Ambeth Ocampo meets museum visitor who looks like his late mom

Renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo finally met the museum visitor from Davao City who went viral for bearing an uncanny resemblance to his late mother Belen Ocampo. 

On social media, Ocampo shared a photo of him with the museum-goer Veronica Balayo. In the photo, Ocampo and Veronica posed beside the foto-oleo of his mom displayed at the National Museum. 

"Veronica Balayo from Davao visited the National Museum, saw my mother's photo-oleo, noticed an uncanny resemblance, and asked if she was reincarnated," he wrote in the caption.

Last January, Veronica shared on TikTok photos of her beside Belen Ocampo's foto-oleo from her recent visit to the National Museum.

 Veronica said she "found this photo of a girl, and it kinda looks like... me, now and then?"

"Am I her reincarnation?" she added.

It didn't only catch the attention of millions of TikTok users but also Belen's son, Ambeth Ocampo.

"So you are my reincarnated mother? Winner!" he said.

On Facebook, Ocampo also shared some screenshots from Veronica's viral TikTok post.

"Trending on Tiktok video this morning was the post of Veronica Balayo, a recent visitor to the National Museum who resembles a photo-oleo of my mother from the 1950s! The video has earned over 400,000 likes," he said.

In an interview with Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Ocampo said that it's an "interesting thing" how much Veronica and his late mom look so much alike.

"This is particularly viral and coincidental," he said, saying he is curious and wants to meet Veronica.

Veronica said the same, saying that she was grateful he noticed her post on social media.

On Friday, Veronica flew back to Manila, where she finally met Ocampo. Ocampo told her that even his siblings got curious.

And when he compared Veronica in person to the portrait, Ocampo said, "Mukhang kamukha."

Veronica told Ambeth that she hopes to be as wonderful as Belen "and have a very nice life, very fun. Having kids someday and being proud of them someday."

As a piece of advice to Veronica, Ambeth said, "Ang importante talaga na meron kang sarili mong career and that you find the right husband. My mother was career-oriented. Marami siyang pinasok na trabaho. Which I think is what a modern woman is. Independent. With independent income from your husband."

He also gave Veronica one of his books.

—Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News