MANILA, February 16 ------ Though he has yet to step foot in the Philippines, Eddie Abasolo feels like he grew up there thanks to his lola. Born in Vallejo, California, Abasolo's family made sure that he stayed in touch with his Filipino roots thanks to his grandmother's home cooking. "My dad is from Baguio, but he's not born there. My lola is. They came here and lived in Oakland, moved to Vallejo. I grew up with all my lola's home cooking, dinuguan," said Abasolo. "I love those things, also the breakfasts. I have Filipino roots. I'm half, so I'm very close to my Filipino family as well," he added.
Abasolo – who returns to action this Saturday against Luke "The Chef" Lessei at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo – also shared how growing up in California made it easier to keep in touch with his roots. "It's awesome. I feel like there's a lot of Filipinos where I grew up in California and the Bay Area," he recalled. "I'm married to a Pinay, and it's just awesome because in the neighborhood that I grew up in, the street is nothing but Filipinos, and my uncle owns the complex that I stay at. The family that would come straight from the Philippines, that's where they moved to," he added. "In the alley, in our city, they actually call it Little Manila. And every night, especially in the summer, they would set up a fire in the driveway, all my aunties would cook sisig while they hang out. I'd be playing with my cousins. It was the best."
Abasolo has also felt plenty of support from Filipino-Americans, saying: "That's a huge honor because when Filipinos find out you're Filipino, it's a wrap, 100 percent full support." "Growing up as well, at places where I worked at, whenever the Filipinos find out I'm Filipino, I'll be part of the potluck. Everyday, they'll bring food for lunch. I love how tight knit everyone is in the Filipino culture," he added.
With that in mind, Abasolo plans to repay all the love that he's getting from the Filipino-American community and his fans in Southeast Asia by representing the Philippines to the best of his abilities. "I'm proud to be a representative of the Philippines when it comes to Muay Thai," he said. "I wear the colors with pride. I'm just so blessed and I hope to make my people proud."
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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