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Fran Lu

A photo of a young Filipino man taking a life-size cardboard cut-out of his late mother to his university graduation in 2019, has recirculated online, provoking an emotional reaction.
Its reappearance came close to May 12 and was dubbed the “most tear-jerking” Mother’s Day image.
“Our mothers are always in our hearts,” one person said on Instagram.
“They are with us even though they are not around,” wrote someone else who said the photo reminded him of his dead mother.
The photo is of Paulo John Alinsog at his graduation ceremony after he completed a Business Administration degree at the Lyceum of the Philippines University five years ago.

Alinsog had the cardboard cut-out of his mother, Carmen, enlarged from one of her photos so she could be with him at the important event. It was 157cm long – the same height as her.
He posted photos of himself holding Carmen in his arms on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and said: “To my most beautiful mother. Ma, your eldest has graduated. I hope you are happy in the presence of God. I finished school because this is what you wanted. I love you very much.”
Alinsog’s mother had promised to come to his graduation, but died from pneumonia in 2016.
He said she was a single parent for some years, and had been independently supporting his studies at private schools and university even after she remarried.
The gesture was Alinsog’s way of thanking her and honouring her memory.
He said the cut-out figure moved him to tears while acknowledging it also felt “creepy”.
Life-size human cardboard cut-outs have become quite common in recent years at Chinese universities.

They are usually images of students who cannot attend the graduation ceremony and are carried by their classmates.
Stories about people expressing deep love for their dead mothers often resonate with many people on social media.
In 2019, a Malaysian university student decided to graduate 33 days early so she could have a family photo while wearing her graduation gown at her mother’s funeral.
The young woman, Jia Huan, posted a photo of her smiling next to her mother’s coffin, on Facebook, with the caption: “Mum, you said you wanted us to take a family photo on my graduation day. Your oldest kid has graduated 33 days early.”


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Photo of Filipino student with cut-out of late mum resurfaces on Mother’s Day
Outpouring of online emotion all over again for mother who gave everything for son


The resurfacing of a photo showing a Filipino student with a cardboard cut-out of his late mother on his graduation day has stirred a new wave of emotion online.


The Philippines

Trending in China

‘For my most beautiful mum’: cardboard cut-out of late mother photo held by graduate Filipino man reignites online emotion

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Photo of Filipino student with cut-out of late mum resurfaces on Mother’s Day Outpouring of online emotion all over again for mother who gave everything for son

Photo of Filipino student with cut-out of late mum resurfaces on Mother’s Day

Outpouring of online emotion all over again for mother who gave everything for son