Mar and Grace special guests at Rachel ‘Baby’ Arenas’ party

MANILA, Philippines - No, the party referred to in the headline is not a political party but the recent birthday party for former Pangasinan Rep. Rachel “Baby” Arenas of the Third District of Pangasinan and now Philippine Red Cross governor. The presence of DILG Mar Roxas and Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares among Rachel’s well-wishers could set off speculations since there’s a rumor that Mar might be the ruling party’s bet in the 2016 presidential election…with Grace as possible running-mate? No confirmation is forthcoming, though.

If the size of the crowd that flocked to the Arenas Farm where the party was held was any gauge of how well the people of Pangasinan love their favorite daughter, it’s safe to say that indeed love was overflowing.

Rachel’s mom, Rep. Rose Marie “Baby” Arenas of the Third District of Pangasinan, threw wide open the doors leading to her farm in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, for the special day of her only daughter.

People started trooping to the farm at the break of dawn and by high noon the crowd swelled to more than 7,000 coming from all walks of life — close friends, supporters from various sectors, senior citizens, barangay officials and workers, teachers, students, the religious community, as well as colleagues of Rep. Baby from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

While it was a sunny day, the heavens blessed the festivities with cool breeze that soothed the guests all throughout the day. The dynamic mother and daughter tandem made sure there was a steady stream of food and drinks for all the guests. The birthday bash was capped by a simple tribute program in honor of the celebrator.

The birthday lady quietly made her way to the crowd at around noon, socializing with the guests. A guest observed that no matter how huge the turnout was, Rachel greeted each one intimately as if they were the only ones in her presence. She sat down with them, ate with them, called some by their first names, joked with them, listened to their million and one requests, and tirelessly took selfies with them. The festivities went into full gear when the guests cheered the arrival of special guests, some of them alighting from choppers that landed in the nearby helipad in the farm.

The beloved daughter of Pangasinan thanked her guests and paid special tribute to her mother whom she calls “my genie, my fairy godmother, and the wind beneath my wings!”