MANILA, Philippines—It was a gathering of incumbent and former senators but, for once, politics was not on their agenda. Last Oct. 7, lawmakers and their families celebrated the 92nd anniversary of the Philippine Senate at a dinner held at the Manila Hotel’s Ang Maynila room. The affair was organized by the Senate Spouses Foundation Inc. (SSFI). It was an evening where, instead of listening to privilege speeches and lengthy interpellations, the families showed off their musical talents.
Before that, however, Senate President Manny Villar gave a brief talk on how the Senate has endured despite the many challenges it faces. Awards were also given to Pagcor, San Miguel Corporation and Emilio Yap for supporting SSFI’s projects.
Sen. Dick Gordon and his two grandchildren sang “The Impossible Dream.” Was he describing his quest for the highest post in the land and his willingness to “march into hell for a heavenly cause”?
Affectionate
Several wives had nothing but kind words for their partners: Audrey Kay Zubiri said her husband, Sen. Miguel Zubiri, was affectionate, a loyal friend, and someone who could make her laugh. She sang “How Do I Live” with conviction. Taguig-Pateros representative, Lani Cayetano, gushed that “everyday is Valentine’s day” with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. The senator joined her onstage as she sang Jim Brickman’s “Valentine.”
Sen. Chiz Escudero’s wife, Christine, who has appeared in Repertory productions, understandably chose a piece from a Broadway musical, “Les Miserables” (“On My Own”) and showed everyone what stage presence meant. Audrey, Lani and Christine returned onstage after their numbers to do a medley of Abba songs, reminiscent of the three ladies in the movie, “Mamma Mia.”
Bing Pimentel, who’s been happily married to Sen. Nene Pimentel for 48 years, confessed that she was better at composing than singing. Accompanied by a string quartet and backed up by the 15-member Senate choir, she sang an original composition, “Forever Young,” with lyrics that seemed to explain why her marriage has lasted this long: “Remember the time when we first held hands and whispered I love you/ We walked down the aisle/…The years long gone by/ Our love survived/ Time stood still…/ Our love passed the test of time/ You’re my lucky charm/ You keep me forever young.”
Solo number
Show biz personalities in the Senate stayed away from English songs. Were they trying to make a statement? Sen. Bong Revilla and his wife, Lani, sang “Ikaw” with the latter stating, “Music is the medium of love.” On the other hand, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and his wife, Precy, chose “Hindi Kita Malimot” and “Dahil Sa ’Yo.” Watching from the sidelines, visibly pleased, were former President Joseph Estrada and his wife, former Sen. Loi Ejercito.
Senator Pimentel, on the other hand, chose to do a solo number, stating that if show biz personalities can enter politics, a politician can change careers and join the entertainment industry, since he was already on his last term as a senator. He then proceeded to sing “Pobreng Alindahaw.”
Due to insistent demand, he did a second number, another Visayan song, and proclaimed, “If you want a good husband, get a Cagayanon!” Now we understand why the senator gets good feedback at political rallies.
Former Sen. Joey Lina added a serious note to the occasion by singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” commenting that we are never alone in our endeavors because God looks after us all the time.
Lina, who is a member of the local version of the Three Tenors (the others are MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando and Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes), is to be commended for choosing a difficult number. He was able to hit most of the high notes and earned vigorous applause from the audience. The show was directed by theater veteran, Audie Gemora.
The following were also present: Incumbent Senators Rodolfo Biazon, Pia Cayetano, Gringo Honasan, Loren Legarda, Juan Ponce Enrile, Edgardo Angara, former Senators Heherson Alvarez, Leticia Shahani, Freddie Webb, Kit Tatad, Orly Mercado, Ernesto Maceda, Helena Benitez and Eva Kalaw. Sorely missed were Sen. Francis Pangilinan and his wife, Sharon Cuneta.
Officers
The SSFI is headed by Las Pińas Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Senate President Manny Villar. Other officers: Lourdes Ll. Pimentel, vice president; Katherine H. Gordon, secretary; Cristina C. Ponce Enrile, treasurer; Felicitas A. Arroyo, legal counsel, and Precy V. Ejercito, PRO.
The SSFI has embarked on several charitable projects, notably, the renovation of the charity ward at PGH. The spouses have also established four “sanctuaries for the elderly” nationwide, gone on medical and dental missions with the assistance of the
PCSO, and treat orphans to a day of shopping for clothes and toys every November.
