MANILA, Philippines - Bagumbayan presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon describes himself as being “comfortable with stress,” getting by with only four hours of sleep.

He usually wakes up before his wife Kate at 6:30 a.m., but lingers in bed awhile to reflect before he actually gets up.

He starts his day with breakfast of oatmeal and bangus belly and the morning papers, and plays with the grandchildren if he has time.

Not so long ago, he used to do the treadmill or get in a little run before taking a shower, dressing up, and going to work.

“I’m a workaholic,” he told The STAR in an interview, and his media relations officer of six years agrees.

“He gets sick when he doesn’t work,” said Ely Maraon, recalling a staff meeting that lasted until 4:30 a.m.

Maraon said his boss is tough on his people and sometimes shows his temper, but he easily cools down. Though the senator can be hard on you, he respects your abilities, the media officer said.

For lunch, Gordon says he will take anything but prefers not to have carbohydrates, although the presidential campaign makes him eat rice every now and then.

“I say I love you to my wife and kiss her,” he said when asked what he does just before he closes his eyes at night.

Gordon listens to music in his car, and he enjoys inspirational, classical, instrumental, and love songs.

He goes fishing once in a while when he has time to go home to Olongapo. He said he used to go horseback riding and plays softball.

“I should go to Mass more often,” he admitted, “but I don’t like being visible in church or listening to long sermons that don’t make sense.”

He was, however, quick to add that he prays a lot, not just for himself but for his family and the country, which he hopes to serve as president if elected in May 2010.

“I work best under pressure,” he said, and he has learned to handle pressure quite well, as evidenced by his blood pressure of 130/90, which was taken before and after more than two hours in the hot seat with STAR editors and reporters in a no-holds-barred session that included questions on his professional and personal life. 

“I walk my talk,” he said when asked if he watched pirated DVDs, noting that he is against piracy and intends to promote respect for intellectual property rights.   

He said the Philippines is in need of “firm leadership” and a lot of the country’s woes can be traced to a lack of governance.

Gordon said the president must be the “national teacher” who will teach the people to work, save, invest and prosper, stressing that such changes will definitely be felt during his first 100 days in office – even on the first day people will see change.  

A former mayor and now senator, he is running for president with former Marikina mayor Bayani Fernando as his running mate.

Having both been local government officials and executives of government agencies – Gordon of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Fernando of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) – they have a track record of getting things done, as they were able to transform their localities into very progressive and productive cities.  

“You know why I’m running, Ely? It’s for your children,” Maraon recalls Gordon telling him during the campaign. 

Although faring poorly in surveys, Gordon believes that the people truly want change, and he is ready to give them that change if they give him the chance come May 10.