Victory, death, and a homecoming

My column today is about victory, death and homecoming.

Here for her annual Philippine vacation (she also just toured key cities in Europe recently) is top mannequin/comedienne Bessie Badilla, who has been based in Connecticut with her family for more than a decade now.

Bessie came home with her three kids, Isabel, Blanca and Inez. (Husband Bambi del Castillo sadly couldn’t come with them because of his work – as president of an American trading company.)

A few weeks ago, Ali Sotto, her diplomat husband Omar and I went to see Bessie at the Badilla home in Parañaque. It was actually a triple celebration that time: Bienvenida for Bessie and the kids and the joint birthday party of Isabel (one of the loveliest faces I’ve seen – I swear) and Bessie’s brother Billy.

Although it was a long drive down south, the trip was worth it – if only for the food (of course, we went there primarily to see Bessie and the kids, but the food was a wonderful bonus): two lechon baka, calderetang lamb (from the family’s farm in Nueva Ecija), pasta and different cakes that kept popping out from the kitchen.

Aside from meeting up with friends, Bessie and kids have been going on side trips – to Bohol, Manaoag (to hear Mass at the Blessed Mother’s shrine), Bangkok and Divisoria. She’s also checking out her brother Sonny’s new restaurant in Makati (in the Dian vicinity) called Raymel’s Fine Dining and helping out in the preparations for her sister Maritess’ wedding in November. With good friend Marlene Aguilar Pollard, she’s also working (as editor) on the second volume of The Encyclopedia of Philippine Art and volumes 1 and 2 of Myths and Legends of the Philippines. Editing and going through page after page of all these books is what’s really keeping her busy during this working vacation.

Although she is up to her neck with work, she agreed to make a guest appearance (along with Melanie Marquez) the other Monday in Channel 5’s Look Who’s Talking because she couldn’t say no to good friends Johnny Litton, Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Anton San Diego. That was a really fun interview that left viewers begging for more.

But what really got Bessie excited is the fact that Ben Chan has signed up daughter Blanca, now 18, to be the newest image model for Bench. An honor student back home, Blanca – during her vacation here – has been doing several pictorials, including one for Lifestyle writer Celine Lopez, which should come out in this paper soon.

Death Of A Little Angel

My condolences to Matet de Leon and husband Mickey Estrada for the death of their infant son the other day.

Late last year, Matet – a month after giving birth to their first-born, Mica – surprised family members by announcing that she was pregnant again. News of her pregnancy, of course, was welcomed by everyone and she had no problem during all that time that she was on the family way.

Early evening of July 27, however, she started having labor pains and it surprised her because she wasn’t due until about second week of this month (she was eight months and two weeks pregnant to be exact).

When her water bag broke, her husband decided to rush her to St. Luke’s Medical Center at 6:30 p.m. and there, the doctors performed an ultra-sound test on her. When the doctors detected no fetal heartbeat, Matet had to go through caesarian section at 7:29 of the same evening.

Her baby sadly still had no heartbeat and had to be revived by the doctors. Although the baby’s heartbeat returned after that, he showed no other vital signs of life and, in fact, never cried from the time of delivery.

At that point, it was decided that the baby had to stay at the neo-natal intensive care unit, while Matet recovered in her private room. All throughout her agony, her mother, Nora Aunor, kept calling from the US – worried sick about Matet and her newborn baby. Dad Christopher de Leon at least was with her – even Sandy Andolong – from Day One of her agony. Sister Lotlot de Leon never left her side either. Needless to say, husband Mickey was with her all throughout – along with her in-laws, the Estradas, who have all been so good to her from the beginning.

Friday last week, when the baby’s condition didn’t improve, Mickey and Matet thought it was best to have their second child baptized right there in the hospital. He was christened Juan Miguel de Leon Estrada.

Last Monday, the young parents decided to take the baby home to their house in Fairview – along with a medical staff to look after the infant. But only after a couple of hours, the baby died – at 3 a.m. of Aug. 2. Oh how the couple cried – and Nora, too – upon hearing the death of the little angel. Nora suggested to have the tiny remains of Juan Miguel interred at the Cabaltera-Villamayor mausoleum in Parañaque, but Matet opted for cremation for her baby. Up to last night, family and friends held a vigil for Juan Miguel at the Loyola Memorial Chapels in Guadalupe.

Let’s all offer a prayer for little Juan Miguel.

More Honors For Vilma

After receiving the Gawad Plaridel from the University of the Philippines last month, Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos is now the recipient of the Gawad Suri – Natatanging Artista at Lingkod Bayan of the Mindanao University in Davao. The award – to be given on Aug. 15 at the university’s main quadrangle – is being conferred on her by the students and faculty of the College of Arts and Science and Humanities.

Congratulations, Mayor Vi!