By Franchesca L. Tuazon
All our hugs were not enough,” Alice Eduardo told her father on his deathbed. “You were always, always there for me.”
The father of “Woman of Steel” Alice Eduardo and social media superstar Small Laude passed away today, Jan. 31 at the age of 90. Best known as “Daddeh” by his loved ones and fans of Small’s vlog, Andres played a crucial role in molding her children into the people they are today.
Socialite and vlogger Small Laude confirmed the heartbreaking news of her father’s passing through a social media post: “I can’t believe you’re gone. I’m so heartbroken. Rest well, Daddeh,” she said, alongside a photo of them together in his final day.
Alice, the president and CEO of Sta. Elena Construction Corp., reposted her sister’s message on Instagram. Dubbed as the “Woman of Steel,” Alice often said that her parents are her lifelong companions in business and life. “My company has been there for 27 years. For 20 years, my mom and dad would always be my companion when I visited sites or when I would close a deal for projects. It was my parents who would be with me in the car, not my engineers,” she said in a previous interview with Büm D. Tenorio Jr. for The Philippine STAR last May 12, 2023.
She fondly recalled their shared moments and the quiet strength her father offered in both triumph and challenge.
“I have breakfast with them every day. Sometimes, when it can’t be avoided, I bring paperwork to their house just so I can be with them. I want to see them all the time. I want my parents to feel the love I have for them. That’s the least I can do for all the sacrifices they did for me and my siblings,” Alice added.
A retired dentist, Andres was also father to Melba Solidum and son Joel Eduardo, while his wife Elisa used to work as a certified public accountant. In more recent years, the sharp-tongued and frank “Daddeh” would be a fan-favorite for those who followed Small on social media, for his various antics and witty sense of humor.
