Meeting Al Gore, eating turtle soup in China, leaving Boston in tears and other unforgettable trips of Kiko Pangilinan

His schoolmates at the University of the Philippines(UP) remember Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan as the feisty president of the UP Student Council and the dynamic first student regent of the UP Board of Regents in the ’80s.

Television viewers know Kiko as the charming program host and the occasional special guest of his beloved megastar Sharon Cuneta, together with their three daughters Kristina Cassandra Concepcion(KC), Simone Francesca Emmanuelle (Frankie) and Mariel Daniella Sophia (Miel).

The public knows Senator Pangilinan as a luminary (he finished his Masters in Public Administration at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with a general average of A-) and a steadfast nationalist.

I know Kiko as an incredibly hilarious and witty member of our Eating Club, which was formed when he and another member, Loren Legarda, were not senators yet. With his unique sense of humor and his refusal to let go of the mike  once he seizes it, he and colleagues Atty.Perry Pe and Atty. SP Sumulong plus the amazing Hans Sy, easily turn a simple dinner into a hilarious blast.Obviously, it’s his way of de-stressing after work.

 Another way of fighting stress is traveling, which Kiko relishes during the few times he can, with his loved ones.

 PHILIPPINE STAR: Where and when was your first trip abroad?

SENATOR KIKO PANGILINAN: Hong Kong, when I was 17 years old. We are nine brothers and sisters so traveling abroad was definitely a luxury. In fact, we never traveled abroad as one whole family when we were kids because it was just too expensive to do so. It took me all of 17 years before I took my first trip abroad. We each had to patiently wait for our turn. I was born into a middle-class family and so we did not have money to throw away.

Tell us some of your funny boo-boos as a neophyte traveler.

I thought sortie was the name of a place in France.

In Thailand, I mistakenly called the driver Pratunam,  thinking by mistake that his name was the name of the place. Pratunam is a popular place, a public market in Bangkok. It’s like calling somebody Nepa Q, Quiapo or Baclaran. No wonder he didn’t mind me despite my calls.

What is your most unforgettable experience as a traveler?

Having to eat turtle soup in China in 1991 wherein the cooked little turtle appeared to be still alive, staring at me with its neck sticking out in a soup bowl.

What is your “must-do” routine during any trip?

Catch up on my reading, especially on long flights.

 Which countries inspire you?

Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and all other countries whose progress surpassed ours in the last three decades. They remind me that if they can progress and develop rapidly, with the right solutions effectively implemented, there is no reason why we cannot catch up if not surpass their achievements in the next 20 years. The next 20 years will be our turn. Watch out!

What places make you proudly Filipino when you’re abroad?

Places wherein I see overseas Filipinos working hard to improve their lot and that of their families. It is both pride and pain I feel. Proud that we are such a sacrificing, family-focused people and we work under very difficult conditions to provide for our families. And it’s painful because it should not have to be this way if only our economic planners and policy makers put the nation first.

What do you miss most when you travel?

Filipino food!

Your favorite traveling companions?

Sharon and my three girls.

What do you enjoy doing most while on a flight?

Reading. Listening to my iPod. Writing down my thoughts in my journal.

Your favorite airlines?

Philippine Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Your favorite museums?

The National Museum in Manila. The Louvre in Paris. Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Museum of Modern Art also in NYC. Kennedy Museum and Library in Boston, Massachusetts.

The unforgettable personalities you have met abroad?

US Vice President Al Gore. President Jiang Zemin of China.

If you could choose another place as your second home, which would it be and why?

Boston, Massachusetts. Sharon, KC and I lived there for a year. We were all students the year we were there. We were just alone by ourselves. Quiet. Uncomplicated. Simple. Serene. Peaceful.

The most awesome sights you have ever seen?

The hundreds of limestone mountains covered by mist and jutting out into the horizon while riding a boat along the river in Guillin, China. The Great Hall of the People in China. The Eiffel Tower up close is also a magnificent sight. The mountains of Mindanao are breathtaking.

What travel memory makes you cry?

Landing at NAIA after being away for six months during our stay in Boston. I was so homesick that hearing the flight attendants say “Welcome to Ninoy Aquino International Airport” made me shed tears of joy. There is, indeed, no place like home.

Your most precious travel souvenir?

Pictures and family videos of the different places visited. It’s fun to look at them, watch them at home with Sharon and the kids.

What is your favorite Philippine destination?

Cebu. Davao. Pagudpud.

What is the most underrated Philippine tourist spot?

Many parts of Mindanao.

What is the trip you hated taking?

Leaving our home in Newton, Massachusetts for the last time in August on our way to Logan Airport to fly back to Manila after our one-year stay there. Sharon and I were in tears as we said goodbye to our home of one year.

What is the dream trip you hope to take?

To go back to Boston with Sharon and the family. It would be a sentimental journey since we have not been back as a family since I graduated in 1998. It would be a wonderful time to reminisce and to look back at life in Boston when we were just newly married. A reminder that we spent a truly memorable, truly meaningful year there as a family.