In her embrace

This Mother’s Day is the first I will spend without my mother, Erlinda Robes Ilagan—and the weight of her absence is something I carry quietly, heavily.

- By REY ROBES ILAGAN

She passed away in June 2024, and I still find myself wrestling with the reality that she is no longer physically with me. But in truth, she never really left. She continues to live in the way I carry myself, in my choices, in my passions, and most especially, in the way I remember her: my forever muse.

Growing up in Manila, with long summers spent in her beloved hometown in Bulacan, I was shaped by her presence. Her Bulakeña elegance—graceful, reserved, family-centered, and with an eye for life’s finer things—deeply influenced the person I am today. And it was from her that I inherited my sense of style.

She loved to dress up—not for others, but for herself. On ordinary days, she wore breezy tops, crisp tailored pants, and her signature comfortable flats, always paired with minimalist jewelry from her own collection or heirloom pieces from my grandmother. For formal occasions, her style embraced subtle grandeur—often a touch of Filipiniana or a custom gown, and always refined, never over the top.