What sacrifices have you made for your family?

I’m doing everything I can for the good of my family as part of my responsibility. I don’t consider these as sacrifices; it’s my role. – Leonard Villa, Batac City

Sacrifices are life’s stepping stones to a happy and successful family life, but please let’s focus on the fruits and thank God for helping us get over the humps. – L.C. Fiel, Quezon City

Giving them my all

Anything and everything done for the family, if it has to be done at all, must be made without regrets. The word “sacrifice” has to give way to love. There is no better way to say that my reasons for breathing, all my reasons, are because they are my family! – Jose Fabello Jr., Misamis Oriental

I gave them everything I have, and if I have to kill and die for them, I will without hesitation. – Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan

All that I have, my whole being and my very life are what I have sacrificed and will forever be ready to sacrifice for my family. – Justo Cammayo, Isabela

Putting my kids through school

When my daughter was in college in Baguio City, I worked day and night just to be able to support my daughter’s needs. – Salvacion Tomines, Tarlac City

I once came to the point of needing a new pair of shoes, but gave it up because classes were opening. – Ruel Bautista, Laguna

Working hard to give them a good life

I work, work and work even in the wee hours of the night just to ensure that members of my family do not go hungry. – Eduardo Lozano, Nueva Vizcaya

I learned to toil and sweat in order to earn for my family’s welfare without regrets and I’m all set to continue until my face turns blue. – Voz Butuyan, Pangasinan

I was a branch manager but I lost my job. With no other means to support my family of four children, and with their welfare at stake, I worked as a janitor. – Cris Rivera, Rizal

No need to relive it. Suffice it to say that all my children are gainfully employed. Magaan ang haplos ng buhay at bale wala ang hirap na dinanas. – Rey Onate, Palayan City

A lot. I worked hard for them to ensure their needs and comfort. – Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City

Having been compared to Mang Pandoy and the Payatas boys by my good friend Mario Tejada, this shows where I came from. I’ve given my family a good life. – Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City

Being a single parent for the past 12 years with three children to tend and put through college, and scampering for means for us to survive compels me to live in frugality. I’ve tightened my belt a lot just for my children to be able to eat, stay clothed, keep sheltered and get educated. I know that God sleeps not on the agonies and pains inflicted on His oppressed and victimized children, and that, in the end, my children will savor His blessings. – Elpidio Que, Vigan

Being away from family

My bank has out-of-town postings as far as Bulan, Sorsogon and other places in Bicol. Being away from my family entailed a lot of sacrifices from me. – Jim Veneracion, Naga City

I sacrificed being apart from my wife who is in Canada for six years straight and stood as mother-father to my four children ages from 5 to 16. – June Deoferio, Cavite City

I sacrificed and endured being away from home mostly during my stint in the PC-PNP service that brought me to different places of assignment. – Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City

Retiring early from government service and working as an OFW, experiencing the high price of being away from home and family. – Marcos Pattaguan Jr., Cagayan

It was a big sacrifice for me to be away from my family to work here in the city and see them only every five weeks. – Loi Castillo, Davao City

The joy of fatherhood in living with my children and guiding to grow when I worked abroad, but I deem it as an obligation rather than a sacrifice. – Fortunato Aguirre, Bulacan

I made a lot of sacrifices for my family and the latest one is I’m going abroad to work to make ends meet. – J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City

Financing a brother from when he was seven up to college challenged me to sacrifice working across the seven seas and be home only once a year. – Pert Gaspar, Laoag City

Sending dollar earnings to my family and helping fuel the country’s economy. – Allan Jardinico, Negros Occidental

The greatest sacrifice I did for my family was when I accepted a job in Saudi Arabia. Health-wise, though, my decision to quit drinking and smoking at age 32 and 44, respectively, was equally important and with God’s help, today I’m fully enjoying the fruits of my labor as well as the antics of my 11 bright grandchildren. – Felix Ramento, Manila

Not keeping score

I don’t keep score. My love and faithfulness to my commitment as a parent just keeps me going. – Jae delos Santos, Muntinlupa City

It is not at all easy to be a mother. I married young, but I have no regrets for it helped me make tough choices early in my life. There are no hard and fast rules in being an ideal mother or parent. The most important tip would be to understand the responsibility of instilling the best values in a child’s mind and bring the child up to be a confident, happy and good human being. No sacrifices, just blessings. – Ube Wenceslao, Cavite City

Having made many sacrifices for my family, there are none that I regret. They were all well thought out. – Johann Lucas, Quezon City

Ang dami but I don’t regret making all those sacrifices since I made them happy. – C.B. Manalastas, Manila

We don’t have to enumerate the sacrifices we make as if we are earning points and the one who’s got the highest points is the holiest. – Lorenzo Fernandez Jr., Nueva Ecija

They sacrificed more than I did

No, it’s the other way around, since I left them in Masbate and went to Manila to pursue my quest to be a lawyer. – Romeo Caubat, Masbate

My children are now grown up. They are a great help during these hard times. I guess all those sacrifices in the past paid off. Now, I just have to pay off my loving wife Gloria. – Vic Alim, Caloocan City

None that l know of. It has always been my family making lots of sacrifices for me, and I am always blessed having them around me. – Leandro Tolentino, Batangas City

Very ironic because it’s my family that sacrificed for me. My family understood my selfishness of not completely controlling my worldly self. – Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte

House-bound

I’ve readily sacrificed my macho mentality by appointing myself the official “labandero”. – William Gonzaga, Marikina City

My faithfulness

Being faithful to my wife no matter how pretty and sexy other women are and being patient with my son even if he drives me nuts sometimes. – Eric Gopilan, Metro Manila

I sacrificed my worldly desires all for the love of family. I could have accepted the temptation of an illicit love affair but I didn’t. With that, I lost the opportunity to discover why many politicians become philandering husbands maintaining “District 1, District 2, District 3 and so forth.” I sacrificed my ambition to enter politics because my family said it was dirty and dangerous. With that, I lost the chance to become rich the easy way and to be always held in awe by people even if I did wrong. – Mario Tejada, Ilocos Norte

In 1979, after my last inherited property was sold, my ex-master ordered me to give 1/3 of the money to my mother, 1/3 to my siblings, and to keep the rest. I obeyed. In 1995, my ex-wife VVW came back after 14 years and, while dining in Greenhills, made an indecent proposal to me. I turned it down. Sorry, V. I have a loving wife and three kids now. What’s that about a woman scorned? Well, it’s true, she never wrote me again! – Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City

No regrets

I had to change my life plan and reset some of it. – James Gaw, Parañaque City

My big sacrifice was when I opted to be a homemaker. It has been my greatest pleasure that I put family life first before anything else. – Ella Arenas, Pangasinan

Fulfilling a duty

I would rather call them obligations inproviding my family a better life. The assurance of a stable future make sacrifices more meaningful. – Nap Cinco, Rizal

Providing the family with food, education and shelter is the sacrifice I made for my family. It was my obligation, too. – Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City

I don’t believe in sacrifices made for the family; I strongly believe in fulfilling one’s priorities, duties and responsibilities. – Rodolfo Capili, Caloocan City

I won’t call it a sacrifice, but more of a responsibility that every wife and mother will do for the sake of her family. It’s hell when you discover your husband flirting around and when you tell him to go, the children meddle and cry. Then, I have to control myself as I deal with my anger. I always give way and let him go, but he’s still here up to now and he says, “Hanggang pagtanda natin, tayo pa rin.” For me, family comes first. I’m proud to say that until the end the love and care I give them will be unconditional. They may not appreciate it at the moment, but the values that they learned from me will be instilled in their minds forever. – Rose Leobrera, Manila

Saving for the rainy day

I keep saving, not for me, but for those I love. I see to it that I am an asset, not a liability, to them. – Digoy Coro, Batangas

We’ve discarded some family perks we used to enjoy for PGMA’s reign. Now everyone has a daily task to do. Aside from The Philippine Star, other papers had to go. Damang-dama ang kahirapan. – Col. Ben Paguirigan Jr., Ret., Zamboanga City

Even as a retiree, I still strive this late in life to have some gainful activities so as not to depend too much on my children for our family’s needs. But they come forward voluntarily when they know we have dire needs for some things. In these difficult times, I’ve done away with impulse-buying and eating out with the family, which I loved to do before. – I.Q. Calata, Parañaque City

All in the name of love

I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for my family: Taking care of my children and sending them to the best schools, celebrating their birthdays, taking them for a vacation when my budget allows it. But what I treasure most was taking care of my father after my mom left and during his last years. We developed a father-and-son bonding which was cut short when I left home to work in Manila after graduation. It took many adjustments to travel to the South to stay with him for a few days, sometimes a week or more, every month, for five years. I lost a few opportunities on the way but I will always treasure those times when I was with him. Come to think of it, the things we do for our families are not really sacrifices, but opportunities to show our love. – Robert Young Jr., San Juan

When the sacrifice is over, it’s like a big bowl that’s filled with overflowing love and happiness for loved ones! – Crizel Fernandez, Baguio City

None; I don’t consider the things I do for my family as sacrifices. I do them all in the name of love and respect. Perhaps the only sacrifice I have ever done for them is not believing that there is something more important than love of family. – Marielle Quiboquibo, Rizal

It’s as if I can never go wrong. Well, sacrifices are made in the name of love. But, did it serve its purpose to everyone when I see myself as the sacrificial lamb? Yes it did, it splendidly did! – Imee Aglibot, Rizal

My family would know

I’m sorry as I cannot cite the sacrifices I’ve made for my family or for anyone else. That sounds like self-aggrandizement. It would be better for the second and third persons to say those to be credible. – Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City

I’ll just let my family answer this Inbox question for me. – Gerry del Cano, Muntinlupa City

This is an entirely private matter and invoking my personal (not executive) privilege would be the safest thing to do. – Jun Cajucom, Tacloban City

REACTIONS

Mr. Esposo, if we are to believe your column in your Martial Law Philippines in 1972, we should be wary of the PGMA trip to US now. – Ed Alawi, Davao City

To Alex Magno: Either way, the dynamic duo of Bayani Fernando and Richard Gordon will be a great tandem in 2010 because both are doers, no just talkers. – Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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