Senator Grace Poe, veteran actress Susan Roces’ daughter, said her mother prepared their family before she passed away.
The Queen of Philippine movies passed away last Friday due to cardiopulmonary arrest. She was born on July 28, 1941.
Poe recalled that for the past two weeks, she had noticed how her mother’s demeanor had changed. They also noticed how she had lost her appetite.
“The past two weeks, meron nang kakaiba, kasi alam mo 'yang nanay ko mabilis 'yan 'pag may mga balita, lalo na sa mundo ng pulitika kung saan ako ay nakikipagtunggali minsan (we noticed changes, because as you know my mom is fast when it comes to news, especailly in the world of poltiics, and sometimes we argue),” Poe told reporters in an interview at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City on May 21, Saturday evening.
“Siya 'yung unang tumatawag sa akin at sasabihin niya, 'O, ano na'ng balita; ano na 'yung magiging desisyon mo?' O kaya, 'Bakit ganu'n ang isinagot mo, dapat ito ang sinabi mo' at saka, ano na'ng kwento sa mga apo niya. Kami 'yung phonepals, so halos every other day, o araw-araw nag-uusap kami (She is the first to call me and ask ‘what’s the latest news; what is going to be your deecision?’ Or sometimes she would say, why did you say that? This is what you should have said. And she would ask updates about her grandchildren. We were phonepals, almost every other day or sometimes everyday we talk),” Poe recalled.
“Pero noong nakaraang dalawang linggo, kasi 'pag nag-uusap kami, minsan isang oras o isang oras at kalahati ang average n'yan, parang mga 10 minuto lang, sinasabi niya, 'Sige na, sige na,' at parang nahahapo siya (But during the past two weeks—because we used to talk for over an hour and a half which is the average—we now talk for just about 10 minutes, and she would say ‘Go, go’ as if she’s very tired),” the senator narrated.
“Doon na namin talaga napagdesisyunan ng aking mga pinsan na mukhang meron nang iba dito kasi hindi na rin siya makakain. Ayaw na rin niyang kumain (That’s when we decided, me and my cousins, that indeed there is something wrong because she could no longer eat. She doesn’t want to eat anymore),” she added.
Poe also said that when they brought their mother to the hospital last Tuesday, Roces left reminders for her grandchildren and complained about pains.
She said her mother told her to fix her father’s house in Baguio so their children can stay there for vacations.
Roces had also been missing her husband Fernando Poe, Jr. the King of Philippine Movies, who passed away in 2004. The senator said her mom has missing her husband since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
“Ang masasabi ko lang po kahit na po nagkaroon siya ng sakit, hindi naman po siya nawalan ng makakasama, na'ndu'n po ang kanyang mga mahal sa buhay (All I can say is that even though she was ill, no one left her side, all her loved ones are beside her),” the lawmaker said.
“At siya naman po, lahat naman po ng mga pinangarap niya ay nakamtan na niya at lahat ng mga nais niyang tulungan, natulungan niya. Handa na rin po kami pero siyempre kami po ay nagluluksa (For her part, she fulfilled all she dreamed of, and all those she wanted to help, she was able to help. We were prepared for her passing, but still we are grieving),” she said.
“Gusto ko lang sabihin sa kanya na maraming salamat hinanda niya kami (I just want to say to her, thank you very much, because she really prepared all of us for her death),” added Poe.
“‘Ma, parang nawalan ako ng saklay. Pero sabi mo naman palagi ‘di ba, ‘Grasya, kaya mo ‘yan. Kayanin mo ‘yan. Huwag mo akong papahiyain.’ So kakayanin namin at alam kong nand’yan ka (Ma, it’s like I lost a crutch. But as you always say, you can do it Grace, you have to do it. Don’t let me down. So I know we can move on, knowing you are there),” Poe said.