MANILA -- Jackie Lou Blanco on Sunday shared how devastated she and her children have been after two of their family members passed away in less than a month.
Veteran singer Pilita Corrales — Blanco's mother — died in April, while actor Ricky Davao — her ex-husband and father of her three children, died last week.
"It's been really very hard," the actress told reporters in a chance interview in Malacañang, where her mother was conferred with the Presidential Medal of Merit, the highest award given to civilians.
"It's difficult because you know when you grieve, your grieving is not finished after you've put them in their final resting place so we're still grieving for my mom and now we're grieving for Ricky," she said.
"It is difficult. It's just hard."
READ: Ricky Davao passes away at 63
READ: 'Asia's Queen of Songs' Pilita Corrales dies at 87
Corrales reportedly died in her sleep at the age of 87, while the 63-year old Davao succumbed to complications from cancer.
"Although Ricky has been sick for the last couple of months, he really fought a good fight," Blanco said.
"It's particularly hard for my children because they lost their dad and their mamita at the same time," she said.
Blanco said that she reminds her children to honor their late father and grandmother "by being excellent in what we do, by being good people."
"Kung ano man yung mga tinuro nila sa amin, that's what we will try to share to other people," she said.
"We are just trying to draw strength from each other and we are praying for God's strength that we are able to go through this together," she said.
Davao's wake at the Heritage Park in Taguig started on May 4, and is expected to end on May 6.
Corrales was cremated in the same cemetery and was laid to rest in mid-April.