Late post: January 23, 2026
I was at Gov. Ito’s office at the Rizal Capitol Building in Antipolo sometime in December when he asked about my brothers. “Kumusta si Junior?” he said. It turned out that Gov. Ito was scheduled to travel to San Francisco in mid-January — and so was I. Natymepo our schedules would intersect.
Before I left for the U.S., I gave his secretary my U.S. phone number and shared my travel schedule.
Here in the U.S., there are so many cold calls — robocalls and spam calls from telemarketers selling insurance, offering credit cards, loans, and kung anu-ano pa. Marami ring scam. So most of the time, when the number isn’t registered on my phone, I don’t answer.
In the afternoon of January 21, while my son and I were in the car on our way to the San Francisco Premium Outlets in Livermore, my phone rang. My son quickly said, “Mom, don’t answer it.” But when I looked at the number, something made me decide to pick up.
“Hello?”
The man on the other line said, “Hello, Annie!”
It was Gov. Ito. Good thing I answered. He asked what days my brothers were available. Akala niya nagki-clinic pa ang Kuya Junior. But Kuya is already 83 and matagal nang retired from Kaiser Medical Center.
And so this happened on January 23, a Friday.
After 50 years, Kuya Junior and Gov. Ito saw each other again. Half a century — and yet, when they met, it was as if no time had passed.
Kuya Junior was surprised and deeply happy to see his kababata.
The smiles, the laughter, the familiar way they spoke to each other — it brought them right back to their younger days. Some friendships may pause for decades, but when they resume, they feel exactly the same.
Actually, Kuya Lito (Tito to my parents, brothers, and their childhood friends), is Gov Ito’s batchmate. Sila ang magka klase. Magka-edad sila, 79 this year.
Kuya Junior was teasing Gov. Ito, Malaki daw ang utang na loob sa kanya kasi nung araw, nung unang takbo ni Ito pagka mayor ng Binangonan, kasama pala ang Kuya Junior nangampanya rin sa isla. Kasi nga doctor ang Kuya Junior, nagche-check up sya ng mga tao.
Our town has 7 islands, mostly small and are situated along the eastern portion of Laguna de Bay. Talim Island is the largest and most populated among them.
Gov’s youngest, Mia, accompanied him, and I was amazed that she was the one who drove almost an hour to get here. The Bay Area, pala, is her second home — she studied and grew up there. Nakakarating daw yan nag da drive to Las Vegas.
Mia is the incumbent congresswoman representing the 1st District of Rizal, which includes the municipalities of Angono, Binangonan, Cainta, and Taytay. She replaced Cong. Jack Duavit, who decided to take some time off from public service.
Kuya Junior thought Mia was still a college student because she looks so young. We were all impressed by how humble she is and how impeccable her manners are. Kahit laking America, she speaks Tagalog fluently and nagma-mano pa. Ganun din si Mayor Rhea Ynares, daughter of Boyet Ynares, youngest brother of Gov. Ito, — also raised in America, yet humble and marunong mag-bless.
It’s refreshing to see young leaders who carry themselves with grace, respect, and deep Filipino values wherever they go.
Mia, Kuya Lito, Gov. Ito, Len
It was a joy watching them reminisce their funny childhood experiences. Yung mga first crush nila sa school, kung sino ang mga niligawan, mga naging nobya. Sino teachers.
Gov. Ito and Kuya Tito were classmates from grade 1 to high school. Yung high school batch daw nila ay originally more than one hundred. Now, they are down to 18, napaka rami ng namatay, tapos yung iba meron pang mga sakit. Pakonti na sila ng pakonti. Kuya wasn’t able to attend their batch’s Christmas party last December hosted by Gov. Ito. Their classmates daw were looking for him.
Gov. Ito and Edmund share the same birthday, August 26. Every year meron syang big party at his house pero this year daw, wala na syang maimbita kasi most are dead. Mga patay na. That’s both funny and sad. Si Erap daw, hindi na sya kilala. Ang T’yo Bibit patay na. Kaya sa town na lang daw namin sa Binangonan sya magse-celebrate kasama mga constituents.
Watching them remind us of who we were before the world became complicated. Nakakatuwa kasi sila pa rin yung mga bata nuon. I still vividly remember one time. The young “Ito” was at our house waiting for my brothers. He’d been waiting for a long time but my brothers were not yet home. Nuon kasi we eat dinner at 6 pm. My mom started setting the table. Then she called Ito to join us. “Ito! Ito! Halika at sumubo ka.”
When my father looked for him, he was gone. My mom said “Ano ba yung batang yun, bakit biglang umalis ay nakahain na.” My father replied “nahihiya siguro.”
Bong’s father was Atty. Reynaldo Aralar who once served as councilor when Gov. Ito was still mayor of Binangonan.
Ate Linda and Gov. Ito are actually relatives. They haven’t seen each other since Kuya Junior and Ate Linda immigrated to the US. I still remember when I was in elementary, Ate Linda went to their house in Layunan, nadulas sya sa front porch. Madilim na kasi at madulas yung baldosa.
What a fun and blessed day.
