It is with a heavy heart that we reach out to you and ask for your help.  On April 10, 2020, our mother, our Nanay, Inocencia Vierneza Gilbuena, passed away from complications with COVID-19.  She was the the most loving, kind, and strong woman we ever knew.  She gave up so much for us, supported us, worked harder than anyone we had ever known.

All of us here, as well as our family in the Philippines, are struggling, mourning her passing.  Our hearts go out to all of you who are struggling through this too, who have lost someone close to them recently.  There are no words to describe the pain and sadness that we are all sharing now.

Once everything is back to normal around the world, when travel becomes safe again, we hope to bring our Nanay's ashes back home to the Philippines.   We wish to provide for her a proper funeral, one where our family back home could be there to say goodbye. So we are asking for your help to fund that goal and help us to cover some of the funeral costs. We appreciate anything that you could spare.

But please know that we also understand how hard it is right now for so many people - those that have lost their livelihoods, that have come under hardship, or who have lost someone they love and are working through the same things that we are.

Thank you for your time.  And we urge you all to stay home, stay safe, and to cherish those that are with you.

With all the love we have,

Justine Gilbuena, Happy Pagcaliwagan,
and all of us from the Vierneza and Gilbuena Families