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Felicia Atienza honors late daughter Emman in eulogy: 'You are my sunshine, my everything'
Felicia Atienza paid a moving tribute to her late daughter Emman in a heartfelt eulogy that celebrated the young star's authenticity, intelligence, and boundless spirit.
On Instagram, Kuya Kim Atienza shared a video of Felicia's eulogy during Emman's wake on November 4, where she called the 19-year-old her "mini me" who had some similar traits with her dad.
"Emman, Emman, she is my mini me," Felicia began.
"But she had some similarities to her dad—just a little something. They both had the gift of yakking. At the dinner table, it was always yak, yak, yak—the two of them," she quipped.
Aside from their "yakking" session, Felicia said, Emman and Kim both have flair for the drums, as well as singing, dancing, and acting.
"But with mom, we did share very similar features, facial features. And we did also have a perception of, you know, long legs. But we also had the duck walk, which we shared in common," she said.
Felicia shared how even at a young age, Emman's brilliance was recognized by her teachers.
"Emman was very intelligent. In fact, she's a better version of me—she's version two," Felicia said proudly.
"When she was in elementary school, her principal said, 'The best Atienza is yet to come.' And when she went to boarding school, her English teacher wrote that Emman was one of the most outstanding students she ever had," she continued, adding that Emman had a very high IQ as well.
Beyond her achievements, Felicia said that Emman's most defining trait was her authenticity and her willingness to be open, vulnerable, and kind.
"Emman shared her stories openly, her pain, her struggles, her joy, and that resonated deeply with many people. She always had space for others, even in her darkest moments. The thunderous outpouring of love for Emman is a testament to that," she said.
Felicia then described the painful silence that has followed Emman's passing and how her presence still lingers in the smallest details of daily life.
"I still hear her laughter, her yapping, her singing. I see her walking by in her sassy sweater. I smell her favorite perfume all the time. She had a favorite perfume. Jo Malone. And she says, don't ever tell anyone which Jo Malone it was. But Emman, I'm wearing your Jo Malone. In fact, I snitched it from her bedroom. It was now mine. And I'm wearing it tonight," she said, which gave laughter to the crowd.
Felicia said that despite her passing, Emman's spirit continues to live on in the people she touched. She promised to carry Emman's light and guidance in her own life, describing her as her sunshine, love, and everything.
"As a pastor once said, in his garden of grace, even the broken trees bear fruit. Emman, know that your spirit lives on in the people you've touched. And in my life, I know that you will guide me in my choices and in my voice," she said.
"And when I found out that we lost you, it was the deepest, deepest pain. I felt it. And while I haven't been an angel, know that I will carry your torch here on earth. Emman, you are my sunshine. You are my love. You are my everything. And one day we will be together again. I love you," Felicia ended.
According to Aubrey Carampel's report on "24 Oras" Wednesday, Kuya Kim also read during the wake a moving message he received from an Indonesian student, who vowed to keep on living in honor of Emman amid their own struggles with mental health.
"'But I hope it brings you some kind of solace that I will continue to live in honor of your daughter and will do everything in my power to keep it that way,'" Kuya Kim read from the student's message.
More personalities paid their respects on the last day of Emman's wake, including Iya Villania, Faith Da Silva, Zoren and Mavy Legaspi, and Kuya Kim's colleagues at GMA Integrated News.
Emman's passing was announced by her family on October 24. She was 19 years old.
In what would be her last message on her Instagram broadcast channel, posted on September 1, Emman opened up about the pressures of social media.
In Kuya Kim's interview with Jessica Soho, aired on "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" Sunday, he said he remains grateful for the "19 beautiful years" of Emman.
He also reminded parents about the seriousness of mental health during his interview with Vicky Morales in "24 Oras."
—Jade Veronique Yap/MGP/CDC, GMA Integrated News
