Czarina Faith Abuso

"Saving Grace" cast shares sweet, heartfelt stories about their moms

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

We Filipinos hold our mothers in the highest regard. After all, they are our first source of love, strength, and guidance. That deep respect for motherhood is one of the core themes explored in “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace">Saving Grace: The Untold Story</a>,” which delves into the power of being a mother and what truly defines a mother’s love.As they continue to serve up intense drama weeknights, the “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace">Saving Grace</a>” stars take a moment to appreciate their own mothers by talking about their admirable qualities and the immeasurable sacrifices and impact they&#x27;ve had on their lives.Elisse Joson spoke with so much love while sharing about her mother, Christine Joson, a single parent whose only wish is for her to achieve her dreams and become a great mother to Felize—just as Mommy Christine was to her. &quot;She&#x27;s very strict, but she&#x27;s very loving. One hundred percent &#x27;yung pagmamahal niya sa akin at ramdam na ramdam ko &#x27;yun.&quot; While her mom’s strictness can sometimes be intimidating, Elisse knows it always comes from a place of care. Many showbiz spectators have witnessed firsthand how actress Jean Garcia gracefully and firmly raised her daughter, Jennica Garcia, as a single parent. That&#x27;s why Jennica deeply admires her mom for overcoming major challenges. &quot;Hindi biro ang maging isang single mom. Kinaya niya. At sa household namin, siya talaga &#x27;yung tatay ko instead na nanay ko kasi siya &#x27;yung nagtatrabaho,&quot; she says, adding that Jean&#x27;s love language is gift-giving.Christian Bables has nothing but affection and admiration for his mother, whom he describes as a kind and nurturing woman—&quot;mapag-aruga,&quot; as he puts it.For Sam Milby, his mother, Elsie Lacia, who hails from Surigao del Sur, is the embodiment of love. &quot;She wanted to give so much love. She loved to spend as much time as she could with us. She wanted to just be with us physically,&quot; he says, noting that his mom’s love language was quality time. Though she isn’t the most verbally expressive, she makes sure to show her love through bonding moments and shared experiences. Sam also admires how his mom balances discipline and support. &quot;She was so good at disciplining us, but she was very supportive. Hindi siya &#x27;yung parang pinipilit na, &#x27;Ito ang dapat gawin mo.&#x27; Instead, she was like, &#x27;Ito &#x27;yung gusto mong gawin? Sige, susuportahan kita.&#x27;&quot; He really appreciates that about her.Many artists can surely relate to Janice de Belen’s experience of having a stage mom. &quot;All throughout my career, siya &#x27;yung lagi kong kasama ‘pag pupunta sa taping, when I started until I got married,” she says, reminiscing about her fondest memories with her mom, Cynthia Susan Yap-de Belen, who passed away in 2016. Like most mothers, Janice&#x27;s Mommy Cynthia was strict at times, but her love and care never changed.Sharon Cuneta’s mom, Elaine Gamboa, was a beloved woman to many. That’s why it’s no surprise that she had so much love to give until she passed away in 2014. Sharon&#x27;s eyes spoke volumes of sentimentality as she reminisced about how her mother was both strict and fun. &quot;Minsan nagka-clash kami kasi pareho kaming bull-headed at saka strong, pero my mom had the best laugh. And the way she would make us laugh was really &#x27;yung gugulong ka sa sahig sa kakatawa,&quot; she shared. Mommy Elaine was also known for her kindness and generosity, treating everyone equally regardless of social status. She was helpful and generous &quot;until she died.&quot; She had a way with words, so we can only imagine how much comfort and affection Sharon received from her mother’s words.Meanwhile, many people, especially her followers, know just how special Julia Montes&#x27; relationship is with her mom, Gemma Hautea, who is deaf and mute. &quot;Childhood ko is different from other kids because ako ang mama tapos &#x27;yung mama ko ang anak ko, gano&#x27;n &#x27;yung relationship namin, so it&#x27;s very special,&quot; shared Julia. She also believes that her experiences with her mother will play a big role in shaping the kind of mother she will become.Witness the many faces of motherhood in “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/savinggrace">Saving Grace: The Untold Story</a>,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), TV5, and A2Z.