Arroyo spends time with ‘foster father’

DAGUPAN CITY — Away from the intrigues of politics, President Arroyo, together with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and daughter Luli, had her belated Christmas celebration with her so-called "foster father," Pedro Balingit, over lunch yesterday at their favorite seafood restaurant in Barangay Bonuan Tondaligan here.

The Arroyos and the Balingits partook of inihaw na sugpo, buttered alimango, sinigang na malaga, pork barbecue and inihaw na Bonuan bangus.

The 94-year-old Balingit was a bosom buddy of Mrs. Arroyo’s father, the late former President Diosdado Macapagal. Whenever her schedule permits, Mrs. Arroyo drops by this city to visit him.

Balingit, fondly called Don Pedro, told The STAR that it has been his family’s tradition to spend Christmas with Mrs. Arroyo even when she was still the vice president.

"Masaya ako dahil andito siya ulit (I’m happy because she’s here again)," the old man said, adding that Mrs. Arroyo’s presence completes his Christmas every year.

In past years, the President gave Balingit hamon de Serrano from Spain, considered the best ham in the world, according to Albert Balingit, Don Pedro’s son who is a director of the Development Bank of the Philippines.

"Maybe she will just give her gift to Papa in Baguio because she asked me to join them there," he said. The President was en route to Baguio City for her holiday break.

The Balingits gifted the First Family with their favorite seafoods — alimango, sugpo, malaga and bangus, plus bagoong — enough for their consumption during their stay in Baguio.

Another Balingit clan member, Siony, a golf buddy of the President, rode with the Arroyos in a helicopter to the Pines City.

Dagupan Mayor Benjamin Lim was the only public official invited to the intimate lunch. He took the chance to seek funding for two projects: a P100-million circumferential road in Tambac, and a P50-million bangus processing plant. Mrs. Arroyo said she would check the 2003 budget for possible funding.

The President refused to talk to the local media and just waved her hands to the crowd gathered outside the restaurant before leaving.