Erap spends 74th birthday in Taytay, Rizal today

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada will celebrate his 74th birthday today, April 19, at the “Erap City” in Taytay, Rizal together with the poor residents of San Juan who were relocated to the area.

Estrada also held yesterday an advance birthday celebration with a distribution of relief goods to poor residents in Quezon City and Manila.

“I owe my life’s successes to the masses so I want to continue celebrating my life with them,” Estrada said.

Estrada distributed 8,000 bags filled with canned goods, milk and noodles to indigents in Payatas and North Triangle in Quezon City and at the Baseco compound and Smokey Mountain in Manila.

He also had lunch yesterday with the orphans at the Associacion de Damas de Filipinas, an orphanage in Paco that his late mother Mary Ejercito co-founded and Estrada helped rebuild when it was destroyed by a fire in 1998, barely six months into his presidency.

He will also distribute 2,000 relief bags to the residents of Erap City in Taytay, Rizal today.

“From the start of my career, as an actor, I received the full support of the masses, who were devoted to my films and made me a superstar. When I became a politician, as mayor, senator, vice president, president and even in the last elections, the masses showed me their love by always giving me an overwhelming number of votes. When I was unjustly incarcerated, they fought for me and stood by me. That is why now, even as citizen Erap, I want to continue to show my eternal gratitude to the Filipino masses,” Estrada said.

Estrada said that he was vindicated for his ouster and detention when he ran for president again in the May 2010 elections and the masses proved their continuing confidence in him by giving him almost 10 million votes, practically the same number as what he garnered in the 1998 elections when he won the presidential polls by a landslide.

Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family wished Estrada more happiness, peace and love for his 74th birthday celebration today.

Binay, who ran as Estrada’s vice presidential running mate in the May 2010 elections, said he is honored to have Estrada as his friend and ally.

“My family and I pray that President Estrada be showered with happiness, peace and love on his birthday and throughout his life,” he said.

Binay said he salutes Estrada’s able leadership and unwavering love for the Filipino people, especially those who are less fortunate.