EXCLUSIVE: Push.com.ph visits the family of AJ Perez three years after his death

Three years since AJ Perez passed away, the late actor’s father Gerry Perez shared that his family has now coped with their loss. He admitted that looking back, the journey has been tough. Nonetheless, he underscored that they are slowly on their way to healing.

“After three years, we're okay, except for the past first year, second year, and going on the third, nong palapit ng palapit na medyo napapalungkot pero hindi na ganon kalungkot as before the first two years na na-experience namin,” he relayed in an exclusive interview with Push.com.ph.

He added, “Pero you could sense also, lalo na sa kapatid niya and sa mommy niya, you cannot help but recall ‘yung mga times na… ‘yung mga events na nangyari before the accident happened. But in hindsight okay naman, we're kumbaga ‘yung sinasabi nila na 'keri naman.’”

Currently, the family is continuing AJ’s projects by helping with a scholarship program in La Salle (AJ’s school) and the Eye Bank Foundation. “We are supporting a group, it’s ano ng La Salle Greenhills na night school since education ang ano [advocacy] ni AJ. So we adopt every year at least two na kids na pinipili nila and then we adopt them and we pay for their tuition fee and we call it ‘AJ Perez Scholarship Program,’” Tito Gerry shared. He added that they also support the Eye Bank.

They also just moved to their new home this year at a place where AJ once dreamed of living. “It was two years ago when we started this house, we just moved in this year. We used to be in White Plains (subdivision). There was a time na tinanong ko si AJ, ‘Kung may pagkakataon ka na meron kang patayuan na bahay?’ Without a doubt sabi niya dito. We looked for a property which is in honor of him,” he said.

In their new house will be a special prayer room dedicated to their late son. “In the house we have a prayer room, but it is not yet finished. It's like a memorabilia na rin. Sa ngayon we have the room already, medyo chapel na maliit pero papagawan pa namin.”

Tito Gerry and his entire family will be commemorating AJ’s death anniversary on Thursday, April 17.