Looking back at the heartfelt stories of care, sacrifice, and courage from DZLB Online!’s recent Women’s Month special.
Motherhood is often depicted in a single image: a woman holding the child she carried for nine months. This comes with the heavy expectation of balancing a spotless home and a maintained figure, while ensuring that her children reach every milestone on time. But as a reality check, motherhood extends beyond that familiar depiction.
In celebration of Women’s Month, DZLB Online! Specials, aired live via the Facebook Page and YouTube Channel of Radyo DZLB Ang Tinig ng Kaunlaran, presented the episode “Call Me Nanay: Redefining Motherhood in Different Forms” on 09 March 2026. The special episode, in partnership with the UPLB Gender Center, brought together three women whose stories prove that motherhood does not take just a single route.
Hosted by Assistant Vice President for Public Service Mark Lester del Mundo Chico and Associate Professor Mildred Moscoso, both from the UPLB College of Development Communication, the episode opened a heartfelt conversation on what it truly means to be a mother.
From a breastfeeding advocate raising a child with special needs, to a transgender woman entrepreneur caring for children entrusted to her, to an academic balancing family and leadership roles, each story reflects a different path. Yet, all are rooted in the same truth: that being a mother is defined not only by birth, but by the willingness to nurture, protect, and stand beside a child through life.
Let us meet Ma’am Roselle, Nanay Vanessa, and Mommy Mara.
Meet Nanay Vanessa
An active member of LATCH Los Baños, a breastfeeding support group that helps mothers successfully breastfeed their babies, Vanessa Liwanag-Librero’s story is closely tied to her work supporting other mothers. But her advocacy is deeply personal, rooted in her experience raising a child with autism. For her, motherhood became a journey of learning, resilience, and advocacy.
In the episode, she spoke candidly about the heavy expectations placed on women—especially mothers—that after marriage or childbirth, they must maintain their bodies, keep their skin flawless with age, earn a living, be educated, and above all, ensure their children reach every milestone.
But when her child was diagnosed with autism, those expectations collided with a very different reality.
“It really flipped our world… lalo na coming from academic families… may expectation ng academic excellence. But then how can you accept the circumstance when your child is not yet able to speak at the age of four, can’t even say ‘mommy or daddy,’ or you can’t even ask your child, ‘anong nararamdaman mo?’”
Watching other parents celebrate their children’s achievements sometimes came with a quiet ache. “If other parents are so proud na ‘uy may medal ‘yung anak ko,’ ‘nakapasa ng ganito,’ kami makatawid lang ng stage ‘yung anak namin, milestone na for us,” Nanay Vanessa shared.
The experience was emotionally heavy. Vanessa admitted that there were times she questioned herself as a mother.
“So I really felt like a failure,” she said honestly. “I may have succeeded—ganda naman, normal delivery, I breastfed exclusively—but then other milestones… hindi na-meet.”
Despite the challenges, Vanessa found strength in the bond she formed with her child through breastfeeding and constant physical closeness. “Malaking bagay talaga yung breastfeeding, especially for neurodivergent children, kasi it helps regulate the body of a child. The connection is there,” she shared.
She would often carry her baby everywhere, even during professional meetings.
“Kilala kami dito sa Los Baños na noong baby siya, nakababy-wear. Kahit saan kami pupunta… maglalakad, tatawid sa kalsada, kasama ko sa meetings, sa mga conference, bitbit ko ang baby ko. So it’s very common din na mag-conference kami, ako may ka-meeting, nasa harap ko ang baby at sumususo habang ako ‘yung nagsasalita.”
BREASTFEEDING WITHOUT BARRIERS. Nanay Vanessa breastfeeds her baby while attending a professional meeting, which she describes as a very inclusive experience for her as a new breastfeeding mother. (Photos from Vanessa Liwanag-Librero)
“It really helped, especially when I was a new mom at the time I moved to Los Baños. And then, the acceptance of the community for a new breastfeeding mother, malaking bagay po talaga sya… ‘Yung pagdadala ng baby everywhere, so nano-normalize na s’ya,” she added.
Nanay Vanessa discovered a community that embraced her rather than judged her. That support became the foundation of her advocacy in LATCH Los Banos, inspiring her to help other mothers navigate the challenges of breastfeeding with confidence and care.
In 2025, LATCH Los Baños was recognized by the University of the Philippines with the Gawad Pangulo para sa Natatanging Alumni while continuing to support women in breastfeeding and motherhood.
“Maraming nanay na madaling mag-give up sa breastfeeding kasi hindi lang siya ‘yung walang tiwala, pati mga kasama nila… iniisip nila, kulang-kulang sila. Ang daming level ng ibig sabihin ng kulang,” she explained.
Nanay Vanessa explained how she helps mothers, saying, “We take time, we sit with the mom, we acknowledge na ‘Mommy, you’re wonderfully made, you’re not broken, we’re here to help, so you can.’”
For Nanay Vanessa, motherhood is not about meeting every expectation. It is about learning compassion, patience, and self-acceptance.
Meet Mommy Mara
For Mara Arriola Yamada, motherhood arrived in a way she never expected. A transgender woman and entrepreneur who owns several beauty salons in Los Baños and Bay in Laguna, and some in Manila, Mommy Mara spent decades living and working in Japan before returning to the Philippines. Life had brought her many trials, but raising children became the most unexpected yet meaningful chapter of her life.
“As a transgender woman,” she began emotionally, “‘yung may magbigay sa akin ng mga bata na… I don’t know [how] to be a mother is one of my…” she paused, fighting back tears as she continued, “…greatest achievements.”
She shared that her own experience of being adopted shaped the way she understands family and belonging. After decades abroad, she eventually returned to the Philippines following the setback of her business in Japan. Although the transition was painful, she shared that it became an opportunity for renewal and for unexpectedly building a family.
Mara’s journey into motherhood began with caring for a newborn from the very first day of life. With little prior childcare experience, she learned the responsibilities of motherhood step by step.
“Naniniwala po ako na ang pagiging ina ay hindi doon sa dinala mo ng anim [siyam] na buwan. Now, I realize that being a mother is from the bottom of your heart. Hindi man kadugo, pero itataguyod mo the best that you can,” she reflected.
She recalled how overwhelming the early days were, especially as she tried to understand the daily realities of caring for an infant. Simple moments became lessons as she slowly learned what motherhood required.
“It’s too hard kasi… ‘Yung unang pag-poops ng bata, doon ako nagulat kasi it’s black. Nagsisigaw ako sa kapitbahay ko, ‘Hoy, ano ang nangyari rito? Bakit ganito ang kulay nito,’” she shared, which she later learned that it was normal for babies to poop black at that age.
Mommy Mara’s children are now aged 16 and 8. Despite managing multiple businesses, she explained that her daily schedule is intentionally structured around her children, ensuring she remains present for them during important moments of their day.
She also shared that she raises her children with honesty about their origins and humility about her role in their lives.
“Ang sabi ko sa kanila, ‘Pagbutihin ninyo [ang pag-aaral]. Kapag nakapagtapos na kayo, hanapin ninyo ang totoong mga magulang ninyo.’” When she was asked if it was okay with her, she said: “Hindi ko kayo pwedeng ariin. Ipinahiram lang kayo sa akin ng Panginoon.”
Despite challenges, Mara remains firm in her identity and deeply proud of the family she has built.
“In my own, I am a woman with substance. And I am a mother. I am very, very proud to be a mother,” she emphasized.
Meet Ma'am Roselle
For Roselle Collado, an assistant professor at the UPLB Institute of Statistics (InStat), motherhood extends far beyond the children she gave birth to. She often jokes that she has five children… and many more.
“At tama nga, hindi lang lima ang anak ko,” she laughed. “Madami sila, and they come in all forms.”
Growing up in a large extended family, she naturally became a mother figure not only to her own children but also to her nieces and nephews. She recalled that when she had her second child, her brother’s first child was born soon after, creating, as she described, a batch of children growing up side by side.
During that time, when some mothers in her family struggled with breastfeeding, she stepped in to help. Her family jokingly gave her a nickname.
“Sabi nga nila noon, time to be with Mama Cow,” she laughed, referring to how she was able to nourish so many babies.
BIG HEART AND BIG FAMILY. Roselle Collado, who grew up in a large family, recalls how her three children were born in close succession alongside the children of her siblings, highlighting the strong bonds and shared responsibilities that shape her extended family. (Photo from Roselle Collado)
Despite the humor, the nickname reflected the deep responsibility she felt in caring for all the children around her. Motherhood was never separate from her professional life, and she had to constantly balance her role as a professor and later as an administrator with her family responsibilities.
“In the earlier years of our marriage, ang husband ko ay weekend father. You can imagine: from Monday to Friday, all decisions, everything, rest on me. Tapos working din ako and then hindi lang ako teacher, mayroon din akong mga involvement outside… so ‘yung challenge ba na kailangan mong hatiin ‘yung katawan mo,” she shared, emphasizing how the demands were overwhelming at times.
But one moment in her life left a deep emotional mark. While she was serving as director of InStat, her mother questioned her decision.
“Sinabihan niya ako, ‘Bakit mo ba tinanggap ‘yan?’ As a lola, she was seeing me somehow not doing enough for my children,” Roselle recalled, admitting that the comment hurt her deeply.
“Sa personal kong pagtingin, ginagawa ko naman lahat eh,” she said. “Tapos itong mga anak ko, hindi naman nagsasabi sa akin na ‘Mommy, nagkukulang ka.’”
Eventually, she chose not to pursue a second term as director, a choice that forced her to reflect on the difficult decisions many mothers face in balancing career, family, and personal expectations.
Redefining Motherhood
Through their stories, Nanay Vanessa, Mommy Mara, and Ma’am Roselle show that motherhood cannot be confined to a single definition.
For Roselle, it begins with love. “Being a woman is first and foremost being loving to everybody. Doon ko hinuhugot ‘yung pagiging mother ko… sa mga anak ko, sa mga pamangkin ko, sa mga apo ko, at sa mga nakasama ko sa trabaho,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vanessa reminds mothers that they are more than society’s expectations.
“Being a mother is the most wonderful gift in the world. Being a mother is transformative because of your ability to nurture, to bring life, and to connect with other people. But we’re not defined by our function or the sum of our parts. Even if you do not meet the expectation, it doesn’t make you any less of a mother,” she emphasized.
And for Mara, motherhood is a lifelong commitment of the heart.
“Ang pagiging inay ay walang hanggang obligasyon. Hindi ‘yan nababase sa estado ng buhay mo. Mayaman o mahirap, ‘yan ay nababase kung papaano mo palalakihin ang mga bata.”
Together, their voices tell a larger story about womanhood itself.
And just like what the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025 Third Best Picture, Call Me Mother, tried to say, the central message of the DZLB Online! Specials episode was clear: Motherhood is not a single mold. It is a spectrum of care, sacrifice, and courage.
In every form it takes, the heart of a mother carries the quiet strength to shape lives, nurture communities, and leave a lasting mark on the world.