Maxene Magalona recalls alcohol binges, partying to cope with father’s death

Maxene Magalona with her late father Francis Magalona | Image: Instagram/@maxenemagalona

When her father Francis Magalona died after a lingering illness, Maxene Magalona admitted that she tried to find solace in extensive drinking and partying.

Francis M., known for his hit songs “Kaleidoscope World,” “Mga Kababayan,” and “Girl Be Mine,” among others, died in 2009 due to leukemia. 

Speaking on the “Updated with Nelson Canlas” podcast, Maxene said she was “too broken” at the time to know that the things she was doing were not good for her.

“Hindi rin ako ashamed to admit na kalat ako noon (I’m also not ashamed to admit that I was a mess right then). And also, it was because of my father’s death, because I didn’t know how to deal with it,” she said.

“So I turned to alcohol; I turned to partying so that I could numb the pain. And then everyone was, parang, I guess pinagbibigyan ako kasi alam nilang may pinagdadaanan ako (they let me be because they knew I was going through something),” she further said.

Now a yoga instructor, Magalona said her drinking and partying days are over, though that episode lasted for five years before she realized that it’s no longer healthy and that she realized that she need to come to terms with her father’s death.

“When I was going through that painful experience, hindi ko na-realize five years na pala akong tuloy-tuloy umiinom at puma-party (I didn’t realize that it’s been five years of me constantly drinking and partying). Umiinom ako, naglalasing ako kasi nawala si papa eh.’ And then five years na pala, ganu’n pa rin ‘yung excuse ko (I’m getting drunk because my father is gone is the excuse I’ve been using in those five years),” expressed Maxene.

“I had to accept it. Kasi me drinking and partying; that was me resisting what was happening in the present moment. That was me denying my pain,” she continued.

Later on, Maxene realized that the Master Rapper’s death brought her closer to God and said her current best state is what her father wants for her.

“Tinanggap ko (I accepted) that my dad’s death is a part of my human experience, and it is one of my unique assignments from God,” she said. “And of course, being the person that I am now, hindi na umiinom (no longer drinking), hindi na puma-party (no longer partying), this is what would make my dad proud, ‘di ba?”