61-year-old pastor Nilo dela Cruz was expecting the worst when he arrived at a mall in Quezon City all the way from Bulacan after his kids called to tell him they had gotten into a fight.
But he was surprised when he found his dream car, a brand new Chevrolet Trailblazer, waiting for him in the parking lot.
“Lagi niya sinasabi sa amin na dream car niya yung Chevrolet Trailblazer… Mahilig siya sa car, madami siyang alam sa car, pero wala siyang sariling car,” his son Brad told ABS-CBN News.
In a video posted by his sixth child, Nilo Jr., on Facebook, we see Pastor Nilo’s tearful reaction, the heartwarming clip has been viewed 1,7 million times and shared 36,000 times. He also wrote in another post that this gift, though it may seem extravagant, is “not enough to suffice all sacrifices mades” by their beloved father.
Pastor Nilo, who has been a devoted missionary for 30 years, often takes public transportation to travel.
“Sobrang fulfilling… Sabi ni Daddy, hindi niyo ako kailangan bilhan ng kotse… Treasure niya daw kasi in life kaming mga anak niya,” continued Brad, adding that it took them—his 5 brothers and 2 sisters—a year to save up enough money for the car.
Watch the viral video on the next page!
“Ang mindset namin, hindi pwedeng may pera tayo ngayon, gagastusin na agad natin,” explained Brad. “Kailangan istabilize muna finances, bayaran muna lahat ng obligations, most importantly, invest our money.”
Watch the entire video, below!
“Sobrang fulfilling… Sabi ni Daddy, hindi niyo ako kailangan bilhan ng kotse… Treasure niya daw kasi in life kaming mga anak niya,” continued Brad, adding that it took them—his 5 brothers and 2 sisters—a year to save up enough money for the car.
“Ang mindset namin, hindi pwedeng may pera tayo ngayon, gagastusin na agad natin,” explained Brad. “Kailangan istabilize muna finances, bayaran muna lahat ng obligations, most importantly, invest our money.”
“Sabi ni Daddy, hindi niyo ako kailangan bilhan ng kotse… Treasure niya daw kasi in life kaming mga anak niya…”
Pastor Nilo postponed certain purchases like buying his own car in order to provide for his children’s education. They were all scholars, but providing for their daily allowance proved to be a challenge. His wife Anastacia, who’s now 57 years old, counted on selling appliances and insurance for occasional income.
“Our family’s story is like an episode of ABS-CBN’s drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya. We were kicked out of our house five times because we could not afford to pay rent,” Brad recounted to ABS-CBN news, referring to its longtime drama anthology.
Their eldest, Niño, is now a supermarket manager in Japan. His two sisters have also worked hard and now co-own a school for kids with special needs. Brad is part of a private equity firm, where he is a partner. His son Isaiah has his own pharmaceutical business.
The youngest three are still studying: Nilo Jr. is finishing a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Their seventh child, Josiah, is taking up civil engineering and their youngest, Ron, is in high school.
READ: 9 Gifts to spoil your dad
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