Four generations of Macapinlacs-Indah with daughter Edna Corrales, granddaughter Edita Nelson and great granddaughters Keisha, Zion, and Shiloh.

“A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for her five children, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” --Tenneva Jordan from Archbishop Soc Villegas of Pangasinan

One of my favorite festivals in Makati opens on Monday at the LRI Design Plaza on Nicanor Garcia street (formerly Reposo).

This is the GrupoReposo Art Extravaganza which will be participated in by 70 artists in conjunction also with the “Araw ng Makati.” The city has double cause to celebrate with the awaited proclamation of its present mayor, Jojo Binay,  as the next vice president of the Republic.

This is Grupo Reposos sixth anniversary and establishments in the LRI Design Plaza like the art galleries RiccoRenzo, One Workshop, and ArisArtspace will showcase arts of the masters (Hernando Ocampo, Bencab, Alcuaz, Nap Abueva,Guillermo Tolentino, etc.),  and the works of contemporary artists. Guest of honor is newly elected mayor, Junjun Binay.

See you there! It’s always great fun at LRI Plaza when the GrupoReposo indulges lovers of art and food!

Here’s a “food for thought” from C. S. Lewis.”It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

To borrow these words, collectively, we Filipinos “are like eggs at present.”  How so? With the dawn of the Noynoy administration, our incubation so to speak, will also begin! 

Research shows that eggs hatch approximately twenty-one days from the start of incubation.  Since natural fertility is rarely one hundred percent, the key to hatching success is to nurture eggs at optimal environmental conditions for growth and development — ideal temperature, proper positioning, etc.

Is Noynoy’s imminent presidency geared to hatch the Philippine egg?

Ever since he announced his bid for the presidency last year, Noynoy committed to a platform of change that Filipinos can depend on.  His vision is that of an organized and widely shared expansion of our economy, through a government dedicated to honing and mobilizing our people’s skills and energies.

Among his top priorities is the advancement and protection of public health, as a key measure of good governance, since  as we all know, there is a direct link between health and productivity.  Ensuring free healthcare for the under privileged would relieve them of the financial burden that comes with sickness.  It would mean less people dying unnecessarily from preventable causes.  And it would revitalize the citizenry, allowing them to devote their time and talent to constructive endeavors. 

Interestingly, in the wake of all the published surveys these past months, one that caught my attention was the Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) “Survey of Filipino Health.”  As part of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines’ (PHAP) advocacy for healthcare reforms, they commissioned the SWS to conduct a national survey to appraise the health situation and needs of Filipinos.

Seventy-eight percent agree that health is a basic right guaranteed by the Constitution, and that Government should provide quality healthcare to everyone. Even though ninety-three percent were worried about getting sick, about a quarter of them have not gone to a doctor or health facility even when they were sick because they could not afford it.  While ten percent said that they never sought medical attention when required, due to the unavailability of a nearby doctor or hospital!

PHAP President Reiner W. Gloor, disclosed that in some provinces, an alarming 94 out of 1,000 children die before reaching the age of five because of the lack or absence of healthcare.  Our infant mortality rate is approximately 35 per thousand live births.  This translates into 80,000 babies dying of preventable causes each year.  Former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez added, “Every year 4,000 Filipinas needlessly die giving birth.”  These are all senseless, avoidable deaths due to poverty and the lack of basic healthcare.  Our country’s mortality rate is higher than our Southeast Asian neighbors, with average life expectancy pegged at 70 years while more developed country’s average 85 years of age.

Mr. President-elect, sir! The message is clear — healthcare needs to be a priority.  Reforms require strong political will, but it is certainly achievable if we use our resources prudently.  The new government needs to work together with the private sector to align the building blocks of an efficient health system — organization of health services, human resources, regulatory mechanisms, governance structures, information systems, and financing. 

If Noynoy gets this done, he would be providing the proper care for millions of Filipinos who are waiting to be hatched!

Meanwhile, a  great fan and supporter of president-elect Noynoy Aquino, Julia Rivera Macapinlac of Tarlac City passed away in Vancouver, Canada last May 24. “Indah” as every knew her, was 90 years old and she was hoping to be able to come home for the presidential inauguration.

Indah was married to Jose Macapinlac, Ninoy Aquino’s tailor,  friend and political ally who rose from baranggay captain to governor of Tarlac city with Ninoy as his vice governor.They were with Ninoy and Cory when he had his heart bypass in Houston, Texas, and their daughter Edna Corrales led the Filipino community in welcoming President Cory when she made a state visit to Canada in Novermber of 1989.

No wonder then that Indah was ecstatic about the heroes’ only son winning the presidency! The president-elect heard how gravely ill she was and sent her, through Edna, a copy of the Time magazine with him on the cover with his personal dedication and a heart-warming personal letter.

Edna hand-carried these treasures to her mother including a white Noynoy watch from the CorVets (Cory Veterans) group. Indah died on the same day the mementoes arrived, exactly on the day she wished to go home to her Creator and be reunited with her beloved JoeMac, on the feast of Our Lady Help of Christian.

Indah was devoted to Our Lady and wore all-white clothes since JoeMac entered politics to protect him from harm. She dearly loved her clan and we are honored that she considered us and our children as part of her big family.