Son thanks mom — a 20-yr Hong Kong DH; takes her on Asian tour

Urban planner Hans Alcanzare takes his mother, Teresita, on a five-nation Asian tour in gratitude for her working 20 years as a domestic helper in Hong Kong to support him and six siblings through school. HANS ALCANZARE FACEBOOK PAGE

To thank his mother for toiling for 20 years in Hong Kong as a foreign domestic worker, a filial Filipino son has taken her on a holiday around Asia, stopping by in Singapore just this week.

Urban planner Hans Alcanzare wrote his thanks to his mother, Teresita Alcanzare, 61, in a Facebook post last Saturday (June 10), the day she retired, saying that he and his six siblings owe her a lot.

“Hi Ma, it’s time to go home! I still remember when I was still six years old, when you left us… to give us a better life,” he wrote.

“After 20 years of working hard and sacrifice, it resulted in a dream for us… We are so blessed to have a mum like you who doesn’t give up on us.”

He congratulated his mother on her “graduation” and said: “Before you go home for good, let’s go on an all-expense-paid Asia trip. We love you mum! First stop: Singapore!”

Alcanzare’s post, which has garnered more than 131,000 likes and 27,000 shares, touched the hearts of netizens, with many congratulating his mother and saying she was inspiring.

He posted a photo of himself with his mother in Singapore, with the merlion in the background, on Monday (June 12).

“Happiness is seeing your mother smile,” he wrote. “It has taken 20 years for you to (visit) one of the dream countries you (wanted to take pictures in), but you’re finally here! Just enjoy every moment. Your smile is priceless!”

They went to the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park the next day, and went shopping at Takashimaya the day after that.

“Shopping time with mama,” he captioned a photo of himself and his mother, who carried Takashimaya and H&M bags. “She can’t even remember when was the last time she bought new clothes for herself.”

They next flew to Thailand, and Mr Alcanzare shared a photo of the pair in Bangkok on Thursday (June 15). His mother posted a picture of herself in a luxurious Bangkok hotel room, with the caption: “Feeling (like a) princess.”

The tour, funded by the seven siblings, will cover five other places – Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Macau – before they return to the Philippines.

According to Alcanzare, who is now an urban planner, his mother’s hard work produced a certified public accountant, a licensed teacher, a registered nurse, a pharmacist and midwife, a civil engineer and a registered master plumber.

Alcanzare’s Facebook profile says he is from Bayambang, Pangasinan, and lives in Woodlands. CBB