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I was born to Lourdes Pena Goco, wife and mother of five children. She was a pharmacist at Pascual Laboratories, Manila Philippines, when she married Leonardo Santos Goco. Even with a full time job, she pursued her gifts as an artist. Her skills as a poet, sculptor, painter and her love for music were exhibited thoughout her short life, wherever she dwelt. She produced many theatrical live shows on stage for Pascual's Employee Variety Shows. Her husband of 42 years, Leonardo Santos Goco, father, entrepreneur has a Bachelors Degree in Hygiene, but became a salesperson and established his own business, BERNA, Enterprises at our home in San Rafael Village, Balut, Tondo, Manila.
I was born in the year of the Metal Ox (1961) and was reared in Manila, Philippines as a Roman Catholic. I immigrated to the U.S. with my father and oldest brother in the summer of 1974. My mother was already in the U.S. 2 years prior to our arrival. 2 years later, the rest of my brothers came with an escort and in the summer of 1976 our family was reunited.
My major influences are first and foremost, God, His Word and His Holy Spirit in my life; the housemaids we had in the Philippines, my Lola Inay (my mom's mom), my mom, my dad, Baby Huey, Cecil and Beanie Boy, Valentina, the Medussa like character with snakes on her head in one of the Filipino films I used to watch, the Brady Bunch, the Partridge Family, I Dream of Jeannie.
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