My Pope Philippines – August 2018

by Yen Cantiga

Growing up in a family of artists
(which includes violinist Coke
Bolipata and painter Anita
Magsaysay-Ho), writer and
teacher Rica Bolipata-Santos
passes her family values on to
her children.

What was it like growing
up in a talented family?
I guess you don't really know
what that feels like until you
experience being in other
people's homes. Growing up, it
was just home.

What was it like? It was a home
where creativity was a real
great value. There are many
markers, traditions, practices
that hold a family together
and for us, that was creativity
and art. It was a highly prized
value and that meant our days
and nights were spent making
art. On rainy days we painted.
Every evening we held family
concerts. We were perpetually
making musicals and that
meant not just performing but
also making posters and tickets
and scoring the thing.

There was also a lot of reading.
My parents were voracious
readers and much of our days
were spent reading while
listening to music. I guess it
was the freedom that made all
the difference to our spirits.
Art and creativity, by nature,
are spirit-freeing, and that
made us all who we are now.
But the thing is, at the heart of
all art is tremendous discipline
and that was also very present
in our growing up. There was
discipline, not just in life as

of the children, even if that

hurts. But if I wish to be part of

their lives, I need to show that

respect. In the end, I cannot

live their lives for them. I can

only be there for them and hope

that I taught them well and that

I exemplified values clearly.

in chores and such but also a

great respect for the discipline

necessary to practice art.

What is the difference

between the way you

were raised and how you

raise your kids?

There's very little difference.

Freedom and discipline are also

at the core of the way I teach

my children. And spirituality.

That's a big thing here, too. And

that's tricky. And it changes

shape and form as the kids grow

but it underpins our parenting.

What are the top three

values you strive to live

by? How do you teach

them to your children?

One cannot really rank values...

I think you teach children best

by exemplifying values yourself.

I've discovered, now that

they're older, that the window

for "teaching" decreases and

what takes over is their own use

of their own freedoms. I have

great respect for the autonomy

Rica (left) with sisters Non

and Plet grew up in a home

that encouraged creativity.

A Creative Clan