Mother knows best

Mothers are always ready to risk life and limb for the people they love—or move heaven and earth to prove a point.

In this Mother’s Day forum, celebrities pay tribute to moms everywhere as they talk about the lessons they learned from them and their fondest memories of their moms—their “biggest and most loving allies.”

Mother knows best, indeed.

Lea Salonga

For Tony-winning Broadway star and Inquirer Entertainment columnist Lea Salonga, her mother, Ligaya, has taught her lessons she’s only too happy to pass on to her daughter, Nicole Chien.

“Just being around my mom taught me resilience and determination,” Lea says. “I’ve seen how she deals when she’s told the word no, and that’s by making circumstances possible for a yes. She isn’t one to easily give up just because of an obstacle or two.”

Lea’s mom was also a significant part of her training in theater. As for fond memories with her mother, she recalls, “It was when she’d practice doing quick changes with me at home … or the times we spent in our old station wagon, when she used to drive … or [going to] Ling Nam or Tropical Hut … or grocery shopping at Unimart. She could make P200 go a long way in 1978!”

Tommy Abuel

Acting legend Tommy Abuel, best remembered for his iconic portrayals in Lino Brocka’s “Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag,” Danny Zialcita’s “Karma” and Atom Magadia’s Cinemalaya drama “Dagsin,” says that his mom, Angelina, has taught him to pursue things he’s passionate about.

“My mother used to tell me to go after the things I like doing,” Tommy remembers. “She said, ‘Whatever you want in life, go for it. Pursue it with passion until you attain it.’”

Asked for his fond memories of his mom, Tommy singles out his bonding moments with her. “When we were kids, I would always look forward to weekends, because that’s when she would cook adobo and pritong saging na saba for us. I loved every minute of those get-togethers!”

Ogie Alcasid

Prolific hitmaker Ogie Alcasid culls nuggets of wisdom from two of the special women in his life: His mother, Herminia, and wife, Regine Velasquez. His mom has instilled in him not just the value of family, but the importance of kindness as well.

“My mother taught me to be patient, respectful and kind. She taught me to be loving always,” he muses. “She also taught me the significance of prayer.”

His mom is as kind as she is loving, he says: “Mom always had names for me and all of my siblings—and I was called ‘minyosimo.’ My real name is Herminio. She would never yell at me and, instead, would sing out my name.”

As for Regine, Ogie speaks glowingly of the Songbird’s influence on him. “Reg gave me a chance to be a responsible father once again,” he enthuses. “She taught me the value of spending precious time with our son, Nate.”

Red Concepcion

These days, it’s hard to keep track of Red Concepcion’s whereabouts. The homegrown Filipino thespian has been wowing theatergoers in the United Kingdom and the United States since he began donning The Engineer’s striking red jacket in the touring productions of “Miss Saigon.”

He’s been feeling homesick, he says, but Red nonetheless feels grateful that acting has been keeping him busy.

Last Thursday, we caught up with Red even before he could “decompress,” after another performance of the popular musical—this time, in Texas!

Yes, we rushed Red to participate in this forum immediately after a show, so he could pay tribute to his dear mom, Gene.

Where has Red been lately, we asked? Even he has difficulty enumerating where he has been in recent months.

“Katatapos lang ng show, and my mind is already sabaw (laughs)! Right now, we’re in Houston, Texas,” he told us. “Before that, we performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Orpheum in San Francisco, the Academy of Music in Philly, as well as in Chicago, and North and South Carolina! Ang dami pa, actually. In some of the smaller places kasi, we were there for just a week.”

Speaking of his mom, Red says he owes much of his work ethic to her. “My mom believed in being conscientious in one’s work,” he explains. “From her, I learned to strive for excellence, no matter how small the task, and to find the joy in a job that’s done well. It’s a value that has served me well as I step onstage, day in and day out.”

Crisel Consunji

We also asked Crisel Consunji, the first Filipino performer to win an acting prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards, to talk about her mom, Marilu.

The actress, whose uplifting screen drama “Still Human” just won the Critics’ Choice and Audience Choice awards at the Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy, says with fondness that the value she got from her relationship with her “tiger mom” was “in the lessons I learned, not in the way I received them.”

“The best lesson from Mom is to be kind, especially to people for whom a small act of kindness would go a long way,” Crisel explains. “She taught me that everyone was equal, and that the more blessed you were in life, the greater your responsibility is to give back. Equally important, she constantly reminded me that talent would only take me so far—and that attitude would have to do the most work.”

Allen Dizon

For his part, multiawarded actor Allen Dizon remembers the sacrifices his mother, Rebecca, had to make—and the risks she took—to support her family. “My father died when I was just 11 years old,” he shares. “She’s a single mother, so I saw how hard she worked to sustain her family and take care of our needs.

“The good examples she set made me the better person I am today. But the most important lesson I learned from her is to be a good example to my children … to be a good father to my four kids, Nella, Ixia, Lucas and Allene. She always reminds me that, more than any of the things that keep me busy, family should always be my priority.”