Truly Amazing and Inspiring People: Manny and Tessie

I HAVE been reading about financial management recently. While at it, I have come to appreciate my parents even more.

You see, my parents, Manny and Tessie, came from humble families. On my papa's side, Lolo Paco was a model employee at the office of the provincial auditor of Romblon. Lola Pining was a housewife who kept herself busy doing house chores, despite being an 'haciendera' with her inheritance.

On my mama’s side, Lolo Abang worked as fisherman and farmer. Lola Miling was an ideal housewife who tended domestic chores and, at the same time, helped Lolo Abang earn for living whenever she could.

Meantime, my parents, during their younger years, persevered to earn college degrees despite financial limitations. And I am proud to say that both of them made it! Papa earned Marine Engineering degree from FEATI University (Manila), and mama earned Medical Secretarial degree from Emilio Aguinaldo College (Manila).

When my parents began their own family, financial difficulties remained. There were moments when they struggled financially, and among these was the day I was born. Papa went to relatives who earlier promised to lend money so mama could deliver me in a credible private hospital. Sadly, these relatives turned us away on that crucial day.

But thank you, Lord. On that same day, papa received a call from his agency. He was hired immediately and was given salary in advance. So though I was born in a public hospital hounded with issues, he was able to provide for the needs of his wife and newborn baby.

That moment gave them an unforgettable lesson. So when time came for my brothers to be born, papa and mama made sure it will be in that same hospital where they planned, but failed, to deliver me. And in these times, they were able to do just that.

Their experiences have led them to plan their finances meticulously. They have been working hard and smart to provide their children convenient life—the life that they did not have as kids, the kind that many people dream of.

Though my parents do not have expert’s knowledge on financial management, and given their humble beginnings, they are able to make impressive and inspiring things out of their meager earnings. They are truly amazing. We, their children, are the ones who are reaping the fruits of their love and labor. In addition, many people around them have been blessed too. They have sent to school many of their nieces and nephews, for example. They are model stewards of God’s blessings.

I look up to my parents, these two amazing people. They are my role models, my pegs, my inspirations. When time comes for me to have my own family, I hope to be just like them. God bless them always.