At a mock balloting at our weekly media forum, the Bulong Pulungan at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the senatorial slate was tilted more to the opposition.
Fake GucciAs the voters' base was small (we gave out the "ballots" towards the end of the forum when some of the media folks had to rush back to their desks ), we may do it again on the last Tuesday before the elections, this time with our regular waiters and other hotel staff.
But it was a good sampling, I thought, with media folks, guests, walk-ins. There were ties, but here is the standing:
l. Loren Legarda
2. Noynoy Aquino
3. Chiz Escudero
4. Ed Angara, Manny Villar
5. Joker Arroyo
6. Ping Lacson
7. Antonio Trillanes
8. Migz Zubiri
9. Sultan Kiram
l0, 11,12. Mike Defensor, Chavit Singson, Kiko Pangilinan, Sonia Roco
*****
Charito Planas, executive director of the New Nayong Pilipino, president of the Q.C. Parks Dev't Foundation, Inc. and manager of the Quezon Memorial Circle, turns a grand 77 years old today.
Former constitutional assembly delegate, activist, freedom fighter, exile in the Marcos years and vice-mayor of QC (post EDSA), Charito should already be enjoying her senior years in relaxed retirement.
After all, she is already in history books as one of those who dared stand up against the dictator Marcos.
A wealthy woman then, Charito lost all her properties and never got them back.
Charito's saga to flee the oppression of Marcos saw her exiting through Mindanao and being granted asylum status in the US. There, she worked in various menial jobs but kept close touch with other exiles.
Dimmable LED Down Light K1009 - 3x1W / 3x3WI speak of Charito fondly for she remains one of my favorite people. As I said, she could have retired but no, she is still active in public service.
She is a regular broadcaster with a radio program, "Bakit" over DZRM every Sunday at 5 p.m. She is also valiantly struggling to put up the New Nayong Pilipino on the reclaimed area along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue.
The project is being bogged down by bureaucratic red tape and petty "territorial disputes" among government functionaries.
Ironically, the Nayong Pilipino was originally Imelda Marcos' "baby," now it is run by Charito. However, Charito gives credit were credit is due.
Imelda, she tells us candidly, had the foresight to build the Nayong Pilpino to showcase, in miniature, the attractions of the regions of the country.
This concept has also been imitated by Indonesia and other SouthEast Asian countries and Charito salutes her for her vision.
She has been managing the Circle for over 19 years, and doing extremely well with no government support at all.
She and the board of trustees have been creative with raising funds for operations and improvements.
(At the inception, the Circle was really meant to be run like a private foundation for the people. I was one of the original trustees back then and Wholesale Bayern Munich Jersey I am glad Charito is running the park with the assistance of environmentalists and non-governmental organizations.)
This morning, at 7 a.m., there will be a thanksgiving mass as Charito never forgets to thank the Lortd for all His blessings.
Then at 9 a.m., there will be a story-telling session at the Planas Garden with author Penny Velasco.
Dimmable LED Down Light K1004 - 3x1W / 3x3WThe Halamanang Pangkabuhayan or Herbal Garden, under the Agri Aqua Network, Inc. and located near East Avenue gate, will be blessed.
Then later, the "Pagsibol ng Batang Imbentor," a science fair featuring award-winning inventions from local and international contests from the cooperation of the Q.C parks and the Department of Education (NCR) at the Kalikasan Garden.
Charito sometimes gives us Bulong Bulungan media girls bio-diesel which I use in my two vehicles with great results!
The "inventions" range from "alugbati," a leafy vegetable, turned into corkboard; bangus oil for lamp fuel; fish scales into lipstick (!); "kamias" into phytoinsulin for diabetics; woodbark as pH indicator, among others.
And at 3 p.m., the "senior citizens," led by the celebrant and Prof. Lydia Buendia, take over with dancing, singing and other competitions at the Children's Playground.
So there -- Charito has really turned the circle into a true "people's park" with lots of activities the whole year round for youngsters, seniors, out-of-school youths, professionals!
Join the pilates class, or the ballet classes, the livelihood seminars! And eat at the restaurants there which now includes Dimsum n' Dumplings!
Happy birthday, Charito! May you live to be over a century!
*****
Notes... And Mabuhay to all of Replica Corum Watch us who sweat and toil for our just wages whether in the fields, in our households, on the ocean, lakes and rivers, on the golf courses as caddies and maintenance people, in darkened call centers, in medical transcriptions centers, in cruise ships roaming the world, in front of our computers, on this, Labor Day.
Belated happy birthday across the miles to my one and only daughter-in-law Coralyn Barte, wife of my Junie and mother of my adorable apo, Monchu last April 22.
And advanced greetings to John Maddatu, husband of my niece,nurse Lorie Weigand, daddy of cute Johna and Laurenzo. Both Coralyn and John and their families are living in Vancouver.