‘We’ll miss his laughter’

DASMARIÑAS, Cavite — The last time Candido Valenzuela Jr. was with his family, it was only for a mere 20 minutes.

His wife, Cristina, and his children Katherine, Kristian Joy, Karen and Abigail traveled from Manila to Miami, Florida last Jan. 19 for a promise he made a long time ago: A vacation on board S/S Norway, the luxury cruise ship where he worked.

Bong, his family and friends liked to call him, had been a seaman for 30 years and was diligently setting aside a portion of his salary for his family’s "dream cruise." But when he met them, excitement quickly turned into disappointment: their US visas, he found out, were only good for a single entry.

His wife and daughters wanted to be with him much longer, but circumstances gave them less than half an hour to say goodbyes and renew promises. They were scheduled to go back to the Philippines immediately.

"Bong didn’t lose hope in fulfilling his promise to us. He promised to give us a more luxurious trip next time," Cristina recalled.

Now, that promise has been laid to rest.

Valenzuela was buried at the Manila Memorial Park here yesterday, a victim of a boiler room accident that also claimed the lives of five other Filipino sailors last May 26.

"We will surely miss his laughter," Cristina, who had previously refused interviews, told The STAR. "He was our source of joy and strength. Now we will have to learn to live with his memory."

His daughters described him as a friend, a loving, caring and protective father, as well as a good provider.

"Hindi niya gustong maranasan namin ang hirap na dinanas niya noong bata pa siya. Kaya kahit hirap na sila ni Mommy, hindi pa rin nila pinahahalata sa amin, maibigay lang nila ang kailangan namin (He didn’t want us to experience the hardships he had when he was young. Though he and Mommy were struggling, they didn’t show it, just to give us what we need)," Abigail, Bong’s youngest daughter, said.

Cristina revealed that Bong was about to finish his contract this Aug. 24 but he had refused to retire until all his daughters finished their studies.

The cruise trip, she added, was also his reward to one of his daughters for performing well in school.

"He was really a hardworking father. We started renting a small room when we got married, but because of him, we were able to build a house here where we now live comfortably, and we were able to give our children good education," Cristina said.

"I told my children to marry a man just like their father," she added. "Ibinigay niya ang buong buhay niya sa amin, kaya ang sakit ng pagkawala niya (He gave his whole life to us, that’s why his death is painful)."

Cristina narrated that it was her nephew, Eric, who first broke the news to her. Eric was also a stoker in S/S Norway.

Though Eric told her that Bong was only injured in the blast and was recuperating at the Jackson Memorial Hospital, Cristina had an inkling that her husband was in worse condition.

It was the call of Daisy, a niece who worked at the hospital, that confirmed her fear.

Eric told her that Bong was in his cabin above the boiler room when the accident happened.

A vice president of the Norwegian Cruise Line, the ship’s owner, has pledged to help Bong’s family.