Ed Angara: The gentleman is a farmer at heart

Something happens when you are in the company of great men. Reason and sensibility escape you; your knees either lock or turn to Jell-O, activating your instinct to drop into a chair at the first possible opportunity. Since good manners prohibit such an impulse, you waddle like a penguin as you labor to present yourself and extend the hand that is now clammy with sweat and shaky with nerves. You attempt a warm and tactful greeting but what comes out is little more than a croak. All you want at this point is to skulk away, slowly at first, and then to bolt when the nearest exit comes within sight.

And all that happened to me when I came face to face for the first time with Senator Edgardo Javier Angara – or SEJA to his staff. Being the great man that he is, he broke into a welcoming smile and a comforting handshake as he escorted us through the threshold of his son, Congressman Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara’s home, where the family had converged on a Sunday. This immediately assured me that all was indeed well and that, yes, I was not going to faint after all.

The entire Angara family, starting with the matriarch, Gloria Angara, and their three daughters, Anna, Katya and Alexandra, were gathered in the living room, along with the master of the house, Sonny Angara, his wife Tootsie and their two young children. They welcomed us with that traditional Pinoy hospitality of food, drink and mirth.

Congressman’s Sonny’s home is awash in art: works by young, up-and-coming Filipino artists of whom the Angara family are staunch supporters. Sonny’s wide collection of chairs by world-renowned furniture greats strategically adorns quiet corners and empty spaces around the house. These extraordinary pieces, along with the paintings, exude an overall feel of sophistication and beauty in their most understated forms.

Senator Angara himself, or SEJA, with his old-world chivalry, showed us where to unload our bags filled with the latest collections of Burberry and Ralph Lauren clothes on loan for the pictorial. His distinguished presence could have easily lent an air of formality, maybe even stiffness, to the occasion but there was none of that at all.

A relaxed atmosphere pervaded the entire house, infecting everyone around, because the source of it was the senator himself, who had an ease of deportment and the most endearing manners, quite untypical of men of his stature.

We proceeded to show him the outfits he would be requested to wear for the shoot. His look of delight was temporarily interrupted – he hesitated when he saw the green, hip-hop, cargo shorts we had brought along. But he good-naturedly indulged our twentysomething fashion stylists who did not have the heart to axe the one adorable pair of red plaid shorts from their repertoire of outfits. He ended up wearing them anyway, like a real trooper, and with great aplomb!

The abundance of production and pictorial values that the house presented gave the design team a wealth of options for set-ups and backdrops. But the consensus in the end was to feature the various chairs in Sonny’s collection. SEJA posed on and alongside several breathtaking chairs: Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen’s "La Chaise," Aarnio Eero’s "Pastille," Mies van der Rohe’s "Barcelona," Le Corbusier’s lounge chair, Ann Pamintuan’s wire chair, and and Kenneth Cobonpue’s "Pigalle."

SEJA was a photographer’s and a stylist’s delight. He was a natural in front of the camera, perfectly at ease as he sat in every chair, which got me wondering: maybe the next seat he should occupy is the one in Malacañang.

It is curious that he is not there yet, given what he has done for our country: the landmark laws and reforms he has authored and shepherded as Senate President on agriculture, education, health, economics, social welfare, arts and culture. As president of the University of the Philippines, he defended academic freedom, improved the State U’s financial and human resources. He raised salaries of UP faculty and staff and upgraded all the facilities. He authored the Free High School Act so we now have free high school education for every Filipino. He sponsored laws creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA). He authored the Senior Citizens Act which grants benefits for the country’s more than seven million senior citizens such as discounts at drugstores, restaurants, movie houses and on transportation. He authored the Generic Drugs Law, the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers, the Breastfeeding Act, and the law that created PhilHealth, the national health insurance program. He is a committed patron of the arts; he was responsible for the creation of the new National Museum and the National Commission on Culture and Arts. He shepherded the landmark Absentee Voting Law giving millions of overseas Filipino workers the right to vote in elections. The strides recently achieved by the agricultural sector for the country’s economy are largely attributed to SEJA’s leadership as Secretary of Agriculture.

Whether or not he finally does occupy that seat in Malacañang, in his more than 20 years of public service, with what he has achieved and what he has given the Filipino people, his good name and untarnished reputation have already secured a prime spot in our history books and a special place in the hearts of Filipinos. He already sits in the lap of greatness.

PHILIPPINE STAR: What are your childhood memories of Baler, Aurora?

Senator Edgardo Javier Angara: My memories are about the ocean, the forest, animals and plants. We always lived on the farm outside of town. We lived in the barrio. Our surroundings were green, rural and bucolic. That’s my recollection of boyhood. We only moved to town when I was already in high school in Manila. Still, I went home during every break, summers and Christmases. I never lost touch.

I liked to gallivant, to go swimming in the ocean. Sometimes I would skip class and join my barkada to go to the paliguan ng mga kalabaw (swamp), to catch dalag (mudfish). I would go home so dirty and my mother would immediately know what I was up to and I would get a tongue-lashing.

What was your first dream as a child?

I knew right away I wanted to be a lawyer. When I read about the lives of leaders, they were mostly lawyers. Lawyers are natural leaders of men and I had wanted to be a leader.

Was there something about you that stood out as a child, something different from others your age that would have foretold your future?

I was always a leader, I took charge. I organized and farmed out assignments.

Where did you study high school?

I went to Roosevelt High in San Juan and then I went to UP for my law studies.

Why did you choose the University of Michigan for your master’s degree in law?

It was a matter of economics and reputation, of course. I applied for the Dewitt Scholarship. It is a program funded by Mr. Dewitt, an American lawyer who stayed in the Philippines for half a century. He made his fortune in the mining business. Upon his death, he endowed the University of Michigan with a substantial amount with the request to keep a special fund for the education of young Filipino lawyers. I won it and I also won a scholarship to Columbia University, but I ended up at the University of Michigan. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it on my own or through my parents.

When you go home to Baler, what do you do?

I garden. I like trees and plants and vegetables.

Do you plant them yourself?

Some. I manage people who plant them for me. We have an orchard. If you go to Batangas where my farm is, I’ve converted that into an orchard. We have all kinds of trees: mango, rambutan, durian, lanzones, calamansi. I have all sorts of vegetables. We’re very self-sufficient. I raise wild deer and wild pigs, chickens, ostriches, horses. Practically everything is there.

Are you there every weekend?

Sana, that’s my dream. But I haven’t realized that dream. I am able to go to Baler once a month. There’s plenty of land there so I can indulge my passion. I can plant almost anything I want. We have hardwood like narra and dau.

What are your weekdays like in Manila?

I wake up at 5 a.m. no matter what time I sleep. I’d rather sleep early because I like to get up early.

How do you start your day?

I deal with my unfinished paperwork for an hour; I make my calls, and then go to work.

Do you have time to watch TV?

Hardly, except the news. I also like the National Geographic Channel.

What is your favorite place outside the Philippines?

Vancouver Island. The forests and the rivers are well-preserved. People protect the ecology, respect the environment. I like that. If you love nature, that’s one place you must go, to savor and enjoy it.

What do you do for entertainment?

As much as possible, I don’t want to go out on socials. I take my apo out. Pasyal. I take him to hotels with huge lobbies like Makati Shangri-La. Sa Shangri-La gustong-gusto ng mga waiters yan eh, because he’s very friendly. Pag binigyan siya ng cookie, he will stay by that girl all afternoon. Natutuwa naman yung bata. He’s gregarious.

I also like going to the hardware store. I’m a frustrated builder and architect. You know, if I put together all the hardware pieces I have bought in my travels, I think I could put up a small store.

If not a lawyer, senator, or farmer, what would you have been?

An architect. Nagagalit nga si Gloria sa akin, because I keep on building and building, kung anu-anong klaseng construction (laughter).

What is your dream scenario for the country five years from now?

To lessen the incidence of poverty; the number of people who are poor is rising. We have more poor people, believe it or not, than Vietnam. Over and above the great number of poor people is the wide disparity of income. The rich are getting richer and the poor are being ground into the ground. We have the biggest income inequality in the whole of Asia. Wealth is being sucked upwards and is not spreading sideways to the many that are poor.

It’s so easy to reduce poverty. Just produce enough food, but not just enough food. It must also be affordable food. Food in our country, relative to income, is very expensive. Sa Thailand, sa Vietnam, for P3 you’ve got a full meal. Dito, what? Three pesos is a bowl of rice.

How do you see yourself five years from now?

Retired – from public office. I’ve been working all my waking hours as far as I can remember.

Are you looking forward to retirement?

Hindi naman – sheer chronology lang yan eh.

A president once said that the presidency is a destiny. Do you think it is?

It is God-ordained. With what I’ve already accomplished, if that is to be the end of my career, I’ll be more than happy.

What was your proudest moment as a public servant?

As Senate President. By putting together a reform agenda that turned our economy around for the better, like landmark laws through Congress. The record of Congress during my time as Senate President, if one would scrutinize it, is probably the most productive in terms of events.

What was your most frustrating moment as a public servant, a moment when you wished to give up out of sheer frustration?

If it is to the extent of giving up, no. I’m basically a hopeful, optimistic person; otherwise I would not have been able to do the things I have done.

Who are your best friends?

Mga law partners ko sa ACCRA. Sa Senate si Drilon, si Dick Gordon, mga long-time friends, si Johnny Ponce Enrile.

Who was the person who had the greatest influence on your life?

My father. Growing up in Baler, everyone wakes up there when the cock crows at 5 or 6 a.m. My vivid recollection is that there would already be so many people in the house asking for medicine. Both my parents were nurses. Both graduated from PGH (Philippine General Hospital). They were the first health professionals in Baler. My father was head nurse in PGH for five years. He would go out of his way to help anyone who was sick. He even brought those who were seriously ill and could not be treated in Baler to PGH at his own expense.

How many were in your family?

Ten children. My mother was a disciplinarian. Every child had an assignment. Everything is scheduled. If it is Monday, Edgardo will take care of getting firewood. If it is Wednesday, it is his turn to fetch water. Ganoon. Lahat may assignment. She complained that I was the laziest daw because I’d rather stay home and read. Ayoko ng manual labor (laughter).

We had a long table in the house. Kapag manok ang ulam, the chicken would already be cut up into 10 pieces. Kanya-kanya na yan.

That’s where we got the work ethic, from my mother. She was very organized. Like me: I’m very organized, very systematic.

What are the professions of your other siblings?

We have a doctor, we have an engineer, a dentist, we have a nurse, three social workers and two lawyers.

Do you watch movies?

Noon. Dati, nung nasa UP pa ako. Every Friday night punta na kami sa Quiapo, sa Anenue Theater, then we would go to Ma Mon Luk for mami and siopao. Kuwan lang noon eh, two pesos yata, busog ka na.

Who were your favorite actors?

Di ko na matandaan. But I like cowboy movies. Oh, I like John Wayne and Gary Cooper.

How about your favorite actress?

Audrey Hepburn. I like her, yon ang type ko.

What were your fantasies?

Noon, lahat ng fantasy ko, well, meron ding romantic fantasies, but lahat ng fantasies ko noon were about career, that I would be a good lawyer. I would try to be a good lawyer, if not the best.

What is the thing that sucks the most about local politics?

Yung masyadong opportunistic ang mga politiko. And too individualistic, no sense of community. Look at the Thai people, magulo rin sila, but they rally for their country. They are patriotic. In that sense I feel that we failed our young politicians, by not showing them that.

What advice do you give your son, Congressman Sonny Angara?

To just do his homework and keep his nose clean, that’s all. Because politics has so many temptations. Some will deliberately tempt you.

What is your legacy to your grandson Manolo?

I want him to be a modern farmer. Kaya ko dinadala sa Baler yan. I want him to identify a chicken as a chicken early. Some kids don’t even know what a live chicken looks like.

Do you have time for exercise?

Farming na lang. I used to play tennis every day but not anymore, that’s my regret.

Do you follow a special diet?

Matakaw akong kumain eh (laughter).

What are your favorite restaurants, favorite food?

I like Japanese. I just discovered this fantastic Italian restaurant on Reposo St. (now Nicanor Garcia), it’s called Café Caruso. Mahilig ako sa lamb. There’s this very good Iranian restaurant called Al Hussein on Makati Avenue. They serve the best lamb chops in town. When I visit my kids in London, ako ang nagluluto ng roast lamb. Specialty ko yon. I just put olive oil, pepper and a little salt. I preheat the oven to 250 degrees, and in 10 minutes luto na, ang sarap.

Which native Filipino dishes do you like?

Yung panay mga bawal. Crispy pata, bulaklak, lechon. But now I eat that very seldom. I love pinakbet because all the vegetables are there.

Let’s talk now about fashion. What do you think of it?

Really, I don’t think of it. Frankly, I don’t care about brands. Kung anong makita ko, if it’s appealing to me, yon na. Pero marami rin akong sapatos. Pero hindi naman katulad ni Imelda (laughter). Sa shoes, I buy top of the line. Testoni, mga ganoon.

Who cuts your hair?

I’ve been going to Rever for many years now. I go at least once a month. Overdue na nga ito. I’ve never used gel or pomade in all my life.

What is your favorite scent?

This Spanish scent, Puig.

Is there anything you collect?

I collect old maps, antique maps of the Philippines and Asia. Also old books about the Philippines. My earliest is about 1780.

Do you have a favorite Filipino artist?

Wala eh. I try to buy from the young ones because I want to support them.

Why do you love art? You put up the National Museum and you were chair of the Metropolitan Museum. Do you have any artistic talents?

Wala naman sa genes ko. Si Gloria, she is very artistic and all my kids are artistically inclined.

Aside from Sonny, who do you think will follow in your footsteps as a public servant?

Si Manolo. He’s my first grandson. Iba itong batang ito. Really, parang precocious.

Name: Edgardo J. Angara

Your chief characteristic: Directness.

Your favorite qualities in a man: Truthfulness and candor.

Your favorite qualities in a woman: Brainy and true.

Your favorite qualities in friends: Loyalty.

Your biggest flaw: Impatience.

Your favorite occupation: Reading.

Your idea of happiness: Having an interesting book in the farm.

Your idea of misery: No light.

If not yourself, who would you be? Farmer.

Where you would you like to live? In the farm.

Your favorite color and flower: Lavender and waling-waling.

Your favorite heroes in real life: Lincoln and Quezon.

Your favorite name: Juan.

Your pet aversion: Fakery.

The reform that you appreciate: Education.

What gift from nature would you like to have? Seeds and birds.

How would you like to die? In my sleep.

What is your present state of mind? Hopeful. – Based on The Marcel Proust Questionnaire