Erap’s wrist band, Ate Glo’s hankies

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

Then President Fidel Ramos emblazoned his favorite cigar with the seal of the Office of the President.

His successor, former actor Joseph Estrada, had his orange wrist bands adorned with the seal.

As for the second woman President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has the seal of her office embroidered on her handkerchiefs.

STAR editors discovered the presidential predilection for the handkerchiefs with the special embroidery during an informal luncheon she hosted yesterday at Malacañang.

STAR executive editor Amy Pamintuan noted the seal embellishing a corner of Mrs. Arroyo’s dark-green handkerchief.

The President said the thread that was used in the embroidery was originally black, but it is now dark-green because of repeated washing.

Another favorite handkerchief is white, which she said reminds her of popular television-movie actress now Lipa Mayor Vilma Santos. The Lipa mayor is noted for carrying her white handkerchief wherever she goes.

"I always carry my hankie because I don’t usually carry anything else with me. I just wipe or dab my face with it," the President explained as she gestured on how she does it.

But her favorite handkerchief was no match for the heavy downpour that resulted in the flooding of Metro Manila. She visited Tatalon, Quezon City without making any prior notice to distributed relief goods to residents affected by flood.

The President confided that except for occasional colds, she does not get sick often. Sickness afflicts those who cannot stand stress, she said.