Relationships
by JL Gaddi
Liza Abia is a 34-year-old civil
engineer, wife, and mother of
two. She pays homage to her
grandparents who raised her,
and who inspired her to nurture
her own close-knit family.
Why did you grow up
with your grandparents?
My parents separated when I
was young, so we lived with our
grandparents who supported
us through the years. My lola
passed away when I was 19
years old, while Lolo passed
away just recently.
What was it like growing
up with your grandfolks?
Sobrang saya. They were strict,
always imposing the school-
and-bahay-only system. But
we didn’t mind. In fact, my
grandparents were very kind
and caring. There were times
when we wished our parents
were still together—especially
during the important school
events where we would see
our classmates with their
own parents—but as we grew
older, we learned to accept our
circumstance and the bond
with our grandparents grew
even stronger.How did you balance
your relationship with
your parents and
grandparents?
We only saw our mother
during weekends, when she
visited us. Since our parents
had broken up, there was no
communication at all with our
father. It really was just our
grandparents who were there
for us all of the time.How has growing up
with your grandparents
affected the way you
raise your own kids?
When I had my kids, I realized
the importance of being hands-
on with them. I also wanted
to keep our bond strong. My
husband and I make time for
them and make sure that our
children also bond with their
grandparents. Plus, I make it
a point that we always go to
church and that my children
always show respect to theirelders—important things that I
learned from my grandparents.What are your fondest
memories of your
grandparents?
I will never forget how caring
they were, and how they would
always cheer us up with treats.
When we come home from
school, there would always
be some kakanin on the table.
Parating masaya.What would you say to
your lolo and lola if they
could hear you now?
Salamat sa inyo. For guiding us
and showing us the importance
of education. For being strict
and always teaching us to do
the right things. Thank you for
reminding us to not waste any
opportunities and to relish
what is given to us. I wouldn’t
be the mom I am today if it
weren’t for you guys.Grandparents’ Girl
Thanks to the example of her grandparents,
Liza (left) is very hands-on with her own children.