MANILA -- Licerna "Lesing" Romerica Abunda, the mother of veteran host Boy Abunda, has passed away. She was 90 years old.

The host's sister, Eastern Samar congresswoman Maria Fe Abunda, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Monday.

According to the post written in Waray, Mrs. Abunda died on Sunday, December 1.

A funeral mass will be held at Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City starting Monday, December 2.

Mrs. Abunda was a teacher and was elected councilor in Borongan for three terms from 1995 to 2004. She also won as vice mayor in 2004.

In an interview for the special episode of "Tonight With Boy Abunda" last October, Abunda turned emotional as he talked about his mother, who had dementia.

He said he will always be forever grateful to his mom, who always believed in him.

In an episode of "The Bottomline" last October for his birthday celebration, Abunda confirmed that his mother, whom he described as the center of his life, had been in the hospital for weeks.

"She's the center of my life and I hope she's not suffering. 'Yun lang naman ang gusto ko sa nanay. She's turning 91 in January, huwag lang masaktan," Abunda said at the time.

"I am grateful in both joy and pain. Grateful because kahit nasasaktan ako, I'm being given the chance by God to be the best mother to my mother and I'm being able to say thank you to her," Abunda added.

"I will be honest, I don't know I'm going to live my life without the presence of my mother. Pero katulad ng maraming sugal sa buhay ko, susuungin ko, because that's the only way," he said.

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