MANILA, Philippines – A wall of photographs dominates the high-ceilinged living room of my flat, the same apartment my husband Vic and I moved into after leaving Hong Kong in 1978, a year before assuming parental responsibility for a niece and four nephews whose parents had called it quits. Many of the pictures are fading from exposure to the morning sun that directly hits the wall, but the smiling faces on them still chronicle happy moments that will live long after the images, and I, are gone.

From the late 1970s to the summer before Ninoy’s death, Vic and I took our five kids to Batangas, Cavite or Bataan beaches most weekends; longer school vacations during summer and Christmas were used for trips to more distant places in Northern Luzon and the Bicol region. I photographed all those adventures, not caring that I myself was not in the pictures. We were giving them memorable experiences; I wanted to give our children pictures that will remind them of these moments.

We had to carefully plan those trips, which were luxuries almost beyond our means; we were both struggling freelance foreign correspondent stringers and had to watch our budget. Here is how we managed.

TRANSPORT – Gas was cheap. We traveled in a 6-cylinder Plymouth Volare station wagon which provided enough space for two adults, five children and a driver, I bought the car cheap from a US Embassy staffer who was leaving for re-assignment. Gas was inexpensive, so the size of the engine was not a turn-off. It was the size of the car’s body that mattered.

There was a top rack for tents, beddings and provisions. The wide body allowed all of us to sit comfortably. The back portion was very spacious: a Webber barbecue kettle, clay stove, pots and pans could nestle in the back, beside a large icebox. A wicker picnic basket with metal spoons and forks, reusable Melamine plates, trays, bowls and drinking glasses, plus a box of canned food and all our bags of clothing fit in as well. Two five-gallon containers of drinking water went with us everywhere. We traveled with everything we needed.

When friends wanted to join us, we rented a Coaster or an L300 van and split the cost. The bigger the group, the bigger the savings. This expense sharing applied to vehicles, gas, food and lodging.

MEALS – To save money as well as avoid water-borne and food-related illnesses, we skipped restaurant meals and ate what we packed from home or prepared inside the car while on the move. The only ready-to-eat food we bought on the road were boiled camote, corn and bananas, ripe bananas, ripe fruits, bread and boiled eggs with no visible cracks.

All our meals were planned; even our snacks while on the road were strategically packed to be readily available whenever and wherever anyone had hunger pangs. We stopped at scenic places at mealtime; at times, we had to buy Lechon Manok or steamed rice and beer for the privilege of using a table with a view, and to use the bathrooms.

PUBLIC MARKETS – My favorite part of the trips. We stopped at almost all the palengke along the way, to educate the kids on the products of the area, and to satisfy my palengkera instincts. We bought provisions and planned our meals based on what the local markets sold: tuna for Sashimi in Atimonan, scrambled eggs with fling fish roe in Bagac, Bataan, smoked beef tenderloin from the Mendez junction meat market near Tagaytay, Talakitok in Laia, Batangas, crabs at the Hundred Islands, Pla-Pla on the shores of Taal Lake in Talisay.

Vegetables and fruits of all shapes, colors and sizes dazzled the children. They learned to eat the sweet-sour fruit of Yantok (Rattan) in Aurora Province, aptly-named red Susong Kalabaw in Camarines and picked Sineguelas on the shores of Cavite.

LODGING – Tents, a small generator and a station wagon all contributed to reducing our expenses for lodging. We drove into resorts and rented one room or one cottage just for the luxury of bathrooms and running water. Tents provided the main roofs over our heads. Portable gas lamps and a 500-watt generator gave us a feeling of security.

In places where there were no resorts or hotels in sight, we asked local residents if we could park on their properties and pitch tents. No one turned us down. Our hosts spent half the night drinking beer with me and Vic, and trading stories.

LESSONS – Our children learned independence as they were taught to pack their own stuff. Whoever forgot to pack his snorkel or flippers learned his lesson watching the others enjoying themselves. The children learned to look after each other.

We all knew more about the country and its people.

PRICELESS MEMORIES – With Vic now gone and the kids all on their own, my day begins with coffee in front of a wall of laughing faces: Albert buried neck-deep in sand in La Union, Little Sol dribbling a ball at Pagsanjan Falls, Andy boiling an egg in bubbling mud at the Tiwi Hot Springs, Hiroki trying to unhook a tiny fish he caught from the wharf in Lingayen and Jay chasing duck at a roadside farm in Pampanga. In all the pictures, Vic is at a distance, watching with concern.

My message to all young parents out there: give your children memories. Do not wait; they will be grown up and be gone before you know it. One day, those memories will keep you company while waiting for the children’s next visit.