Ben Madilynn
Nagluluksa ngayon ang Tulfo brothers na sina Ramon, Ben, Erwin, at Raffy dahil sa pagpanaw ng kanilang ina na si Caridad Teshiba-Tulfo, o “Nanay Caring” kung kanilang tawagin.
Sumakabilang buhay ang kanilang ina nitong Martes, August 27, 2024.
Siya ay 97.
Naulila ni Caridad ang kanyang mga anak na sina Ramon Jr., Tuchi, Wanda, Ben, Bong, Joseph, Raffy, Erwin, at Edel; gayundin ang kanyang mga manugang at apo.
Sa Facebook, magkakasunod na nag-post sina ACT-CIS Partylist Representative Erwin Tulfo, Senator Raffy Tulfo, at Ramon Tulfo para magbigay-pugay sa kanilang pinakamamahal na Nanay Caring.
ERWIN TULFO
Unang nag-post si Erwin ng larawan niya habang siya’y nasa ospital at nakatingin sa nakaratay na ina.
Mababasa sa kanyang caption (published as is): “Bye Mom….
“Thank you for bringing us into this world. We will never forget your love and sacrifices for us.
“Thank you for teaching us how to help the needy and fight for the helpless.
“Thank you so much Mom. We love you. Till we meet again.”
Ibinahagi rin ni Erwin ang detalye ng burol ng kanilang ina, at kung kailan ito ihahatid sa huling hantungan.
Saad ni Erwin sa kanyang post (published as is):
“We, the children of Caridad Teshiba Tulfo, with heavy hearts wishes to inform everyone that our beloved mother has joined our Creator today , August 27, 2024 due to natural causes.
“Mommy Caring, is survived by her children, Ramon Jr. , Tuchi, Wanda, Ben, Bong, Joseph , Raffy, Erwin and Edel with her daughters and sons in law , grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
“Her body will be laid in state at the Sanctuarium at the corner of Araneta and Quezon Avenue, Quezon City starting on Wednesday, August 28 at 6pm.
“She will be laid to rest at the Heritage Memorial Park, Taguig on Sunday, September 1 at 11am.”
Hiling ng pamilya Tulfo sa mga makikiramay, sa halip na mag-alay ng bulaklak ay magbigay na lamang sila ng donasyon sa religious at charitable institutions na kinabibilangan ng kanilang ina.
Photo/s: Raffy Tulfo in Action on Facebook
RAFFY TULFO
Madamdamin ang pamamaalam ni Senator Raffy Tulfo sa kanyang ina.
Sa Facebook post ng senador at broadcaster, pinasalamatan niya ang ina sa pagmamahal at pag-aaruga nito sa kanya.
Utang daw niya ang lahat sa ina dahil kung hindi dahil dito’y wala siya sa kinatatayuan niya ngayon.
Mensahe ni Raffy: “Dear Mommy, There are no words to describe how very thankful I am to you for bringing me into this world.
“I am not going to be who I am today if not for your love and care that you unselfishly showered upon me since the beginning of my life.
“Paalam, Mommy. Mahal na mahal po kita!”
RAMON TULFO
Inalala naman ni Ramon kung anong klaseng ina si Nanay Caring sa kanilang sampung magkakapatid.
Pagmamalaki ni Ramon, likas na mapagbigay at relihiyosa ang kanilang ina noong ito ay nabubuhay pa.
Mababasa sa Facebook post ni Ramon (published as is): “I recall Mom would let beggars into our home and feed them even if there was not much food on the table for her 10 children.
“Mom would pawn her jewelry to lend to the wives of my father’s soldiers who cried for help for their sick children.
“Most of the loans never got paid but Mom never complained. She would say we were more blessed than the welshers and that it was our duty to share whatever blessings we had.
“So if you catch me or my siblings doing acts of charity or defending the poor and downtrodden in public these are not put-on. Likas sa amin ang tumulong sa aming kapwa.
“Mom was a deeply religious woman, a trait most of my siblings inherited. As for me, I’m not religious, I’m spiritual. When we were children she would lead in praying the Angelus and rosary every night. Those of us she caught nodding to sleep while praying she would pinch or pull our ears.
“She was always behind us in praying. During the rosary, Mom would pray out loud to Mama Mary and all the saints in heaven to take away her children who would grow up to be bad. Mommy’s “offering” made some of us restless because we thought we might die in our sleep.”
Dagdag pa niya: “In old age, she would give practically all her money we gave her as her monthly allowance to poor priests and nuns and some orphanages.
“Asked why she would not save enough for herself, her usual reply, “They’re all praying for you.” I once told her in jest that she would overshoot heaven— “Baka lumampas ka sa langit, Mommy”—when it was her time to go because of her intense religiosity.
“Ayaw pagbinuangi ang Dios basi muadto ka sa impierno (Don’t fool around with God because you might go to hell).”
Bagamat sampu silang magkakapatid, hindi raw niya kailanman nakitaan ang ina ng pagsuko sa pag-aalaga sa kanila.
Kahit madalas daw itong nag-iisa dahil ang kanilang ama na si 1st Lt. Ramon S. Tulfo ng Philippine Constabulary ay laging wala dahil kung saan-saan ito nadedestino dahil sa trabaho nito bilang sundalo.
Pagbabalik-tanaw ni Ramon: “Raising 7 boys and 3 girls was left solely to this housewife as our dad was always out on military missions or performing his duties as an officer.
“Mas madaliay nga magpastol sa mga baka kaysa bantayan ngining mga anak ni Caring (It’s easier to raise cattle than to take care of Caring’s brood),” my maternal grandmother, Lola Carmen, would say exasperated.
“Imagine, the little ones—Ben, Bong, Joseph, Raffy, Erwin and Edelle Marie— crying for attention all at the same time or quarreling among themselves while we, the elders — me, Felix, Tuchi and Wanda— either shouting at them to stop or pacifying them because we were doing our school homework!
“Looking back, I don’t know how my Mom and the househelp handled the ear-splitting ruckus we made every single day when we were kids.”
Mayroon lang daw pagkaistrikta ang kanilang ina pagdating sa pagdidisiplina sa kanilang magkakapatid.
Kuwento ni Ramon: “Caridad, whose father was a Japanese merchant, was a harsh disciplinarian. She used slippers, broom, hanger, latigo ng kabayo (for me especially), buntot ng page (also for me and Felix), sandok as instruments of discipline. She was guided by the truism “spare the rod, spoil the child.”
“She was not only hard on us her erring children she would beat up my Dad whenever she caught him womanizing. Which was often. Hehehe! In fairness to my Dad, he never once laid a hand on Mom.”
Sa huli, mensahe ni Ramon sa ina, bagamat nalulungkot sila sa pagkawala nito ay nakatitiyak silang masaya na ito sa piling ng Diyos, kanyang pumanaw na ring asawa, at namayapang anak sa langit.
Aniya, “Mommy, please say hello to God and all the saints in heaven. Say hello to Dad, our brother Felix, our grandparents from both sides, your brother Yoshio, your sisters Flora and Conching and all your other departed relatives and friends.”
