Nanay Lily’s Biography

Nanay Lily was born on June 23, 1940 as Antonia Payot Cruza to a couple named Evaristo Cruza
and Severina Payot. She was born in a small barangay called Calibunan in Cabadbaran, Agusan
del Norte.
Nanay Lily was raised in Barangay Dahican, Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, as her parents’
youngest daughter. She went to school to La Union Elementary School and graduated there in
1953. She was also able to attend the first few years of high school, but due to her family’s
poverty back then, she decided to stop attending school and did not finish her secondary
education. During her school days, she was one of the well-known singers in their campus,
performing on stage in every big occasion. Nanay Lily’s talent for singing was already prevalent
back in her elementary years.
Nanay Lily was invited to work as a “tagabantay or tindera” in her aunt’s store after she quitted
high school. She initially thought that her aunt will soon make her continue to attend high
school but she was told by her Chinese uncle, who was her aunt’s husband, that school is just a
waste of time. She was told that money is more important to survive and that she should just
continue on working to earn money.
Nanay Lily was able to apply and work for Pacific Match after her tenure as a watcher for her
aunt’s store. It was during her employment in the said company that she was able to build a
two-storey house for her parents, all through her own earnings. Prior to this new house she
built for her parents, her family used to live in just a small nipa house. This achievement of
Nanay Lily for her parents back then just shows how industrious and thoughtful Nanay Lily is.
Nanay Lily got married to her husband, Constantino Labor Pabatang, in April 1960. Their
marriage was blessed with seven children, namely Emmanuel, Alda, Roselier, Belinda,
Concepcion, Angela, and Joselito.
To help her husband earn for a living for their family, Nanay Lily used to be a hair dresser for a
long time and used to have lots of customers and “suki” especially from different factories in
the town of Magallanes. However, business was not booming when some factories in the
municipality started to shut down. She still, continued to serve her loyal customers. It was
during this time that Nanay Lily started to serve the parish under the guidance of anhing Lolang
Regis.
Without a doubt, the biggest part of Nanay Lily’s life was spent serving God and His Church,
which she did with a happy heart. When anhing Lolang Regis died, Nanay Lily accepted the
responsibilities left by her mentor. Nanay Lily has been an active servant of the church for
almost forty years. During these years, Nanay was a part of many church organizations and
even became its president for several years like the Sagrada Corazon de Jesus where she served
as the longest running president. She was also a president of the organization of the Inahan sa
Kanunayng Panabang and was an active member of the Legion of Mary. Nanay Lily was
probably best known as a catechist where she taught religion to children in school, as a lector
where she read readings and sang psalms during holy masses, and as a lecturer for pre-cana
and prebaptism where she spiritually prepares the couples before taking the sacrament of
matrimony and the families of children before taking the sacrament of baptism. Nanay Lily was
also an active member of the FLA, CFD, and was even a pioneering member of the MBG.
Back in the days, Nanay Lily used to do the laundry for the sacred vestments used in the holy
mass like purificators and corporals and she even irons them. This was during Father Kuizon’s
time and she did it everytime for free. Father Kuizon recognized Nanay Lily’s earnest and honest
desire to serve God that he entrusted her with the key to the collection box. She was the only
one authorized to open and collect the money during father Kuizon’s time showing how
trustworthy Nanay Lily was. There were even times that her family almost had nothing to eat
but she kept her integrity and never even took a coin from the money box entrusted to her,
that is why father Kuizon trusted her so much.
Nanay Lily was a truly well-rounded servant of the church. She was dedicated, honest, and true
to her service to the church. She was a catechist, lector, choir member, prayer leader especially
during novenas. She was a one-woman server especially during father Kuizon’s time because
parish ministries were still not formally organized back then. She encouraged families to have
their children baptized and advised unwedded couples to partake in the sacrament of marriage
so that their lives will be blessed and guided by the Lord. She encouraged her coservers who
were waning in their drive to serve God and His church to bring back their passion and
remember Whom they are serving. She was a prior party who prepared people in their houses
before taking the sacrament of extreme unction or santa lana. She was one of the formators of
the GKK in the parish and was a frequent resource speaker to many different forums or
seminars related to spiritual enrichment programs. If you would ask her children and apos who
taught them how to pray, they would say “it’s Nanay Lily who taught us to pray the holy rosary
and angelus”.
Nanay Lily was designated as the Hermana Mayor during the Golden Jubilee of Nuestra Senyora
Del Rosario Parish which she even innocently asked “Nganong ako man jud?”
Nanay Lily was very dedicated to her church duties that she often even misses out some family
gatherings or parties just to give a lecture for pre-cana or prebaptism because she was always
on call.
Nanay Lily will be remembered as a good mother to her family, a woman with a green thumb
and a profound love for plants, a kind friend to her neighbors and fellows, and most
importantly, as an active, dedicated, honest, and passionate servant of God’s Church.