Filipino-Korean policeman Julius Manalo shared how he reunited with his Korean mom after 31 years.
Recently, the reunion between Manalo and his Korean mom went viral on social media. After the video went trending, Manalo shared his side of the story.
On his TikTok account @julioenforcer, Manalo answered one netizen’s question: “Bakit sa loob ng 31 years, tsaka niyo lang naisip hanapin ang mother niyo po?” Manalo replied that he has been looking for his mother for that span of 31 years.
He also revealed that the reunion only happened with the help of TV Chosun, who spent five months searching for his Korean mother.
Manalo shared that when he arrived in the Philippines in 1993, the only way to connect with people abroad was through telephones. In the Tondo neighborhood where he lived, there was just one phone with access to international calls.
“So isipin mo yun, paano ko siya hahanapin? During that time, ang focus namin is mabuhay araw araw kasi nga sa sobrang hirap ng buhay namin,” Manalo shared.
In high school, when the internet became available, Manalo seized the opportunity, saying his first priority was to find his mother. “Unang unang tinype ko nung nagka-access ako sa Internet, nanay ko at yung pangalan ng pinsan ko,” he said. However, there was not much data available online at that time.
When social media became popular, Manalo felt more hopeful about finding his mom. However, strict privacy laws in Korea made the search difficult. Determined, he explored other avenues—asking friends who owned Korean stores and posting in Facebook groups. But when the pandemic hit, it disrupted his plans.
It wasn’t until his mother-in-law suggested reaching out to TV Chosun that things took a turn. The production team aired his story after episodes of *Mom’s Spring Day*, and by chance, one of his friend’s mothers saw the announcement. This was the key that finally helped them reconnect with his mom.
“Tsaka siya tumawag sa TV Chosun. Yun ang nangyari kung paano nahanap ang nanay ko,” Manalo said.
Manalo shared with his viewers that his original plan was to travel to Korea with his wife and children to personally search for his mom. But as fate would have it, he didn’t need to make the trip.
He expressed his joy at finding his mom after 31 years, reflecting that it was better this way—now that he was more established in life and finally hearing his mom say she’s proud of him.
“At least ngayon, nakita niya ko, na ito pamilya ko, nakita mo mga apo mo, maayos na ko, meron akong maayos na trabaho, tas meron pa kong ibang pinagkakakitaan, makikita niya,” Manalo said.
“Lahat, perfect timing. Ang galing ng pangyayari,” he added.
Watch Manalo’s video below:
@julioenforcer Replying to @아르잔 hinahanap ko sya nuon pa, but in God’s perfect timing talaga lahat. #enforcer #findingmom #ifoundmymom ♬ original sound – Julius manalo
