Maxene Magalona honors late father Francis M on his birthday, shares life lessons
On Francis Magalona’s birthday, Maxene Magalona recalled how special his dad was not just because of his legacy in music, but also as a father.
Maxene celebrated his dad’s birthday, who she calls the “G.O.A.T,” via a series of Instagram posts on Wednesday, Oct. 4, including a list of life lessons he imparted to them.
“Honoring the Man from Manila on his birthday by sharing some of the most important life lessons that I learned from him,” she began in her caption.
Maxene noted how her dad taught her to “treat everyone equally with respect.” She took pride in how he treated everyone with respect, regardless of their background.
“He even said, 'It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO or the janitor of a company—we all sh-t the same,’" Maxene shared.
Maxene was also taught not to judge people’s life choices. “He always used to say, 'Walang basagan ng trip’ (loosely translated: b--ch, don’t kill my vibe),” she wrote.
Being the down-to-earth person that he is, the late Filipino rapper also never takes his title as a prominent celebrity to look down on others.
“He said to me, ‘Our work is just our means of living. It doesn’t mean that just because we appear on television, it makes us better or higher than others,’” Maxene wrote.
Maxene, who was named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint for peace, also inspired her dad to incorporate peace into his music. “Work on becoming an instrument of peace,” she wrote. “My Pop used his platform to advocate for peace and even wrote a song called Peace on Earth.”
The actress also noted how the family is one of her dad’s topmost priorities, and that he became her role model for love despite his “shortcomings as a father.”
“Love your family to the best of your ability. Admittedly, he was not perfect as he would unconsciously project his own traumas onto us when he was much younger which was understandable given that he had us at the age of 21,” she wrote.
“Despite his shortcomings as a father, I could always feel that his love for us was very deep and genuine. He was my role model for love.”
Francis M also made sure to inspire his children to go after their dreams. He was so passionate about his craft that Maxene recalled the time that he still kept working while battling cancer.
She also shared that her dad made sure to be as genuine and as authentic as a musician, and not be swayed by other’s opinions.
Lastly, the “King of Philippine Rap” made sure to share his strong faith in God with his children.
“Let go and let God. This was one of the things he said to me when I was asking him for advice,” Maxene concluded her post.
In a separate post, Maxene shared her favorite line from her dad's song, Luv 4 Lyf.
“Today will be yesterday tomorrow,” the photo’s caption read.
“A gentle reminder that we should never take time for granted. Make the most of the time you’re given and always be present. Be here now,” Maxene wrote.
She also shared a snippet from her past interview with him in an educational show, 5 and up. In the specific episode, young Maxene followed her dad’s journey in making his album, Happy Battle.
Francis M is a Filipino singer-songwriter and rapper and is regarded as one of the prominent figures in the Pinoy hip-hop scene. Some of his hit songs are Kaleidoscope World, Mga Kababayan, and Meron Akong Ano. He passed away in 2009 after his battle with acute myelogenous leukemia.