Wake and Burial of the Mother and Her Children Divided

This is about the mother who burned herself and her three children due to depression caused by her “mama’s boy” husband who was also having an affair. Some netizens commented that even in their final resting place, the mother was still denied dignity. The children were buried in the husband’s hometown, while the mother was taken to her own parents’ place—and even until her burial, she was allegedly being tormented by her husband.

It’s truly difficult to understand the decision of a mother who chose to take her three children with her in such a painful exit from this world. Many were puzzled, judged her, and asked: “Why include the children? Why not just herself?” But behind all of it lies a story of deep exhaustion, hopelessness, and a love so intense that she was willing to offer everything—even her final breath.

Every day, she carried the weight of the world. A mother with no partner, no one to trust, and no solid support. The allowance she received for her three children was only ₱2,500 per month—a meager amount not even enough for food, milk, medicine, and other basic needs. While her husband, a policeman, seemed to be slowly withdrawing his attention and presence from the family, she was facing the harsh realities of poverty, fatigue, and fading hope.

She took her children with her everywhere—the market, the hospital, wherever she went—because there was no one else she could leave them with. Often sleepless, with deep eye bags, dark circles under her eyes, and even when she was hungry, she always put her children first. She endured it all until the day came when she couldn’t bear it anymore.

To some, her decision was wrong, selfish, and painful. But in the eyes of a mother who loved deeply and saw no safe future for her children, it was a desperate step to protect them from further pain, hunger, and abandonment. In her heart, it was better for them to breathe their last together than to be left behind in a world where no one could love them like a mother would.

Perhaps in her exhausted mind, she thought: I am the only one who can truly care for my children. If I leave them behind, who can guarantee they won’t suffer, be neglected, or be hurt? And in her weary thoughts, maybe she imagined that in the next life, there would be no more sleepless nights. No more ₱2,500 to stretch thin. No more hunger or tears.

Only peace awaits.

We don’t need to accept what she did, but perhaps we can try to understand her. Because behind her quiet embrace of her children in their final moments, was a mother who loved until the very end. A mother who tried to give everything—even when she had nothing left to give.

This is a reminder especially for husbands, for all men—that material things are not enough. Emotional support, love, and understanding are also needed. Depression is a serious condition that can lead to tragedy when neglected. Do not trade your family for vices or temptations, and always take mental health seriously.