Hey, there, Georgie girl

“How wonderful,” a doctor-friend told me in the midst of the 62nd birthday celebration last Sunday of Pangasinan Rep. Georgina “Gina” de Venecia at the Vera Perez gardens in Valencia, “that people will be saying all these nice things about you while you are still alive, when you are still around to appreciate the tributes.”

Our friend Alex was reacting to the heartfelt tributes that were being strewn the way of Manay Gina, tributes that were like fragrant rose petals gently strewn on a red-carpeted aisle.

The Vera Perez gardens were aglow with Tivoli lights hanging like garlands from the branches of acacia trees, from which also dangled balloon-sized red hearts. After all, Gina, fondly called “Georgie” by her sisters and childhood friends, was born the day after Valentine’s Day.

Love was still in the air even if Valentine’s Day had passed. In a special program organized by her sisters Marichu, Betchay and Chona, and supported by her brothers Pepito and Cocoy, Gina received love messages that will keep her on Cloud 9 for many more lifetimes.

Her best friend since grade school Maridee Chanyungco Rodriguez described “Georgie” as a “Phoenix rising from the ashes” who never lost her faith despite the unspeakable grief she experienced with the death of her youngest daughter KC in 2004 and the political crisis she and Joe have hurdled.

Georgie, according to Maridee, is a goal-oriented woman who derives joy from simple pleasures. Even if she could well afford branded clothes and bags being to the manor (and manner) born, Georgie wouldn’t mind buying tela from Kamuning and have dresses sewn by a modista.

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Very touching were the tributes given to Gina by her stepchildren Joey de Venecia and his sister Vivian de Venecia Garcia — for usually, stepmothers are portrayed in almost the same mold as Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel’s wicked stepmother. Instead, Joey and Vivian painted a picture of a stepmother who was more like a fairy godmother.

Gina’s apo Isabella twirls onstage for her Mamita.

“My sister Vivian and I grew up without a mother. We were raised by our grandmother Consuelo. I had seen so many candidates for stepmom pass through dad’s life, but it was only with you that I had this feeling of contentment,” Joey told Gina, adding, “You have tamed my father. You have given him unconditional love through good times and bad. In fact, you married him when he was down.”

And, the icing on the cake: “Even my own mother (Vicky Perez Norton) is appreciative of you raising us.”

“She took us in,” Vivian, for her part, said. “She cares even for the families of my older sisters and even showed concern for the comfort of my mother when she was in town recently for Joey’s wedding (to Karen Batungbacal).”

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Gina’s eldest child Carissa Cruz Evangelista sang her mother’s favorite song, Pangarap na Bituin, the theme song of the Sharon Cuneta starrer, Bukas Luluhod ang mga Tala. Her daughter Isabella pirouetted to the tune of A Whole New World.

Christopher, Gina and Joe de Venecia’s firstborn, said he at first resented not growing up in a “normal” family — he had bodyguards, for one, when his friends could go about as they pleased.

But when he accepted the world his parents moved in, he appreciated their efforts to make a difference, and he saw how his mother “was always there for me.”

“I know that you will always catch me when I fall,” Chris told his mother, and turning to JDV as well, he added, “You are the best parents any guy could ask for. So ‘normal’ — scr_w that.”

Gina’s eldest sister Marichu Maceda said that if she were asked to whom she would entrust her siblings and her own children and grandchildren in case something happened to her, she would say, “Gina.”

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When someone who once was your political foe compliments you, there is a certain sweetness to his words. Joseph Estrada defeated Joe de Venecia in the 1998 presidential elections, and yet when the former was placed on house arrest on charges of plunder, Joe and Gina would visit him and bring him food.

During Gina’s birthday party at the Vera Perez gardens, Erap not only showed up, he stayed throughout the program. “You’re no longer behind the scenes now,” he teased Gina, who is president of the Lady Legislators of Congress when she used to be “just” the president of the Congressional Spouses — the women behind their men.

(From left) Marot Moreno, Tessie Sy-Coson, former President Joseph Estrada, Pangasinan (5th District) Rep. Kimi Cojuangco and Pinky Abellada.

Ballsy Aquino Cruz, Pinky Abellada and Viel, with the latter’s husband Dodo Dee, also came to greet Gina, who was always very caring towards their late mother, former President Cory Aquino. Ballsy said Manay Gina had “overshot” her quota of thoughtfulness and kindness to Cory.

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Last but not the least to profess his love for Gina was her husband of 25 years now, JDV. JDV said that his love for Gina, just as the lyrics of a song goes, “will go on even after Gibraltar has crumbled.”

He expressed hopes his wife will be nominated for the Ramon Magsaysay peace prize, for she has furthered the cause of peace by building havens for underprivileged women, children and the elderly. The Haven for Women now has 15 branches nationwide and has given shelter and support to some 25,000 abused women. The Haven for Children has four homes and The Haven for the Elderly has a home in Antipolo. Having lost a child, Gina reached out to other grieving mothers and established the INA Foundation (Inang Naulila sa Anak). In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, she built a Haven for grieving mothers in Quezon City that provides counseling and therapy.

I asked Gina her birthday wish and without batting an eyelash, she said: “I wish I could help more people and build more communities.”

I knew that deep down, Gina’s wish was someday to be reunited with her beloved KC. But KC was all over the place that night — butterflies (which Gina believes symbolize KC’s beautiful but brief life) were splashed all over Gina’s hot pink blouse, close to her heart.