 Thank you to another empowering show on Pinoy Power Hawaii. My name is Emmy Ortega Anderson, your host for this show. We come to you every Tuesday live at 12 noon. In line with our mission, we aim to enrich, enlighten, educate, entertain, and we hope to empower. Thank you so much for joining us today and much mahalo to Think Tech Hawaii for giving us the opportunity to share with you empowering stories like today. We have a very, very special guest in our studio. She holds the crown mother of the year, Nana Mercedes Guillermo, and of course, Joseph Allen is the apuco or grandson. So they are my special guest today on Pinoy Power Hawaii. Welcome. I'm from Tagalog and English because you don't quite know Ilocano. You should learn from your mom, Milly. Yeah, I'm trying. I'm trying very hard. It's a work in progress. Okay. Yeah. So this is the story of Mama Mercy. We were able to go to the city of Banna. The city of Banna, Ilocos Norte. My son was born in Tanta. He was born in Dadaia and I was born in Tamahamun. We were able to go to the city of Banna. There you go. Mother of all. Okay. Okay. So Mami Mercy, how did you get married? I had four children. I had two daughters and two sons. Okay. So you were in school in Jai Banna? I was in Bansara until grade four. So you were in grade four and you were in middle school? I was in Jai Banna. No, I wasn't able. And I was in middle school. When I was in middle school, I would go to school, and mm-hmm. During class, if I anything, I would go to school at high school. I chose Oakieri. So I went with my father. And he lived at Panadamo because he'd want to go to school. I had work to do for him and my relatives. And I started going to school, but what's wonderful is that we were in school inanoratedly. Harper was one. He'd go to school. What do you think of this man? What do you think of this man? First of all, I don't know what to say about him. You know what to say about him? I don't know what to say about him. I don't know what to say. This man is in school. No. Then he comes home and gives me news. I don't know what to say about him. I don't know what to say about him. Oh, so this is how it is. Okay, so that's like a common age, Alan, you know, in the olden days, the women tend to be younger when they are presented a proposal of marriage. Yeah, 16. Wow. Yeah, so don't be shocked. It's not like today. Before we continue with Grandma's story, tell us a little bit about you. Were you born? Yeah, so I was born in Maui way back in 1993. After that, when I was four years old, I was sent to the Philippines. You were sent? Yeah, I was sent to the Philippines for study. Yeah, and then I basically grew up in Manila, so in Quezon City to be specific. Interesting. So in other words, your mom is Milly, right? Yes. She's the queen of Maui. Yeah, that's what they say here. Everybody knows Milly. Okay, so she sent you to Maui to get educated in Manila. How did you like that? At first, it was a struggle because I didn't know how to speak Tagalog before, but then knowing how Filipinos are and especially their hospitality, it was the shifting from from being in Hawaii because in a younger age, it wasn't that difficult. So you learned to speak Tagalog? Yes, I'm very good speaking Tagalog. So from Detroit, Michigan, or was that after Manila? That was after Manila. Okay, let's retract back to Manila. What did you do in Manila? You got educated? Yeah, I got educated when the school, I started a small business for myself at another age. Yeah, I do buy and sell stuff. Buy and sell. So just like grandma, because grandma did a lot of buying and selling. Yes, yes. So I think I got that from grandma. She didn't really like teach me how to do it, but I think it just comes. It's a family thing. It's a family thing. Yeah, and I'm sure you heard stories about grandma buying chickens. Oh, yeah, chickens, fish. Yeah, I heard that. She goes in the market and she buys it. She goes early in the morning at four or five. She takes like five kilometer walk just to buy on the market and then sell it afterwards. Wow. Yeah. So you got that trade. So real quickly after that, from Manila. And then after that, I graded, I graduated as a, as a BSIT. Yeah, and I'm working on getting my master's in engineering at the moment. Okay. But I do have an experience working in, in Detroit. Yeah, in Detroit. So from Manila, you went to Detroit, Michigan? Yeah, because my sister lives there. Oh, okay. But currently she's in Chicago. So I might be planning to go to Chicago after I get my degree. All the big cities, yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm kind of like that kind of guy, like I love adventures with the people, like the cities. Yes. I'm a city guy. Okay, that's awesome. And thank you for being here. Let's go back to grandma because she has a way of telling great stories. So Wow. I'm sure you understand, right? Oh. Oh, so Wow. Oh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. Oh. Uh-huh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. You married Tata, your son, and then you wrote a story about your father's death. Yes, I did. You wrote a story about your father's death. Yes, I did. And then you read about the beauties. Yes, I did. You were really good, Nana. You were really good. Yes, I was good. I was very well. I was in the car. I was very well. What is your job? I am a jaytall talon. A jaytall talon. Wow. I am a jaytall talon. My son is a bank. We are going to go home. We are going to go home. My son is a vocalist. Wow, Alan. He is going to go home. See? Look at all the fun that he used to have. Without the... I used to be a jaytall talon. My son is a singer. He is a singer. He is a singer. Wow. That's a good thing. Colorful, interesting story. We are going to come back and continue this wonderful, inspiring story of rags to riches, of mommy Mercedes Guillermo, after a short message from our sponsors. Hi, I'm Rusty Komori, host of Beyond the Lines. I was the head coach for the Punahou Boys varsity tennis team for 22 years, and we are fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. This show is based on my book, which is also titled Beyond the Lines, and it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence, achieving and sustaining success, and finding greatness. If you're a student, parent, sports or business person, and want to improve your life, and the lives of people around you, tune in and join me on Mondays at 11 a.m. as we go Beyond the Lines on ThinkPack Hawaii. Aloha. Aloha, this is Rob Hack. My show is exporting from Hawaii every other Thursday from 12 to 12.30 p.m., where I bring in people involved in the entire exporting infrastructure in Hawaii, including government, academia, and manufacturers and shippers themselves. Please join me every other Thursday, 12 to 12.30 p.m., and exporting from Hawaii. Mahalo. Welcome back to Pinau Power Hawaii. I am your host, Amy Ortega Anderson, and again, it is a pleasure to bring you another story of empowerment. Today, we're having a conversation with everybody's mommy, mommy, Mercy Guillermo, and of course, Alan is here, the grandson, who also have his own colorful story to share with us. Thank you so much for being here. I'm going to tell you my story. My mother is still alive. This is an interesting story with a family. So, I'd like to ask you, how old are you? How old are you? How old are you? I'm three. Three? Okay. You're the eldest son of your mother, right? Yes. How old is Mrs. Milly? She's three. Yes. How old are you? I'm five. You're five. I'm five. You're five. What is your name? I'm Nimi. Nimi. I'm Nerv Guillermo, a soldier. Oh, so you're a soldier? My son. My brother is Johnny. Wow. I see you're a great father, a great mother, a great son, you're always like a little boy. I mean you can see it on her complexion. Yeah, well she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. She really had the mind to run a business. No matter how small the business is, she kept it going. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. I mean she looks like a donya. So she was recognized for her ability to work, get things done and she also had her own secret. She was doing multitasking. Yes. Well it's really a pleasure to hear mommy Mercedes story. Simply mommy is the title. I know that you are very happy to have her as your grandma. Yes of course. What can you say about grandma? One word to describe her? One word to describe her is love. Loving. Yes. What about the dog? What about the dog? That's a secret. That's a secret. Welcome back for another show. Thank you so much for having us. We want to thank each and every one of you for tuning in. I hope that in one way or another you were enlightened and we shared something that made you smile today. We shared with you the success of mommy Mercedes and of course Alan thank you for being here bringing grandma so that she could tell her story. So again, until next time we will bring you another story of empowerment. From Pinoy Power, Hawaii, I am Amy Ortega Anderson, your host. On Tuesdays at 12 noon we say Mabuhay Maraming Salamat Bo.