As a dad of four and the reelected Mayor of San Juan City, Francis Zamora doesn't stop. And he has no plans of slowing down.
His second term in office continues to bring better opportunities and a brighter future for his constituents. When his official duties are adjourned, Mayor Francis takes on a different kind of fatherly role, this time for his own household of four children with his better half Keri.
It’s a tall order for the big man of San Juan to balance his time and attention, yet the city is thriving with successful projects under his leadership while his children are flourishing in their endeavors.
In an exclusive interview with Smart Parenting, we asked Mayor Francis how he cultivates effective habits that started in himself and how he passes them on to his children as a strong, determined, and loving father.
Mayor Francis Zamora: A lasting experience as a student-athlete
“Before our team, the De La Salle Green Archers won the UAAP men’s basketball championship in 1998 and 1999, we experienced losing. That’s actually where I learned to stand up and do better,” Mayor Zamora recalled.
“That's really something that helped me as a person having to go through all these trials and challenges when I was still playing basketball. What do you do after you lose is to make sure that next time you go into battle, you will win.”
Expounding on his experience as a student-athlete in college, Mayor Zamora went through the toil of daily practice with his teammates to prepare for the UAAP season. Practices start at five o’clock in the morning before classes begin. Why? Mayor Zamora mentioned that their coach wanted them to stay fit, healthy, and away from parties that could last well into the night.“This level of discipline has been instilled in me since I was young. Now that I'm the Mayor of San Juan City, I have brought that discipline with me each day. And it’s not just for me, but for my whole team, and of course, my children.”
A winner’s mindset for his kids
Looking back on the challenges he confronted, Mayor Zamora said, “Did I give up when we lost games? No. Did I roll over and quit? No. What did I do? I persevered and I pushed myself to do better. I always tell my children that if they want to achieve something in life, they really have to work hard for it. It’s not something that will fall on their laps.”
Mayor Zamora's determination echoes in how he motivates his children, particularly Amanda and Rocco, who are out to make their marks.
View this post on Instagram
According to Mayor Zamora, his eldest child Amanda, 22, wanted to earn her own accomplishments. When she was younger, she tried to enter show business and did not want the focus to shift to her family's name. Bearing in mind her father's lessons, Amanda auditioned on her own.
Eventually, in December 2020, after a set of auditions for Pinoy Big Brother, one of ABS-CBN's top programs, Amanda reached her dream of being part of the show and she stayed in the house for 60 days.
“Amanda was able to learn from the things that I've been teaching her,” shared Mayor Zamora. “Of course, as a father, I'm very proud because now that my daughter has graduated from college in La Salle and finished a program at UCLA, she's about to be a student at Fordham University, a Master's student at Fordham University in Marketing, a course that she really loves. These things would not have happened if she didn't push herself.”
"I'm always here for my family, and I can honestly say I'm a very good husband to my wife. That's something I'm proud of and that translates to my family." —Mayor Francis Zamora
Meanwhile, Rocco, 19, the eldest son of Mayor Francis, is gearing up to play for the UAAP roster of the De La Salle University men’s basketball team, after graduating from high school last year from La Salle Greenhills.
“I tell my son Rocco that the spot to join the team is something you have to compete for, you have to work hard for, you have to push yourself. Just imagine you're competing against so many other good players from the country, from abroad or the US. You have players wanting to play for De La Salle and you all compete for the lineup,” said Mayor Zamora.
"He really has to go through the process to further improve himself, improve his skills, improve his physical attributes, improve his conditioning and stamina," Mayor Zamora added. "I always remind him not to be discouraged because I went through the same experience before, so don't stop, just keep on pushing, keep on grinding, and you'll get there."
Mayor Francis Zamora: Filipino values come first
Despite his many responsibilities as a government leader, Mayor Zamora always makes time for his family. He revealed that he was present in the delivery room each time his wife Keri gave birth to their children. And he cut the umbilical cord for all his four kids.
View this post on Instagram
"I'm always here for my family, and I can honestly say I'm a very good husband to my wife," said Mayor Zamora. "That's something I'm proud of and that translates to my family."
As traditional Filipino parents, Mayor Zamora and Keri keep the family adherent to Filipino values, particularly for their two younger boys Nicolas and Noah.
"With the internet and social media, our children might look up to other kids or people from other countries, which my wife and I believe they should not look up to. That becomes a challenge because sometimes they will think that how children act in other cultures is normal," described Mayor Francis.
"So walking the talk gives you a lot of credibility. It's really being consistent with the things that we teach them. And to be a good teacher, you have to be able to show them that you are a good example."
Beyond his main duty as the Mayor of San Juan City, Francis Zamora is also the president of the Metro Manila Council, and also the Regional Peace and Order Council Chairman for the National Capital Region.
Read more about Mayor Francis Zamora in SPOT.ph's In My City, a series of stories on city leaders throughout the Philippines here.
More from sp
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
