Renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo faced a museum visitor who bore an uncanny resemblance to his late mother, Belen Ocampo. The visitor, Veronica Balayo from Davao, had been touring the National Museum when she stumbled upon a photo-oleo of Belen Ocampo and was struck by their similarity.
Veronica’s discovery quickly went viral on social media, capturing the attention of millions of TikTok users and, most notably, Belen’s son, Ambeth Ocampo. In a Facebook post, Ocampo shared a photo of himself with Veronica, standing beside his mother’s portrait at the National Museum. He wrote, “Veronica Balayo from Davao visited the National Museum, saw my mother’s photo-oleo, noticed an uncanny resemblance, and asked if she was reincarnated.”
The viral TikTok video, which has garnered over 400,000 likes, featured Veronica posing next to Belen Ocampo’s foto-oleo. Veronica was stunned at the resemblance, questioning, “Am I her reincarnation?” This query resonated with Ambeth Ocampo, who humorously responded, “So you are my reincarnated mother? Winner!”
In an interview, Ocampo expressed his fascination with the striking resemblance between Veronica and his late mother. He described the situation as “particularly viral and coincidental,” expressing his curiosity and eagerness to meet Veronica.
Veronica reciprocated this sentiment, expressing gratitude that Ocampo had noticed her post. She flew back to Manila on Friday to meet Ocampo, who told her that even his siblings were intrigued by the resemblance. Upon meeting Veronica in person and comparing her to the portrait, Ocampo affirmed, “Mukhang kamukha.”
During their meeting, Veronica expressed her hope to lead a fulfilling life like Belen, aspiring to have children and be proud of them someday. In response, Ocampo offered some advice, highlighting the significance of having a career and finding the right partner. He shared that his mother was career-oriented and exemplified the qualities of a modern woman – independent and financially autonomous. As a parting gift, he presented Veronica with one of his books.
This unusual encounter serves as a reminder of the unexpected connections and revelations that can emerge from a simple visit to a museum, reinforcing the importance of preserving and exploring the Philippines’ cultural heritage.
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