Delas Alas in “Raising Mamay”
It has been eight years since the death of Ai-Ai delas Alas’s biological mother. But to this day, the mere mention of it never fails to bring the actress to tears.
“I didn’t get to spend enough time with her. I was able to reunite with her only when she already had dementia so she probably didn’t remember that. I took care of her by way of being a provider. But I wish I was able to at least bathe her,” Ai-Ai told the Inquirer in a recent interview for the new GMA 7 afternoon series, “Raising Mamay.”
Ai-Ai was just an infant when she was entrusted by her then financially challenged parents, Rosendo and Gregorio delas Alas, to the 57-year-old actress’ aunt and eventual adoptive mother, Justa delas Alas.
“I regret not being with my biological mother before she got Alzheimer’s disease, and making her feel that I still love her even if she had to give me up… because I still love her and owe her my life,” she said.
Priceless gift
“It made me emotional whenever she said sorry or asked for my forgiveness, because I know that [giving me up] was something she wished she didn’t have to do. She didn’t have to do that. The life she gave me is something I can’t repay,” Ai-Ai said, adding that the things she wasn’t able to do with her biological mother she makes sure she does with her 93-year-old adoptive mother now.
“I get to bathe my adoptive mother, which I wasn’t able to do with my biological mother,” she said. “I get to take care of her.”
As such, Ai-Ai feels that she’s a better mother than she is a daughter. “I’m able to devote more time to my children,” said Ai-Ai, who has two sons, Sean Niccolo and Sancho, and a daughter, Sophia. “They’re my source of pride. I’m happy that I was able to raise them well and give them education… What I wasn’t able to experience as a child, I made sure to give them.”
Ai-Ai delas Alas
While she has played all sorts of mother roles in her career, her character in “Raising Mamay” is the most unexpected, she said. In the show, which airs weekdays starting April 25, Ai-Ai plays Letty, whose goal is to become a perfect wife and mother. But a shooting incident kills that dream.
Other way around
Her head injury results in brain regression, which has Letty acting like a 6-year-old kid. Her teenage daughter, Abigail (Shayne Sava) has no choice but to assume guardianship. “I think I have already played every kind of mother. But while my previous films focused on the mother’s sacrifices for her children, this time, it’s the other way around,” she said.
“It’s my first time to do a role like this, and I’m thankful for the blessing. It’s very heartwarming and touching, but there are also light and funny moments,” she added.
Psychiatrists and neurologists lent their expertise to the production team to ensure accuracy. “They explained what happens to you when your head gets injured and you suffer regression,” she said. “I also studied the gestures and nuances of young kids. It was physically and emotionally challenging.”
Asked about her costar Shayne, Ai-Ai had nothing but kind words. “She’s a good actress and she will only get even better as she matures. You can immediately sense if a child is talented. I didn’t have a tough time working with her, because she was able to keep up with the more experienced actors,” she said. INQ