Wilbert "Wise" Lee

Today, I had the chance to visit my mentor and friend, Ed Sarto.

Seeing him brought me back to those Mondays on radio many years ago. Back then, I was just learning the ropes — how to be a host, a commentator, and how to find my voice behind the microphone. I thought I was simply learning radio. Looking back now, I realize I was learning from one of the best.

What I remember most are not the broadcasts themselves, but the conversations, the laughter, the lessons, and the friendship that came with them. At the time, they felt like ordinary Mondays. Looking back now, I realize they were some of the moments that quietly shaped a part of who I am today.

Funny how life works. We spend so much time chasing the next goal that we often fail to notice that some of the best parts of our journey are the people we meet along the way.

Thank you, Ed, for the guidance, the patience, the wisdom, and the friendship. Thank you for helping me find my voice behind the microphone and for sharing lessons that have stayed with me long after the microphones were turned off.

It was wonderful seeing you again today.

Some memories fade with time. Some never do. Those Mondays will always be one of them.

“You may rise to positions of great influence in commercial, political or professional life, but can never reach the heights of your mother’s secret hopes for you. You may sink into the lowest depths of infamy and degradation but not below the reach of her love. The memory of it will always stir your heart. There is no man so entirely base, so completely vile, so utterly low that he does not hold in his heart a shrine sacred and apart for the memory of his mother’s love.”
— Excerpt from Order of DeMolay Flower Talk

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers whose hearts break silently so their children can smile freely.

To the mothers who carried burdens they never spoke about… who hid their pain behind gentle smiles… who chose sacrifice over comfort, exhaustion over rest, and worry over peace — just so their children could have a better life — thank you will never be enough.

As children, we often never notice the little things.
The sleepless nights.
The silent prayers.
The tears hidden in the dark.
The fears they carried alone.
The dreams they quietly gave up for us.

We only remember that somehow, no matter how difficult life became, our mother always found a way to make us feel safe.

And one day, when life finally humbles us, we begin to understand the painful truth — that behind every strong child was a mother slowly tiring herself out without ever asking for recognition.

No love in this world is more patient.
No heart forgives more completely.
No hands hold us more gently in our weakest moments.

No matter how old a man becomes, how powerful he becomes, or how far he goes in life, somewhere deep inside him remains a child still longing for the comfort, warmth, and love of his mother.

Today is for the women who gave pieces of their lives so their children could have a chance at theirs.

Maligayang kaarawan po, Ma’am Mayor Leni Robredo —isang tunay na huwaran ng tapat, matapang, at makataong pamumuno.

Sa tahimik ngunit walang sawang paglilingkod ninyo sa bawat Nagueño, may mga pusong hindi ninyo nakikita—mga taong tahimik na nahahawakan, napapalakas, at napapaalalahanan na may kabutihan pa rin sa pamumuno.

Hindi lang sa mga katulad kong Bicolano, kundi sa napakaraming Pilipino—kayo ay naging isang paalala na ang tunay na lider ay hindi nasusukat sa posisyon, kundi sa puso at malasakit na handang ibigay para sa iba.

May mga pagkakataon na hindi man ito nasasabi, pero ang inyong halimbawa ay nagiging gabay—sa kung paano maglingkod, kung paano manindigan, at kung paano manatiling totoo sa tama kahit mahirap.

Ngayong araw, sana maramdaman ninyo—kahit sa katahimikan—ang taos-pusong pasasalamat ng marami sa lahat ng ibinibigay ninyo.

Dahil ang kabutihang ibinibigay ninyo ay hindi nawawala—nananatili ito sa mga taong tahimik ninyong naaabot.

Nawa’y patuloy kayong pagpalain ng lakas, kapayapaan, at karunungan.

Maligayang kaarawan po.

Met Maxie C. Meñez III from Grand Hyatt BGC earlier while I was waiting for my car.

It was supposed to be just a passing moment… but we ended up talking about life.

And in those few minutes, something shifted.

Because sometimes, we move too fast. We walk in and out of places, greeted by people in uniform, served, assisted… and we forget to really see them.

But behind that uniform is a life just as heavy, just as real as ours.
Someone who wakes up early, sets aside his own worries, carries responsibilities we will never fully know—and still chooses to show up with a smile.

Maxie didn’t say anything extraordinary.
But there was honesty in his words… and quiet strength in his presence.

And it made me realize—
people like him are the ones holding things together in ways we don’t notice.

They keep our days running smoothly.
They make our lives easier.
They carry a part of the world on their shoulders… quietly, without recognition.

And maybe that’s what makes it even more powerful.

Not everyone will be seen.
Not everyone will be thanked.
But that doesn’t make what they do any less important.

So today, I pause.

To appreciate.
To acknowledge.
To remember that every person we meet has a story worth listening to.

Thank you, Maxie.

And to everyone out there doing honest work, carrying silent burdens, and still choosing to smile—

You matter more than you know.

Yesterday started before the sun.

Manila to Cebu—early flight.
A full day of meetings, conversations, decisions…
the kind of day that keeps you moving so you don’t have to feel anything.

And last night…
I was on my way back—Cebu to Daraga, Albay.
Sitting by the window, watching the sun slowly disappear.

And I don’t know why…
but something inside me just gave way.

Because this view—
this exact view—
I’ve seen this before.

Not like yesterday.
Not with all the weight I carry now.

But years ago…
when I was still studying in Manila,
when I would take those “Sunriser” flights of PAL—₱600 tickets,
always hoping there was a seat available…

Just so I could go home.

Home to Sorsogon.
Home to you, Pa.

Back then, everything was simple.
I didn’t think about time.
I didn’t think about how moments end.
I just knew that when I land,
you would be there.

And that was enough.

Last night, I took almost the same route.
Seeing almost the same sky.
But it felt completely different.

Because no matter how many flights I take now…
I can’t fly back to you anymore.

And that truth—
it hits harder in moments like this.

I suddenly miss you…
not in a quiet way,
but in a way that aches.

I miss you in the spaces between meetings,
in the silence after a long day,
in that window seat where I used to feel excited
because I was coming home to you.

I wish I held on longer to those days.
I wish I knew that those simple flights—
those ordinary mornings—
were already the best moments of my life.

If I could trade everything I have now
for just one more of those flights…
I would.

Just to see you again.
Just to sit with you.
Just to feel that I’m home.

It’s 5:00 AM now…
and I still haven’t slept.

I’ve just been here,
quiet…
replaying everything.

And without even realizing it,
I found myself tearing up—
just remembering you.

Maybe because for the first time in a while,
I allowed myself to feel it fully.

You’re still with me… I know that.
But this morning, it’s different.

This morning…
I just really miss you, Pa.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit naniniwala akong ang tamang suporta sa tamang tao ay nagbabago ng buhay.

Si Engr. Rico Elao na Top 1 sa Civil Engineering Board Exam. Magna Cum Laude. 4Ps beneficiary.

Naging Top 1 siya dahil may sistema na nagtiwala sa kanya at sa kanyang pamilya na sila ay may kakahayang makaahon sa kahirapan.

Tulad nga ng sinabi natin: “Hindi lang ayuda ang kailangan ng mahihirap nating kababayan. Kailangan din nila ng oportunidad para makaahon sa buhay.”

Sa ilang mga committee hearings sa Kongreso, maging sa mga interviews na dinaluhan natin noon, lagi nating idiniin na "hindi sapat na tulungan lang natin ang mga mahihirap sa araw-araw. Dapat bigyan din natin sila ng pagkakataong mabago ang kanilang kinabukasan."

Iyan ang tunay na silbi ng 4Ps, hindi lang cash assistance. Pagkakataon at dignidad. Puwang para maniwala sa sarili.

Maraming katulad ni Rico sa ating bansa. Naghihintay lang ng parehong pagkakataon.

Kaya patuloy nating isusulong na palawakin, palakasin, at protektahan ang mga programang nagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga pamilyang nangangailangan.

Congratulations, Engr. Rico! Ikaw ay patunay na walang pangarap na hindi kayang abutin lalo na kung para makaahon sa kahirapan.

AGRI at saludo tayo riyan! 👍

Easter Sunday in China

Today… life spoke in two quiet moments.

Today is also 清明 (Qingming Festival) here in China — a day of remembrance.

This morning, I went to visit my grandmother’s tomb…
a moment of silence, of gratitude, of remembering the love that carried me when I was young, alone, and studying in Manila.

And in the afternoon, I found myself at Mass.

📍 Our Lady of the Rosary Church (Ci’an Road Catholic Church)

From remembrance… to resurrection.
From stillness… to hope.

Because today, we are reminded —
He is risen.

And standing there, far from home, I realized…
Easter is not just about the empty tomb.
It is about the promise that life is stronger than death.

That love does not end.
That what is given with the heart… lives on.

Today carried both —
the quiet ache of remembering,
and the deep peace of believing.

And somehow, in between…
you begin to understand —

that even in loss,
even in distance,
even in silence…

there is always resurrection.