The whole country couldn’t believe it when the video of Ate Gay — Gil Morales, a well-known comedian who always makes everyone laugh — suddenly surfaced, but this time, it wasn’t laughter that brought him but tears. In the video, you can see that he was pale, barely able to breathe, but still trying to smile as he said, “Thank you to everyone who helped.” With those simple words, it was as if a weight had fallen on the hearts of viewers. Millions watched it immediately, and almost everyone was moved to tears. Many are asking, is this Ate Gay’s last farewell? What did he want to convey? Was he referring to someone when he said, “To those who hurt me, I forgive you”?

Since then, the conversation has not stopped. Some say they saw the surrender in her eyes, but others have felt a strange sense of hope. In the midst of the pain brought on by Stage 4 cancer, she still tries to joke — once, she even said, “If I have cancer, at least I have character development.” But with every laugh, you can feel the tears behind her. She fights every day, even when it hurts, even when her body is weakening. There are moments when she can barely stand, but when there is a camera, she tries to revive her former energy. Her friends in the industry have started sending help — fellow comedians, artists, even those she used to work with on shows. But according to some who know, someone visited her secretly, someone she used to be close to her that she hasn’t seen in a long time. There is no confirmation of who it was, but witnesses say that Ate Gay cried all night long.

In the live streams that her fans followed, Ate Gay could barely speak. Her voice was hoarse, her hands were shaking, but she still managed to say thank you. “If it’s up to this point, I want you to remember that I didn’t make you cry — I just wanted to make you laugh a little.” Those simple words seemed to tear at everyone’s hearts. Many netizens commented, “It feels like I lost a family member.” Someone said, “I wasn’t a fan before, but now, I salute her.” And a few others asked who the people she was referring to “disappeared when she needed them.” There were rumors about people who once promised help but suddenly disappeared, and producers who seemed to have abandoned her in the middle of a fight.

But despite everything, there was one piece of news that spread like a light in the dark — his tumor had shrunk. The doctors couldn’t believe it, and the family couldn’t figure out how it happened. According to the hospital staff, he prayed all night one night, and the next morning, he said, “I saw light.” Some even claimed that a miracle had occurred, that while he was praying, a cross appeared on his chest. There was no official confirmation, but it was enough to give people hope again. Social media suddenly went viral with #LabanAteGay — thousands of Filipinos simultaneously prayed, donated, and said “keep fighting.”

Despite everything, his smile still remains. In the last video that came out, you can notice that he is very thin, but his eyes are calm. The strength he once had is gone, but the courage is still there. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “in the end, we will laugh again.” With those words, it was as if he had rekindled the spirits of all those who were losing hope. He is not just a comedian now — he is a symbol of strength, of love, and of accepting all the pain that comes along. Many people say, “Ate Gay reminds us that even though you are hurting, you can still make others happy.”

Now, as the treatment continues, the prayers continue to pour in. There are those organizing benefit concerts, there are simple netizens offering candles and flowers outside the hospital, there are families telling their children about who Ate Gay is and why he is important. In every corner of the internet, there are video clips of him that people are rewatching — his old stand-up shows that used to just make people laugh, but now they are making people cry. Many are saying, “I didn’t know that behind his laughter, there was such a story of pain and courage.”

The most painful, according to those close to her, was when they heard her say, “It’s hard when the world gradually forgets you that once made you laugh.” But she never forgets. With every prayer, with every like and share, and with every laugh she left in all of us, Ate Gay is still alive. She is proof that no matter how much you hurt, a smile still has value. And in the end, no matter the pain, no matter the fear, we will laugh again — just as Ate Gay taught us.