Sins of the Father actress Lotlot De Leon and her family took to social media to express their gratitude and love for their longtime nanny, Yaya Pat Espera, who recently passed away.
On her Instagram page, Lotlot paid tribute to Yaya Pat, whom she described as a huge part of their lives since she started her own family.
“Ilang buwan pa lang ang nakakalipas mula nang mawalan kami ng mga mahal sa buhay… ngayon, isa na namang malapit sa amin ang namaalam,” Lotlot first wrote.
She shared that Yaya Pat had been part of their family for almost 40 years, starting when she took care of Lotlot’s youngest brother, Ken.
“Her sister, Ate Amy — who worked for Mommy for more than 20 years (and was her longest personal assistant) — was the one who recommended Yaya Pat to help take care of Ken when he was just a newborn. Later on, she transferred to me, right before I gave birth to Janine,” she added.
For Lotlot and her family, Yaya Pat was one of their greatest blessings — someone who loved and cared for them wholeheartedly.
“From that moment on, Yaya Pat became one of the greatest blessings to me, to Monching, and to our children. She loved and cared for each one of us wholeheartedly — especially our kids. I honestly couldn’t have imagined trusting anyone else with my children the way I trusted her,” she expressed.
Lotlot went on to express her deep gratitude for Yaya Pat’s loyalty, kindness, and unconditional love.
“We will forever be grateful for her loyalty, her kindness, and the unconditional love she gave our family through the years. ❤️ She will always be part of our family — and her family, ours — forever. Ya, salamat sa pagmamahal mo sa mga anak namin ni Mon. Rest now, Ya. Mahal ka namin. 🤍,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Lotlot’s children Janine and Diego Gutierrez also shared heartfelt tributes to their late nanny.
Diego posted a photo carousel that included a childhood picture of Yaya Pat watching over him and a selfie with his siblings, writing: “love you so much forever yaya keep watching over us up there 🤍.”
Janine also shared an old photo of herself and Yaya Pat on her Instagram Story with a simple caption: “love you yaya (white heart emoji).”
Family, colleagues, and fans extended their condolences to the De Leon-Gutierrez family in the comments section.
“Oh my, so very sorry to hear her passing😕 Napaka loyal at super bait ni yaya Pat. Sending hugs & prayers @ms.lotlotdeleon @janinegutierrez @diegodgutz @maxdgutierrez @jessicacdg 🙏🏼❤️,” Sandy Andolong commented.
Dennis Padilla also shared, “Condolence mare... I saw that care... During our show channel 9… umpisa ko lang yun.”
Ruby Ruiz also said, “Taos pusong pakikiramay 🙏🙏🙏.”
Last year, Janine and her family celebrated Yaya Pat’s 70th birthday, treating her to a special outing. At the time, Janine called her their “second mother.”
“The heart of our family ❤️ Happy happy 70th birthday, yaya pat!! Since before I was born, hanggang ngayon, sa kabila ng lahat nandiyan ka. We wouldn’t be who we are today if not for you,” she wrote.
READ: Janine Gutierrez celebrates 70th birthday of her yaya
In a previous Magandang Buhay episode, Janine shared how her beloved Yaya inspired her to pursue a career in showbiz so she could help shoulder the cost of her medical treatment.
“Si Yaya po kasi hindi pa ako pinapanganak siya na po 'yung yaya ko. So talagang second mommy ko talaga si Yaya. Tapos nung nag-aaral ako tinuturuan niya ako ng homework. Regalo niya sa akin mga dictionary,” she said.
“Hindi ko naman inisip na mag-aartista ako, pero nung college ako, si Yaya ay nagkasakit. Tapos parang hindi ako makatulong. So sabi ko sa mommy ko, 'Ma, gusto ko na mag-artista para may panggamot si Yaya,'” she added.