MOMMY CHED - 1Lt Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi

25/05/2026

A SOLEMN MEMORIAL DAY- IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO DIED FOR OUR FREEDOM

Almost 3 AM tonight, but before I sleep and head off to a trip, I wanted to finish this Memorial Day poster for AFFRS: Almost Forgotten, Forever Remembered.

Today, I think of the ones who never came home.

In the AFFRS comics, there is a scene where Mommy Ched, Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi, stands with Daniel before the makeshift graves of their fallen comrades. No marble. No grand ceremony. Just earth, grief, silence, and the unbearable weight of remembering names the world almost forgot.

That is what Memorial Day means to me.

It is not just a holiday. It is a sacred pause.

It is the sound of families waiting for footsteps that never returned. Imagine the many young soldiers who gave their tomorrows so others could have freedom today. The grief carried by medics, guerrillas, sailors, nurses, mothers, and children who survived, but never truly left the battlefield behind.

For my family, remembrance is personal. It lives in the stories of Mommy Ched, Lolo Victorio, Kuya Jose, Yuki-san, Daniel, Kuya Amado, Nanay Opheng, and the many almost forgotten heroes of World War II whose sacrifices shaped the freedom we now inherit.

May this generation never forget the almost forgotten.

May we remember not only the famous names, but also the nameless graves, the makeshift crosses, the wounded who kept fighting, the healers who carried the dying, and the families who preserved these stories when history did not.

To every fallen hero, thank you for your sacrifice.
To every veteran family still carrying the memory, we honor you.
To every young person reading this, may we never treat freedom as something ordinary.

Because someone paid for it.

Almost Forgotten, Forever Remembered.
A World War II Epic Saga.
In tribute to the heroes who gave everything for freedom.

23/05/2026

21/05/2026

Our AFFRS Road Trip Series BEGINS!🇵🇭

🇵🇭 First Stop: Bataan World War II Museum
📍 Balanga City, Bataan

FIRST STOP AT BATAAN WORLD WAR II MUSEUM IN BALANGA CITY!

We visited the Bataan World War II Museum, located behind Balanga Elementary School in Balanga City, Bataan. From the moment we walked through the museum grounds, past the old school style building, shaded walkways, museum entrance, framed photographs, wartime displays, and preserved relics, we could feel that this was not just a museum.

We were warmly welcomed by Ma’am Tess Pizarro and Ma’am Cathy Mejia of HAS Club Balanga, who guided us with so much heart, wisdom, and love for history. We brought copies of THE AFFRS comic books and shared the story of Mommy Ched, 1st Lt. Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi, our Filipina guerrilla combat medic and one of the brave women whose life continues to inspire this project.

Inside the museum, we looked at wartime photographs, maps, memorabilia, old documents, displays about Bataan, and powerful reminders of the sacrifices made by Filipino and Allied soldiers during World War II. Some areas, especially on the second floor, do not allow photography, but those moments stayed with us deeply. Sometimes, what the camera cannot capture, the heart remembers even more.

One of the most meaningful parts of the visit was listening to Ma’am Tess speak about the importance of preserving stories like these. She shared words of wisdom about why historical storytelling matters, why young people need to learn, and why projects like THE AFFRS can help bring these memories to a new generation.

We were truly moved when they said they would set up a space for Mommy Ched and her story. That honor means more than words can express. 🥹

21/05/2026

🇵🇭✨ ✨🇵🇭✨ 🇵🇭✨

WINNER OF THE FEATURE WRITING CONTEST

Congratulations, Elisha P. Farmal!

Today, our hearts are full as we celebrate one of the youngest members of our KALASAG Team, Elisha P. Farmal, lovingly known as Lisha, for winning 3rd Place in the 2026 PVAO National Women’s Month Feature Writing Competition on Inspiring Women.

Her winning article, “I Met a Living Woman Hero and Did Not Know It,” was more than a feature piece. It was a heartfelt awakening.

Through her words, Lisha shared how she once saw Mommy Ched simply as an elderly Lola in a wheelchair, always present, always serving, always blessing others. Only later did she realize that this quiet woman was 1st Lieutenant Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi, a World War II guerrilla combat medic, doctor, missionary, and a living woman hero.

And truly, that is the power of storytelling. It opens the eyes of the young to the heroes who have been right in front of us all along.

What makes this even sweeter is that Lisha chose to donate most of her winnings to The Mind Warriors Project KALASAG so we can print more comic books and continue sharing the stories of our forgotten heroes. ❤️

We are so proud of you, Lisha. You honored Mommy Ched with tenderness, humility, and truth. Your words remind us that women heroes are not only found in monuments or textbooks. Sometimes, they are quietly serving in the background, carrying a century of courage without asking for applause.

Mabuhay si Mommy Ched at ang mga Babaeng Bayani! 🇵🇭

20/05/2026

FIRST BATCH OF BUYERS AND AFFRS BOOK SIGNING:

Thank you to the very first batch of soldiers who bought AFFR Comics and supported The Mind Warriors Project: Kalasag !

14/05/2026

🇵🇭 THE AFFRS ROAD TRIP SERIES BEGINS

The AFFRS WWII Comic Books are going on the road.

So excited to finally update our pages with our Road Trip Series for the first time travelling to local World War II museums, fellow advocates historians and researchers who do their best to preserve our country's dying history..

Its so bittersweet that this will be my first time exploring World War II museums... :( since unfortunately our education system does not teach about the importance of this.

We at The AFFRS Almost Forgotten, Forever Remembered. WWII Epic Saga and The Mind Warriors Project: Kalasag choose to share more awareness about these meaningful museums and exhibits of our war heritage as people and nations together!

We are bringing the AFFRS comic project to local World War II museums and heritage exhibits across the Philippines to honor the heroes who fought, sacrificed, survived, and carried stories that must never be forgotten.

Through this road trip, we hope to share our comics, support local museums, and help spark a deeper love for Philippine World War II history, especially among the next generation.

Featured Visits:

🇵🇭 Bataan World War II Museum
Balanga City, Bataan by Ma'am. Pizzaro and Ma'am Cathy

🇵🇭 Remember Bataan History Exhibit & Souvenirs
by Sir Mher Sayan

🇵🇭 Bamban WWII Museum
Bamban, Tarlac
by Sir Rhonie C. Dela Cruz

Our mission is simple but powerful:

• Honor WWII heroes
• Share the AFFRS comic project
• Support local museums
• Promote historical awareness
• Inspire remembrance and patriotism

Every museum carries a piece of our nation’s memory. Every artifact, every photograph, every story, and every name reminds us that freedom was paid for by real people with real courage.

The AFFRS road trip is our way of saying thank you.

Let us remember the almost forgotten and keep them forever remembered.

Almost Forgotten, Forever Remembered!

11/05/2026

Sharing pictures that my former school shared about us, truly a blessing to have my teacher and school principal witness my journey since I was a young girl and aspiring artist and writer with big dreams turn ito a reality at last ❤

Maraming salamat po ETON International School!

10/05/2026

A MOTHER’S DAY SUNSET WITH MOMMY CHED
1Lt. Dr. Mercedes Cuello Lazaro Musngi ❤️🇵🇭

As Mother’s Day became a sunset, we ended this day in a place we will never forget.

Today, we visited Mommy Ched at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, carrying her favorite sunflowers and roses. We stood before her resting place with love, gratitude, and remembrance in our hearts. As the sun slowly sank down, we watched the sky turn gold, and for a quiet moment, it felt like heaven was near.

There was even a beautiful rainbow halo that appeared above our heads, as if God was reminding us that love, legacy, and memory never truly leave us.

We wept bittersweet tears.

There was sadness because we miss her. There was gratitude because she lived. There was pride because she gave so much. And there was love, the kind of love that does not end just because someone is no longer physically here.

We gave our salute.

Not only to a veteran.
Not only to a guerrilla combat medic.
Not only to a woman who survived war, loss, sacrifice, and pain.

But to a mother.

Mommy Ched was a mother whose love was forged in history. A mother who carried wounds the world may never fully understand, yet still chose to build, to heal, to teach, and to love. She was not only strong because she survived. She was strong because she kept giving life after everything that tried to destroy it.

She raised a fierce daughter. She passed down courage. She planted faith. She taught us that love is not always soft. Sometimes love is a shield. Sometimes love is a prayer. Sometimes love is a story carried from one generation to the next so that nothing sacred is forgotten.

Today, as we placed sunflowers and roses for her, I thought about how much of our family still blooms because of her.

The sunflowers reminded me of her strength, always turning toward light.
The roses reminded me of her love, beautiful, brave, and marked by thorns.
The sunset reminded me that even when a life has passed, its light can still cover the sky.

That is the beauty of legacy.

It does not stay buried.
It blooms from one mother to another.

Mommy Ched lives on through the legacy of my mother. She lives on in my mom’s strength, in her voice, in her faith, in her prayers, and in the way she continues to carry our family story forward.

Mommy Ched, thank you for raising the woman who raised me. Thank you for giving us my mother, a strong, fierce, loving daughter who continues to carry your light. Thank you for planting in our family a love that survives war, distance, grief, and time.

As the sun went down over Libingan ng mga Bayani, we remembered you with tears, with honor, and with so much love.

Thank you for being our family’s mother of courage. Thank you for giving us a legacy of service, faith, healing, and fierce love.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy Ched.

Your story still lives.
Your daughter still carries you.
And I will keep carrying both of you in every mission, every page, every museum tour, every KALASAG event, and every story we tell.

We love you.
We salute you.
We will never forget you. ❤️🇵🇭

With all my love,
YLAY