Remembering Nene
As I continue my own journey in public service, I pray that I can carry forward even a portion of what he taught us.
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As I continue my own journey in public service, I pray that I can carry forward even a portion of what he taught us.
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My father, Nene Aguilar, was a man I looked up to not only because he was a good provider and a firm but loving father, but because of the way he understood people.
He had a sharp mind for business and a natural ability to lead. Yet despite his achievements, Papa Nene never lost his connection with ordinary people. He could sit with businessmen and government leaders, and he could just as comfortably spend hours talking to farmers, workers, drivers, vendors and his longtime friends.
Perhaps this came partly because of one of his favorite pastimes, the sabong. The cockpit, after all, is one of those places where Filipinos from very different walks of life can and do meet. There, Papa talked with everyone. I believe those conversations helped keep him grounded and aware of the everyday realities of people.
There is something extraordinary about a person who can walk side by side with the powerful and, with the same sincerity, hold the hand of someone who has very little. That was one of Papa’s gifts.
His generosity was not always expressed through grand gestures. Often, it appeared in simple acts: listening to someone who needed advice, helping a family going through difficult times, giving someone an opportunity to work, and extending assistance without making the recipient feel indebted or embarrassed.
I remember how people would approach him with their personal problems. Some needed help finding work. Others needed assistance for their families. Sometimes, what they simply needed was someone willing to listen. Papa understood that generosity is not measured only by what we give financially. We can be generous with our time, our attention, our opportunities, and our compassion.
This is something I continue to learn from him.
Last Thursday, we commemorated the fifth anniversary of Papa Nene’s passing. Once again, people from different walks of life came to visit his resting place. Five years have passed, yet they continue to remember.
For our family, that is deeply touching. But it also teaches us something about leadership.
Positions eventually end. Businesses change. Titles disappear. But the way we make people feel can remain in their hearts for generations.
When I think about how Papa’s political and business legacy continues today, I realize that leadership requires foresight, discipline, focus, and simplicity. But perhaps its strongest foundation is our relationship with people.
Leadership becomes meaningful when people know that, behind the title, there is a human being who sees them, hears them, and cares.
The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 11:25: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
Five years after Papa left us, I understand those words more deeply.
I miss my father, but I am grateful that his lessons remain. And as I continue my own journey in public service, I pray that I can carry forward even a portion of what he taught us: stay grounded, work hard, listen to people and, whenever given the opportunity, help.
Because in the end, the most enduring legacy is not what we accumulate. It is the good we leave in the lives of others.
