Photo courtesy of Steffi Cua
To celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day, Filipino designers speak to Vogue Philippines about the best thing they’ve learned from their mothers.
A mother’s love can look different for everyone, just like how these Filipino designers define their mother’s wisdom from memory. Steffi Cua sees the strength of a woman who handles different roles through her two moms, Cherry and Lilienne. Meanwhile, Prince Padilla realized later in life that the lessons he learned from his mother, Alma, have always inspired everything he does. Rik Rasos was raised single-handedly by Baby, who taught him that kindness is a virtue to live by. There is also the kind of love that teaches you to have faith, just as Steph Verano learned from her mother Belinda, and Joseph Bagasao from his mother Helen.
To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, these Filipino designers speak with Vogue Philippines about the best lesson they’ve learned from their moms, and how it’s inspired a creative life.
Prince Padilla
If there’s one thing that Novel’s Prince Padilla remembers among his mom’s teachings, it’s that love can exist without explanation. “Growing up in a first-generation immigrant family, there were so many things she did for me that I didn’t understand at the time. Quiet sacrifices, unspoken patience, the kind of love that doesn’t announce itself? It’s just there! [I] feel this more as I get older,” he reflects.
As the British Filipino designer continues to navigate his identity, he shares that he only recognized later in life how his mother’s steady, reassuring kind of love is an open tab in the background of everything he does. “I think I’ve learned to move through the world, and through my work, with that same belief.”
Joseph Bagasao
My mother has always been a believer, Joseph Bagasao of Bagasáo, tells Vogue Philippines. His mother, Helen, said that no matter how big his dreams are, he should anchor himself to his faith. “She always reminded me to keep my focus on god because people are all still a work in progress,” he shares. This lesson leads the designer to realize that despite negativity from external forces, there is still much in life to be grateful for.
Steph Verano
Steph Verano, founder of the eponymous label Stephverano, chose to encapsulate what she learned from her mother, Belinda, in two words: “Have faith.” The teaching has manifested in her craft. In a previous interview with Vogue Philippines in March, Steph admitted that she was uncertain about where her style fit in the market when she was just starting out. But she knew to trust herself, and over time began to see the ambiguity from a different perspective, leaning into her strengths in pattern cutting and textile development. Since then, she continues to carry this lesson from Belinda with her every day.
Rik Rasos
It isn’t easy being a single mother. Proudrace creative director Rik Rasos learned that early in life, when his mom, Baby, had to begin raising him on his own. There was never a moment when he wasn’t in awe of her strength. “Of all the lessons she has passed to me, one echoes the loudest: Choose kindness, always. She would always tell me, ‘Be kinder to others than they are to you,’” he tells Vogue Philippines. The designer keeps this reminder close to his heart whenever he faces adversity. He owes the values he lives by in life and in his craft, he shares, to his mother and all the countless ways her selflessness has inspired him.
Steffi Cua
Growing up with two moms, Steffi Cua of Idyllic Summers realized that a woman is worth an entire ecosystem. Cherry is a designer and maker, and Lilienne is someone Steffi calls a steward of a family legacy. “They’re a masterclass in multiplicity, proof that a woman’s sovereignty is found in the integration of all of her many varied roles,” she says.
In one photo of herself and Cherry that Steffi holds close to her heart, Cherry wears a Patis Tesoro dress, and both of them hold bouquets in their hands. For Steffi, the photo personally symbolized a kind of “passing of the torch” as she grew up to love designing the same way her mother did.
Viña Romero
Designer Viña Romero had always admired the concept of motherhood, but admits she once never fully understood it. Now that she has become one herself, she tells Vogue Philippines that the best lesson she learned from her mother Ledovina is the importance of making time for what truly matters: children and family. “I feel deeply,” she says, “that no matter how busy or overwhelming life gets, the people you love should always feel your presence, time, and care.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Mother’s Day 2026 in the Philippines is celebrated on May 10, 2026. The occasion is observed every second Sunday of May to honor mothers and maternal figures for their love, sacrifices, and influence on family life.
Mother’s Day traces its modern roots to the early 20th century in the United States, with its first official celebration in 1908. It was later declared a national holiday in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson established its annual observance every second Sunday of May.
Popular Mother’s Day gifts include flowers, handwritten notes, personalized items, beauty products, and shared experiences like meals or quality time together.
Rasos was raised by his mother Baby, whose strength left him in awe and whose loudest lesson — “Be kinder to others than they are to you” — now anchors his values both in life and in his work at Proudrace.
After becoming a mother, Romero says her own mother Ledovina’s most important lesson is making time for what truly matters, so that the people you love always feel your presence, time, and care.
