MANILA, Philippines — Carmelo John dela Cruz, 17, was rushing to leave home early to beat traffic and get to his school at Lucrecia Kasilag Senior High School when he was surprised to see his mom, without wearing slippers, trailing to deliver his lunch.
In a Facebook post, Carmelo shared the heroic deed of his barefooted mother, Carmela dela Cruz, 53, who had to run from their house, cross a footbridge along Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City and arrive at the drop-off area for jeepneys and buses.
All these sacrifices just to deliver lunch, containing rice with hotdog and embutido, that Carmelo forgot to bring because he wanted to arrive early at school.
“Flex ko si mama ko, kaninang umaga nagmamadali ako pumasok dahil malalate na ako. Mahirap kasi sumakay at traffic pa… tapos di ko namalayan na di ko pala nalagay sa bag ko yung baunan ko,” read the Facebook post.
(Let me share about my mother, this morning, I was hurrying to get to school because I am already late. It is difficult to ride public transport and also due to heavy traffic. Then I learned that I forgot to put my lunch inside my bag.)
“Hindi na nakapag-tsinelas man lang dahil sa pagmamadali para lang di ako magutom sa school at imagine ang layo ng tinakbo ni mama mula sa bahay namin hanggang sa sakayan,” read the post.
(My mom was not even to put on her slippers and she was even rushing to give my lunch just so I could not get hungry at school. Imagine the distance where my mom had to run from our house to the bus and jeepney stop.)
Carmelo told INQUIRER.net that he has a close relationship with his mother.
“Close po kami ni Mama para po sakin siya po yung Tatay at Nanay ko dahil di ko po nakilala yung father ko,” he said via Facebook messenger.
(My mom and I are close. For me, she is both my father and my mother because I was not able to meet my father.)
Asked why he shared the post, Carmelo said he was proud of his mother’s sacrifices for him.
“Gusto ko lang po ipabatid yung sacrifies ng mga nanay sa atin… Kagaya ng mama ko na nandiyan sa tabi ko pag maysakit ako, pagmay gusto ako bilhin,” Carmelo said.
(I just wanted to show how our mother’s sacrifice for us. Just like my mother who is always there when I am sick, when I need to buy something.)
“Sumusuporta sa mga achievement ko sa school kahit di naman ako katalino at kabait [She supports my achievement in school even if I am not that smart or kind.],” he added.
Carmelo also asked netizens to show their love for their mothers. He also encouraged public to give back to their parents who sacrificed themselves for their children.
“At sana everyday iparamdam nila sa kanilang mga nanay na mahal nila tas pag may maganda nang trabaho sikapin ibalik sa nanay at tatay nila yung sacrifies,” he said.
(I hope everyday they will express their love to their mothers and when the time comes that they get employed, they can give back to their parents for the sacrifices.)
As of this writing, the Facebook post garnered 73,000 likes and 15,000 shares. /jpv