Vice Ganda’s male co-hosts–Ogie Alcasid and Vhong Navarro, could not help but tear up when the former brought to their discussion issues concerning family and raising children.
On the noontime show, It’s Showtime–Vice Ganda talked about his experience growing up without his parents when one of his co-hosts, Ogie Alcasid, suddenly became emotional.
During the question and answer portion of the segment, Showtime SexyBabe, Vice Ganda asked the first contestant Mia Ilao, about her sentiments on navigating her childhood and studies while her mother was working abroad.
The Kapamilya comedian-host shared the pain of working overseas to provide for one’s family and how it affects not just the one left behind.
“Dalawa ang talim niyan…aware ka ba ‘don? Habang nahihirapan ka, nasasaktan ka, dahil wala ‘yung nanay mo, ‘yung nanay mo rin alam mo, nasasaktan din sila.Kasi may inaalagaan sila, pero ‘yung anak nila hindi nila maalagaan (It’s not just you who gets affected, are you aware of that? While you are struggling and hurting, your mom too is also bearing the brunt of pain. She is taking care of someone else’s child, instead of raising her own),” the comedian shared.
It was at that juncture when Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro noticed that Ogie Alcasid was already tearing up.
“Bakit naiiyak si Ogie (Why is Ogie crying)?,” Vice Ganda inquired.
“Kasi nong sinabi mo ‘yung tungkol sa mga magulang…matagal kasi akong hindi ko kasama mga anak ko…halos dalawampung taon (When you talked about parents… the thing is I was away from kids for a very long time. Almost twenty years),” Alcasid shared while he was still tearing up. He was referring to Leila and Sarah, his kids with his former wife, Michelle Van Eimeren.
“Different situation… but as a father, I was trying my best. Salamat na lang at reunited kami ng panganay ko (Leila), but all those years, ang hirap (I’m just thankful and finally reunited with my eldest, Leila)” Alcasid added.
Vice Ganda went on to articulate the so-called unquantifiable social cost of migration.
“Mayroon ‘yong effect na mahirap mawala… hindi na kayo magkakilala, kasi noong mga panahon na hindi kayo magkasama, may mga nangyaring bago sa inyong dalawa. May nangyari at nagbago sa nanay mo na hindi mo alam…may nangyari sa anak mo na hindi mo alam.Kaya sa oras na magkita kayo, hindi na kayo magkakilala. (That leaves a lasting effect. You suddenly feel you are a stranger to each other, because all those years that you are far away from each other, something happened and changed to both of you. You both become strangers)” the comedian shared.
“It’s a long journey. Mag-aaway kayo na parang hindi kayo magkakailala na parang…’hindi ba namin mahal ang isa’t isa?’… yun lang lagi, wag ninyong iisipin na porke’t laging kayong nag-aaway, hindi na ninyo mahal ang isa’t isa. Sadyang hindi lang kayo magkakilala. Sana mabigyan pa tayo ng panahon para makilala ang isa’t isa kasi, everyone is dealing with their own trauma everyday (It’s a long journey. You will fight each other as if you are strangers and you will ask yourself ‘do we still love each other?’. But that’s not it…don’t think you don’t love each other anymore just because you guys fight. It’s just that you both need time to know each other again. I hope we have time to know each other, because that’s the only way to understand that each one of us have their own trauma to deal with),” he added.
Vice also shared the first time he saw his mother again in the US, after nearly three decades. He noted how it was awkward and uncomfortable seeing her again after so many years.
He said that made him realize how much time had passed and how they have changed they became.
“Pero now na tumatanda na ako…little steps, kailangan kong mabawi ko ‘yung pagsagot ko sa nanay ko, mga atribida moments ko…we all have chances everyday (But now that I am older…I realized that, even by little steps, I need to retrieve those moments when I talked back to my mother, the rebellious attitude I gave her. We all have chances for redemption),” he reminded the viewers.
He then asked Ilao, the SexyBabe contestant what she will do to make sure her future children won’t suffer the same fate she went through.
At that point, Vhong Navarro also became emotional.
“Pero mahirap pa rin sabihin niyan sa ngayon. Kasi iba ‘yong ‘pag meron ka nang anak eh. Doon ka palang magdedesisyon kung ano ba ang gagawin mo…’yung nararamdaman mong ‘yun, o future nya. Kaya nga iyong iba lumalayo kahit mabigat, masakit, kasi future iyon ng anak mo. Hindi mo na aanuhin ‘yung nararamdaman mo… (That’s easy to say now, but it’s different when you yourself become a parent. That’s the only time you would really need to choose between what you feel and the future of your kid. That’s why we see parents who leave even though it’s painful, because that already involves the future of your children),” he said while tearing up.
Vice Ganda joked about both his co-hosts being too softie and the whole It’s Showtime studio tearing up.
In the end he ended the discussion with heartfelt parting words. “Yan kasi iyong ano… yan ang gusto nating lahat. ’Yan yung pinapanalangin natin, kasi ‘yan yung ideal na sinasabi. Pero may mga pagkakataon na binabale ang mga prinsipyo at pinaniniwalaan natin. Binabago ‘yan ng pagkakataon… ng pagsubok. Walang magulang na gustong iwanan ang anak… pero may mga magulang na babaliin ang prinsipyo na ‘yun, lalayo at magsasakripisyo para may pambili ng gatas. And we just have to understand everybody’s decision… (Well, that’s what we call ‘the ideal’. That’s what we wish for. But there also instances when we bend our own principles. Circumstances change us. No parent wants to leave their children, but more often than not, tough situations will force them to…and we just have to understand everybody’s situation).
“Kaya sa mga anak, I feel you… nangyari sa akin ‘yan. Sa mga magu;ang, hindi namin kayo masisisi, dahil alam namin na maganda ang dahilan at ang alla ng sakripisyo ninyo sa amin (To all our young viewers, I feel you…that happened to me. To parents, we understand. We can not blame you for we know all your sacrifices, and the pain you all felt).
The segment ended with Vice Ganda succeeding at his attempt to shift the mood in the studio to be joyous and festive, with the whole judging panel, comprised of Albie Casiño, Ruffa Gutierrez, and Chie Filomeno, dancing.
