Let me begin my Eulogy by thanking Rev. Fr. Francis Alvarez, SJ, for celebrating the Eucharist. Special thanks for his Homily that explained in simple language the theology of today’s Gospel about our burden being light when we know that our Lord’s burden was quite heavy given his passion and death on the cross. During that time, the Jews used two oxen to plow the fields, one mature and strong, and the other, younger and weaker. Thus, the strong one pulls more and guides the younger and weaker. Hence, when the Lord said that our yoke is light, it is because He was like the strong ox carrying more of the burden and we, the faithful, are the weaker ones whose yoke is lighter.

May I also specially greet my soulmate Tong Manalac, the rest of the elders in our table, relatives and friends.

Life is truly fragile. Three years ago, my wife Leni passed from this world suddenly, unexpectedly. I miss her every day. But since then, I have continued living more deliberately while drawing strength from my children and the people around me. Just when none of us anticipated it, the fragility of life happened again with the passing of our lovely balae, Linda Manuel Mañalac. True, she was in and out of Makati Med’s ICU for three months. Unfortunately, just as she was pronounced healed and ready to be discharged, tragedy struck – fast, jarring, stunning and unexpected. She passed to the Eternal Kingdom 40 days ago on March 21, 2026.

Memories of Close Kins

Tears flowed, yet the memories of her generosity in the minds and hearts of those around her have begun to outweigh the grief. Listening to different eulogies, I realized that her generosity took many forms. To borrow the vivid language of her son Carlos “Pop” Mañalac, Linda “spent the last days of her life - as she always lived - with complete, absolute, unconditional generosity… because of her generosity, in literally giving the last beats of her heart to her children, as her final gift, we are all at peace – grief has been turned to gratitude, and pain into peace.”

To her grandchildren, nephews, and nieces, she was, per our common apo Andrea, unfailingly generous with both her affection and her time, always present during the most important moments of her life. Let me quote Andrea, “When I think of Mama, I think of celebrations. She was there in my first dance recital; she was the first person we went to when I graduated college – and when my sister graduated high school during the pandemic. She celebrated with me when I got into my dream MBA program in the US. And it breaks my heart that she won’t be there to celebrate mine and my sister’s graduation in just a month.”

Her nephew, Ayala Land’s top executive Rico Manuel, shared, “We lost our Dad and Mom very early… but we were never truly alone. Ninang Linda was incredibly generous - not just with what she had, but even more with her time, her attention, and her sincere care… She was the glue that held our family together.”

Remembrances of Close Friends

Even to those beyond her family, she is remembered for her unsolicited generosity, as tearfully affirmed by Sonya Garcia, who recalled: “Some 30 years ago, Lou Morales and I brought her to an undeveloped estate in Alfonso, Cavite. Without inspecting the property but looking only at my anxious eyes and my salivating mouth, she pulled out her check book and paid the full price for penniless me. And presto, the now famous Sonya’s Garden was born and later boomed and bloomed…”

Linda hosted the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, recalled Sister Cho Borromeo “for over 30 years… 25 years in Pasay and five in Forbes Park…they were far more than simple meals, they were sanctuaries of memory that gave us strength during our most trying times.”

Sister Cho cited Linda for her “forward thinking mindset while remaining rooted in the traditions that ground us… Despite your wealthy background, you moved through the world with a profound heart for the poor… You were famously ‘stingy’ with yourself, yet you were incredibly lavish with your generosity towards others… Though your physical heart has stopped, your mystical heart lives on in all of us and in the countless hearts you touched… a heart that beats in tandem with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Fr. Robert Manansala of Santuario de San Antonio Parish exclaimed “… For Tita Linda, the greatest treasures of her heart were God, family and other relatives, the Southeastern College community, her wide circles of friends, especially the poor and underprivileged… she taught us in many different ways - love, kindness, compassion, discipline, dedication, and faith, that among others are now written in our hearts.”

I can go on and on quoting from relatives and friends even from the vendors on the roads to and from Tagaytay from whom Linda bought boiled corn and camote. The one message that kept resounding is that she is “Generosity Personified.” For me and my family, I say that Linda Manuel Mañalac is another name for “Love and Magnanimity Magnified.”

My Personal Reminisces

I had the privilege of personally witnessing her spontaneity, generosity, and magnanimity. During one of her birthday parties, an esteemed retired member of the Supreme Court she had met for the first time remarked on how lovely her pearl necklace was. Immediately, she gently removed the necklace and placed it around the neck of her stunned visitor, saying, “There, bagay na bagay sa iyo.” To stress, Linda was not a recipient of any favor before, during or after the incumbency of my retired colleague. And yet, she became an instant winner of Linda’s spontaneity and simplicity, absolutely without strings.

Linda, her husband Tong, my Leni, and I were inveterate travelers. Whether roaming the sand dunes of Morocco or navigating the river cruises of the no-longer-blue Danube, or motoring the hills of San Francisco and Rome, we were an inseparable four. Linda and I loved to walk the streets and shop in the tiendesitas of Madrid and Paris and pounded the sidewalks of Saigon and Hong Kong for unique pasalubongs for our apos. On the other hand, Tong and Leni were more introspective; they would view museum pieces, sit quietly, and converse about children and grandchildren.

Linda and Tong’s homes in Makati and Batangas were always open to their friends who dropped by for a day or for a week, complete with household staff and an abundance of delicacies stored in her cupboards and freezers. Fishermen, with freshly caught lobsters and crabs in the sea near their Punta Fuego home, would often wait for her, knowing she paid them more than their asking prices to help them provide for their cash-strapped families.

Though not too liturgical, she was definitely spiritual in putting to practice the Ignatian teaching of giving without counting the cost and of working without asking for reward, save that of knowing and following the Lord’s holy will. Indeed, she taught by deed and not by words, by example and not by trumpets - without fanfare and drum rolls.

Perpetuating Linda’s Legacy

To perpetuate her legacy of unconditional love, I think all of us, her friends and relatives, should strive to follow her quiet, unadulterated generosity and pure magnanimity. Let us seek to imitate her unfettered kindness - to paraphrase the Good Book - to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, and to visit the prisoners. And in doing so, we keep her generous spirit alive, magnified through the lives we touch.

Dear family and friends, the fragility of life will happen again and again. If my simple eulogy will have any meaning, I believe it should be – aside from exalting Linda’s virtues – to acclaim her for being “Generosity Personified” and “Magnanimity Magnified.”

To our lovely, gracious, and generous Linda, I promise you that I will be there for Tong. Initially, I will invite him to join me to walk and breathe the fresh morning air at the Manila Polo Oval and later on, at the Hacienda Linda, to wade at the beaches of Batangas, flex our muscles in the gold tees of Manila Golf, wallop tennis balls in the forgiving shell courts of Manila Polo. We will eat hearty meals, attend musicals and recitals, enjoy dancing, hear Mass, and circulate socially with our friends.

Yes, Tong, my dear friend and fellow widower, and to all widows and widowers, may we always look back on the past with gratitude and quiet surrender. You, your Linda, my Leni and I were a Happy Foursome. We enjoyed life to the fullest. We were not just friends. We were not just relatives. We were soulmates!

Together, we laughed, we dined, we danced, we traveled, we celebrated. We were core members of the “Sousai 100 Travel and Gourmet Barkada.” Painful as it is to live now with only their memory, I am certain our deceased spouses would want us to move forward - to carry on, to live life fully, as they did - until the day God calls us, in His time, to a joyful reunion with them, together with all His angels, in His Heavenly Kingdom.

1 Eulogy delivered by retired Chief Justice ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN for Linda Manual Manalac on April 27, 2026 a t the Main Lounge of the Manila Polo Club.