What Annabelle meant by ‘I shall return’

I shall return!

So what did Annabelle Rama mean when she quoted that famous MacArthur line after she conceded victory to Raul del Mar against whom she ran in the congressional race in North Cebu?

“Ganoon nga,” Annabelle told Funfare, “magbabalik ako.”

But that “return” will come much, much later after Annabelle shall have rested from the grueling campaign that left her several pounds poorer but far richer in experience and life lessons.

What Annabelle did after the campaign was catch up on sleep.

“Sa awa ng Diyos ngayon lang ako nagising,” she said when Funfare called her up for a phone interview. “I am a Sleeping Beauty. Wala akong ginawa kundi matulog, kumain; matulog, kumain. I haven’t been going out of the house.”

She’s also readjusting her body clock back to normal, meaning to her pre-campaign schedule.

“During the campaign, I felt as if I was being injected with adrenaline,” she added. “My energy level was up. I would wake up at 4 a.m. Grabe akong mag-kampanya, super! Kung saan-saan ako nakarating. Hanggang bukid narating ko. I didn’t feel tired. My body would automatically wake up early in the morning at kung anong oras dapat matulog. I would sleep for only three to four hours.”

It was only after the elections that she started to feel the aches and pains — “Sa likod, sa puwet, sa lahat ng parte ng katawan ko.”

She has learned a lot about politics, the machinations and all, as well as the needs of the residents of the 46 barangays that comprise North Cebu.

“That’s why I really want to help them,” she swore, “especially those in depressed areas, the residents in the mountain area and in the squatter area.”

Annabelle was accompanied in her sorties by her husband, Eddie Gutierrez, and their children (Ruffa, twins Richard and Raymond and Elvis, and Eddie’s sons Tonton and Ramon Christopher).

“One reason why I entered politics was to help my cousin, Mike Rama,” said Annabelle. “I’m glad that he won for mayor of Cebu City, kaya feeling ko panalo na rin ako.”

During the campaign, Annabelle and her children made promises to North Cebu residents, and she’s deadset on keeping those promises (helping the youth, etc.).

“That’s why I said, ‘I shall return’ because after I have rested, babalikan ko sila at tutuparin ko ang mga pangako namin,” she said.

Still and all, even if she lost, Annabelle stressed that she felt no bitterness in her heart.

“I love Cebu, my home province, and I love the Cebuanos.”

She has a lot of people to thank for, first her husband Eddie and their children who took time out of their busy schedule to campaign for her.

“And to all my friends in showbiz and their managers who didn’t ask even a single cent as talent fee, including Regine Velasquez (and manager Cacai Velasquez-Mitra), Dennis Trillo (and Popoy Caritativo), Lovi Poe and Ogie Alcasid (and Leo Dominguez), Carla Abellana (and Arnold Vegafria), Rochelle Pangilinan (and Perry Lansigan), Marian Rivera (and Rams David), Ryzza Mae Dizon and Jose Manalo/Wally Bayola (and Malou Choa-Fagar), Boss Vic del Rosario (for Viva stars Anne Curtis, Mark Bautista, Andi Eigenmann and Rufa Mae Quinto), Star Magic (for Gabby Concepcion, Pokwang and John Lapus), my Royal artists (Michelle Madrigal, Ehra Madrigal, Arci Muñoz, JC de Vera, James Blanco, Jay Manalo, TJ Trinidad and Carla Humphries), Pilita Corrales, Tuesday Vargas, Karel Marquez, Willie Revillame and his dancers, Robin Padilla (who campaigned for me not personally but in the Internet) and most especially, to Mother Lily Monteverde who contributed an amount for my campaign…and of course, to those who believed enough in me and voted for me.”

Reader’s reaction

Dear Ricky,

Annabelle and Eddie with their children (from left) Ramon Christopher, Tonton, Ruffa, Raymond, Elvis and Richard: The family that campaigns together, sticks together

I am Efren C. Neric of Polangui, Albay, an avid pageant aficionado since the ‘70s. I would like to make a clarification regarding an article on beauty queens who were big winners in the last mid-term elections (published in Funfare last Saturday, May 25).

Maricel Morales did not compete in the 1996 Miss Tourism International. For the record, Danny Ooi, Chinese-Malaysian organizer of both the Queen of the Year Int’l and Miss Tourism Int’l, did not stage the Miss Tourism Int’l pageant in 1996, as well as in 1997; the Queen of the Year Int’l was held instead with our very own Sherylle Santarin winning the title in 1996. The Miss Tourism Int’l pageant was revived in 1998 but inversely, no Queen of the Year Int’l was held that same year.

In 1999, as an austerity move (in line with the prevailing Asian financial crisis), the two pageants were combined, with the winner being proclaimed as Miss Tourism Int’l and the first runner-up as Queen of the Year Int’l (our very own Racquel Uy).

While at it, allow me to share my views and comments on the recently-concluded Bb. Pilipinas Gold telecast which highlighted the international pageant achievements of its queens over the last five decades:

 Cita Avecilla was crowned as Miss Young Philippines 1970 in a separate pageant and not during the Bb. Pilipinas coronation night that crowned Simonette de los Reyes and Aurora Pijuan as our bets for Miss Universe and Miss International, respectively.

 In 1971, Nelia Sancho (who was first runner-up to Gloria Diaz and Binky Montinola at the 1969 Bb. Pilipinas finals) was sent to the Queen of the Pacific pageant in Melbourne, Australia, not by Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) but by Ferdie Villar, the local licensee to the said tilt, in addition to being the Philippine franchise-holder as well of the Miss World Pageant (up to 1976).

 The first Bb. Pilipinas beauty to be officially crowned as Miss Maja Pilipinas was Nanette Prodigalidad in 1973, not Bernice Romualdez who was handpicked to represent the Philippines in 1972. Nanette went on to win first runner-up honors at the 1973 Miss Maja Int’l pageant and was also voted as Miss Photogenic.

 Bb. Pilipinas-World 2005 Carlene Aguilar won as Miss Internet WWW 2008 in an online poll and she was entered as Philippine candidate by pageant organizer Ovette Ricalde, not by BPCI.

 April Jordan, while a Bb. Pilipinas Top 12 finalist in 2009, won the Beauty and Modeling Festival Pageant in China in 2009; she was sent to the said tilt by Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur and pageant organizer Michael Lim, not by BPCI.

I am sending these corrections to give credit to whom it is due, in the hope that the glaring errors are not carried over in succeeding years, certainly not in 2038 when Bb. Pilipinas celebrates its 75th (diamond) year when many old-time pageant fans may not be around to celebrate another grand milestone in the premiere beauty pageant’s unmatched and colorful history.

Sincerely,

— EFREN C. NERIC

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