Today is Father’s Day when tributes will flow as we pause to honor the special man in our lives. The man we call “Tatay,” “Daddy,” or “Papa” will be the center of attention, honored for what he had done for his family. It’s become a tradition to remember our fathers on this day because of his importance to the family, the basic unit of society, where future citizens learn the values that will create a more humane community. Proclamation No. 266, signed in 1988, declares every third Sunday of June as Father’s Day, and every second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day in the Philippines. “It is only fitting and proper to dedicate certain days of the year to confer tribute to the important role of the Filipino mothers and fathers in instilling and fostering love, respect, discipline, industry and enterprise within their home and the community where they belong…,” the proclamation states. Tradition, a presidential proclamation and commercial campaigns to encourage gifts as tribute, will not allow anyone to miss the significance of Father’s Day. Indeed, there is no excuse not to remember one’s father today. Honoring a father will take many forms – from the simplest card saying “To the best father in the world!” to the most expensive gift stating the giver’s financial state to show gratefulness for a father’s devotion.  But there are precious gifts that will not involve spending. The gift of your time is a most precious gift.  Visit, talk about your job, friends, family, even the traffic situation, or sit silently and watch a game together. To a father, especially if he is a retiree, a visit from anyone breaks the routine. Making a father feel needed is another precious gift. James Deakin, in his Manila Bulletin column wrote about his last memory of his dad “with a smile so bright, I thought his face would crack.” Deakin had misplaced his passport and just when the check-in counter was about to close, his dad came to hand it to him – after driving from about 90 kilometers away. “The primal joy came from the simple fact that I needed him and he came through for me. And as a parent, there's no greater joy than that,” he wrote in a father’s day tribute. A gift that will honor the memory of an outstanding father is a good reputation for the family name. Living a life showing kindness, goodness, helpfulness, honesty and generosity reflects on how the home had raised a child. A gift you can also extend to a father today and many days of his life is patience. A father is a master of patience because he had spent much time waiting for his children.  He waited at airports, bus terminals and ports for a child to come home. He waited somewhere in the mall for a child to finish shopping.  He waited outside the school gate for the dismissal bell. He waited for ballet lessons and football practice to finish, usually on weekends when he could use the hour to rest. Today, do not make Tatay, Dad, or Papa wait.  Give him the gift of your time.