Posts Tagged ‘Cory Aquino’
Never Forget
Posted on: December 10, 2011
In between Trick Or Treat activities several weeks ago, the clan made a trip to The Aquino Center in Luisita, Tarlac. Being a hard core Ninoy-Cory fan as well as a closet history nerd made me really excited for this trip.
That Sunday it seemed our clan were the only visitors at the Center. As soon as we set foot in the museum, it felt like we were in a church or some sort of hallowed ground. Everyone automatically spoke in hushed tones. And I don’t recall seeing any “Silence Please” signs.
This is the entrance hall where some very dramatic and iconic images greet you.
There are some nice mosaics too.
The museum takes you through Ninoy’s life chronologically. There are many interesting personal effects on display such as the camera he brought with him while covering the Korean War, various hand written notes and the like but the real highlights are the bloodied bush jacket he was assassinated in and the reconstruction of his cell in Bonifacio.
No picture taking is allowed in the actual museum but this image is from Wikipedia.
You really have to make the trip there yourself to understand the feeling of being near the clothes that Ninoy Aquino was murdered in. It will make your hair stand.
Aside from the obvious, the blood stained clothes do have a story of their own. Only on the day of the funeral were they removed from Ninoy’s remains. Soon after, they were sent to some family friends in the US who were tasked with having them properly, expertly preserved. However, because they were so soaked they were told the treatment would not preserve the suit but rather only delay its eventual decay. The suit was tucked up somewhere in the family friend’s home in the US until Tita Cory asked one of her nieces to bring it back to the Philippines shortly before the opening of the museum in 2001.
The other highlight is the exact replica of the 3 x 5 meter prison cell where Ninoy was kept in solitary confinement from over 7 years.
photo credit: onmylefthandcorner.blogspot.com
Aside from marveling at how he kept sane in such cramped quarters, I couldn’t help thinking about how the family managed to keep so much of his stuff – things that I would not think twice about throwing out like his rusty bathroom shelving, old towels and slippers.
The point is, you absolutely come out of there with a whole new appreciation the price Ninoy and Cory paid to precipitate the return of freedom in the Philippines. They don’t make heroes like they used to. But remember:
And if you’d like to visit, here’s the schedule:
His Story
Posted on: March 28, 2011
I know this post is a month overdue but better than never…
During the 25th Anniversary of the People Power revolution which I blogged about before we were invited to Tito Peping’s party cum book launch.
He wrote a book? Yes. Apparently, he, Tita Tingting and Marisse had been working quietly on and off over the past few years to bring this book to fruition.
The book details the long road from dictatorship to democracy. There are chapters written by people other than the three. Some of the writings are by Ninoy and Cory. Other parts are told by Ballsy, Nick Joaquin and Lupita Aquino so it’s a personal telling of historical events. Skeptics might say this could taint the accuracy of the content but years from now when there is no one left to tell the stories first hand, this book will be truly priceless.
For me, since I was just a twinkle in my parents’ eyes at the time of many of these events, His Story gives me a more coherent picture the Martial Law years. I would hear of the rallies , riots and arrests but did not have a good grasp as to the chronology and details.
I started on the first few chapters then stopped to finish other books on my night stand but I am due to start His Story again soon.
As for the night itself, you missed some succulent lechon baka…
cousin bonding…
bulilit bonding…
and autograph signing…
Here’s what Tito Peping and Marisse wrote. (Note Rocio asked for her own dedication!!)
You should ask LittleTwinBro what was written in his copy 
P-NOY on CNN
Posted on: June 17, 2010
This was aired yesterday. Missed the airing so ended up watching it online just this afternoon.
It’s a candid, casual, sincere look at our nation’s leader. All biases aside, I think he puts his critics to shame with his informed answers couched in a disarming folksiness. None of that arrogance that so often accompanies political successes and egos.
I liked that he showed subtle but telling emotions when talking about his dad’s incarceration and assassination. And how he joked about what he would say to his folks if they were still around.
My hope is that he stays this grounded and accessible for his entire term.
Enjoy!
* The video doesn’t seem to want to load. You can click on here.
Rocio-isms 8
Posted on: March 8, 2010
- In: Kid Stuff | Yellow Fever
- 5 Comments
Here’s a billboard I’m sure you saw when you were in town.
When we passed it one day, I realized I was thinking out loud.
Lala: I really don’t get Kris Aquino’s expression in that ad! She doesn’t look happy or inspired or proud…
Rocio: Mom! She looks like that because her mom just died!
Oh S%*#! Look At These Shirts!
Posted on: January 21, 2010
Since the 25th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino in 2008 and with the death of Tita Cory last year, it’s become cool among Martial Law babies and those even younger to get all nostalgic about this beloved couple.
And why not?? The importance of understanding their sacrifice can’t be over emphasized in an age when we take so many aspects of freedom for granted. And good things have come of looking back – like the iamninoy campaign which is all bout becoming our own heroes when our generation’s quota for such has run out.
I also like the cool graphic tees that creative young Pinoys have churned out. These are from OhWe’reSoFilipino.
But here’s what bothers me…
Maybe I’m losing my sense of humor as I age.
Don’t get me wrong. I think as works of art these shirts are awesome and I WOULD happily purchase and wear them… EXCEPT there’s this little election coming up and a major issue is Noynoy’s supposedly riding on his parents’ name and gaining votes thanks mostly to sentimentality.
I’m sure that the folks who put out these lovely shirts are supporters of Noy and the Aquinos but is this really helping? What’s your take?
A Love Story… Continued
Posted on: August 31, 2009
Kiki, you have to watch this.
Rapa talks about how the Ninoy Cory love story evolved into a force that changed the face of the country.
We’ve written a lot of pretty words the past few weeks. And we do feel them from the heart. But this talk made me realize good intentions are not enough. The road to hell is paved with such after all…
Let’s get our project going. I have some ideas to add to it.
Review: The Last Journey of Ninoy
Posted on: August 28, 2009
I finally got to watch the much-anticipated docu last weekend. I know you’re madly wanting to watch it too. Since we are all too familiar with the story line – no spoilers here even if I wanted to! – I’m posting this review.
The basic format for The Last Journey of Ninoy features his almost week long journey back to Manila from Boston. Each leg of the trip flashes back to a particular period in his life. And this is all superbly edited using a mix of real footage and recreated scenes.
Perhaps the strangest part is Bam cast as Ninoy. It’s no surprise I guess given their physical similarities but having Bam as my good friend is a disadvantage as a viewer. He also looks decades younger than Ninoy was when he made that fateful trip. They tried to age him with makeup but that didn’t work out so they cast a young Cory to match a young Ninoy – banking on the audience’s suspension of belief. The “Aquino kids” who did not get much screen time were also cast at least six years younger than the age of Ballsy et al in 1983.
The art direction was excellent. The effort put into the details of the set design really came across. The scoring was well chosen too. It gave more energy to the events being recounted without over dramatizing them.
But the reason The Last Journey is unlike any other Ninoy docu ever made is because his story is told by Cory. I’ve seen a ton of Ninoy material in my life but none narrated so personally by her. I didn’t realize what a good story teller she was! This is probably the most emotional she’s ever been on cam. No tears, no voice breaking but subtle things like misty eyes – again, something I’d not seen before.
There is footage of her interviews when she was still healthy. But most of the interview material seems to have been taped when she was already ill 
You can’t help but feel then end of an era.
I loved how she talked about seeing Ninoy in Laur. He had lost a massive amount of weight and he was for the first time, hopeless. Ninoy wrote in his diary how amazed he was at his wife’s strength at that moment, when the children were crying and they all thought this might be the last time they were going to see him alive. But she recounts with much amusement how that came to be. I won’t spoil that anecdote for you.
Tito Paul was also cast in the film. You never see him but he is Ninoy’s “voice” as there are parts in which “Ninoy” talks about his experiences on those late August days. I thought he did a great job sounding like his brother.
I found the film’s pace quite peppy – there are no parts that drag. In fact, the whole story is so fascinating you want to know more about this incredible life, things that couldn’t possibly fit into a docu of this length. But that works because if this moves its viewers, they’ll ask more questions, do research and come to a more complete understanding of Ninoy.
The film ends on an high and inspiring note. (Tissue, please). Kuya Jun concluded his first full length film with resounding lines from Ninoy’s famous speech in LA that ring more true today than ever. I’m going to transcribe them and put them on the fridge or my dresser or somewhere!
The purpose of The Last Journey was to make known to those born after ’83 and ’86 how the freedom they enjoy today came about and I think it succeeded. Tita Cory never got to see the final edit of this film but one of the last things she told Kuya Jun was, Jun galingan mo ha. And that he did.
The DVD will be out soon. I’m getting us a copy each.
The First Time I Met Ninoy
Posted on: August 21, 2009
Today, for the 26th time, we commemorate the assassination of Tito Ninoy. Feeling the need to write about him on this day but having never met him, I invited a guess writer to Kiki and Lala Land instead.
Here are the thoughts of a man who goes by many names: Tatong, Groucho, and “President For A While”.
The first time I met Ninoy, I was 22 years old and about to get married. Although he is the husband of my first cousin, you have yo understand that Cory was a lot older than us – Paching and Meding’s children. So I was intensely aware we were related but they were distant celebrities until then. (Boss Ding and I stayed in Tio Pepe Cojuangco’s house until 1949 when I was 2 years old because Tio Pepe and Tia Metring wanted my parents to kind of watch over their house while they were traveling and attending to their many business ventures).
So there we were, Mommy Paching and I in Times St. one sunny morning. She and Daddy Meding had decided that the primary Ninong for my wedding was going to be Ninoy. He was the helicopter-riding Super Boy and everybody’s favorite brother/nephew/uncle/best friend and the much-anticipated future President of the Philippines.
Being painfully shy, I really didn’t want to be there in the company of the Superstar. I just wanted to get married. When we arrived at Times, the first one to greet us was Cory. Good morning Tita Paching. Kamusta kayo? O Titong, magaasawa ka na pala. Hintayin natin si Ninoy – nasa shower pa siya.
Without warning a whirlwind, wrapped in a Japanese bathrobe storms into the room. My first impression – basa pa ang buhok, ang puti ng legs. He goes to Mommy Paching and kisses her hand very respectfully, then turns to me and exclaims with calculated familiarity, At eto naman ang Titong! Balita ko magaasawa ka na!
Almost sheepishly, I answered, Oo and I was wondering if I could ask you to be our Ninong. That is, if you will be available on January 31. With the master politician’s aplomb Super Boy immediately committed. Available? Even if I’m not, I will make myself available! Then he sat me down and with his quick mind and gift of gab, started engaging me in a long semi-monologue on all topics under the sun from the stock market to world events to young people issues while making me feel like we were long lost friends and I was the most important person in that room. From then on, it was NINOY FOREVER.
Whatever else destiny had in store for Ninoy and Cory after that October 1969 morning, it was clear in my mind that I would always be on their side even in the direst of circumstances.
P.S. Ninoy did not actually make it to the wedding because the night before which was January 30, The First Quarter Storm erupted in full fury. Marcos had just emerged from Congress after giving the State of the Nation Address when thousands of student demonstrators vented their ire on his corrupt regime. The police and the soldiers went after the students who were beaten up and jailed after running battles all through the night. Naturally, Super Boy was in the thick of the action trying to protect the protestors. And somehow a wedding in Cebu the following morning could not take priority over a national tragedy. So instead, Cho Enchong Sumulong – also a senator and my father-in-law’s UP Law School classmate – stood in for Ninoy. But no need to forgive, we understood. Ninoy belonged to the country. NINOY MORE THAN EVER!
And It Was All Yellow…By Kiki
Posted on: August 18, 2009
Ten days and some after her passing, I still find myself moved by her sacrifice and her genuine love for our country.
How many people will you meet like this in your lifetime? How many of them are you actually related to? After all that was said and written about her, what more can we possibly say? Perhaps the question should be rephrased: What ELSE can we possibly DO?
“We’re on our own, now it’s up to us” was the resonating theme in the days after her death. “Ninoy and Cory have made their sacrifice, now it’s our turn.” But what does this really mean to you and me, Lala…to our generation? Our turn to do what?
Photo Credits: pcij.org
While we fully comprehended the gravity of August 21, 1983, we were too young to actively participate in the events that followed. I just remember those days to be a dark BUT passionate time.
Wearing yellow tainted glasses, our generation got to witness history unfold. While it was all yellow, we also saw red in the generation before us… Red from the fury, from the unwavering desire to fight for freedom.
In our own little way we did our part. We wore the pins, flashed the sign and even became fans of Kris Aquino. But that was all. It was a fight our generation couldn’t really call our own. As fate would have it, we were destined to watch and learn. Activists in training.
And then it happened. We got back our democracy. The Filipinos were worth dying for after all. Kay sarap pala maging Pilipino. We not only became witnesses to a miracle, but we became heirs to a newly minted democracy and a more promising future.
Photo Credits: The Duck Man
Fast forward to twenty plus years later, and here we are again. Now we ask ourselves: Do we enjoy the same brand of democracy bequeathed to us in those yellow days of yore? Are we really living that promising future EDSA ’86 paved for us? I say NO. I think we forgot to recognize that with the gift of freedom and democracy comes great responsibility. Our generation is responsible for safeguarding this democracy, for warding off forces that threaten to take this away from us again. We are defenders of our own destiny. We are the gatekeepers of the future that Nad, Rocio, Mik, The Twins and everybody in their generation deserve. This is our cause. This is what they mean when they say “It’s our turn.” This is our role in the epic drama of Philippine History. This is our legacy. Only this time, we are not fighting for something we do not have. We are fighting for something we do not want to lose. And I think that is what HER life and death should mean to us.
So to answer the question I posted earlier “What else could we possibly do?”, I say everything…anything that will prevent us from losing the now very fragile state of our democracy, anything that will keep our sinking hope stay afloat, anything that will give our greedy leaders a conscience. Anything…until it is all yellow.
Less than 12 hours after leaving the Cathedral on Tuesday night, I found myself in the parking lot of San Antonio, boarding the Sumulong Family bus bound for Intramuros. Wednesday was pretty much dreary all the way. But again there was that festive mood – especially on the bus since it was a reunion of sorts.
I realized that now with 6th (SIXTH!!) generation Sumulongs in the world, it’s getting more and more difficult to distinguish who our relatives are. We needed name tags on that bus! – like the ones we had in that big reunion in the 80′s which even specified which branch you belonged to! We were all Sumulongs on that bus but most of us no longer bear the name. Instead, to call our attention you’d have to say, Tanjuatco, Bautista, Hallare, David, Santos, Ledonio, Coscolluela, Trillo… (did I miss anyone??)
And here we all are...
OK, so we don’t look like we were heading to a funeral. And ’tis not in the blood to be this chirpy at 6:30am! But we were happy to be together and excited to witness a historic good bye.
True to form, Little Twin Moms were prepared. We had enough food on the bus to last much more than the 8 hour ride we did NOT anticipate.
Just some of the boxes of food... SOME
Starring: ham and cheese croissant, ham and cheese whole wheat pan de sal and homemade ensaymada. Shoulda brought native hot choco, right?
It was a noisy and pleasantly quick hop to the Cathedral. I guess chomping on breakfast baon made the time fly by. Before we knew it, we were at the walled city.
Portrait at the gates.
I’m proud to say, every single ABS-CBN crew cab was adorned with at least one yellow ribbon.
Our bus (which was from the House of Representatives and which I failed to take a picture of from the outside with its yellow “Maraming Salamat, Tita Cory, From the Sumulong Family” banner) had to pass through the back of the Cathedral.
Cathedral from Arzobispo St. (I think).
From there, we made a short if slightly wet trek to the main entrance…
…where the Hacienda Luisita flat bed truck was ready and waiting.
We got to the Cathedral maybe an hour before everything started but it was already a full house.
Fortunately we were able to get good seats – and by the monitor again too.
There was a lot of time to stop and stare…
…and drink in the true, sad reality of it all.
Only accredited photographers could snap during the mass so this was the last picture I took in the Cathedral. I guess I don’t need to describe the details of the funeral rites since you got to see it all on You Tube. But I will share with you the moments that touched me most.
Kris made sure that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house with her eulogy. For me, the line I will never forget is (NO! Not, “I’m sorry Mom. I lied to you! etc. etc.) but this:
“You have given our family honor beyond anything we could ever have hoped to receive, that no matter how great the sacrifice of my parents, I can honestly say to all of you, that for my family, the Filipinos are worth it”.
I just thought, for Kris to say that, in light of how much we have taken for granted in the past two and a half decades, Tita Cory still believed in us, even when we didn’t believe in ourselves. Like a mom who knows her kid can do it, even if the kid is frustrated and faltering. Kris’ words were comforting but they were also a call to action.
Lea’s Bayan Ko is what really turned the faucets on for me. It was the last song to be sung before the casket was removed from the church. When she reached the climactic line “ibon man may layang lumipad”, the blue lights on the Cathedral walls turned bright yellow! The monitor in front of us showed the crowds outside, huddled together in the rain, showers of yellow confetti, the men in uniform waiting outside, Jim Parades mouthing the words behind Lea… “aking adhika, makita kang sakdal laya…”
I was asking myself, how free are we really? Will our generation get to see the kind of freedom that’s not shackled by selfishness? I thought of your dad and all that he did in his own quiet way. It’s been so long since all of that… and what?
Soon, the casket was solemnly being removed from the church, the doors opened and you could hear chanting outside… Cory! Cory!… Hairs standing…
So after many a tissue, we had to make a quick dash to the Sumulong bus.
The scene as we stepped out of the Cathedral.
A quick pose for posterity.
Walking to the bus we saw kids standing on Portalets…
…and people paying their respects from balconies.
As the long trip began, food was passed around the bus. A fine lunch of sandwiches, hotdogs, doughnuts, pastries, chicharon, Cheetos, Twix bars and more.
One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, Did your bus have a toilet on it? Or How did you go to the bathroom? Well, our bus did NOT have a toilet but going to bathroom was not so difficult as the motorcade moved at such a snail’s pace that you could hop off, pee in a nice hotel, and return with the bus just a few meters away from where you left it.
Guess from the backsides who needed to go...
Check out this small ADMU contingent.
You’ve seen many a picture of the thick crowds by now. But bear in mind that we were close to the end of the motorcade so this was already a thinned out crowd. Tita Cory’s casket was easily 100 meters ahead of us but the people stayed on to pay tribute, to cheer, to remember and perhaps feel as one again.
We happily flashed Laban signs right back at them. I would look into the faces of people of all walks from life – showing their gratitude, celebrating freedom, yearning for potential to manifest and a lump would form in my throat.
The crowds also put their thoughts and thanks into written words.
They wrote on everything from banners...
... to balloons...
... to an Etcha Sketch..?!
I heard on TV that Pinky was so touched by the outpouring of the people that she scrambled to find anything she could write on and write with on the coaster to tell them “Thank You” and “We love you”.
This group showed their thanks through music.
The firefighters displayed their support on their trucks and with a gushing hose (which I didn’t quite capture here).
The emotional week showcased Pinoy ingenuity with the appearance of all souvenirs yellow and Cory. But of all the creativity that showed itself, this is perhaps my favorite. What to do when there’s not enough wind to make confetti fly?
My camera was low batt by late afternoon. But here’s an appropriate way to conclude my little gallery. Recognize this area?
Merville Access Rd. from Slex!
We made it to Manila Memorial after 8pm (after one horrific bathroom stop at a Shell on Sucat Rd.!) Our bus could only drive up to a certain area in the cemetery so we walked quite a bit. But after 8 hours, stretching our legs came as a relief. By the time we got there, the coffin was being sealed and seminaristas were singing. They ended with Bayan Ko and one by one, hands shot up with the Laban sign. It was such a simple, poignant moment.
As we’ve told each other several times, an era has come to an end. Our heroes have done all they came here to do. It’s this generation’s turn to step to the plate.
I’m game. Are you?
