Eliana Atienza looks back on favorite memory with little sister Emman

If there’s one thing Eliana Atienza will always remember about her younger sister, Emman, it is their closeness.

In an interview with Vicky Morales, which aired on “24 Oras” on Monday, Eliana looked back on her deep bond with her late sister. 

“She’s hilarious. She has a much better fashion sense than I have, so I would always go to her and say 'Emman, I don't know what to wear, could you dress me?' She would always do it. She would make me laugh,” Eliana described Emman.

Recalling her favorite memory with the late Sparkle star, Eliana shared it would be the moments when they would stick their heads out of the car window. 

“We like to stick our heads out of the car window because we like the air. So we would go down like EDSA or Osmeña Highway, stick our heads out, both together, and we'd feel the wind on our hair,” she said, remembering the memory fondly. 

According to Eliana, she still can't believe that Emman is gone. 

"I keep being really sad because we were supposed to grow old together, right? I wish we got to," she said. 

"Come back, I miss you," she added. 

Like Eliana, Kuya Kim also shared his core memory with Emman, which was when they attended the GMA Gala 2024.

“When she first walked that carpet and she felt so beautiful. And then she felt so important. And then pictures were being taken. She was posing. She was so beautiful. So proud of her. So proud of her. Core memory namin ‘yon, I will never forget that, how beautiful she was that night. She was blooming,” Kuya Kim said. 

“Emman, I’m so proud of you. You know that naman eh. Alam naman niya ‘yon. Di niya lang sinasabi sa 'kin. Nakukulitan ‘yon sa akin kasi palagi kong sinasabi ‘yon sa kaniya. She knows I’m so proud of her. Emman knows that papa loves her so much." 

Emman's wake is currently being held at Chapel 5 at The Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City. The second day of her wake will be held on November 4, Tuesday, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Emman's passing was announced by Kuya Kim and his wife Felicia on October 24. She was 19 years old. 

Following Emman's passing, Eliana took to social media to pay tribute to her sister by posting photos of them together.

“I miss you, Emman, with everything that I am and will ever be,” she wrote.

In Kuya Kim’s interview with Jessica Soho, aired on "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" Sunday, the TV host said he remains grateful for the "19 beautiful years" of Emman.

—Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA Integrated News