Remembering Ms. Iquit

"I'll pay for everything!"

Ms. Iquit's voice reverberated in the small restaurant where we having inasal for dinner. We were in Iloilo for a media activity that was going to be held the following day, and we had just found out that the person in charge of the materials needed for the event left the items back in Manila. She was understandably frustrated as she tried to work out a way to solve the issue. The most logical solution was to have someone catch a red-eye to bring the materials over, but budget concerns came up, hence, Ms. Iquit's pronouncement that she will shoulder the expenses herself.

The whole restaurant turned quiet. Natakot yata sila na pati sila bilhin ni Ms. Iquit haha! But after a short while, everything was sorted out and we - other diners included - were able to finally enjoy our inasal in peace. Ms. Lals and I couldn't help but tease Ms. Iquit about her movie-worthy line, and she just laughed it off, used to our hirits as she was.

And that's how Ms. Iquit was. She was always down for some laughs and would even be the instigator at times, but when it was time to work, she would always make sure that things were executed to her standards. This was exactly how we successfully achieved and even exceeded our team's targets, and why our brand tops the industry in terms of PR and share-of-voice in every platform.

For the past nine years, it has been a delight being a part of her team. She was like a mom to me - and that is a description I do not take lightly. She shared her wisdom but mostly gave me the freedom to fly, allowing me to discover more of what I can do and how far I can go. It was under her guidance that I was able to come up with some of my best work thus far.

And I will always be grateful. For the lessons, the encouragement, the support, and the generosity, but most of all for the opportunity - the opportunity to be a part of her team, to be a part of Marketeam, and to be a part of Sun Life. This is one of the biggest blessings of my life, and it was all because back in 2013, she decided to take me under her wing.

And now she's gone.

Ang hirap pa ring maniwala na wala na sya. I am slowly - very slowly - coming to terms with it, but once in a while, the tears would come as I remember a random memory and then it hits me all over again that I will never see her again, will never get to hear her colorful stories again, will never go on random team lunch dates again. Ang lungkot. Sobra. Our team will miss her so. 

I will miss her so.

I am grateful that her daughter Denise welcomed visitors during Ms. Iquit's last few days, and that I had the chance to be with her one last time. It was not easy seeing her so frail, but it was a joy getting to share stories again and seeing her react through a smile or a thumbs-up. More than anything, I am glad that I had the chance to thank her for the good she has brought into my life. I will strive to pay it forward every single day.  

We love you, Ms. Iquit.