On the final night of her daughter’s wake at Heritage Park in Taguig, a grief-stricken yet graceful Felicia “Feli” Atienza stood before family, friends, and loved ones, her voice trembling, her heart laid bare as she delivered a eulogy that was as heartbreaking as it was full of love.
Her 19-year-old daughter, Emman Atienza, the youngest child of Feli and TV host Kuya Kim Atienza, died in October, a tragedy that has shaken both the family and thousands of Emman’s followers on TikTok, where she was known for her candid, authentic posts about life and mental health.
Feli began her tribute with warmth and humor, recalling her daughter’s charm, wit, and flair for performance, a creative spark that seemed to run in the family. “At the dinner table, it was always yak, yak, yak between the two of them,” she said, smiling through her tears. “They loved to sing, to act, to dance. They had that flair for the drum, the flair for life.”
As laughter rippled gently through the room, she drew comparisons between herself and her daughter, not just in looks, but in spirit. “We shared very similar features, facial features, long legs,” she said lovingly. “But we also had the duck walk, which she shared with mom.”
Then, with the proud tone only a mother could carry, she said softly: “Emman was very intelligent. In fact, she’s a better version of me. She’s version two.”
Feli spoke of Emman’s academic brilliance, a gifted student whose teachers immediately recognized her spark. “When she was in elementary school, her principal told me, ‘The best Atienza is yet to come. Sorry Jose.’
When she went to boarding school for Grade 11, her English teacher wrote in her transcript “that Emman was one of the most outstanding students I have ever had.”
“Emman was very, very intelligent and she also had very high EQ,” Feli said. “The most outstanding feature and characteristic of Emman was her authenticity. Emman shared her stories openly. She shared her pain. She shared her struggles. But she also shared her joy. And that resonated deeply with many people. She always had space for others, even in her darkest moments. And the thunderous outpouring of love for Emman is testament to that.”
The room fell silent as Feli’s voice softened, her words painting an intimate portrait of a mother’s grief and undying connection to her daughter.
“Now, in her absence, there is silence. But Emman, I still hear you,” she said. “I hear your boisterous laughter. I hear your yapping. I hear your singing.”
“I still see you walking by in your sassy skirt, cartwheeling in the house, she loved dancing. And I smell your perfume all the time. You had a favorite perfume Jo Malone. She said, ‘Don’t ever tell anyone which Jo Malone it is.’ But Emman, I’m wearing your Jo Malone. In fact I snitched it from your bedroom,” she said, smiling through tears. “It’s mine now. And I’m wearing it tonight.”
Drawing strength from faith, she quoted a pastor who once told her: “In His garden of grace, even the broken trees bear fruit.”
Her words turned into a vow a promise to live for the daughter she lost too soon. “Emman, know that your spirit lives on in the people you have touched. And in my life, I know that you will guide me in my choices, and in my voice.”
Feli’s eulogy reached its most emotional point when she reflected on the moment she learned that Emman was gone. “Emman, the moment I found out that we lost you, it was the deepest, deepest pain. I felt it. Heaven gained an angel,” she said. “Know that I will carry your torch here on earth, Emman, Emman, Emman.”
And finally, with her voice quivering but resolute, Feli ended her tribute: “Emman, you are my sunshine. You are my love. You are my everything. And one day, we will be together again. I love you.”
The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) reminds the public that the NCMH Crisis Hotline 1553 and the agency’s other numbers are open to anyone suffering from depression or other mental health condition.
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