It’s Happy Valentine’s DAY!

It’s Valentine’s Day! It is supposed to be a day of love and for lovers, so even if you do not have the latter, celebrate the day because, as the song goes, it’s what the world needs most now. So have a Happy Valentine’s Day, and enjoy the flowers and the sweets that may come your way.

***

The only thing that bugs me everytime this day comes around is the way people greet each other, which I find not only ungrammatical, but also inappropriate. Really, I squirm everytime someone calls out “Happy Valentine!” because Valentine happens to be the name of a person, someone who is said to have become a saint, so how can we greet anyone with somebody’s name? We don’t say “Happy Jesus” on His birthday, but “Merry Christmas” since Christmas is a season, not a person. Well, I have been writing about this for years and years, but I know I will be squirming again today.

***

Anyway, this is a happy day for Bacolod because it will honor one of the country’s most outstanding businessman who also showed his concern for our city by being the first among the “biggies” to invest in a first class mall here. After Robinsons came to Bacolod, others followed, but even so, the mall has continued to expand and enjoy the patronage of Bacoleños. I personally feel some link with this establishment because Mr. Gokongwei’s daughter, Robina, is also a journalist and used to be a columnist for one of the country’s major dailies. And then, the company’s top PR girl is a Bacoleña, Roseann Coscolluela Villegas, daughter of Tony and Rose (Regalado) Coscolluela.

***

Today, Mr. Gokongwei will also be declared honorary mayor of the city, and also adopted by it as a son. So let us welcome and accept him, and congratulate him for his accomplishments. Reports say he did not finish his formal education because of poverty, but made up for it by being a voracious reader, thereby educating himself. But see how far it has gotten him. He will also be an inspiration to the youth in Bacolod who may feel that being poor will always be a hindrance to their success in life.

***

Pulse Asia has again come up with its regular surveys and this time the results are not too favorable for most government officials, many of whom slipped down several notches in their ratings. Seems the worst results were those of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, whose rating plummeted from 73 percent in November to only 46 this time. Of course you will be right of you suspect that this is all due to his tiffs with, first, Madame Senator Miriam Santiago, and then with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

***

Well, let’s not concentrate on his verbal duel with La Miriam because she does not seem to have any agenda for it, but just being her ordinary ornery self. As for Cayetano, I am inclined to believe what another senatorial candidate said about his purposely getting into quarrels with VIPs because the publicity from it would enhance his candidacy. And, indeed, his ranking in the senatorial surveys did shoot up during the Enrile joust, that brought him a lot of media mileage.

***

But there is something about Enrile’s political life and reputation that makes him swing from being a hero one moment and a virtual heel the next. Remember what a villain he appeared to be at the height of the Marcos dictatorship? Then, suddenly, EDSA happened and when he partnered with then Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos, both of them started smelling like the most fragrant sampaguitas. Then he disengaged from President Cory Aquino and people looked askance at him. But he kept coming back, and you know what he looked like after the impeachment of Renato Corona.

***

But then came what seemed like a petty quarrel with Senator Santiago, worsened by attempts at Christmas gift-giving, followed by the balagtasan with Cayetano, and lately, the alleged “exposés” on his autobiography that some people slammed as untruthful. The pendulum swung again to Enrile the villain, but, knowing him, don’t be surprised it he manages to clean up and appear the hero again. But this is no way to talk about a guy who is celebrating his birthday today, his 89th, at that. So let us forget all that now and wish him a Happy Birthday, and a Happy Valentine’s DAY!*

back to top