Joseph Uy and Diosdado Bulano: Happy fathers of MJ and Irish

I interviewed two young married women who were active in the parish youth apostolate in St. Francis parish in La Verna and Sta. Ana Shrine parish way back in their youth days. They are to pay tribute to their respective fathers, who are also active in the same parish. They will talk about the goodness of their fathers and the good traits they have inherited from them. They will share, too, a short message for their dearest fathers.

Meet Irish Bulano-Mangayan, 36 years old, of Sta. Ana Shrine parish, sharing her beautiful thoughts for her father, DIOSDADO BULANO, a 68-year old father of three grown-up kids: Irish, Ryan, and Krisha. He is an active member of the Family and Life Apostolate in Sta. Ana Shrine Parish. This is what Irish had to say about his father:

It is through Papa that I have felt the goodness of God. His life is a living testimony of God’s providence. Growing up Papa had to sell sweepstakes until he graduated to put himself through school, and he never stopped struggling to provide our family with a good life. I was inspired to follow him as a CPA as my way to give back – or so I thought, but even now that I already have my own family, it is him, who continues to care for me in countless ways. Papa is hardworking, credible and dependable and I could only hope to become even half as great as he is.

A special trait I always admired in Papa is the strength of his faith. He would always bring our family to church every Sunday and witnessing him serving as a lector has kindled in me a desire to serve in the ministry as well – and so did all my siblings. Papa’s faith led us to love God and to serve Him. Papa’s steadfast faith was deeply imprinted in me – and this led me to nurture my Catholic faith in my family as well, especially to my son, Ioseph.

On this special day I just want Papa to know how much I appreciate and love him. Papa, you are my greatest source of wisdom and strength, thank you for your kindness and for always being there for me. I am forever grateful to God for the greatness of His love – that I am blessed to feel every day because of your love, Papa. I pray may God fill your days with happiness, health and holiness. I love you 3000x!”

Meet Mary Justine Uy-Alhambra, 31 years old of St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Verna, sharing her beautiful thoughts for her father, JOSEPH UY. He is an active church leader and one of the original pillars of St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Verna. This is what MJ had to say about his father:

My Father’s goodness is found in his unconditional love, quiet strength, and lifelong sacrifices for our family. He devoted his life to being a loving husband and a devoted father to eight children, always putting our needs before his own. When my mother passed away in 2020, he carried not only his own grief but also ours. Despite the grief, he stood firm, becoming our source of comfort, guidance, and hope. His goodness is the reason our family remained strong and filled with love even in the hardest moments.

I inherited from him his resilience. From him, I learned how to stay strong in silence, how to love deeply without complaint, and how to move forward even when the heart is heavy.

Happy father’s day Dad. Words will never be enough to thank you for all your sacrifices. Thank you for being both our mother and father, for holding our family together, and for loving us with all your heart. We honor you, we appreciate you, and we love you more than you will ever know.