Raising imee

It’s surely going to be mayhem and hysteria when you have three "Devils", all out to make your morning as anarchic and crazy as it can possibly be. Welcome to the world of Borgy, Michael and Matt Manotoc.

And, to make it worse, the one person you expect to be the sobering influence–mom Imee Marcos–has shed her serious, studied Congress-woman mien, and has taken on zany mode as well.

As Imee exclaims, "Sometimes I really wonder who’s influencing who; you’d expect I’d be the one exerting the influence but they’re so crazy and infectious, I end up joining their ranks instead! And don’t talk to me about conventional parenting; when Michael was six and decided he’d try smoking, I stuck ten lit cigarettes in his mouth and scared him by insisting he smoke them all and die. And when they’d break the house rule on using curse words or profane expressions, I’d literally wash their mouths out with soap. Ask Borgy–he can actually tell you which brand of soap tastes the least horrid."

But stop right there, and forget the notion of these three boys being abused or cowed into meek, submissive non-personalities by virtue of the way they were reared. As Matt, who’s 14, relates, "Mom is really cool, she’s so supportive, in a completely different way. The thing with us, it’s humor that drives us and keeps us together. And that is the case with Dad as well."

Michael chimes in, "Yup, look at Matt, he just fractured his collarbone in a vehicular accident and do we pity him or give him sympathy? No, we joke him about it and pat him on the back…Ouch! Everything is taken with a grain of salt, it’s both our way of surviving and handling the world. And Mom being so adaptable has allowed us to create our own identities without losing respect for what she’s done, raising us."

"That’s Mom, versatile to perfection," Borgy concurs. "I’ve been accompanying her all over the provinces and she’s amazing. She’ll be all regular and joking with me in the car and Zap! she’s all serious doing the rounds of the barangays we visit. She’ll talk local politics, shake all the hands that are stretched out, pick up the babies and make everyone feel they truly have her undivided attention. Try doing that in a room where hundreds are jostling for that attention."

For Imee, the notion of being barkada to her brood, of being friend more than authority figure is all well and fine, but some level of guidance still has to be maintained. "I may not be one for rules and curfews," she explains, "but the principle behind that is if the values are there, instilled and developed over the years, then they’ll know how to create their own limits, still be responsible and so on. Besides, it’s hard to talk specifically of something like curfew, then have their Lola regale them with horror stories and make bisto how their mother completely disregarded any attempt to have curfews when she was growing up!"

Imee’s face lights up at the recollection of just how stubborn a daughter she was. "Obviously, that erodes any credibility I can muster on the subject!"

As can be expected, living in the Philippines makes life anything but normal for a direct Marcos descendant. On top of that, you have the colorful Imee as mother, so it’s no surprise when she says, "Life was infinitely more normal when we had to go into exile. In ’86, Borgy wasn’t quite three and Michael was five months old. Matt was born in ’88, in Portugal. So I guess God works in mysterious ways. Salamat to Cory, but their formative years had me there as full time mother."

Borgy just completed two years at the University of San Diego, but will be moving to New York to complete his Mass Communications degree. "I miss the city, just seemed weird to be studying and see the beach every morning. I mean, how real is that?" the much sought-after model ventures.

Imee shrugs at this wanderlust, but declares, "Since he was 16, Borgy has not asked for money from me. He has enough with his modeling and ads, and claims he’s independently wealthy. In fact, that comes as no surprise, ’cause he’s the genuine Ilocano among the three. Even back when he was studying in Singapore, he’d come home Friday with more allowance than I’d give him on Monday!"

Michael, to Imee’s surprise, now dabbles in theater. "But perhaps he’ll leave it, ’cause I have the awful habit of sending notes to him in the middle of the performance. Like he can change his approach on the character right there and then!" they all laugh, while Michael rolls his eyes. "He’s leaving for the NYU program in Florence, Italy later this year. I suspect that his finding out that 80 percent of the program is filled with girls doing art restoration had something to do with the choice."

The certified true-blue jock is Matthew. In fact, Borgy and Michael half-joke that their roles in life will be to fulfill Matt’s destiny as the first true top world-ranked Filipino golfer. Borgy will handle the PR and Michael will be Matt’s caddy.

On a more serious note, Imee reflects on her plans of running for the Senate next year. "It’s not cast in stone yet, though there is that distinct possibility," she admits. "The question now seems to be more in terms of what state will this country be in by then. The major issues have not changed: the anti-poverty ones, the graft and corruption, and the ones to do with peace and order, anti-terrorism and the insurgency problem. They all conspire to keep us from making any real advances."

The comment is made that while the other ASEAN countries have their own versions of these problems, it does not keep them from making substantial advances and transcending Third World status. To that Imee sadly concurs, "We really have to get our act together. So much potential, yet so much wasted efforts and opportunities. We have to face up to the fact that we’re in survival mode."

As to what role she envisions the Marcos family playing in Philippine politics, she very candidly states, "We make for a lousy dynasty. Even my Dad used to joke us about that. Bong was into Pure Maths and Physics, Irene is Planet Mozart and music, and I was into Comparative Religion. He used to needle us about who was going to earn a living or how useless we all were profession-ally. It’s my Mom that’s the consummate politician; my father was more cerebral, 110 percent austere, and not that comfortable with strangers and crowds. The drama of my life is how I can get out of politics. For now, it’s obviously necessary that we be involved in the process, as is the case for Bong and the Governorship."

As for the urban legend that she had to give a rib to her father for some operation, Imee says, "No, there was never some Eve to Adam reversal thing that transpired. Bong is the one–he had to donate a live organ, a kidney."

The boys return from their group shots and the mood changes instantly. Imagine yourself playing straight man to a younger, 21st century, Filipino version of the Marx Brothers. The skirt chasing Groucho is ably played by Borgy (as Imee jokes, he’s had girlfriends and has led the tabloid life since he was eight), the fast-talking Michael is Chico, and Matt, quieter by virtue of being the youngest but just as scheming, is Harpo. Imee smiles and joins in on the reminiscing and finger pointing.

"Yes, we are very competitive," Borgy confesses. "But not as bad as before! Now, there’s more of that looking out for each other. Besides, the two are so big now, it’s not as fun."

Michael suggests, "Maybe that’s because you’re not so sure you’ll still come out on top!" And they all howl. "You should have seen us before. Something as simple as entering the car would become a battle for who would sit in front. And I mean battle, as in all-out war; we’d push, trip, injure, maim, just to be the one in the front seat. Then we elevated it to sports–tennis, golf, basketball, table tennis; anything was one-upmanship time."

While Imee is more than ready to always put in her two cents worth, let’s leave with some choice words from Borgy as he muses on Imee’s brand of motherhood. "There are no potent words of advice that come readily to mind. If anything, it’s by being quiet on those matters that she’s shown just how much she trusts us, and that makes us more careful not to disappoint. We see by her own actions just how important family and work are; and that moves all of us to keep our heads on straight."