CEBU, Philippines - They say that from the instant he lays eyes on her, a father adores his daughter. Whoever she grows up to be, she is always to him that little girl in pigtails.
She makes him feel like Christmas. In exchange, he makes a secret promise not to see the awkwardness of her teenage years, the mistakes she makes or the secrets she keeps. ~ Anonymous
Fathers are pressured to have sons who will follow in their footsteps, to be the heir, to carry on the family name. But what if heaven does not give the father a son but a daughter instead?
Such is the story of Atty. Augusto "Gus" Go, president of the University of Cebu and Honorary Consul of South Korea in Cebu, who only has one child, a daughter, Candice.
Daddy's girl
"In Asian culture, it is very important to have a son. Unfortunately that's not my fate. But I am happy, very happy even if I only have one child," Atty. Go proudly declared, adding that he loves children and was hoping to have more. But, as he said, fate was not on his side. In fact, he shared, he lost a child with his first wife, and another one with his second wife.
His daughter Candice, he said, was the best thing that happened to him. "When I first saw her when she was born, I could not believe that I could produce something so lovely."
And Candice, who now helps run the different family businesses and is the Chancellor at the University of Cebu, became his world. Atty. Go describes himself as "a father who spoiled my child," giving his daughter everything she needed and wanted. He is very thankful though that his daughter has simple needs and wants. "I am happy that even if I am able to provide for her, my daughter, like me, likes simple things. She does not like expensive things."
By far, Atty. Go said, the only luxury his daughter has are her horses. "She loves horses and I bought horses for her. Of course I also had to get her riding clothes and equipment and I bought a piece of land for stables." However, Atty. Go, ever a businessman, said he does not mind the expense because the land that he bought appreciated over time, offsetting whatever amount he spent.
Bringing up an only child, Atty. Go was a hands-on father. "In fact, too hands-on that she said I interfere too much in her life," he said with a smile and added that as a father, he is concerned about his daughter and feels that it is his responsibility to give her advice. He admitted, however, that giving advice is as far as he can go. "I cannot force her to do things," he said.
One thing he is happy about is his daughter's interest in the family businesses. Proof of this was when Candice, who took has advice to take up Law in Ateneo, went on to garner a Master's Degree in Education at Harvard when the opportunity came. "I really admired her for taking up something in line with the family business," Atty. Go shared.
Is he a strict dad? Not really, he said, because he did not need to be one. "My daughter is not the sociable, partying type. She needed minimal supervision when it came to that."
The biggest challenge for Atty. Go when it comes to his daughter is marrying her off. He said he wants Candice to get married, have a family of her own and give him grandchildren. "But this has been very difficult, especially since she rarely goes out. She is not the type to party. Although I encourage her to meet people, she also does not have the time to go out with all the responsibilities I have given her in the family businesses," he said. Atty. Go, however, added that he hopes that Candice will find the man for her. "I am getting old. After I am gone, I hope that she will have a comfortable life blessed with a good family," he said.
Dad's No. 1 fan
Candice, when asked to react to her father saying he "spoiled" her, said, "My dad knows how to reward me as much as he knows how to challenge me. He constantly gives me new businesses to start or companies to turn around. He can be demanding but is also appreciative of the efforts I put in for the family."
She also validated that her dad is not strict, saying that growing up, he allowed her to make mistakes and learn from these. "He always wanted a son so I don't think he knew what to do with a daughter," she said. "Daughters were meant to be married off. But since he needed an heir... it became a balancing act of how much he could teach me the traditional masculine qualities of leadership, independence and drive while maintaining my femininity. So it was not so much being strict as finding a way to nurture both aspects."
The bond between the father and his only daughter is clearly strong especially that Candice adores her father and has high respects for him. Aside from working just a glass door away from each other at the University of Cebu, the father and daughter also share the same interests when it comes to travel and in running the family businesses. "We both have a sense of humor and respect for each other. In each business venture, we not only look at the finances but we're also concerned with the welfare of the people we work with. We share the same curiosity about the world, an interest in history and a penchant for going to museums when we travel," she said.
Among the traits that Candice loves about her father is his patience, humility, generosity of spirit and his sense of fair play. "He treats everyone from all walks of life with the same courtesy and respect. I admire his business acumen. I especially admire the fact that despite his success he remains humble," she declared with pride.
Atty. Go acknowledged that while he was a hands-on father, he was not the showy type who would always express his love for his daughter. And Candice understands this but nevertheless feels loved. "He's a very gentle and kind man with a great sense of humor. He is curious about the world. While not a man of many words nor demonstrative, I knew he always loved me. I appreciate that very much," she said. (FREEMAN)