New York is a bittersweet posting for Vice Consul Tanya Faye Ramiro

She carries in her purse laminated photographs of her mother, Gloria Jean Ramiro. The FilAm Photo

She carries in her purse laminated photographs of her mother, Gloria Jean Ramiro. The FilAm Photo

By Cristina DC Pastor

Vice Consul Tanya Faye Ramiro used to visit NYC when her mother was working in the city. Now that she is Vice Consul at the Philippine Consulate, her mother is no longer around.

On December 5, 2014, Gloria Jean Ramiro – who worked as a private chef for an affluent family — was hit by a car as she crossed Third Avenue at 81st Street. She was alone; it was raining. She was 64 when she died. She passed away a year before Tanya was sworn in as a diplomat. Her children took the earliest flight to New York and went straight to Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Hospital. They kept vigil until she passed away three days later.

Tanya remembered one of her visits to New York with her siblings. Her mother acted like the savvy tour guide, showing them around Fifth Avenue and pointing to the Philippine Consulate building, “That’s the Philippine Embassy.”

At that time, Tanya was a lawyer not yet a diplomat. She never would have imagined that one day she would hold office in that building her mother had hilariously proclaimed was the equivalent of Malacanang in America!

She laughed softly, “That’s my mommy! She’s a very animated person.”

New York is her first foreign assignment and her ‘second home.’

New York is her first foreign assignment and her ‘second home.’

It was one in a series of memories she shared about her mother with The FilAm in an interview one gray and windy January afternoon. Her mother she endearingly described as “loud, over the top, larger than life.”

Her alacrity dissolved into tears as she remembered how her mother worked as an OFW for almost 20 years to give her children the best education, and her family the comforts of life for them to enjoy. She may not be around as Tanya was coming of age, but through letters, texts, calls, and balikbayan boxes, it’s like she was home and the family was complete.

“She lived vicariously through her children’s accomplishments,” she said. “She dreamt big dreams.”

The bond between mother and her four children was enduring. Tanya and her siblings often visited NYC. Her mother would take them to touristy places like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and the Met, help them find shopping bargains, and treat them to the best restaurants. Most important, said Tanya, “She allowed us to dream.” She keeps her mother close by, carrying her laminated photos in her purse. As she pulled them out, a flood of emotions came over her. Tears rolled down. For several seconds, the interview stopped. We sat in silence.

“My mother had a strong influence over me,” said Tanya. “She kept up to date on our needs, our school work. She made an effort to learn technology, she opened Facebook Messenger, opened Viber, she wanted to stay connected.”

By wearing her late mother’s suits, Tanya keeps her memory alive.

By wearing her late mother’s suits, Tanya keeps her memory alive.

Gloria and her husband Wilson, a retired colonel of the PNP, made sure the children attended excellent schools. Tanya went to Maryknoll College for elementary and high school. At Ateneo de Manila, she majored in Psychology and earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the Ateneo School of Law. She graduated with honors in college and was a Dean’s lister in law school.

She became a diplomat in 2015, and already her first foreign assignment is New York. As a vice consul and a lawyer, she is the chief officer of the consular services section, the administrative officer, as well as assistant manager of the Philippine Center Management Board that oversees the operations of the Philippine Center building.

Only three months into her new assignment, she has been attending anniversaries of organizations, the Simbang Gabi at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and outreach services to neighboring states within the jurisdiction of the consulate.

“I don’t feel like a diplomat yet,” she smiled. “I’m still learning the ropes.”

© The FilAm 2018

Meet the new chief officer of the consular services section at the Philippine Consulate. The FilAm Photo

Meet the new chief officer of the consular services section at the Philippine Consulate. The FilAm Photo



2 Comments

  1. Ben chua wrote:

    Such a priceless moments of mother and
    daughter relationship !
    Sorry to read about your mother’s passing years
    ago . Her legacies never die.

  2. Jean Ariola wrote:

    Such a heartwarming memories with your mom, . The whole family rejoices with Auntie Glory with you and your siblings. She is the power behind everyone’s success!

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