Bongbong Marcos for senator

There are mixed feelings about the return of the Marcoses to the country. But Bongbong Marcos, in his 20s when EDSA I drove the family to exile in Hawaii, has been back here for several years now, gone into politics, and come out clean and winsome. The son of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, he was the first in the family to come home in 1991. No harm was done him by people who had taken control of the government after his father’s deposition. In just a year, in 1992, he was elected to the House of Representatives as representative for the second district of Ilocos Norte. In 1998, he ran and won for the first of three terms as governor of Ilocos Norte.

 His public relations man says — and no one seems to contest his claim — in his nine years as governor, he transformed Ilocos Norte into a first-class province, a major tourism destination, and a pioneer in harnessing wind power for energy. Says the p.r. man of the young Marcos: “ He has carved his niche in his own way. He is not your typical politician. He does not open his mouth unless he has something to say. And he exerts power and leadership without bombast.”

As governor, he raised agricultural productivity in the province by focusing on rice production and cash crops, invested resources in hybrid seedlings production; set up a successful cooperatives development, turned the province into a major tourism Philippine destination by improving infrastructure, developing the province’s special natural attractions, and capitalizing on Laoag City’s being an international gateway into the country. He also provided 100 percent of his provincemates with health insurance. Importantly, he harnessed wind power as an alternative source of energy for the province.

In 2007, he returned to the House of representatives, where he is now Deputy Minority Leader. Despite being an opposition leader, he has successfully championed the passage of significant legislation, including the country’s Baselines Law. This law defines the boundaries of the national territory according to international law, while retaining the country’s claim to lands under dispute with other nations.

Bongbong as congressman championed the cause of the Filipino youth and spearheading the passage of the Philippine Youth Commission Act. The law empowers young Filipinos to take an active role in the civic and political life of the nation. The “historic act,” says Bongbong’s p.r. officer, “reflects a fundamental part of Bongbong’s vision and understanding of Philippine society. In his view, the Philippines is a predominantly young country — young in population, young in outlook, and with its eyes turned towards the future rather than the past. This young population gives the nation a large human resource base which, harnessed and educated properly, can propel Philippine society into the heights of modernization and development.”

Bongbong’s baptism of fire took place much earlier, when at the age of 23, he was elected vice-governor of Ilocos Norte in 1980.

Bongbong is now 51, shows characteristics of his father, whom he absolutely adores, and bears the features of his famous mother, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, whom he holds up affectionately. His mother, he told us at a dinner at Abe, a nice restaurant at Serendra, has not lost her touch for beautiful things and people from all walks of life.

Bongbong was born in Manila Sept. 13, 1957. He finished his elementary education in De la Sale College, and his secondary education in the Worth School in England. He took a bachelor’s degree in political science, philosophy and economics at Oxford University. From there he moved to the Wharton School of Business in the US for his masters in business administration.

Bongbong has three teenage sons by Louise Araneta, a lawyer. All three are now studying at his old Worth school, which, to his dismay, has become co-ed.

What was the reason for hosting a dinner for media persons? Bongbong flashed his charm. We guessed it, he is running in the 2010 senatorial election. I guess majority of us at the dinner will vote for him. I think he will do a good job as a legislator, and not hold on to power for life.

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Joseph W. Pickard has passed away, leaving behind his wife Lillian Era Pickard and children Judy Hart, Kent, Mitzi and Sandy, five grandchildren and two grandchildren, and friends who held him in high esteem.

Joe was born to a farming family in Niagara, North Dakota, the eighth and youngest son in a family of 10 children. He earned a degree in mining engineering from the Montana Institute of Technology in Butte.

After graduation, Joe joined Ingersoll-Rand (INR), a heavy machinery company, in 1940. In 1953, the company transferred him to Manila. During his 41 years with IR, he held several positions, from general manager to president, and retired as chairman of the board in 1981.

During his long, blessed life, he was active in fraternal organizations including Masonry (where he reached the 33rd degree), Scottish Rites, Eastern Star, the Shriners, and Elks Lodge, where he became the exalted ruler and later secretary. He was also a charter member of the Rotary Club of Makati West and a lifetime member and officer of the American Institute of Mining Engineering (AIME). He was on the board of Children’s Garden and president of the Philippine American Guardian Association (PAGA), organizations dedicated to assisting less fortunate children.

Joe was active at the Union Church of Manila, of which he and Lillian became members in 1965. Throughout the years, he served on various UCM committees, chairing the finance committee, the board of elders, and the UCM Foundation.

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