MANILA – Actress Kris Aquino, the youngest daughter of former president Corazon Aquino, was full of gratitude to the thousands of Filipinos who patiently lined up in the streets to watch the former leader’s funeral cortege.

“We’re in the middle of Makati…. this is just so beautiful for us. Our hearts feel so wonderful. Talagang pinaparamdam na mahal na mahal ang mom ng Filipinos,” Kris said in interview on ANC.

From the window of her car, Kris said she could see women crying as the funeral convoy of her mother passed by.  

In Makati City, an estimated crowd of 25,000 lined the whole length of Ayala Avenue.

In scenes reminiscent of the 1986 People Power revolution that catapulted Mrs. Aquino to the presidency, Makati employees threw confetti out of their office windows while the electronic ticker outside the Insular Life Building on Paseo de Roxas-Ayala Avenue flashed pictures of Mrs. Aquino and the words "Paalam, Cory."

Footage taken by ABS-CBN's Sky Patrol showed the crowds flashing the "L" for Laban sign, which was popularized during Mrs. Aquino's presidential campaign in 1986. Others clapped and cheered as her funeral convoy pulled in close near the Benigno Aquino monument on Ayala Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas.

Kris said the scenes brought back so many memories of her father, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983. She said the outpouring of love and support made her feel more blessed to be a Filipino.

The city of Makati is especially important to her family, Kris also said. She noted that her mother spent her last month at the Makati Medical Center and Makati was the first to support her father.

She said her mother’s funeral convoy passed Ayala Avenue in order to show the people how much her family appreciates their love and support.

“I just want to say thank you very, very much. [Kapag] ganito [ka] kalungkot [pero] nararamdaman mong ganito karami ang nakikiramay saiyo, nakakatulong talaga… It's truly heartwarming para sa amin,” she said. 

‘To be like her’

Kris said she is “truly blessed” to have a mother who taught her and her four siblings the correct values. “She was involved in all our lives. She was always a mother, first and foremost.”

For example, Mrs. Aquino would tell her the importance of being simple and the "wisdom of being silent," said the television host, who is known for her lavish lifestyle. And now that she is married, her mother's advise, according to Kris, was for her to be a good wife and good mother.

The actress, meantime, vowed to keep the legacy of the Philippine democracy icon alive. -abs-cbnNEWS.com