to ensure their loved one's security and success.” said Roselle C. Masirag, General Manager of Agile Insurance Agency and Business Technologies Inc. "They are resilient, problem-solvers, solution-seekers and entrepreneurial by heart, who lives day-by-day making decisions for their family.” — Video by Deni Bernardo, editing by Kat Leandicho