For 3rd time, GMA becomes a ‘lola’

President Arroyo became a grandmother again yesterday with the birth of Marie Angelique, the second daughter of her eldest son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, and his wife, Maria Angela Montenegro.

The President’s third granddaughter was born at 7:05 a.m. yesterday at the Medical City in Pasig City.

After attending the affair of the Office of the Ombudsman at the Manila Diamond Hotel in Ermita, Manila, Mrs. Arroyo made a side trip to the Medical City to visit her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, who are both in good health.

"We’re all very happy," Mikey told The Star yesterday.

The President’s first granddaughter is Mikaela Gloria or Mika, the eldest daughter of Mikey and Angela, while her second was Eva Victoria, nicknamed Eve, the first-born of Arroyo’s youngest son, Diosdado Ignacio or Dato and his wife, Victoria "Kakai" Manotoc.

First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who earlier had expressed his wish to have a grandson soon, was nonetheless elated yesterday to learn about the latest addition to the family.

"We now have tres Marias!" the First Gentleman exclaimed.

Mr. Arroyo was in Palawan yesterday and heard about the birth of her newest apo (grandchild) from younger brother, Bacolod Rep. Ignacio "Iggy Arroyo, who called him to relay the good news in Manila.

Mikey said since his wife delivered via Cesarean section operation, she can only bear another child after two and a half years.

"Every couple dreams of having a daughter and a son, but I would take whatever the Lord gives us," Mikey said.

Quoting his wife’s doctors, Dr. Pastor Fide (gynecologist) and Dr. Luis Rivera (pediatrician), Mikey disclosed that Marie Angelique or Monique weighed 6.2 pounds at birth and is perfectly healthy.

"She (Monique) looks like Mika but has a fairer complexion," Mikey noted.

The "very elated" father disclosed that his wife called him up Wednesday night at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City to remind him about her scheduled delivery the next morning and that she was supposed to check in at the hospital the night before.

Mikey said he was attending the session for the plenary ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the value-added tax (VAT) bill and the voting had finished at 11 p.m.

"So after the voting, I went straight home to pick her up and Mika and we proceeded to the hospital," Mikey related.

Mikey said Mika was more excited to see her baby sister outside her mother’s womb.

"She (Mika) has already been seeing her baby sister inside her mother’s womb every time she joins the ultra-sound session," Mikey explained. "So when Mika saw her baby sister for the first time, she kissed her and kept watching over her."

Mikey said Angela will also breastfeed Monique, who will now be using the same baby crib that Mika used in her bedroom at Malacañang.

Mikey said he will "love equally" his two daughters even though his work as a congressman keeps him busy most of the time.

"I just want my two daughters to grow up as good citizens and develop the willingness to help others no matter what their professions would be," he said.

Asked if he would try to influence his daughters to follow in his footsteps as well as of their grandmother in politics, Mikey quipped: "They need not to be in politics to help other people." — With Paolo Romero