Teresa Loyzaga’s past struggles with son Diego

IN her rare TV guest appearance, Teresa Loyzaga confessed to have fiercely struggled with her son Diego’s predilection for drugs years ago.

Tong — as she’s pet named in showbiz circles — told Boy Abunda, “It reach a point where my child was already disrespecting me. But I knew it wasn’t him, it’s the effect of drugs on him.”

To make a way out, Teresa had no other recourse but to send Diego to a rehabilitation facility.

Teresa Loyzaga with son Diego INSTAGRAM PHOTO/TERESALOYZAGA 

She remembered how she’d furtively sneak into the premises without Diego knowing,: “Because it was strictly prohibited.”

Since she couldn’t bear not to catch sight of Diego, Teresa had to plead with the facility personnel if she could at least peep through a hole in the tarpaulin, “As long as I didn’t make any noise for Diego to sense I was just around.”

How she was able to rise above her pitiful state, Teresa attributed it to three things: “prayers, prayers and more prayers.”

With Diego turning a new leaf, Teresa couldn’t be any happier now.

Say it three times, too.

* * *

THE Kasuso Foundation — founded by artist manager cum content creator Ogie Diaz — is gearing up for its third quarterly Christmas party this September.

Intriguingly so, this organization which addresses the needs of hundreds of breast cancer patients across the nation holds its Yuletide treat four times a year.

The next highly anticipated exercise always promises to be bigger than the previous one with more generous sponsors coming in with handsomer gift packages as well as loftier cash presents.

An organization which continues to grow in numbers, Ogie — during its last party in June — had promised its beneficiaries a much more spacious venue to accommodate all 700 of them.

Ogie expressed, “I’ll be consulting Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte if we can use the Amoranto Stadium for our December party.”

Queried about the rationalè behind Kasuso Foundation holding quarterly parties a year, Ogie shared, “It’s our way of checking on them if they’re still complete. We need to keep tabs on them.”

Like any organization in the beginning, Ogie also had his share of birthing pains during its floundering days.

Thankfully, being in showbiz circles has given him the opportunity to tap into his contacts — mostly those who have the means to pitch in their monetary support.

“It has become a bit easier now, with more industry friends wanting to dole out. Whatever they give is what we equally divide among its beneficiaries, so ‘everybody happy!'”

Getting popular celebrities to grace its parties either through rendering entertainment numbers or simply through personal appearance gratis et amore poses no problem at all.

“There’s this sense of fulfillment that they feel inward. Making the cancer patients smile, they said, is priceless.”

Ogie getting into such humanitarian endeavors does not come as a surprise to this author.

Even way ahead of establishing Kasuso Foundation, Ogie had displayed his deep sense of concern toward his industry peers.

I remember a fellow showbiz reporter who’d repeatedly crucify Ogie in his tabloid column.

Came the time when Ogie’s critic fell ill and had to be confined at a hospital.

Ogie — for all the bad press he suffered — could have chosen to simply ignore it. Instead, he had some little cash contained in an envelope and had it sent to him.

Another case involved a colleague who Ogie saw at a showbiz event and heard was undergoing dialysis.

I bore witness to Ogie’s shimmying all the way to where that person was seated and said, “(Colleague’s name), don’t forget to see me out later…you already know!”

Still another story involved a common reporter friend with whom Ogie had reconciled over money issues.

It must have pained Ogie to learn that he suffered a stroke, massive enough that got him confined at a QC hospital for nearly a month.

Again, Ogie came to his aid for some little help with the mounting hospital bills.

Everything then became clear to me — giving help is never selective. Should never be.