How Green is Loren's Valley?

The seeds that Sen./Vice Presidentiable Loren Legarda gave me some years back have grown into sturdy little trees in our backyard, and so did the malunggay seeds. Every time we cook tinolang manok, we don’t have to make a quick trip to the market. We simply pick malunggay leaves from our backyard and mix them with the chicken and papaya.

“I love malunggay,” said Loren. “It’s a regular fare in my meals.”

She sees green all over. Or, at least that’s her fondest dream — to turn her and our valley into paradise green, free from pollution. That’s why she has been giving seedlings everywhere she goes, to just anybody including the Doubting Thomases whom she convinces to, that’s it, plant trees.

“I couldn’t sleep for several nights after I watched Al Gore on Inconvenient Truth,” Loren added. “Everybody should be aware of global warming and climate change. The recent big floods, Ondoy and Pepeng, should be an eye-opener for everybody. We should really help protect and preserve the environment.”

At home, she conserves energy by not turning the aircon on at all.

“I never sleep ng naka-aircon, sometimes not even with the electric fan. There’s nothing like fresh air.”

As Loren turns Golden Girl on Thursday, Jan. 28, Conversations asked her to look back (misty-eyed?) and make a list of the 50 Memorable Moments in her life.

“I wrote them down by installment,” said Loren. “We’ve been going around Cebu and in-between stops, I would write five or 10 ‘moments’ and a few more along the way, until I completed all 50.”

(Note: The title of this piece was inspired by the movie — yes, How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford — which won Best Picture in the 1941 Oscars, beating such heavyweights as Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.)

Let’s reminisce with Loren.

1. Participating in the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen last December was a fulfilling experience.

2. Being appointed United Nations Champion on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Asia Pacific is a great honor and challenge.

3. Making Papa (Tony Legarda) and Mama (Bessie Bautista) proud in 1981 as UP cum laude is an unforgettable moment.

4. Playing with salagubangs (beetles) with my brothers Gary, AA and my cousins in Malabon when I was a child.

5. The makeshift tree house in our Malabon compound and the dreams I had up there.

6. Fishing and playing in the Malabon floods back then.

7. Helping people after Ondoy and Pepeng in Malabon and many affected areas.

8. I used to lock myself in my room and write poetry as a child.

9. I painted trees and seascapes as a child.

10. Nanay Fely, my beloved Ilocano yaya, did my sewing assignments in grade school.

11. I had my one and only painting exhibit at 18 with other students of Rody Herrera in Greenhills.

12. I used to sleep over in my best friends’ house (Kara and Babette) as a teenager because I lived in faraway Malabon.

13. My “Close-up” moment at 15 gave me the break in commercial modeling.

14. My first TV appearance with Orly Mercado at 18 in GMA 7 in 1978 gave me the first break in TV hosting.

15. My first job as TV newscaster in RPN-9 through the late Syke Garcia, Frankie Abao and Jun Medina, with Pat Lazaro and Harry Gascon and Jose Carlos.

16. My first TV show in Los Angeles, Manila Envelope, was a big hit. I was producer, writer, host and marketing person all rolled into one at 25 years old.

17. I stumbled and fell doing a final exam in performance with Orly Mercado in UPCMC but got a flat 1 for courage and resilience.

18. My first advertising job with Babe Romualdez at 22 for THRUSTT advertising.

19. My first job as executive assistant of Joanne de Asis Benitez in finance and banking gave me a different training from my Masscom background.

20. My first writing job from Millet Mananquil of Weekend, Sunday magazine of Daily Express, landed me a cover story on Manansala.

(Millet is now an Associate Editor of The STAR and Life section editor. — RFL)

21. I can’t forget my Mama’s painful death due to breast cancer in 1996.

22. 2004 was a painful year of political, financial and personal loss but it steeled me.

23. 1998 Luntiang Pilipinas was born.

24. 2001 Luntiang Pilipinas was recognized by UNEP for Two Million trees planted.

25. The warm smile and tight embrace of the people during our feeding mission in Lupang Arenda, Taytay, Rizal after Ondoy.

26. Playing the piano for Lolo Pepe. Okaka was his favorite song. He loved it even if I was not good. (Lolo Pepe was Jose Bautista, one of the editors at the pre-Martial Law Manila Times. — RFL)

27. Lanz plans all our trips to exotic destinations like Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, India. Great planner and enjoyable trips on culture, history, heritage. I’m so proud of Lean, my other son, when he got a perfect score in his recent exams in World History.

28. The quiet times at night when I have the time to read The Bible.

29. When Fr. Fernando Suarez prays over me, my worries, pains and anxieties disappear.

30. Year 2004-2007, I cannot forget Atty. Brillantes, Rufus Rodriguez and Ave Cruz for helping me with the electoral battle of my life at The Supreme Court. They believed in my cause.  

31. I was drafted by former Pres. FVR and former Speaker Joe de Venecia to run in the Lakas slate in 1998. I topped the elections.

32. Viewing the trees I planted in the highways, schools and cities is a great fulfillment.

33. Raphael Provido and Carl Legaspi can now hear because of a cochlear implant I sponsored. I am as happy as their parents.

34. Melinda from being a streetchild; Joseph and Rodel from child miners are now college graduates and working for me. Their lives have improved.

35. I felt bad when my Mama could not afford to buy me the P25 cherry pin in Sta. Mesa market that I liked as a child and which my cousin had.

36. Lanzones picking every summer with Papa and Mama and our relatives from San Pablo was a joy.

37. My thanksgiving motorcade to Antique in 1998 was truly heartwarming. It’s my lola’s hometown.

38. My enthronement as Bai a labi by the Marawi Sultanate League in 1991 in colorful ceremonies for my service to the Muslims is unforgettable.

39. I used to sell Chocnut and Royal Tru-Orange to the helpers in our Malabon compound. Enjoy ako maging tindera.

40. I sold “Isadora” clothes from Malabon in Greenhills as a teenager to augment my allowance.

41. I used to eat at the RPN-9 library of tapes while waiting for my news program.

42. I had a pet dog named Brownie when I was a child. I also had a pet chicken.

43. I don’t know why but I have a fear of snakes — the reptile and those in human form.

44. My only ambition when I was young was to win one TV award in a lifetime. I never thought I would have 30 awards.

45. Even as a child, I’ve always felt sad during Christmas when I see children carollers with nothing to eat.

46. I used to drop off my Mama every day in Sta. Cruz before going to school when I was still in grade school.

47. I loved eating in M.Y. San beside the PNB in Escolta with my Mama after office and school.

48. My Papa would drive me to school every day even until college and he would park under acacia trees to wait for me.

49. My parents would bring me to my first party as a teenager and fetch me at midnight like Cinderella.

50. My dream as a child when I used to gaze at the stars after dinner was to be an astronaut. That was in 1969.

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