Grandma of Fil-Am content creator dies at 97

Chris Punsalan and his grandmother, Anicia Santos Manipon, show their YouTube Play Button after gaining more than 1 million subscribers.(Chris Punsalan’s Facebook Page)

TARLAC CITY — The grandmother of Filipino-American content creator Chris Punsalan died on Monday, Jan. 29, in the United States at the age of 97, people close to them confirmed.

Anicia Santos Manipon, famously known as “grandma,” died in her sleep days after she was confined in the hospital due to pneumonia, according to Len Ong Manipon, her daughter-in-law.

Grandma was married to Alfredo “Fiding” Manipon Sr., a former postmaster in Tarlac province’s Bamban town.

She used to serve as a public school teacher at Banaba Elementary School and Bamban Gabaldon Elementary School, the oldest educational institution in Bamban.

READ: Handsome TikToker spreads Yemen rebels’ message

Her firstborn, Alfredo Manipon Jr., was a scoutmaster at Sto. Nino Academy and later became part of the US Navy, paving the way for them to migrate to the US.

Punsalan and grandma are known for their videos while speaking Kapampangan.

In their videos, Punsalan would often read words of affirmation from their followers, addressing grandma with messages such as “You are loved,” “You are strong,” and “Hey! Everything will be okay.”

Punsalan would sometimes demonstrate how to lift grandma and give tips on how to better care for elderly patients like her. INQ