Our Life in Words and Photos

Goodbye Tita Cory!

I was in third grade when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. I couldn't understand all the flurry around me then and why my family looked worried, or why my parents were always glued to either the TV or the radio. I was in sixth grade when his widow, Cory Aquino, united the nation to overthrow a dictator. There was no other show on TV except what was happening at Edsa. The spotlight was on the Philippines because of a bloodless revolution that catapulted Cory Aquino to the presidency. I would probably be in Edsa had I been old enough to go. It was, after all, history in the making right there.

The Aquino government was faced with turmoil - lots of it. The economy was in such a bad shape, there were a number of coup attempts to overthrow Cory's governance. In the end, Cory's faith in God prevailed and she was able to complete her term with much admiration from the world.

I can truly say that Tita Cory was the president I remembered the most. She was the president during my adolescent years. I admired her humility, dignity, simplicity, devotion to the Lord, and strength of character. Too bad there isn't anyone in our government today like her.

Her failing health worried me, and from someone who witnessed a loved one suffer from cancer, I knew in my heart that it was just a matter of time. Thus, it was no surprise when I saw in the news that she succumbed to colon cancer in the morning of August 1, 2009. What amazed me was how much she was truly loved! Her entire wake was full of people clamoring to catch a glimpse of her. Her trip from the Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park (where she'll be laid to rest) took 9 hours because of the number of people joining the procession. It was indeed a heartwarming sight to see. I watched the goings-on on her wake on TV, and was glued to the TV to watch her funeral. God knows I've shed tears watching her children and other people close to her speak so highly of her. I do not personally know her, but I do feel sadness in her passing. As Fr. Soc Villegas eloquently said "we will not meet anyone like her for a very long time".

Goodbye Tita Cory. You will surely be missed!