Why Gaita Fores identifies with Porky Pig?

Enthusiasm for her work has led Margarita Fores to heights of success that even she did not expect. After doing her market research, this entrepreneurial lady realized that there was a need for a restaurant that could serve quality meals to those who only have an hour for lunch. A location close to the customer’s place of work, quick service and good Italian dishes were the guidelines she followed for her first Cibo which opened in 1998 in Glorietta. Today, five more branches of Cibo exist with loyal patrons enjoying the ambience and variety of these cafes.

Most evenings you will find Margarita Araneta Fores, 43, at her catering jobs for private parties. While guests mingle around the parties saying hi to this socialite, our bachelorette greets them casually as she puts all her concentration on preparing the dishes and decorating the tables. Her abilities were tested with the presidential dinner honoring Prince Albert of Monacco in the Malacañang state dining room. As her cooks and waiters performed the synchronized servings to 50 guests, Margarita pinched herself to realize that, yes, she was putting on a spectacular show and it was all going well.

As she prepares to open yet another grand restaurant, Pepato, this Aries lady with 180 employees reflects on Porky Pig, crisp white sheets and Gabriela Silang.

What is your passion?

To feed people.

On what occasion do you lie?

I lie mostly about my diet because I am guilty of munching.

Who or what is the greatest of love of your life?

Definitely my son, Amado. Every stage he goes through is still an enigma.

What is your most fervent wish?

To have a daughter.

How do you resolve your conflicts?

Initially, with a major outburst.

What sports do you like most?

I enjoy going to gym; watching my son play soccer.

Which living person do you admire most?

I admire the people that I work with.

What film influenced your life?

Like Water for Chocolate is about a girl who cooks. She was going through an emotional time and as she was baking a cake, her tears went into the mixture. When people ate the cake, they started to cry, too. This film tells me that a lot of how the cook feels is transferred to the food by a certain magic.

What book influenced your life?

Pentimento by Lillian Hellman.

Which hero of fiction can you most identify with?

Porky Pig. I love to wallow in the mud; people take advantage of us but we are such survivors.

What is your greatest fear?

That there might not be someone who feels as strongly as I do about what I am building at the moment as to keep it going.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My difficulty in saying No.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

When people always see the negative side of things. Their crab mentality.

How do you start your day?

With a kiss of goodbye from my son when he is off to school. A quick look at my paperwork. Forcing myself to get up and go to gym.

What is your current state of mind?

Anxious but excited about putting Pepato together. It will be the showcase of the catering part of my work.

What do you most value in your friends?

That they are always so encouraging. They have given me the strength to be persistent.

What is your greatest extravagance?

The crisp starched white sheets that I sleep in every night.

What words or phrases do you overuse?

... And then ...

Name a moment that brings back happy memories.

Whenever I look at my son’s baby pictures... When I held him the first time... I had him during a time when I was a bit confused.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A job well done.

Which historical character would you like to have been?

Gabriela Silang is the embodiment of the Filipina as a fighter. The food business is a man’s world and I had to go into it head-on.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

A death in the family.

What does your dad often say to you?

When you have, you really have to make sure to go out of your way to share.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

His ability to show a soft side.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Our ability to endure pain.

What is your greatest regret?

That my grandfather, Don Amado Araneta, cannot meet my son.

What do you most do with your hands?

Aside from working in the kitchen, when I am in the store, I really like to handle the things.

* * *

E-mail: singles@mydestiny.net