Live na na-interview ni Pia Guanio for Showbiz Central ang maybahay ni Francis Magalona na si Pia Arroyo-Magalona sa mismong wake ng Master Rapper sa Christ The King Memorial Chapel sa Greenmeadows, Quezon City, noong Linggo, March 8.
Sa simula pa lamang ng interview, ipinahayag na ni Pia na kung may kapansin-pansin man daw sa misis ni Kiko ay ang ipinapakita nitong katatagan. Saan ba kinukuha ni Pia ang katatagan na yun?
"Well, for starters, siguro I am really this kind of a person, lalo na nang magkaroon ako ng mga anak. It's like, it's always I put my children or even other people first before me. Parang it became natural na lang sa akin, na if I am good example to others, it became easier to get through, di ba?
"And I noticed kasi, with the number of people who have showed their expression of sympathy for me and also I've witnessed, I'm not the only one who experienced this loss. All the Filipinos, all the countrymen, and all the others, even abroad... I've learned from messages sent to me, nakikita ko na mas madali kapag maraming nakikiramay sa 'yo, and I'd like to thank them for that," pahayag ni Pia.
THE PEOPLE FOR KIKO. Walang patid ang pumupuntang mga bisita para magbigay ng respects kay Francis since he was laid to rest here, walang putol ang linya ng mga tao. Have you learned something new about Francis from what he has been posting in his blog and from what people have been saying to you about him?
"Yes, we've been in the business for more than 20 years. So from the start, palagi talaga kaming magkasama every minute of our lives, lalo na mas bata pa kami nun. Pero like noong mag-active si Max [Maxene Magalona] sa business, I was already more nakatutok sa kanya. So, si Francis, medyo I let him be more of himself already. So, hindi na ako masyadong nakakasama sa mga shows niya, appearances or what. So, hindi na ako eyewitness sa mga performances niya on the latter years.
"Pero ngayon, may mga lumalapit sa akin at nagkukuwento kung paano sila na-touch ni Francis in small ways or mismong na-meet nila. And I listen to them, at nakita ko kung paano ang ganda ng pakikitungo niya sa mga tao. At nag-a-agree kami, pati yung pagpapalaki namin sa kids, kailangan important yung you're nice to people and you give them the time, even one minute, to be with them."
Yun ba talaga ang intention ni Francis sa buhay niya, ang maging guidance at influence sa mga rapper sa Pilipinas na siyang madalas na sabihin ng mga ito ngayon?
"Si France kasi, everything, nothing was ever done on purpose. Parang hindi niya sinasadyang ganoon. Mahilig siya sa rap to start with noong kabataan pa niya. Siyempre kami, era namin, nakikinig kami ng rap music from America. We grew up with it in grade school. Pero maybe, it's a gift na poet din siya. Nakaka-express siya ng sarili niya at siguro ina-apply nga niya sa Philippine culture. So, ganoon siya mag-express.
"And I'm glad that you asked it, kasi even if he's called the 'Master Rapper,' his medium is rap, but it's more of the message. It's his love for his country. Nakikita niyang hindi naman kailangang maging down ang mga kababayan niya. There's a way para ibangon mo ang sarili mo by starting with yourself. So, yun palagi ang ano niya... At palagi niyang sinasabi, 'Follow your dreams, pursue your dreams.' At yun ang ginawa niya. It just happened, everything fell into place."
CORY AQUINO VISITS. Former President Cory Aquino came to visit last night. What did she tell you?
"When she came here, she actually said the reason she had an interest in coming to Francis's wake, is that although...I don't think they ever really met. Regarding music, I'm sure, it's not really her era to listen to his music. It's just that she said, what touched her is that she saw in TV that she heard Francis, his way of dealing with the outcome of his illness could go either way, good or bad.
"So, she said, at a certain point, the prayer of our Father, Thy will be done. Since we're brought up that way, Catholic, saying 'Our Father,' he took that word and it really comforted him. And he said, 'Thy will be done,' and he wrote that. I think, that's his final entry. And she said, since she's dealing also with cancer, parang it inspired her also that there's actually somebody that dealt with it that way, and she's very inspired about it."
MEANT FOR EACH OTHER. Sinabi ng Showbiz Central co-host na matagal na niyang kaibigan si Francis, pero hindi niya naabutan sina Kiko at Pia when they were just dating. What was it about Francis that made Pia fall for him?
"Siguro kapag talagang meant kayo with each other, which was the thing I see between me and Francis, yung life namin together, it just all happened. You know naman us, we're like away-bati, away-bati, every single day. Never yung... Kasi nga, he's very childlike and I learned to deal with that and I learned to love that talaga about him.
"It's just that, somehow, the basic character of the person is that, I guess, yun talaga ang mamahalin mo. It's not just the feeling, when you see a person nga na napaka-ano, e, yun bang meron siyang passion to focus on something. And he said, he sees that in me rin na when I say something, I really mean it. Yung respeto namin for each other, regardless of what other people might say. We argue talaga, kasi I guess it's just so na parang ganun.
"But to set the record straight, I just wanna say lang na ang nag-introduce sa amin ay si Richard Gomez, and I wanna thank him din for bringing Francis in my life. That's how we met and from then on, I encouraged him to come out of, you know... I saw he's talented and, di ba, when you love someone, you encourage him?"
What was it like going through ups and downs with him?
"You know what, when something like this happened, parang each day, you learn something new, as opposed as having everything coming your way. Parang napakaganda rin to experience it. Kasi, mas nagkakaroon ng meaning yung life mo rito. And it is true that you should not take people for granted, you should not take others for granted, your parents and your children for granted."
Noong na-diagnose na siya with leukemia, what did you learn about him na nabago?
"Yun, nalaman ko na every time, siyempre kukuhanan na siya ng blood, every day, tsine-check siya in different parts at minsan wala nang mahanap na vein. Sasabihin niya talaga na, 'That's painful, that's painful.' Kasi takot siya sa karayom. Sasabihin niya lang, 'Hold my hand.' I just saw it lang talaga na pinagdaanan niya yun, hindi lang once a day and that he's brave talaga."
Ano sa tingin mo ang pinakamami-miss mo about him?
"I was asked that yesterday, parang wala akong masagot. Parang each day that happens, you'll gonna answer in a different way. Definitely, mami-miss ko siya, his whole person. The way he was to me and ngayong nakita ko na ang daming nagmamahal sa kanya. Gusto kong malaman ng tao kung paano ko siya kakilala, napaka-ano niya talaga, gentle. Yung persona niya sa labas, parang meron siyang sa akin lang niya ipinapakita."
Were you able to kiss him goodbye?
"Oh, yes, every time, every time. Ilang oras lang naman yung sedated siya, pero nagsasalita naman siya about me."
Among your eight children, sino ang pinaka-nahihirapan?
"I can't really say as of now, kasi even me naman, I don't know kung gaano... Siguro, they just follow my lead. Pero sila, mas ano, umiiyak talaga sila. Pero me, it hasn't reached... Maybe, the smaller ones or those siguro na hindi nila masyadong naibigay yung time nila kay Francis, yun talaga ang nahihirapan mag-deal with his loss."
UNFINISHED ALBUM. Last night (March 7) was the reunion concert of Eraserheads and they gave tribute to Francis M. And Francis was supposed to be a guest. How excited he was about the supposed guesting?
"Of course, he was looking forward to it. Even the first one, yung sa The Fort, that was the first time he was diagnosed. So, medyo na-disappoint na nga siya. He and Ely [Buendia] were updating almost every day kung magagawa ba nila. He was supposed to be on the video lang, rehearsing... I really felt bad for Ely's place kasi mas malaking loss sa kanya. And I really felt, mas loss sa ibang tao than me. Kasi ako, I've been with him naman all these years. Na-shocked din sila and grieved even more."
Marami nang na-accomplish si Francis, sa tingin mo ba, may mga hindi pa siya nagawa?
"Well, physically, hindi nila natapos ni Ely yung album. Yun lang naman, pero we can do something pa rin naman para ma-release yung song na nagawa nila. I think I even told him noong second confinement niya, 'It's okay if you really had to go kasi marami ka na rin namang na-accomplish at marami kang na-touch na lives dito sa atin. And I think, your message should be getting across.'
"Ang message talaga ni France is about hindi lang yung kababayan, but his message to the Filipinos is gawin n'yong mabuti ang trabaho n'yo, and that's his way of saying of his love of his country. So, sana pakinggan nila yung lyrics niya, mga music. Favorite ko talaga yung mga message niya, the way he says his message."
LAST MOMENTS. Ano ang mga last moments ni Francis?
"Well, the last time, his last confinement nga niya, he's so much in pain. Minsan, hindi na niya matanggal kahit may mga painkillers. So, I even sent a message to someone. Si France kasi, parang hindi na niya ako pinapatulog. Parang nakakainis, hindi na nagwo-work yung medicine sa kanya. Pero kapag hino-hold ko na ang hand niya, dun siya nakakatulog. Sinasabi niya talaga na ako lang ang nakaka-comfort sa kanya. So I guess, that was one way rin na alam ko talaga na it's time na talaga for him to go. Na-overpower na talaga siya ng bad cells."
Paano makakaapekto yung loss ni Francis in your life?
"Well, napaka-simple ng word na friend, pero friend talaga. So, friend kasi puwede mong sabihin kahit ano. Kahit awayin mo, nagkakabati pa rin kayo after. May iba kasi, awayin mo, ayaw mo nang makita after.
"Masarap kasi parang we're bound for each other. Parang kami ang nagkakaintindihan. And, di ba, kapag partner kayo, parang kayo lang ang nagkakaintindihan? I think that would be my biggest loss talaga.
"And he wrote it in his song nga na, 'I am you and you are me.' That's the way he sees it nga. Alam ko ang nararamdaman niya at alam niya ang nararamdaman ko. Kaming dalawa, it's all in me. And even if I miss him, I'm glad that we have our children and it's a reminder na he's all with me."
Kung meron mang isang gift na galing kay Francis na hindi mo makakalimutan, ano yun?
"Nauna yata akong sumagot... It's the gift of our children nga. Nothing tangible."
Lastly, you're telling me na marami kang naririnig, misconceptions na gusto mong i-clarify. Anu-ano mga yun?
"Mostly it's about his illness. About AML [acute myeloid leukemia] in particular, kasi it's not just leukemia. The moment I found out what type of leukemia he had, I did a research. And after a while, you see na medyo heavy yung mga terms dun, but you've got to familiarize. Some people say something without clarifying. They say na it's genes and our children might inherit, but no, it doesn't mean na magkakaroon din ang mga anak niya."
Speaking of kids, sa mga anak n'yo na hindi siya masyadong nakasama nang matagal, what do you want to tell them about their father?
"Arkin and Clara, respectively, are eight and nine, so I think may isip na sila. You know that meron na silang input ng memory ng time with their father. So I think the thing that I had to do is to reinforce it from time to time para hindi nila makakalimutan yun. Although, these are the formative years nga, as we say, so importante 'yan at naaalala talaga nila 'yan. Pag pinabayaan mo, puwede nilang makalimutan yun."
Sa huli, may pakiusap si Pia na sana raw ay huwag kalimutan ng mga tao ang kanyang yumaong asawa.
Click HERE to view PEP's tribute to the the Master Rapper Francis Magalona.