Florencio Ringor - May 4, 1932 - April 28, 2026.
While I may not have known Lolo Flor as closely as I wish I had, I know that he was a loving and hardworking man who deeply cared about his family and his community. He was the type of person who always put others before himself. Despite his old age and health issues, his kindness and thoughtfulness remained unwavering. Like how he’d make sure that the taho man would stop by in the mornings because he knew I loved the syrupy soft tofu and sugary tapioca balls. Or how he was always checking in—whether it was about school, music, food writing, or the classic, “may girlfriend ka na ba?” Or how he’d remind me to also look out for my family and my friends. While the amount of time I got to spend with him was limited, those moments are infinitely precious and will stick with me forever.
It’s hard to visit and keep in touch with family that live over 8000 miles away—up until 2023, I hadn’t been back to the Philippines since 2002. But I am so grateful to have been able to go then, as well as this past fall, especially because I got to spend time with Lolo Flor. Rest in peace Lolo.
It’s impossible to cram all of the great moments from this year into one carousel, but I tried. It’s also impossible to tag everyone that made those moments so great—but to everyone photographed and not photographed, thank you. Peace out 2025!
