In a most recent vlog, Vice Ganda had a heart-to-heart talk with his mother, Rosario Viceral, about how they overcame past family struggles.
Nanay Rosario also got candid about her wishes for her comedian son amid his showbiz success.
“‘Yung totoo, gusto mo magka-apo sa akin?” Vice asked his Nanay Rosario.
She answered that she indeed wants to have a grandchild from Vice. “Gusto ko nga, anak, kasi iniisip ko sayang ‘tong mga ipinundar mo anak na walang mag-mamana.”
“Talagang taga pag-mana yung iniisip mo?” Vice laughingly reacted.
“Oo, kasi sa kanino mapupunta ‘to? Kami naman ay patanda na. Maliban dun sa dalawa mong pamangkin, pero iba talaga anak yung may sarili ka.”
Nanay Rosario cited the example of perfume mogul Joel Cruz, who is also openly gay but decided to have eight children by way of surrogacy.
“Kaya nga yung si Joel Cruz ba yun nung nabalitaan ko, sabi ko, ay naku sana si Tutoy, ganito din ang cute-cute ng mga anak,” Nanay Rosario said, calling Vice by his nickname.
The 44-year-old star then jokingly asked his mom if ever there’s an actress whom she wants him to have a child with.
“Kung may artistang babae, na mabubuntis ko, eh kakadiri yung thought, pero sino ang gusto mong artista? Ano lang to chikahan purposes lang, ha?”
Rosario said, “Yung simpleng simple lang siya na gusto mo rin nung araw…si Kaye Abad.”
“O, Kaye Abad alam mo na, beke pwede nemen pagbigyan yung nanay ko, charot!” Vice quipped.
But from the light and happy chikahan, the conversation turned serious and emotional as they got frank about their past struggles as a family.
Vice said that everyone knows that he spent most of his growing years without his mom who left for the US to work for two decades. Vice was also in his teens when he also lost his father who was murdered.
READ: Vice Ganda says viral Tarlac shooting video brought back trauma of father’s death
The comedian asked if his mother regretted leaving them behind.
“Hati anak eh. Na-instill ko sa mind ko nung nabalo ako ay work. How am I going to work and provide for my five children? Masakit. Ayoko but the same time gusto ko kasi i need to choose ang alin ang makakabuti sa akin,” Rosario recalled.
Thanks to the work opportunity in the US even if she was only an undergraduate in the Philippines, she was able to send all her children to school. She also thought she would be able to petition her children within two years but plans got derailed because of unexpected changes in immigration laws.
For Rosario, what she regretted the most was not seeing Vice, her youngest child, grow up. “Ikaw sa lahat ang hindi ko nasubaybayan lumaki. ‘Yan ang regrets ko, anak, dahil yun ang truth.”
She remembered that the first time she saw Vice again in the US after so many years, her son failed to immediately recognize her at the airport.
“Nanduon lang ako sa sulok. Kasi nuon, pwede ka pa pumasok habang lumalabas kayo sa airline, kasama mo si Vina Morales. Sabi nga ng Kuya mo, ‘Matatandaan mo pa ba ang mukha (ni Vice)?’ Bakit di ko naman matatandaan eh anak ko yun.
“Kaya paglabas ng paglabas mo sa aeroplano, nakita na kita, ay ang tangkad ng anak ko. Ibang-iba na siya. Hindi na yung Tutoy na iniwanan ko, kaya nilampasan mo ako anak eh. Tapos tinawag kita Toy, sabi kong ganun. ‘Ay ang Nanay ko,’ sabi mo sa akin, ‘Nay bakit ang liit mo?’ Ang ano ko naman sa ‘yo, ang tangkad mo anak.”
Vice admitted that he felt resentment towards his mother in his younger years, especially as he longed to have someone to talk to when he was dealing with gender identity issues.
To which Rosario answered, “I know, kasi nga nung panahon mong mag-out wala kang mapapagtanungan. Nasa isip ko yun anak, but I had no choice.”
Eventually, Vice shared, that he understood why his mom had to leave.
“Growing up ang dami kong tanong, I didn’t understand ba’t wala akong nanay. Matalino naman ako, walang mag-a-award sa akin sa school.
“Yung questions ko about my sexuality, di ko alam kanino ko i-explain, and I was developing this anger towards you not because I hated you, but because I didn’t understand.
“But buti nalang matalino ako (laughs). Slowly, naintindihan ko and the moment I understood everything, nawala lahat ng sama ng loob ko.”
Rosario pointed out that their relationship improved only because of constant prayers.
“Kasama yun sa maraming dasal ko anak kasi kung hindi, hindi ko makakayanan. Pero mabait ang Diyos, wala akong hiniling sa kanya na hindi niya ibinigay. Kasi pinanghawakan ko, pangako Niya na di niya pababayaan ang mga biyuda at ulila,” she said.
She added that she hopes Vice and his siblings were able to forgive her decisions back then.
Looking back, Vice reassured his Nanay Rosario that he is very proud of her and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Ikaw ang gusto kong Nanay wala ng iba,” he said before quipping, “Pero di kita mabibigyan ng anak. Charot!”
Watch their conversation below:
