4-2-2025 (MANILA) A mother and son separated for three decades are writing new chapters in their relationship, as Oh Geum Nim visits the Philippines to reconnect with her son Julius Manalo.
The emotional reunion, captured by the popular television programme “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” follows their initial reconciliation in South Korea last September. Oh Geum Nim’s arrival at Manila’s international airport was marked by joyful tears and warm embraces, with her son Julius, the half-brother of actor Jay Manalo, eagerly awaiting her arrival.
True to Korean maternal tradition, Oh Geum Nim arrived bearing gifts – traditional radish kimchi (kkakdugi) and premium Korean beef (hanwoo), despite incurring excess baggage charges. She was accompanied by Julius’s aunt and cousin, who were integral parts of his early childhood.
The visit has become a poignant journey through Julius’s life in the Philippines. Their tour of Manila included stops at iconic locations such as Luneta Park, where they shared a memorable horse-drawn carriage ride. “When he was seven in Korea, we visited Seoul Land and rode something similar, though he doesn’t remember,” Oh Geum Nim recalled through an interpreter.
Perhaps the most moving moment came during their visit to Julius’s former residence in Tondo, Manila. In the modest dwelling, Julius showed his mother a pencil sharpener she had given him as a child – a small token that had survived their years apart. The revelation of her son’s humble living conditions moved Oh Geum Nim to tears, as she had assumed his life had been more comfortable based on the money he sent to his father.
Their journey also included visits to Julius’s alma maters, including the Philippine College of Criminology, where he had earned a basketball scholarship. The tour culminated in an emotional visit to the church where Julius was married, allowing his mother to experience a simulation of the ceremony she missed.
“I felt tremendous guilt,” Oh Geum Nim confessed, learning that her son had walked down the aisle without his mother present. “His wife told me he cried considerably during the ceremony.”
The reunion has sparked new life in Oh Geum Nim, who admits to feeling renewed purpose. “Living alone at my age had begun to weigh heavily on me,” she shared. “Julius’s return to my life has been like a hero’s arrival, giving me fresh motivation to care for myself and live fully.”
