On July 28, 2018, I went home very tired from camping and church when a neighbor informed me that

my mother was brought to the ambulance because she had comatose. Right there and then, I had a
feeling that Ina would soon take rest. Before I went to the hospital, I slept and conditioned myself
because I was really physically exhausted and it would be dangerous to drive all the way from
Buenavista to Boac given such condition. My younger brother fetched me and we went together to the
hospital. There I saw Ina lying on a hospital bed. As I was staring at her, all my memories of her
flashed back.

I remembered Ina asked me one time to write a feature article for her about her milestones in the
Department of Education to be published in a newspaper. I refused her request and simple answered
“Ina, di na po natin kailangan pa ibrag sa public mga pagtatagumpay n’yo kasi for sure may mga
masisiyahan, may mga magiging proud, may mga maiinspire pero meron ding magtataas ng kanilang
mga kilay. Sapat na yung nawitness and sobrang na-appreciate ko, namin, ang masidhi n’yang
commitment sa sa’yong work.

Sa sobrang commitment ni Ina sa work n’ya, there were times na nagtampo ako sa kanya and
pinagsabihan ko s’ya not to bring home her work kasi I stronglu believe that once you get home, time
mo na yun for yourself at sa family. Kaya there were times I got annoyed dahil sa tambak ng mga
papeworks n’ya sa bahay and kapag nag oovertime s’ya halos wala na kaming place para kumain sa
dining table kasi occupied ng paperworks n’ya

Ina had this very extraordinary work ethics. I thought teachers lang ang halos hindi natutulog. In the
case of Ina, it was different. She used to sleep an average of 2 hrs per day since I was in elementary.
There were times na she would ask me if mag-a-all-nighter daw ba ako sa pag-aaral ko kasi para may
kasama raw s’ya mag-overtime. Yung matutulog ako na nagwowork s’ya and magigising ako ng 5 AM
na nagwowork pa rin s’ya. I remembered this instance when I asked her why she is still awake. Sabi
n’ya, “Hinahanap ko yung nawawalang 50 cents sa record.” I was like “Jusme! Ina, abunuhan n’yo na
lang po kesa magpakahanap kayo sa paghanap ng 50 cents.” She answered, “Hindi ako mag-aabuno.
Mahahanap ko rin yun.” And she did after hours of searching. For me, she was an outstanding
accountant kasi kahit salapi na nawawala ay natutuos.

Ina was not just an outstanding accountant. Above this, she was an outstanding wife, an outstanding
mother, outstanding teacher and outstanding best friend.

One time Ina asked me bakit daw biglang binago ko yung tawag ko sa kanila ni Ama. I used to call
them kasi as Mama and Papa. There was this time kasi when Ina said to me when I was young, “Roi,
hindi tayo mayaman.” Right there and then, I was mentally conditioned that we weren’t rich and that
kailangan ko magsumikap para masidhing asamin ang buhay. Given this, sabi ko na lang kay Ina e
“Pang mayaman po kasi yung Mama at Papa kaya dun tayo sa payak but the real reason why I started
addressing them “Ama” and “Ina” is because sabi ko, “when I become a father, gusto ko special yung
itatawag sa akin ng anak ko. Yun hindi karaniwang naririnig sa mga sambahayan. And “Ama” and “Ina”
ang pinakamataas na honor para ibansag para sa mga magulang. Since then, she preferred being called
“Ina.”

As a mother, she was not the kind of mother na sasabihan ka ng “I love you.” She was the kind of
mother who was not verbal pero ipapakiparanas n’ya through her actions kung ano ang kahulugan ng
pagmamahal. Nariyang kapag umuuwi ako sa probinsya when I was still studying, ipapahanda n’ya sa
dulang ang mga paborito kong ulam especially ulang-ulang at ginisa o ginataang monggo na may
pilipitin. Kapag minindal naman ay lagi n’ya ako ipagluluto ng ginataang halu-halo. Tapos magtatampo
s’ya kapag di ko ginalaw food because I was too busy. Ina was an outstanding provider. She was the
kind of mother na kayang magtanggi ng sarili para sa mga anak. Lagi n’ya ipagpapauna ang para sa
kapakanan ng pamilya bago ang sa kanya. There was this instance when I told her to buy herself an
iPhone tsaka Macbook kasi deserve n’ya maenjoy ang fruit of labor n’ya pero she humbly answered na
masaya na s’ya sa mga phone na worth P300.
Ina was an outstanding teacher. She was really our very first teacher. If you happened to visit our
house way back then, our house was like a classroom sa sobrang dami ng mga nakaposts na
instructional materials sa mga dingding. Binuhos n’ya yung creativity n’ya sa paggawa ng mga
instructional materials para sa aming magkakapatid. I would never forget this instance when I asked
her, when I was in elementary, to teach me how to write a composition kasi Ina was good at it kasi I
saw her compositions as well as her poems. According to her, when writing a composition, start with
asking yourself a series of questions then answer them throughout the composition. Simple advice yet
sobra ko pinakinabangan up to date whenever I write compositions. Another instance na di ko
makakalimutan. I asked her how will I know if my grammar is correct or not kasi I’m not really good
in English. Sabi n’ya “Ay hindi rin ako Roi magaling sa English pero basta maiba pakinggan, for sure
wrong grammar yun.” I always laugh whenever I remember this.

Ina was a very good motivator, which is actually a significant quality a teacher must possess. When I
was in elementary, I would always ask her to help me w my assignments and projects tapos she would
always reply “Ay ano ka na Roi! Nung Grade 4 ako ay hindi na ako nagpapagawa ng project ko sa lolo’t
lola mo. Si Tito Butch mo noon ay nakagawa ng sarili n’yang bike galing sa mga scrap na napulot n’ya
sa tabing dagat.” All these stories motivated me. Kaya nung elementary ako, I was able to make my
own scooter made of wood. I awe these all sa mga pagpupush sa akin ni Ina noon and sa kanyang mga
motivating stories.

But what makes a great teacher? What makes him/her outstanding? One thing is when you are able to
inspire and influence others. My Ina did not just taught me academic stuff but more importantly moral
values. One important core value she has taught me was about hatred. Ina was the only person to
listen sa lahat ng mga galit at sama ng loob ko. She taught me this “Mali yang mga binabalak mo. Wag
ka magtanim ng sama ng loob kasi at the end of the day, ikaw pa rin masasakatn at matatalo.”

Ina also taught me to become a very good husband and father in the future through her stories about
Lolo Boni and Lola Glory. According to her, she never witnessed her parents quarrelling.
‘
Ina was an outstanding best friend. I am her best friend. I am her religious and political advisor. I am
the one who is always ready to listen to her stories about how her day went. I am the one who would
spend hours with her over breakfast, lunch, or dinner talking random things about life. There were
nights when she would knock on my bedroom door because she needed me to listen to her rants.

As a friend, she was the one who would tolerate me with my travel goals kasi she was my travel goal
partner. We have this competition between the two of us na paramihan kami ng mga provinces na
mavisit. Up to date, mas marami pa rin s’ya naabot. Some of our travel goals include Batanes and
Camiguin especially Batanes. But unfortunately this will not happen anymore. Kasama ko dapat s’ya sa
Hong Kong last summer. Itretreat ko sana s’ya. Kaso di n’ya physically kaya. Anyways, I saw na she
was happy na may anak na s’ya nakapunta abroad kahit Hong Kong lang.  I will miss out travel and
foodtrip goals. We are the kind of persons na hindi kagalingan magluto pero wagas magcritic sa mga
food. Kung alam ko lang lately na yung madalas n’ya pag-aya sa akin na kumain sa labas ay malapit na
s’ya mawala, sana I spent more time pa sana with her.

In general, I would describe Ina as an image of workaholic, determined, strong and perfectionist
woman. Why strong? I was the one who taught Ina this “Ina, whenever you write po your name, write
it this way, CATHRINE S. PELOBELLO-MONTEMAYOR.” Ina had a very strong identity since dalaga pa
s’ya. It would be nice to keep her maiden surname to remind her also who she was. I always empower
her. Ayaw ko na inaapi ang nanay ko kaya sabi ko sa kanya whenever nagsusumbong s’ya sa akin na
inaapi s’ya “Ina, if yun nga walang natapos na mga babae deserve woman empowerment lalo na po
ikaw na nakatapos at may masteral degree. You don’t let people na tapak-tapakan ang pagkatao n’yo
po.. But like what I’ve said, hindi s’ya makimkim ng sama ng loob. Tatahimik lang s’ya and she would
contain it all by herself or sometimes isheshare n’ya sa amin ni manang para may outlet s’ya.
When I was young, lagi ako dinadala sa health center because of respiratory failures. Lagi ako inaatake
ng hika to the point na I requested her na bilhan na ako ng nebulizer. Sabi n’ya “Tigilan mo nga
kadramahan mo Roi. Kapag binilhan kita ng nebulizer, parang tinanggap mo na rin na hikain ka
hanggang sa pagtanda mo n’yan. Nasa isip mo lang na hikain ka pero hindi ka.” Because of this
statement, I was able to overcome my respiratory issues.

I’m so grateful to Ina for turning me into who I am now. Both Ama and Ina has prepared me for this
kind of trying times. Lagi nila ipinapaalala sa amin since elementary “Pano na kayo kapag kami’y bigla
nawala?” I always think of this since elementary kasi ako ang panganay. Ama and Ina filled my mind
with adequate outlooks in preparation for these kinds of situations. Ina has pushed me to become
independent. She encouraged me to work when I was still a college student para mas lalo ko pa raw
maunawaan kung gaano kahirap kitain ang pera. She didn’t even use her influence sa application ko sa
DepEd. “Balakajan!” It wasn’t because she didn’t care but because she had faith in me and in the first
place she never used her influence in any related situations.

Going back to the moment while we where at the hospital, as I was staring at my Ina, there I stared at
the face of a woman who had a lot of this world and deserved to rest. People might say na wala ako
ginawa while I was at the hospital, but silently I was praying, silently, I was messaging brethren
around the Philippines to pray for my Ina. Pero truth was, I was so prepared. July 28 pa lang ay
prepared na ako. Sabi ko na lang sa sarili ko, “I saw kung papanong napagod si Ina all her life kasi lagi
s’ya nag oopen up sa akin sa tuwing gabi na di s’ya dalawin ng antok. Kaya kailangan na n’ya magrest.

People were saying “Mabuti ka pa, mabilis mo natanggap. Sana kasing strong mo ako.” I don’t know if
people will understand this but at the age of 24, nauunawaan ko na that everyone and everything on
Earth are temporary. We don’t own anything here on Earth. I don’t own Ina and at the same time she
doesn’t own me. Only God owns everything and everyone here on Earth. And sino ako to question
bakit Ina ko pa? Bakit s’ya pa? Sometimes, I prayed even nung first time s’ya dalhin sa ospital, ako na
lang sana pinagsasuffer kasi ako yung mas deserve pero God has bigger plans that we have for
ourselves. That this journey never ends. Totoo, nakakahapis ang mga times na gaya nito but we need
to continue with our lives.

Ina Cathrine S. Pelobello-Montemayor had a great fight in this life. She always say “Ay ano ka na Roi.
Ang bata bata mo pa ay makalimutin ko na.” kahit na yung gamit na hinahanap ko ay hawak ko pala or
suot ko lang. My mind might forget but the heart never will… All her sacrifices ay hindi mababalewala.

One time na umuwi kami sa bahay para kumuha ng mga damit, on our way back to the hospital, Ama
was conditioning Cedij to prepare for whatever will happen. Cedij started crying. I could say na
masama loob n’ya noon na bakit hindi ginagawa ng mga nasa paligid n’ya yung best to save our
mother. While crying, Cedij said to Ama na papasok pa rin daw s’ya. Kami naman “Oo papasok ka.” He
meant this pala “Papasok pa rin ako kahit wala na si Mama.’ He was requesting na patuloy s’ya papag-
aralin hanggang sa makatapos kahit wala na ang aming Ina. I remembered Ina’s smile during Cedij’s
graduation. She was so proud of the awards Cedij received na sobrang di namin lahat inaasahan. I
could say through Ina’s smile yung sarap sa pakiramdam na nagtatagumpay ang anak. For sure,
kakatanggal pagod yun. Kaya kahit di ako naging cum laude, I showed her my GWA back in college.
Sabi ko, “Ina, yung grade ko po ay pang cum laude pero may isang university policy ako na hindi ko
natake into consideration. Tapos yung rating ko sa LET, muntikan na sumabit sa Top 10.” I told her all
these not to brag to her kasi sabi n’ya “Latin honors or being a topnotcher will not define who you are”
I said, “The reason bakit masidhi ko ginoal mag cum laude or mag topnotch para ay hindi para
parangalan ang sarili kundi parangalan ang pamilya at ang Ama.” I want my mother to feel na hindi
nauwi sa wala ang mga pagpapagal n’ya. Pero I strongly believe that before she departed, she had her
Return Of Investment.

In behalf of our family…