This is my lola(grandmother)from my mother side.
My lola is already 91 years old but still strong and still manage herself to go Davao City alone from her place Samal Island.
What I can remember her saying, is that you have to "work first before you eat." hahahah. It's already a habit to wake up early for the old age. While lola is awake she will cook rice with sweet potato in it which I missed about her. My lola is strict and very disciplined to us. She wanted us to be grown up responsible. She is like.."If u want something, then u should work for it to have it."
So we can't eat our breakfast if we never clean our bedroom. That is really what she wants us to do first thing in the morning. And she hates seeing you mangalumbaba or resting your chin in your hand especially early in the morning because you will have bad luck for the rest of the day. She wants us to get occupied like finishing the household chores first before playing. And my lola is very conservative too, she don't want u to wear short shorts she will going to pinch your singit hahahah. I don't know what is it in english but it is the part of the body that is closer to the where u came from and see the world. 😆🤣✌️
Even though my lola is strict she is very loving and funny. I remember my youngest cousin went to lola's house with sando on top but no underwear. (All her sons living with her in same compound and I was with her when I was in grade 4 so these are all I can recall) She shouted out and said. "Oy! unsa man ni inyo anak gipagawas nga walay salawal. Ambi be tagai kog short diha." But no one listened. Suddenly, I just saw my cousin wearing a sando bag or cellophane bag whatever you call it.😂 She just cut the two sides of the bottom as hole to my cousin's legs and the two handles of the sando bag were in his shoulders and it fits him and it looks like bathing suit. 😂

The first photo were taken 4yrs.ago and the last one was last year.
My lola widowed when she's 33, her youngest offspring was 2 yrs.old that time and my mom who is the eldest and only daughter among 9 siblings was 15yrs. So I can see her hardwork knowing the fact that my lola never been into school.She is literally illiterate. I was once her eyes, and hand before when she needs to read and write something. She enable to provide the food for her offspring through physical hardwork. She was a carpenter,fisherman and a farmer and sell her crops in neighborhoods even climb mountain to sell all of them. She sold different varieties of her bananas and her very own fish sauce. I would like u to know that my lola has the best ginamos or fish sauce in the whole wide world..😂 Yes, it is one of her specialty. I am so proud of her despite of her inability she was able to raise her children healthy and strong. My lola is good at climbing coconut tree. She was even the one to get something for me before. She can climb even the highest coconut tree that is why I'm so amazed with her. Making Nipa and broomstick were her means of livelihood income as well, that is why she's good at it and I used to call her real WONDERWOMAN.

That's all and Thank You te for this contest. Teary eyed here because I know those years of her were toughed. I wish I have money so I can pamper her. Do her shopping,go to Baguio or whatever place she wants and send her to massage parlor and beauty salon. There are so many things I want to make her happy before she will leave in this world. I hope time will come for me to be able to do it all. 😥