Illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight on the night of July 12, 2025, the Carmelite Learning Center in Tontonan, Loon, Bohol, became a sanctuary of heartfelt sharing during the Tzu Chi Youth Camp. The evening’s sessions—The Most Beautiful Smile, Starry, Starry Night, and My Vow of Love and Compassion—wove together stories of love, loss, forgiveness, and the enduring power of filial piety.
Leading the session was Brother Rey Peñalosa, a Tzu Chi commissioner from Manila, who began by sharing a glimpse of his family background and the life experiences that shaped him. Originally from Bicol, he moved to Manila after his first year of college to complete his studies, graduating with a nursing degree in 2009. Living alone in the city, he found a second family in Tzu Chi. “From 2009 to 2012, I worked with Tzu Chi. I left for a while to explore opportunities outside, but I realized I was actually searching for the family I already had here,” shared Brother Rey, who has now been with Tzu Chi for almost 16 years. Though his profession could have taken him abroad, he chose to remain in the Philippines. “My heart is really here, and I’m happy and content with what I’m doing,” he added with a smile.
“This is about respecting and loving your parents,” Brother Rey began. He shared that he was raised by his grandparents (his adoptive parents on his birth certificate) because his mother left when he was only two weeks old, returning for him only when he reached Grade 5. His grandmother, though not his biological mother, legally adopted him and became the guiding figure in his life. Among all her biological children, he was the only one who fulfilled her simple dream—to ride an airplane. “That was how simple she was. And even though I wasn’t her biological child, I was the one who made it happen,” he said with pride.
He also opened up about his long estrangement from his biological father. “I didn’t speak to my father from elementary until college because of anger. But joining Tzu Chi inspired me to forgive. My father now has stage 4 kidney disease and other health problems. Sadly, Brother Rey’s adoptive mother died last June. Despite what happened to my adoptive mother, I continue to pray that my adoptive father finds the strength to forgive himself for abandoning her in her most needed time.” His parting words were simple yet profound. He reminded the campers, “Whatever misunderstandings or resentments you have toward your parents, just try to understand them.”
To help campers reflect on their relationships with their parents, Brother Rey invited them to write “silent letters”—messages they might never say aloud but needed to express. Quoting Master Cheng Yen, he reminded them, “Be grateful to your parents and all sentient beings. Avoid disappointing them in any way.” “Sometimes, in the busyness of life, we forget to ask our parents how they are. I hope you will have a beautiful relationship with your parents or loved ones while they are still alive,” he added.
The campers, moved by his honesty, poured their hearts into letters for their parents. Gentle music filled the venue, and many were brought to tears.
For Ma. Allysa Rose Ligaya, an incoming fourth-year Computer Engineering student at BISU Main, the activity became an opportunity for reconciliation. Before the camp, she had a misunderstanding with her overseas Filipino worker mother and had not spoken to her for a day. Through her letter, she expressed what she could not say before. “Keeping anger inside leads to nothing,” she shared, vowing never to upset her parents and to help them without expecting anything in return.
For camper Maria Beatrice Padirog, a third-year BS Computer Engineering student from BISU Main Campus, the night was a reminder that “the most beautiful smile is when it’s genuine, when I’m not hiding anything.”
Fellow camper Farah Gandawali, a second-year BS Computer Engineering student from BISU Main Campus, was deeply touched by Brother Rey’s story of fulfilling his grandmother’s dream, as it echoed her late mother’s unfulfilled wish to ride an airplane. “I wasn’t able to fulfill that dream,” she said softly, “but I’ll carry that wish with me.” She also vowed to treat others with greater kindness, realizing that behind every smile might be unseen struggles.
An inspiring piece of advice came from Tzu Chi commissioner from Manila, Sister Conchita Tan, who reminded everyone to be content with life and not rush things. She also encouraged them to always be appreciative and to pray. “If someone does you wrong, repay them with kindness,” she added.
As the night ended, many campers sat in tears, grateful, reflective, and transformed while Tzu Chi Commissioners from Taiwan, Cebu, and Manila offered words of guidance and comfort. Inspired by the talk on filial piety, each camper wrote a personal vow of love and compassion for Master Cheng Yen, for their parents, or their families. “I vow to be the light. I vow to do my best to help. I vow to obey and follow the words of Master Cheng Yen. I vow to be part of the change,” one camper’s heartfelt pledge.
The vows were hung on a symbolic tree, now adorned with handwritten promises—a living reminder of the campers’ growth and commitment. Just as the Bodhi tree symbolizes spiritual awakening, this symbolic tree stands as a reminder for the youth of their personal growth and renewed commitment to walk a kinder and more purposeful path.
It was truly a night that touched every heart, reinforcing the timeless truth that the most beautiful smiles are born from moments shared openly and sincerely with family, friends, and the wider community.
