“OFW po siya sa Saudi for more than 15 years, and within those years we never had a chance to surprise or regaluhan siya tuwing birthday or Father’s Day.”
This was the main reason why JL Quiambao decided to surprise her father last June 4, ahead of the Father’s Day celebration.
Daddy Joey thought that they would just casually eat at a mall. Little did he know that his children prepared a special gift for him.
When he opened his bag, he noticed a box inside — a brand new iPhone 12.
“Ano to anak? Bakit may iPhone?” Daddy Joey can be heard saying in the viral video.
He couldn’t believe it! Daddy Joey was so surprised with his daughter’s gift.
“Nako gustong gusto ko ‘to, anak Ang ganda! Akin ‘to?” he continued.
“Inaya lang po namin siya kumain sa foodcourt ng isang mall, sinabi ko lang na mag restroom lang saglit para may time para bilhin ‘yung iPhone. Then habang lumabas po siya para may kuhanin, dun po namin naisip na itago na lang sa bag niya para pag-open niya, ma-surprise siya,” JL recalled.
JL shared that her father prefers to buy new gadgets for his family. Her father has been using an old iPhone 6. That’s why JL decided to surprise her father with a brand-new iPhone 12 as a Father’s Day present.
Daddy Joey worked as an ATM technician in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade.
“He left the country when I was 11. Then Last April, he came home, and decided to stay here in the Philippines for good. So I told myself that it’s never too late para makabawi for his sacrifices,” she said.
Although he missed some precious moments while he was away from his family, he never failed to make them feel special.
‘Even if he was in Saudi, thousand[s] [of] miles away from us, he did not make us feel na malayo siya. We always talk over the phone, video call. And he’s a very positive thinker, he always motivates us, very funny, and of course a good provider para sa family namin. My father might have missed half of our lives, sa mga anak niya, he wasn’t here during our graduations, birthday or even Christmas, but he never missed a chance to greet us,” JL shared.
JL said she decided to share the video on social media to inspire other people that simple surprises can make their parents happy.
The uploaded video has more than 880,00 views on TikTok, as of writing.
“Even though there’s distance and number of years of separation, we understand why you left and work abroad. We are very grateful and proud to have you as our parent. Thank you and Happy Father’s Day!’ JL said when asked about her message to her father.
