Regine Velasquez's father passes away

GERARDO "Mang Gerry" Velasquez, the father of Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez, passed away at 1:39 p.m. Monday.

"The leader of the band, Mang Gerry, joined his creator 1:39 p.m. today. Thank you for praying for him during all these time that he has been fighting for his life. God bless you all," wrote Regine on Instagram.

According to reports, Mang Gerry died of heart failure and was rushed to the hospital earlier Monday.

To recall, it was last year when Mang Gerry's health started to deteriorate. He was hospitalized several times and was confined for almost three months.

In a recent interview with Regine, the singer/actress shared that his father's sickness brought the whole family closer. It also made her value family time more.

"When your family is going through tough times, ang tendency mo ay kakapit kayo sa isa't isa. In a way 'yung dinadanas namin problema may maganda din naidulot because we got closer," she said.

The singer added: "Nung nagkasakit si Papa, na-realize ko kung gaano talaga ka-important 'yung family day. Now I'm doing it for my son. I value Sundays so much."

Regine shared a tight bond with Mang Gerry. It was his father who would often accompany her when she was just starting in the business.

When she already made a name for herself in the music scene, Mang Gerry continued to be one of the driving forces of the singer. In most of her concerts, Regine would always dedicate a song or two to her parents and would always recognize the contributions of her father in her showbiz career.

Among those who immediately sent their condolences to the Velasquez family are talent managers Girlie Rodis, Noel Ferrer and singer Jed Madela. (Sunnex)

Source: Sun.Star - Latest Philippine Community News, Blogs, Multimedia