Life celebrations

Last Saturday, April 13, I attended two very different parties celebrating significant milestones of two strong women. Both parties were well-attended by family, friends and colleagues. Both celebrations marked and highlighted their achievements.

However, one party was more of a bitter-sweet goodbye, while the other was a celebration of longevity.

Margie

Margie Quimpo-Espino, the former Business Features editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, is at the palliative care stage of her long fight against breast cancer.

She has been a strong Amazon warrior, enduring two major health events – an aneurysm that she suffered years ago and left her in a coma for almost three months in far-off India. She miraculously recovered from her coma, returned home to the Philippines and underwent a long and difficult rehabilitation that allowed her to resume a modicum of her life, only to be diagnosed a few years later with breast cancer.

As if to add insult to her injury, her family suffered the tragic loss of their family home to a fire during that time. But far from being defeated, Margie and her family overcame the fire to rebuild a new home, a new life. She likewise managed to wrangle a remission from her cancer.

While most who do not really know Margie would feel bad and sorry for her, the truth is that Margie is one of the luckiest persons on earth!

She is so lucky because through all these challenges, she has been truly blessed and surrounded by family and friends who have been loyal to her and have stood and gone through all her tragedies and sufferings and have seen the unwavering love, especially of her loving and devoted husband Chet, and her three well-raised children, Mark, Patricia and Catherine who are now all grown up.

Right from day one when her first tragedy struck in far-off India during a work-related visit, her husband Chet had chronicled her condition and formed an email group of prayer warriors to storm the gate of Heaven asking for God’s dispensation to allow Margie to safely return home to her children who were still of school age at that time. It was, indeed, a perilous time for her, but somehow, Chet’s love and devotion helped convey to her family and friends here in the Philippines the need to collectively ask for a miracle, which the Lord listened to.

Her return to the Philippines was just the start of a long struggle to recover and claw back a part of her previous life, but her friends and family continued and still continue, to stand and support her and her family – what greater validation of her life than to have such support through decades. Something that most will never really see and instead face user-friendly family, friends and colleagues who are there only for what they can get and only for the good times.

Thus, it was the decision of her family to throw a party, a Pretty in Pink party, to allow Margie to attend, hear and feel the tribute and love of all who truly care for her as she treks on during the last part of her journey.

The choice of the venue for the party was also somehow divine providence.

Tuloy sa Don Bosco

The four-hectare facility, which is a street children village created by Salesian Father Rocky (real name Marciano Evangelista hence the moniker Rocky – as in boxing legend Rocky Marciano), is for practical purposes beside the village where Margie resides. It is just a five minute ambulance ride from her home.

However, what is unique about the place is the church and the history of the village and how, from the ruins or tragedy of the place, something beautiful and truly uplifting has been created to inspire those who now find refuge and hope for the future – the very lesson that Margie’s life depicts.

Don Bosco and its Salesian brothers are well-known for their dedication to providing technical-vocational education to their wards, and it was truly heartwarming to see the street children that have found their way to Tuloy – a ray of awareness that Margie and her family chose to share with the circle of family, friends and colleagues who shared that beautiful Saturday mass and celebration with her.

Amina

Amina Rasul, daughter of former Sen. Santanina Rasul, wife of Monetary Board member Romy Bernardo, a Tausug princess and an alumni of the University of Philippines chose to celebrate her 70th birthday (the new golden 50?) at the UP Bahay ng Alumni that Saturday evening with a 1970s-themed grand party that reunited her with her UP Economics Class of 1974, government colleagues, political allies, friends and family.

The party was a reunion, a game show complete with the coveted prize of the 1970s Choc Nut candy, a dance party with a live band and a feast that had delicious food and plenty of sinful treats for the generally young at heart party goers who danced up a storm at the end of the night.

I felt like a rookie banking/finance reporter that night, greeting and reminiscing with former Department of Finance officials led by former prime minister and finance secretary Cesar E. A. Virata with his wife theater thespian Joy Virata, former finance secretary Margarito “Gary” Teves, former finance secretary and currently Philippine Veterans Bank chairman Roberto “Bobby” de Ocampo, and former SSS and GSIS official Rey Palmiery. Former Finance assistant secretary and now president of the Philippine Tax Academy Ma. Theresa Habitan was also there, ready to dance up a storm.

Former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor and currently SMIC chairman Amando “Say” Tetangco and his beautiful wife Elma had come quite early as they had to leave for another dinner appointment.

BSP Gov. Eli Remolona and his wife Marie, on the other hand, were not able to attend as they were in their farm in Imus, Cavite. However, BSP Deputy Governor Berna Romulo-Puyat ably represented the BSP that night, fleeting around like a social butterfly.

From the political sphere, seated at the celebrant’s table were former Sen. Sergio “Serge” Osmena III and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and businessman Jeffrey Ng of Cathay Metal Corp., Cathay Land Inc. and the Astoria Hotel Group.

Of course, Romy’s bike buddies, the legendary Hombres, were also there to celebrate Amina’s natal day. PDI columnist and former UP Professor Randy David and his daughter Kara, former Ayala Foundation executive Ruel Maranan, Ritchie and Marlo Tiu-Tan, Dr. Francis Gomez and Johnny and Ayen Guevarra.

While the party started at around 6 to 7 p.m, it seems the less energetic guests were all sticking to their 9 p.m. curfew, but among those spotted and still ready to party the night away were latecomer Chito Sobrepeña of the Metrobank Foundation, Mahar Mangahas and Jeffrey Ng who were jamming and dancing on the small dance floor as the band played on.