THE 'Double L' Word

You can read it any way you want to – the "Double L" word, I mean.

There’s a show on US television simply called The L Word which leaves it up to televiewers to spell out what "L" means. It could be Love... or Lust? Or Laughter... or Loneliness? Or Loving... or Loathing?

So what could "Double L" mean to you, besides what it really does – Loren Legarda, Vice Presidentiable?

The two-termer Senator definitely provides a light and lovely touch to an otherwise gruelling presidential campaign muddled with mudslinging, character-assassination and the most vicious muck-raking you can think of. Like her runningmate, Presidentiable FPJ, Loren herself hasn’t been spared the sticks and stones but she simply shrugs them off as, well, part and parcel of the relentless game that’s politics.

You’ve heard the nasty rumors, of course, but Loren doesn’t dignify then at all by even giving her two-cent’s worth. She has been called "ambitious" and she parried that by saying, "If I’m ambitious for the good of the country, what’s wrong with that?" Somebody branded her a "political prostitute" and instead of dirtying her relatively clean image, the uncalled-for below-the-belt comment boomeranged on the "accuser" and won sympathy for Loren from the women sector.

Loren has been in the public eye longer than she can remember, first in the harsh world of television (as newscaster, TV host, etc.) and now in the much harsher dog-eat-dog political arena where nobody and nothing is sacred.

But how well do you and I really know Loren? To find out, Conversations asks Loren to play The Alphabet Game, a tricky "test" which reveals more of the respondent’s character than he/she perhaps suspects.

Here’s a sample 10-question quiz on Loren (find the answers in the following Conversation):

1. How many platefuls of rice does Loren gobble up in one meal?

2. What did former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada tell Loren when they "kissed and made up" during Erap’s son, senatoriable Jinggoy Estrada’s, birthday bash in Tanay, Rizal, last Feb. 17?

3. What has she discovered about FPJ on the campaign trail?

4. How much sleep does she get every night?

5. What does her diet consist of?

6. What values did she learn from her lolo Pepe (Jose Bautista, editor-in-chief of the old, pre-Martial Law Manila Times)?

7. Besides Oprah, who are Loren’s role models?

8. What consumer product did she endorse in a TV commercial when she was 15?

9. What does she consider the "song of my life?"

10. Why is she putting, ehem, sex "on hold?"

Without much ado, here’s Loren from A to Z:

A – ASENSO. That’s what all of us should strive for – Asenso. Life is hard and we should work hand in hand. ANTIQUE. That’s my home province. My (late) mother, Bessie, came from Pandan town in Antique. I’m the first Senator from Antique at ipinagmamalaki ko ’yan, and the first candidate for Vice President who comes from the Island of Panay.

B – BESSIE, of course, my Mama! Oops! Don’t let me cry now. Until now, almost eight years after Mama died, I still can’t talk about her without breaking into tears. She never thought her daughter would venture into politics. If she were alive, Mama would be my most effective campaign manager; she was friendly, magaling ang PR. She’s my inspiration. Ang ipinamana niya sa akin ay ang marami niyang kaibigan at ang kanyang kagandahang-loob.

C – CHARISMA. That’s what the FPJ-Loren tandem has that the others don’t. CHARACTER and CONSCIENCE. These will make the difference in the coming elections. You can have files and files of platforms, nakakailang plataporma na ang ilang administrasyon, pero nasaan tayo ngayon? Candidates who have character and conscience are the ones people should vote for. My reminder to everybody is this: Suriin ang pagkatao ng kandidato. Dapat hindi magnanakaw, hindi kurakot, hindi tumatanggap ng suhol at dapat malinis ang pangalan.

D – DIWATA. One of my (400 plus) scholars who’s now working with me. She comes from a poor family and she finished Masscom at UP. She first worked at ABS-CBN (for my show); she’s an ideal mother. Masipag and very loyal. She’s a role model for the youth. DREAM. We need something to dream about and to dream of. And I’ll quote a saying which has been my guiding principle since I was in grade school: Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. DIET. I observe a healthy diet. I eat okra, malunggay, adobong kangkong and ampalaya – and lots of water! I am a rice-eater. I can finish two platefuls in one meal.

E – ERAP. I appreciate his kind-heartedness and the unqualified support he gives me. When I saw him in Tanay, Rizal, during his son Jinggoy’s birthday lunch last month, Erap told me, "I will work double-time to make sure that you become the next Vice President." ENVIRONMENT. Before, during and after politics, whatever happens, environment is one of my greatest passions and advocacies. Because I believe that environment is a gut issue. Contrary to what many people think, it’s connected with livelihood, with business, with our daily lives and our survival.

F – FPJ, who else? The next President of the Philippines. What have I discovered about FPJ during our provincial sorties? Ay naku, napaka-gentleman, napaka-protective, napaka-bait, napaka-makatao, napaka-down-to-earth, napakadaling pakisamahan. He’s very funny, too! He makes us laugh all the time, making the campaign light and easy. He’s not above stopping our motorcade to buy buko pie along the way. He has sense of humor.

G – GOD. At the end of the day, after all is said and done, you’re left with only you and your God. I am answerable only to God and country. Whatever you say, whatever you do, it’s God and country above all else.

H – HONESTY and HARD work. Those are the values my Lolo Pepe (Jose Bautista), editor-in-chief of the old Manila Times, instilled in me. Lolo Pepe was the father of my mom. We were not born rich, we’re only a simple middle-class family. My Lolo was a newspaperman, my father (used to be a) salesman and my mom was a bank secretary. (US Sen.) HILLARY Clinton. She’s one woman I truly admire because of her strength of character, her brains and her quality of leadership.

I – INTEGRITY. It’s among a person’s most important traits. Hubarin mo na lahat, they can get your fame and popularity, they can take away everything from you but they can’t rob you of your integrity. INSPIRATION. That’s what we need now – somebody who can inspire us especially at a difficult time like this. Somebody who can inspire the people to have hope.

J – JOE (BAUTISTA), my Lolo Pepe, a pillar of Philippine journalism. JACKIE KENNEDY-ONASSIS. Another woman I admire.

K – KNP (Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino), our party. KABABAIHAN. I’m the chairman of the Senate Committee on Women. Sen. Loi (Ejercito) and I have authored several bills for the welfare of women, including the Anti-Domestic Violence Act and the Anti-Trafficking Persons Act.

L – LANCE and LEAN, my sons, who are the two most precious and most valuable trophies of my life.

M – MOTHER LILY (Monteverde, the Regal matriarch), my second mother. She’s the person I most frequently talk to, more frequently than I talk to my husband (former Batangas Gov. Tony Leviste). Whether I’m in Manila or out of town, I call Mother Lily all the time. If I don’t call her in a day, nagtatampo na ’yan. MUSIC. I love ’70s music; songs by America, Carpenters, Bee Gees, Dionne Warwick, Earth Wind and Fire, Kalapana and Don McLean.

N – NANAY, my yaya, who has been with our family from way, way back. She’s Fely Bagayas, from Cagayan. I’m 44 now and Nanay has been with us for 48 years. Nanay took care of my dad when he was a teenager, she took care of me and my two brothers (Gary and Agapito Antonio) and now she’s taking care of my children. She has never married. She’s now 71. Very loyal.

O – OPRAH (Winfrey). My two sons and I love Oprah. Lance and Lean want Oprah to be the President of the United States. I like Oprah because her success is phenomenal. She’s my idol.

P – POVERTY. As FPJ said, "Ang pinaka-malaking problema ng ating bansa ay almusal, tanghalian at hapunan." I agree with him. PRAYER. It’s the most potent weapon against anything. I pray the Rosary every night; I pray directly to God...I simply talk to Him. Try doing the 15-minute quiet time, quiet prayer, it’s very enriching. It gives me my inner strength. PEACE. I’ve always been a peace-maker. I’ve climbed mountains to secure the captives’ release and I’ve taken risks in the name and for the sake of peace, such as forging peace with our Muslim brothers and with the rebels.

Q – QUESTIONS. I ask a lot of questions. I haven’t shed my being a journalist, so I keep asking questions. Instead of people asking me questions, I’m the one asking them questions. On the campaign trail, when I see a pregnant woman, I instinctively ask her, "O, Nanay, kailan ka manganganak?" Matanong ako.

R – RECREATION. That’s what I lack and that’s what I plan to have after (the) May (elections). Whatever happens. Yes: RUN, Loren, RUN! That’s what my constituents have told me and that’s why I’m running. RESULTS. I’m result-oriented. I always ask, "What are the problems?" And there and then, I have the solutions. I want results fast and quick.

S – SLEEP. That’s another thing that I lack. These days, all I get is four to five hours of sleep every day. Less than that, I’m grouchy. If I get eight hours of sleep, I’m a totally different person – glowing! SEX. "On hold" momentarily because of the hectic campaign. SONG. My all-time favorite is I Won’t Last a Day Without You (by The Carpenters). From way back pa ’yan. You know: It’s nice to know that there’s someone I can turn to who will always care, who’s always there...SOLUTIONS. I have a solution to every problem.

T – TREES. When I’m surrounded by trees, I feel energized and reinvigorated. TEMPTATION. How do I resist it? I keep my feet on the ground and focus on what’s right and ignore what’s wrong. TITLES. They do matter but they are not the be-all and end-all; they’re just symbolic of your achievements. TELEVISION. I’m a child of television. I’ve been on television since I was 15, starting as a commercial model (for Close-Up, 1975, with Dr. Rolly Tiongson, now a practising doctor in Iloilo); and then in a talk show with Orly Mercado, one of my mentors, in 1978; and then tuluy-tuloy na until 1998 when I first ran (for Senator).

U – UNITY. That’s what our country needs now and that’s what FPJ and I are working hard to achieve – unity among our people. We believe that we are the unifying force.

V – VALENTINE. I’m basically a romantic person and I consider every day Valentine’s Day. VICTORY. Little victories in our lives are very important.

W – WATER. It’s a very scarce resource and a very precious commodity. Fifteen years ago, who would have imagined that we would be buying water. WASTE. One of the most important laws that I’ve sponsored is about Solid-Waste Management Act. WILL. The will to serve and to get things done.

X – X-Factor. It’s indefinable. Sabi ni Diwata, ’yan daw ang mayroon ako na wala sila. Sabi ni Diwata ’yon, ha!

Y – YOUTH. I don’t ever want to lose the idealism and the vitality of youth. Once you lose them, wala na!

Z – ZEST. I never lost it during my years in television and the six years I was in the Senate.

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