Carlos, a businessman, is tall, with a lively face. His son Paco isn't as tall as his father, but his long arms and legs suggest he'll still grow taller. Whenever Paco isn't concentrating on his smartphone, he can be seen in scuba gear (水中呼吸装置). It is through this hobby that he bonds with his dad.
Paco, who is 14, is the second oldest among Carlos' children: Javier, 21, Adriana, 10, and Carolina, 6."I try to find common ground between me and my kids. I find something we all have in common, and then go from there," says Carlos."It's all different with each of them. My eldest doesn't like diving like Paco. So, for example, if they like games, I approach talking with them through their games, and then go from there. It's just being there for them, listening to them, and knowing their problems and anxieties. You just need to let them know you're there for them."
For Carlos and Paco, it was diving, a hobby that the former started in 1997 when his dad bought a boat and decided to buy scuba gear for the whole family. "I got certified (获得认证) with my brother Richie. It was an on and off thing with diving," Carlos shares. "Three years ago, I learned that Paco wanted to study how to dive as well, which gave me a reason to go back to diving.
"We even got certified for the advanced open water course together. That's how committed we are to diving," Carlos says."Hanging out with my dad is really fun because we get to create a lot of memories. Also, he always lets me have as much food as I want, so that's a plus," Paco adds. The two then talked about some of their best trips together when diving."The most unforgettable one for me was our five-day Visayan live-aboard dive trip. The sights were excellent, and it was three dives a day, so we went underwater to our heart's content. What else could I ask for?" says Carlos.
