‘Love stories between heaven and Filipinos’

Filipinos from all walks of life – from Father James Reuter S.J. to Imelda Marcos – have shared their stories of personal miracles and the result is a 544-page book that could be your parachute on the days when you feel like you’re in a freefall.

It is called Little Book of Miracles & Answered Prayers, which according to author Bunny V. Reyes is "a compilation of love stories between heaven and Filipinos."

The book has 184 stories about lost lives redeemed, health inexplicably regained and mortal dangers held back by a miracle. The Little Book of Miracles & Answered Prayers proves that there is no law of nature God will not suspend to aid a heart in distress.

Philanthropist Gina de Venecia, who was one of the contributors, was the guest of honor during the book’s launch at the Manila Polo Club. During the book launch, she recounted to a visibly moved audience her torturous road to healing after the death of her daughter KC last December. Other conributors were Baby Arenas, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and many more.

Bunny, with proud husband Joey Reyes, looked radiant as she was congratulated all night for her labor of love – a 544-page book about personal miracles granted to Filipinos by a merciful God. To create the book, Bunny spent 13 "sleepless" months, interviewed 89 contributors, browsed over 189 stories, listened to nearly 4,000 minutes of taped interviews and read hundreds of e-mails.

Over 200 guests poured in to well-wish the author for her efforts, including her beaming parents, Gov. Joe and Rep. Girlie Villarosa, and her siblings Anthony (with wife Mayette), Nanny (with husband Tabby Drilon), Sookie (with husband Dondi Chiongbian) and Mikho.

A mini program was hosted by Bianca Araneta and Tricia Chiongbian. At the event, too, were the author’s close friends Carissa Cruz, Mike and Monica Deakin, Detsy Laurel and Bea Lhuillier, who all shared their "little miracles."

Others present were chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women Myrna Yao, Loida Nicolas Lewis, Ising Madrigal Vazquez (with husband Danny), Baby Cruz, Fr. Dave Clay, Fr. Roy Rosales, Mama Nena Vera Perez (mother of Gina de Venecia), Mercy Tuason, Dr. Jaime Lapus, former Sports commissioner Cynthia Carrion, Christian Espiritu and former Finance secretary Titoy Pardo.

Also seen enjoying the miracle stories were Ambassador Emily Lopez, Rep. Cynthia Villar, Rep. Lorna Silverio, Rep. Connie Dy, former Rep. Cario and wife Letty Laurel, MMPI’s Lorraine Belmonte, Rep. Abet Garcia, Print Town’s Alex Reyes, HSBC’s Laine Santana, Pinky Tobiano and Daisy Payumo.

Guests were treated to giveaways from Lancome and Kerastase. Two signed photographs from world-renowned underwater photographer Gutsy Tuason, Just Jewel gift certificates and a flat screen TV courtesy of HSBC Visa were raffled out, as Rene Barbier wine flowed during the course of the party, which was partly sponsored by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Each copy of the book sold that night came with a Lifeline Arrows annual membership.

Bunny Reyes has a degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University and an MBA from Asian Institute of Management.

Little Books of Miracles & Answered Prayers will soon be available at all leading bookstores. It comes in paperback and limited hardbound edition. All proceeds will benefit the SVD Mission Office, Mula sa Puso Foundation, Apostolate of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Home for the Angels and the Association of St. John Ma. Vianney (St. James the Great Parish unit).

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Excerpts from the "miracle" shared by Gina de Venecia to Bunny:

For comfort and solace, I have turned to the Pink Sisters since the day we forever lost KC, our bubbly and feisty 16-year-old daughter. The Pink Sisters live in seclusion in New Manila, ready to offer the sanctum of their convent’s prayer rooms into citadels for those seeking inner peace.

The Pink Sisters are already famed as the "prayer warriors" of the faithful. Whenever Cardinal Jaime Sin and former President Corazon Aquino have a cause to promote, they inevitably turn to the Pink Sisters for prayers. Former President Cory, President Arroyo, and I have over the years found the Pink Sisters’ mother prioress, Mary Hermenegildes, an amiable and strong soul. I sought to quell my grief, my fears, and my pain and banish my great confusion in the prayers that she offered every day without fail, leading to the 40th day of the passing of my daughter.

Unknown to me, the mother prioress asked one of the nuns in her congregation, the young Sister Maria Incarnita, to offer special prayers every day for KC. And so she did, but unknown to me and to the Mother Prioress, Sister Maria Incarnita – bless her heart – has already started offering prayers for KC even before the request was made. And in her prayers, Sister Incarnita infused a personal but significant prayer: She asked for an almost impossible sign from the Lord that would show KC is already in the bosom of the Almighty, her spirit among the Angels and the holies in the eternal sunshine of the place we call Heaven, or at least that KC is in good hands. The young nun asked the Lord for a pair of shoes. Her only pair was ragged and badly worn-out, and needed to be replaced.

The 40th day arrived last January 25, 2005, when we heard a special Mass with the Pink Sisters. For the faithful, the 40th day marks the ascension of the soul of the dead to Heaven.

It was the final day of prayers for KC. The morning came, and the sign that Sister Incarnita had prayed for was nowhere to be seen. No pair of shoes waited for her.

But the day progressed as though it was a day planned all along for her. The mother prioress called for Sister Incarnita. As they stood in her room, in the pale glow of the convent light, the moment of revelation came to Sister Incarnita as a complete shock of recognition. In front of her was a gleaming new pair of shoes.

Unknown to the mother prioress, unknown to her, and unknown to us, the sign came on the eve of the 40th day. It was a gift meant for Sister Mary Hermenegildes, but the pair of shoes, size 6, did not fit her. Without knowing that the young nun needed shoes, the mother prioress gave the pair to Sister Incarnita, perfect for her size 6 feet.

"Mother, Mother Prioress," Sister Incarnita cried, "you don’t know it, but this is the sign I have been praying for from the Lord that KC is all right and is in good hands."

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This "miracle" was shared by Girlie Villarosa, the author’s mother:

In 1987, I started going to Our Lady of Manaoag because I got pregnant. I was 46 years old.

Dr. Fe Dacanay, my ob-gyne, said there might be a problem. Our baby might be special. So she told us to be prepared. She also asked if we were willing to take the risk of the child being special. Will we care for and love the child, however it turns out? We said yes, of course.

I had heard about Our Lady of Manaoag, and so I went to her. I also started going to church every day. And I prayed the novena to Our Lady of Manaoag every day. Then, every first Saturday of the month, I would go to Pangasinan. That’s how I started with my devotion to Our Lady of Manaoag.

And so that was my daily practice up to the time I gave birth in 1988, when I was already 46 years and 11 months old. All that I had requested from Our Lady of Manaoag was for our child to be a normal healthy baby. Michael Joseph was born. He’s a normal child and very intelligent. He is now ten-and-a-half years old. So that’s another miracle of Our Lady of Manaoag.

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