[PHNO-sb] GARY ESTRADA LOOKS BACK ON SAD CHILDHOOD
solv...@csi.com.ph
Quezon City, Aug. 1, 2000 - The childhood story of Gary Estrada is something straight out of a movie script. Gary sheds tears when he is forced to talk about it.
His mother, former starlet Agnes Moran, was forced to give him up for adoption by a relative.
"At that time," Gary recalled, "ang sama sama ng loob ko. But I understood why she had to do that. Talagang hirap na hirap kami. What she was making as a katulong was not enough to make both ends meet. Ang masakit nito, my sister (whom Agnes also gave to another relative) and I knew already how it was to live comfortably. Before my dad (the former actor George Estregan) left us, he was providing us well. Three years old lang ako when my mom and dad separated."
Gary was lucky that the family who adopted him treated him well. In Cagayan, where they first brought him, he was sent to a public school. When the family of Eddie Quirologico transferred in Talayan Village in Quezon City, he attended school at the Angelicum College.
Gary remembered that he was 16 years old when he saw his mom again. He was playing basketball then with the neighborhood kids.
"Right away I knew she was my mom," Gary remembered. "Pero siya, gusto sigurong makasiguro na ako nga ang kanyang anak, approached me and asked me if I had a birthmark sa aking likod. Pero, ewan kung bakit, sa halip na sagutin ko ang tanong niya, tumakbo akong pabalik sa bahay."
He further stated: "It was two hours later that I decided to go back to where I left her to see if she was still there. True enough, she was still there, apparently waiting for me.I talked to her and invited her to go to my adopted parents' house. They talked and she offered to take me back. Okay naman sa mga nag-ampon sa akin na sumama ako sa kanya. It was I who begged off. After some time, however, I decided to go with her. By then, kinuha na rin niya si Kate sa mga umampon dito.
"I remember our first house together. Nasa Dagat-Dagatan ito. Isang maliit na kuwarto na bukod sa nagsisilbing tulugan namin ay doon na rin kami nagluluto at kumakamin. Nakikihati kami sa iba pang nakatira sa bahay sa paggamit ng toilet at bathroom.
"Nag-improve ang buhay namin when Kate became a commercial model and eventually a movie star. As is common knowledge, I was discovered while I was making tambay at Viva Films waiting for Kate, who was then getting her weekly salary.
"Si Boss Tess (Cruz, Viva Films big boss and sister of Vic del Rosario) ang actually naka-discover sa akin. I'll forever feel grateful to her. Nang maging artista na rin ako, lumipat na kami ng bahay ng Mommy ko at ni Kate. And the rest is history."
Aside from his son with Cheska Diaz (now Mrs. Carlos Morales), Kiko, eight years old, Gary has two adopted children: Gary Christopher, 4, and Gariele, 2.
Gary Christopher, according to Gary, was given to him by one of his uncles straight from the hospital. Gariele is a daughter of his former labandera who comes and visits her child. Gary told the mother of Gariele that she can get her daughter anytime she wants to.
"In them (his two adopted children), parang nakikita ko ang aking sarili," said Gary. "Minsan nga, nang mapuna kong parang nagseselos sa kanila si Kiko, sabi ko sa kanya, dapat mahalin niya ang dalawang bata. Kako, compared to them, mas masuwerte siya. Hindi man kami magkasama ng kanyang Mommy, at least, complete ang kanyang mga magulang."
Gary has just wrapped up work for "Garapal," where he is teamed up with Lara Fabregas for the first time. In "Garapal," Gary plays the role of Vasquez Rago, a man out for revenge after he was double-crossed by a crime lord, Franco Peret (portrayed by Tonton Gutierrez), who recruited him to engineer a gold bar heist. "Garapal" is directed by Pong Mercado.
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