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Former UP student turned lawyer reunites with her ‘Tatay’ taho vendor

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Naging viral ang kuwento ng dating University of the Philippines-Diliman student na si Alex Castro na ngayo’y isa nang abogado matapos ibahagi sa Facebook ang muling pagkikita nila ng kanyang tatay-tatayan na si Romeo “Dingdong” Castro, isang 62 anyos na taho vendor simula pa noong 1986.Ikinuwento ni Alex na noong freshman pa lamang siya sa unibersidad ay madalas niyang nakikita si tatay Dong sa harapan ng kanyang building at sa kanya naman siya bumibili ng taho bilang almusal. Kinalaunan ay naging close ang dalawa at parang anak na ang naging turing nito sa kanya.“We’d chat every morning over taho. Eventually, you found out that I’d always go to school with an empty stomach. So you made it a point to wait for me in the morning, rain or shine, with a fresh cup of taho, every single day for four years, until I finished my undergrad degree,” ani Alex.“I was just a daughter you picked up along the way, but you were so protective of me,” dagdag pa niya.Ikinuwento rin ni Alex ang kabutihang ginawa sa kanya ng kanyang Tatay Dong.“One rainy day in December of 2009, I went to school without a jacket. I remember you were so concerned. So the following morning, you handed me a package along with my taho. When I opened it, it was your jacket. The one you were wearing the previous morning, and all the mornings before that. Your ~only~ jacket. You wouldn’t take it back, and the only thing you said to me when I tried to give it back for the last time is, ‘Nilaban ko na ‘yan, ‘Nak. Iyo na ‘yan.’“Eventually, I was able to return the favor. I got you a new jacket for you to wear. You wore it with so much pride and such a huge smile the morning after, and all the mornings after that. Whenever your friends asked about it, you’d always say, ‘Bigay ng anak ko ‘yan.’”Matapos ang walong taong pag-aaral ng abogasya ay naging ganap na siyang abogado at gustung-gusto niyang balikan ang kanyang tatay-tatayan at sabihing, “Tay, may abogado ka na.”“Fortunately, earlier today, word got to you that I was in UP. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw you rushing to the Sunken Garden from afar. When you saw me, you immediately embraced me and exclaimed, ‘I missed you!’ It truly felt like a homecoming. You held me so tight, and finally, I was able to tell you the words you said you’d wait to hear from me — ‘‘Tay, may abogado ka na.’“I hope I made you proud, ‘Tay. You deserve all the love in the world.”Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa mahigit 94,000 reacts na ito sa Facebook, mahigit na 2,700 comments at nasa 23,000 shares na ang ang kuwento ni Alex.<div><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowtransparency="true" frameBorder="0" height="636" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D2299518523405490%26set%3Da.572933256064034%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="500"></iframe></div>

Alex Castro, who is now a lawyer, told the taho vendor, ‘‘Tay, may abogado ka na.’