My dad, my hero

My Dad, whether at work or at home, taught us best through living his life, being himself, and being a good example.

At work, there is nobody more persistent or works harder than my Dad. He is engaged 24/7, always energetic, always innovative, striving to be the best, and always eager to learn.

Even at his age and despite what he has accomplished, he always says it’s never too late to start or to learn. He tells his people that “I will not ask you to do anything—work hard, push hard—that I am not willing to do myself.”

He leads with compassion and by example. This is the person or leader whom my brothers and I strive to be. He taught us to work hard as individuals, be humble, care for others, look at the big picture, and never give up on a dream.

As a father, he has always been there and made us his priority. He would drop anything he’s doing if one of us needed him. He showed us that family is the most important thing.

We enjoy simple things together like vacations abroad, and watching movies—whatever it was as long as we were together. He prefers comfort food from the street, especially kamote and castañas, rather than fancy dinners.

He also made it a point to see our Lola or his Nanay once a week. These events were the most important to him.

He taught us unconditional love and that anything is possible if we work hard enough for it. He is the kind of parent we all hope to be. One day is not enough to celebrate just how much he means to us.

We are so lucky to have him as a dad. Happy Father’s Day, Papa. We love you and thank you for everything.