What makes Imelda Cojuangco cry?

She looked poised and impeccable, as usual, every inch of her slim frame a fashion statement. Philanthropist and fashion icon Imelda Cojuangco  looked royally cool in a white dress by Roy Gonzalez, huge pearls dangling from her dainty ears and a ribbon adorning her hair, during the press conference for the benefit show Beloved Encore! at the Shangri-La Makati.

“I look gift-wrapped!” she smiles, admitting, without apologizing, that her fashion style is “exaggerated.” (“I was told by the late Ramon Valera to exaggerate my style, because that is more my style.”)

But dressing up is not the only thing Imelda does with exaggeration. Charity is something she also overdoes, telling friends at the launching of Beloved Encore, that “I have been so blessed in my life, I want to make a difference in the lives of others.”

In other words, she wants to be a gift to others — why, she even wears a ribbon on her hair!

“A few years ago, I thought I was going to die,” relates Imelda. “I thought I would not survive the aneurysm I suffered. I was in the hospital for three months.” But her fragile looks belie Imelda Cojuangco’s indomitable spirit for she pulled through. She was not allowed to leave the house for about a year because her immune system was weak. Today, though she is still careful, Imelda Cojuangco is already able to go out and lend her presence to her various causes.

Imelda, a Marian devotee, believes it was also her prayers and the prayers of her family and friends that made her survive that near-fatal aneurysm.

Imelda, a grandmother of 15, has a soft spot for children. The mere mention of them lights up her face. During a photo shoot we once had with lensman Jun de Leon, the latter asked her what makes her truly happy.

“My grandchildren!” she answered immediately.

“Then imagine that they’re right here, in front of you!” Jun instructed his model. Imelda closed her eyes, opened them slowly, then beamed. Jun caught the moment. It was just a “Take One” for Imelda.

* * *

If the thought of her grandchildren makes her smile, what brings tears unbidden to Imelda Cojuangco’s eyes? At the presscon for Beloved Encore, which will benefit the children of the Virlanie Foundation, Imelda almost wept.

And the “culprit” was Martin Nievera. Martin, who will be performing at the concert this October at the Makati Shangri-La, sang Louie Ocampo’s poignant masterpiece, Kahit Isang Saglit.

When Martin started to sing, Sana’y ika’y muling makita ko, Damhin ang tibok ng puso mo, Sana’y yakapin mo ako muli kahit sandali, Kahit isang saglit, mayakap ka, tears started to well in Imelda’s eyes. Then the tears fell. (Martin himself was a bit emotional and he confided to me after his song that he thinks of ex-wife Pops Fernandez each time he sings Kahit Isang Saglit.)

After she wiped away her tears, I intruded into Imelda’s thoughts, and asked, “You were thinking of your late husband, weren’t you?”

She nodded. Imelda lost her beloved husband Ramon Cojuangco Sr. to cancer in 1984.

Imelda once told me she misses Ramon (said to be former President Cory Cojuangco Aquino’s favorite cousin) very much, “He was my husband, my lover, my friend, my teacher.”

* * *

After the highly acclaimed first Beloved two years ago that featured the creations of Inno Sotto coupled with the musical act from the artists of the Metropolitan Theatre of New York, the creative minds and benevolent pursuits of the brains behind this project have come together again for a second show. This Oct. 17, be mesmerized by the beautiful music of Martin Nievera, and the Metropolitan Opera of New York as Beloved Encore! stages the biggest and most anticipated fundraising event of the year at the Makati Shangri-La Manila with chairperson Imelda Cojuangco.

Internationally acclaimed performers from the Metropolitan Opera of New York will stage rousing renditions of opera favorites. The Beloved Encore! will also showcase the musical prowess of Martin and renowned composer Louie Ocampo. When asked why they opted to participate in this project, Louie said, “Raising funds to be able to give disadvantaged children a chance at a better life is a cause dear to my heart as I myself am a father of four trying to bring up my kids in a loving environment in a world that can sometimes be cruel. Also, I welcome the chance for Martin and I to be able to share the same stage with the artists of the Metropolitan Opera of New York.”

More than the music and glamour, Beloved Encore! will also bring together Manila’s leading philanthropists to raise funds for the project’s beneficiaries. The largest private non-sectarian child caring institution in Metro Manila, Virlanie Foundation Inc. provides shelter, food, education, and more importantly love to over 1,000 disadvantaged children in the country. Since its establishment in 1992, the foundation has been giving children the hope for a brighter future as they transform their lives and give them a caring and nurturing home. Proceeds from Beloved Encore! will also benefit indigent patients in need of liver transplants, giving them the resources to surmount the many complications brought about by one of the most fatal diseases, and giving hope to patients where there may be none.

(For more information, please contact Chevy Salvador at 892-3026 (telefax) or [email protected] with secretariat at 8th floor, Chemphil 1 Building,

851 Pasay Road, Makati City.)

(You may e-mail me at [email protected])