What makes a daddy special?

My father-in-law Donato Pangilinan turned 70 recently and I will never forget his birthday. That night, each of his children shared about growing up with a father like him. Each of them bared experiences and deep-bonding moments with their dad. He was an involved father. Ate Angeli (Valenciano) intimated that when she was growing up, she thought she was the favorite only to realize they were all (all nine of them!) Daddy’s favorite.

Ahh, Father’s Day ... As I write this article, I am inspired by what welcomed my morning. I came downstairs to have breakfast and saw a bit of action outside our window. I saw several cars parked in our street and men dressed in barong tagalog coordinating something. Suddenly, from out of the blue emerged two men. One very young in a motocross suit, and the other dressed in a casual polo shirt and slacks. When I looked closely, I saw that it was Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA) with his son Jaime Alfonso. I greeted them when I took my son for a walk and found out that they were to spend the morning in their new development (which is just beside our subdivision here in Capitol Golf)-Ayala Hillside Estate. JAZA had taken his son to do some motorcycling. I was awed by the fact that it was a regular workday and this father (who happens to head several big companies) had decided to spend the day in the field to watch his son learn new tricks on his motorbike. How inspiring and such a breath of fresh air!

I asked several young folks what they thought were special about their dads. Here’s what they have to say:

My daddy is special because ...

He makes me sleep in their soft bed

– Patricia Abello, 5

There’s no other papa like him!

– Isabella Abello, 10

My dad is a kind dad, to me and to my brothers and sisters. If he’s not busy, he plays with me and my brother. He’s a loving dad.

– Lianna V. Martinez, 9

My dad taught me that it takes more than a good education to go far in life, and he’s special to me because he’s always on my side even when I feel like the rest of the world is against me.

– Anj,18

My papa writes me letters that are very touching, they always make me cry because I feel his love and concern for me.

– Tasha Tanada,13

My dad is special because of his faith and how he lives it out.

– Miguel Nacianceno, 23, Word Community Church

youth leader

Haven’t seen him in 13 years, but I do remember a few things. He has a way of making you laugh and he loves to read us stories. He has warm brown eyes.

– Angel, 18

My dad is special because of his smile. He’s always smiling kasi eh.

– Agatha,15

I like it when my papa tickles me. He takes me to the mall and buys me things. I like it when he helps me do my homework.

– Mark Armas, 7

My dad is special because he is always there when I need him and always plays with me. He also always talks about Jesus to others and I know he loves me and I love him so much.

– Gabriel Lising,10