More showbiz ‘First Ladies’

In my past columns, I have been writing about possible showbiz First Ladies (showbiz people married to politicians) like Susan Roces, Helen Gamboa and Sharon Cuneta. Below is the conclusion of this piece.

Vilma Santos — It’s too early for Sen. Ralph Recto to run for President. But when the time comes that he decides to aspire for the highest office in the land and succeeds, he’ll be bringing with him an ideal First Lady in his wife, Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos.

Vilma will not be the first petite First Lady to reign in Malacañang — if ever. Eva Macapagal was petite — but efficient. (The beautification of Rizal Park was initiated by her, but was finished by Imelda Marcos.)

Vilma will no doubt be an efficient First Lady. No stranger to hard work, she will surely have her hands full inside and outside the Palace. The only problem is how to control the crowd when she has to be in public. The presence of a First Lady always draws crowds. But what more if the First Lady is Vilma Santos?

One of her biggest assets is her charm. Visiting dignitaries will surely be charmed no end by her when she has to entertain them in Malacañang.

Tactful and diplomatic, she will surely please a lot of people around her.

She should also be very competent when it comes to administrative matters because, well, she’s doing an excellent job as Lipa City mayor — untainted by corruption.

Vilma Santos may not be erudite, but you can bet that she’s "clean," hardworking and sincere in whatever job she undertakes.

Gina de Venecia — Manay Gina came close to becoming First Lady when her husband Joe de Venecia ran in the 1998 presidential elections. Actually, if ever Manay Gina becomes First Lady, she will be the first one to come from royalty — showbiz royalty, that is.

One of the seven children of the famed star-builder and producer, Dr. Jose Perez and his wife, Azucena Vera, Georgina spent all her growing up years in that huge house that sits right smack in the fabled Vera Perez Gardens.

Manay Gina grew up rather shy and only came out of her shell when Joe de Venecia went into politics.

Talking before a huge crowd in the beginning, people around her swear her hands would get cold and clammy. But like a good student, she eventually learned to speak before all types of audiences.

Even in her television show, now called Nagmamahal, Manay Gina (formerly Pira-Pirasong Pangarap), she felt uneasy in the beginning doing her spiels in front of the camera. But now, she comes out on TV like she has been doing it all her life.

Although I’ve always been very close to the Vera-Perezes, I never really met Manay Gina until much, much later. But when I finally got to know her, I realized that she was very much like the other Vera-Perez women — kind, caring, sincere and very maternal. They are the type who will really go out of their way to help you and stand by your side — especially during the stormy days of your life.

But I particularly admire Manay Gina because of her commitment and dedication to charity work. Her favorite charitable project, of course, is The Haven, which is, well, a haven she put up for abused and battered women and children.

As a First Lady, you can be sure that she won’t be the type to just sit idly in the Palace and attend only social functions. In spite of the fact that she was raised amidst opulent surroundings, she knows how to work and efficiently at that.

Even in the kitchen, she works fast and cooks the best cocido in the world (although eldest sister Marichu Maceda would probably insist that hers is the best cocido ever).

From time to time, Manay Gina would travel abroad with her mother (still strong and energetic at 85 — thank heavens for that) and her sisters. But instead of traveling first class, the wife of the Speaker of the House goes for budget fare and — believe it or not — brings a rice cooker and adobo to be able to save on meals.

If ever she becomes First Lady someday, at least you can be sure that she won’t be extravagant like some First Lady we had in the past.