DURING election year, the family, as an institution, inevitably gets more brickbats than praise.
The number of spouses, children and relatives fielded in the wake of politicians raises the spectre of political dynasties.
Along with nepotism, this form of traditional politics has long been blamed for the country’s endemic culture of corruption and other ills.
But is the Filipino family really a cesspool promoting greed over service, self-perpetuation over servant-leadership?
The basic unit of the Filipino social system is guided by the value system passed on by its primary formators, the parents who rear and mentor their children.
But as with more complex institutions, the younger generation consolidates or dilutes the legacy of their predecessors. For better or worse, the rise and fall of Filipino society hinges on this elemental, crucial link provided by the nuclear family.
One for all
Despite the amputation of his left leg nearly four years ago, Emil Rizada Jr., 73, has dealt with juvenile diabetes for 48 years. It is a feat he attributes to divine blessings and the support of his wife, Rose, 72, and his six children.
At a very young age, the children adjusted to a “diabetic” diet of malunggay, kangkong and green leafy vegetables. The spartan diet grated most when they saw the rich, sweet indulgences eaten by their friends and other children in the school canteen.
But the Rizada children, now nurses and entrepreneurs, persevered. Rose remembers how, when the family was about to build their house, daughter Inday Enore, then three, said that instead of asking for an occasional ice cream treat, she would have the money saved to buy nails.
The family’s loyalty to a shared aim was fostered during countless family conferences. Both Emil and Rose believed in their children’s maturity and consulted them for all decisions, big or small.
For instance, each child determined the amount of their school allowance by calculating how much they needed for fare and meals. The principles of prioritizing need over want and living within one’s allowance were not difficult for the children to accept as their parents lived by example.
Starting at the age of seven, Emil sold fruits and vegetables; worked as a shoeshine boy and later as a kutsero (driver of a horse-pulled public transport popular during World War II); and sold newspapers, Sweepstakes tickets, and nipa shingles.
All for one
Frugality and thrift were encouraged through the practice of bugti, with Emil and Rose counterparting with the same amount what each child saved for the week. When the children’s academic performance garnered scholarships, their parents deposited in the child’s account the amount that would have been spent for tuition.
It was not the value of money but of hard work and self-reliance that the Rizadas tried to impress on their children.
Yet work should only be secondary to family, Rose clarifies. She resigned as a government nurse to become a division supervisor with the education department, a job entailing regular hours. This gave her more time with the children as Emil’s broadcasting career had branched out into advertising, public relations and entrepreneurship.
Providing for his family—at one point, directing 13 drama serials and two live shows, as well as owning and managing two radio stations in Iloilo City and Calbayog, Samar—Emil believed in managing his work to spend quality time with the family.
At the height of his popularity in media, Emil received three proposals to run for public office, which he turned down.
The couple’s sacrifices did not go unnoticed. Rose was chosen as one of the “Outstanding Women of Cebu” for the “Women in Profession” award by the Zonta Club of Cebu II and the Cebu City Government in 1990.
For the multi-awarded Emil, a radio pioneer given an “Exemplary Award” by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas in 2002, a family milestone was their receiving the Angkan Award for “Model Filipino Family” from the World Family Institute Inc. at the Heroes Hall in Malacañang Palace in 1994.
The penultimate came in 1994 when their children, in-laws and grandchildren held a surprise tribute for them. Raising a family entails sacrifice and hard work, Rose recalls. “But it is work offered as a prayer to the Creator.”
