Former basketball player turned police officer Julius Manalo finally achieved his lifelong dream of reuniting with his South Korean mother after a staggering 31 years apart.
Living in a Korean drama troupe, basketball player Julius Manalo refused to believe that his story would end like one.
At the age of six, the Filipino-Korean was bereft of a mother's love when he arrived in the Philippines in 1993, a vacation that would turn out to be a journey of no return for the young Manalo.
In a touching interview on Toni Gonzaga’s YouTube channel, “Toni Talks,” Julius shared the poignant story of his parents: his father, musician Eustaquio, and his mother, Oh Geum Nim, who he met in Korea.
While the relationship of his father and mother was short and sweet, their love led to a child named Oh Jun Young, a name Julius would never use again when he went to the Philippines with his father.
“Mamasyal lang daw kami [sa America]. After two weeks, magba-bakasyon lang daw ako,” he recalled, even laughing at the sight of her mother and grandmother crying at the airport before he left.
But shock and grief washed over him when he learned he would not return to South Korea. The six-year-old’s world shattered as he realized he wouldn’t see his mother again.
The tears would keep coming for two months but Julius was still able to get hold of her mother, thanks to their neighbors who would lend them their phone.
"Kelan ako uuwi diyan?" a question he would insist in Korean to his mother.
It was not until their last conversation that he would harbor ill-feelings toward his mother because of a devastating revelation that rocked his world once more.
“Sinabi kasi ng tatay ko na isa raw sa dahilan kung bakit ako binigay sa kaniya is ang nanay ko raw is maga-asawa. At ayaw sa akin ng magiging asawa niya,” he said, voicing the anger he felt towards his mother, believing she had chosen a new life over him.
What he heard from his father would eventually be as far from the truth as Julius was from his mother.
Struggles of Growing Up
Julius grew up in Tondo, Manila, struggling alongside his father who was then forced to work abroad again.
Reality did not arrive as suddenly for the then six-year old, but he eventually faced the harsh truths of living in a third-world country.
Soon, Manalo would learn to do chores and also learn to sell food just to have money.
He also scavenged for metal, wood, and copper to sell, and helped his father sell rags near the LRT station.
It became a matter of time before Julius shed his mother's maiden name and refused to use the word "nanay," promising himself that should he use that term again, it will be face-to-face with the woman who brought him to this world.
And life went on for Julius, despite the hardships, as he earned a basketball scholarship in college and became a police officer after graduation, even playing in the MPBL for teams like the Valenzuela Classics and the Manila Stars.
Now, he has his own family with two children.
Amid the successes in his life, the six-year old in him still yearned for the warm embrace only his mother can provide.
The Search for Connection
Many questioned his resolve, asking why he only started looking for his mother after 31 years.
"Hindi ganyan ang nangyari. 31 years ko siyang hinahanap," Julius explained, though his search led to many dead ends.
“Ang first na hanap ko talaga sa kaniya na medyo may sense, ‘yong internet, ‘yong sinasaksak pa ‘yong modem sa telepono,” he shared, revealing how he prioritized searching for her over anything else.
He typed her name into search engines instead of focusing on basketball or games, but his efforts yielded no results. He scoured social media for relatives and frequented Korean stores, dressing in his police uniform to make a good impression, hoping to gather any leads.
A Turning Point
As fate would decide it, Julius chanced upon an opportunity when he came home to his in-laws to pick up his daughter, who had a striking resemblance of him.
Steven Huh, a Korean agent who was overseeing a water filter installation at Julius' in-laws' home, asked about his daughter's heritage and discovered their Korean lineage.
The agent happened to know a producer at TV Chosun, who agreed to share Julius' story and his lifetime search for his mother.
For three months, the station aired his story weekly until finally, they received a call from a former classmate of his mother, leading to the breakthrough they had all been waiting for.
“Ang nakakatuwa lang kasi doon, kahit ano mang nangyari, the mere fact na narinig ko sa TV kung paano niya sinabi na okay ba ang anak ko, buhay ba siya, at gusto niya akong makita, wala na lahat ‘yon. Ang gusto kong mangyari, makita ko lang siya,” Julius expressed, filled with emotion.
The Reunion
Going back to Korea was not something Julius had in mind after 31 years.
But last September 6, he flew together with his family, armed with a sliver of hope that he would see his mother after more than three decades.
This was after TV Chosun informed him that they had found his mother.
“Hindi ko ma-explain ‘yong feelings ko no’n talagang kinakabahan ako,” he admitted, overwhelmed with anticipation.
The host asked him if he would recognize his mother, and he confidently replied, “Sabi ko, yes. Feeling ko maaalala ko kasi nanay ko ‘yon, eh.”
As they traveled to a province where they were told to meet, Julius didn't need to look too far as he saw a familiar face drawing closer to him.
He then uttered a word that he promised never to use to anyone else.
"Eomma!" he shouted as he ran, with each step taking away years of hardship, suffering, and longing.
As Julius approached his mother, he was six-years old again, with tears in his eyes as he embraced her.
“No’ng nakita ko siyang naglalakad na, ‘yong word na ‘nanay,’ nagamit ko. Alam kong ‘yon ‘yong tamang time,” he reflected.
Geum Nim was filled with apologies, but Julius gently reassured her.
“Sinabi ko sa kaniya hindi mo need mag-sorry. The mere fact na nag-stay kang buhay, ‘yon ‘yong lagi kong panalangin eh.”
As it turns out, his mother had been unable to search for him due to Julius' grandmother suffering from Alzheimer's disease. With five older brothers and without a spouse, it was entrusted to Geum Nim to look after her mother.
Until her last breath, Julius' grandmother only had him in her thoughts, just as Geun Nim had for the last 31 years.
His grandmother's prayer has been answered: Oh Jun Young has come home.
“Hindi ko maisip na totoo pala ‘yon. Parang ayokong matapos,” he said, savoring the moment.
After their reunion, his mother treated him to a Korean barbecue, a gesture of love and connection.
“It heals and touches other people. Siguro ayon din ‘yong way na ginawa ni God para may ibang pamilya din na mahawakan. Para ma-inspire sila na kahit ano pang nangyari sa kanila ng mga magulang nila, is mag-reconcile pa rin sila.”
For Julius, love is not just embracing the truth and forgiving; that while all the years were stolen with him and his mother apart, love is enduring and accepting a connection once lost.
Watch the full video here: