For some nine years now, Robin Padilla's family—wife Leizel Sycangco and children Queenie, Kylie, Zhen-Zhen, and Ali—has been based in Queensland, Australia. He went to visit them there in November 2004. With him was his mother, Mrs. Eva Cariño-Padilla.
"Papunta't pauwi, sabay kami," says Robin's 69-year-old mother, who's fondly called Mommy Eva in showbiz circles. "Nandoon kami noong piyesta ng patay. Naalala ko kasi ‘yong mga bata, nag-makeup-makeup pa ng mga Halloween. Naglalaro sila."
Mommy Eva's visit lasted three weeks. "Dumalaw lang talaga ako," she smiles. "Kasi ang tagal ko nang hindi nakikita ang mga apo ko. Tuwang-tuwa ang mga bata. Wala kaming ginawa kundi mamasyal."
It was also Mommy Eva's first time to see Robin's newly-built house at the Gold Coast, a 15-minute drive from the bungalow the Padillas used to live in.
"Ibinenta nila ‘yong dati," Mommy Eva tells YES! magazine. "'Tapos itong bago, ‘pinagawa nila. Siguro mga dalawang taon din itong ‘pinagawa. Nasa loob ito ng village."
Mommy Eva adds, beaming: "Ang ganda-ganda. Mas malaking 'di hamak sa dati. Doon talaga napupunta ang pinaghihirapan ng anak ko. Kaya kita mo naman, kung minsan ang payat-payat na ng anak ko, hindi ba?"
You can't blame Robin. For his wife and children, he really wants to give nothing less than the best.
While in Queensland, Mommy Eva took souvenir shots of her son's new house. Luckily for YES!, she has agreed to share these photos with us.