In a recent Instagram post, Ivana Alawi writes, "You are [the] one person who never stopped believing in me and [in] my dreams. Thank you for raising us to be [as] strong, kind-hearted and giving as you are." Such a heartwarming message was for Mama Alawi (a.k.a. Fatima Marbella) who turned a year older just last week. Alongside the caption were photos of the vlogger-actress with her mom throughout the years. Check out the throwback snaps below and see how Ivana's beauty was evident even in her younger years!
To celebrate Mama Alawi's birthday, the family headed to The Vineyard at Tanauan Hotel Resort for a fun-filled vacation near the lakes of Batangas. Aside from a fresh change of scenery, the resort also boasts luxurious amenities such as a customary golf cart, sumptuous meals, and even a yacht ride experience.
As the establishment's name suggests, they also have a nearby vineyard where grapes are regularly harvested. This was the setting the YouTuber, with the help of her siblings Hashim and Mona, chose to hold their grand surprise for their mom. "Si mama mahilig siya magpitas, pero never niya na-experience [dito sa Pilipinas]," Ivana shares as she vlogged the experience. "Ayaw niya ng gamit kasi sayang. Gusto nya bumili ng mga pagkain para sa mga ibang tao," she says to explain why she chose cash as her gift to her—and what a hefty amount of cash it was.
What Ivana had in mind was much more fun and cheeky than just simply handing over the money: After bringing their mom to the vineyard, they instructed her to pick as many "grapes" as she could in one minute or so. Although, the "grapes" were actually bags encasing cheques, each worth P100,000. There were a total of ten of them to nab, which means Mama Alawi's birthday gift amounted to a whopping one million pesos! Earlier in the vlog, the family matriarch exclaimed that "money don't grow on trees," but we guess they do so on vines.
Upon realizing that what she was picking weren't regular fruits, Mama Alawi had her game face on, exclaiming, "Milyonarya na ako!" after bagging all of her birthday loot. The Alawis got in a sweet embrace afterwards, before heading to a special lunch by the garden area.
What a sweet surprise! Belated happy birthday, Mama Alawi!
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