Fidel V. Ramos' book

The centennial hall of Manila Hotel was filled to the rafters with people attending the national thanksgiving and testimonial dinner for the first Protestant president of the Philippines, Fidel V. Ramos, and the launching of his book, Prosper thy Neighbor. The Sunday-best-dressed crowd was a mix of politicians, government officials, businessmen and professionals loyal to the former tobacco-chewing head of state, and feeling high to hear in person, shake hands, and do selfies with the special guest – President Duterte.

The book is a compilation of FVR’s column pieces in a major broadsheet. The affair was sponsored by  the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and intended to raise funds for the Fidel V. Ramos Center for Leadership and Development.  UCCP officials said of their celebrated honoree as having “profound faith in God and strong sense of duty, honor and love for country… nurtured early in his life in a Christian family.”

The book’s topics are wide-ranging: from poverty to climate change, to terrorism and  law enforcement. The first part consists of not so savory assessment of President Duterte’s first 100 days, of Team Philippines’ losing on board Ship Pilipinas, and of Du30’s and Malacanang’s need to learn more about governance.

FVR writes that at the outset of Du30’s steering of the nation’s state of ship, much was expected of his term: alleviation of mass poverty, relief from the escalating costs of living, and improvement of the people’s quality of life.

What happened, in FVR’s overall assessment, is the “team Philippines losing in the first 100 days of Du30’s administration – and losing badly… a huge disappointment and letdown to many of us.” FVR’s assessment “is based simply on two concepts of primordial importance – LEADERSHIP and TEAMWORK – because that is where the obvious failures have emerged at this point in time.”         

The litany of charges against Du30’s policies and his implementors, is long, and I wondered, if, during the thanksgiving celebration, President Duterte was not quietly squirming in his seat.  He, however, made no mention of FVR’s commentaries during his long speech devoted to his commitment to eradicating crime and corruption.

Talking from experience, FVR believes that confronted with many serious concerns, President Digong is “like a juggler, balancing and keeping aloft at least ten balls, which are transnational problems. But, as Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief, he must perform with greater agility and competence than the ordinary circus juggler handling hot potatoes while on a tightwire 100 meters up, catching and managing the balls in a calm, harmonious manner, and not drop any in the process.”

FVR concedes that “no man/woman/ be he/she the president or billionaire captain of industry can single-handedly bring progress. The job of nation-building requires every citizen, no matter what his/her stature in life is, to do his/her share.”

Du30 cannot do it alone, writes FVR. “Neither can the government do it alone. But when all of us strive together with one goal in mind, and abide by the same precious values and commitments – we become a strong nation, able to achieve the higher quality of life we have always yearned for – in an environment of enduring peace and sustainable development.”

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FVR’s reprinted columns are written seriously, marching forth like a soldier’s measured cadence. But former First Lady Ming Ramos steals the thunder from her husband with five chapters devoted to her summary of   her life as the wife of the president of the Republic.

Briefly she tells of her acquaintance with Fidel V. Ramos when they became neighbors in Padre Faura in 1940. But they were engaged in 1952 – and married 13 years later  on Oct. 21, 1953 – after she had finished her master of science in physical education at the University of California, Los Angeles, California. And he had gone to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and received his Masters in civil engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois.

Ming writes that on June 15, 1992, Congress officially proclaimed Fidel V. Ramos the president-elect. “That evening changed our lives as a family. All of us could not believe that our Eddie had become the President of the Republic of the Philippines and that we had become the First Family. Suddenly, we were thrown into a rush of activities.“

“In the course of our married life, circumstances would prove his nationalism time and time again. Take his cases of his participation as a member of the 20th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) at the Korean war in 1951, the Vietnam war from 1956 to 1968, the 1986 EDSA Revolution, the various coup attempts between the years 1987-1991. All for good of the country as we, his family prayed for his safe return. To prove his nationalism and ‘workaholism’ further, there was the “carotid operation” incident in 1996 in which he wanted to go back to work immediately, but Ming said no, thus for the first time, the family had Christmas dinner at a hospital. “For once, he listened to me.”

“Eddie remained first and foremost a military man and second, a family man. He ran a household as he would run a battalion. He set up a strict time schedule for everyone: the time to sleep, wake up, eat. Not that it lasted. To put it quite simply, it was the kind of routine that invited mass rebellion. With five daughters, all in one way or the other revealing their father in temperament, Eddie Ramos’ attempt to militarize the Ramos family was a dismal failure. I  think it was the only endeavor in which he failed, miserably I might add. This shows you the power that women have.

“What I never understand about politics is how you try to do something good and it’s never good enough. There were many difficult moments for me during the term but the most difficult ones remain to be two incidents which I hope never to encounter again.”

One was during the Flor Contemplacion incident. On board a plane from Singapore, the Ramoses decided that Ming meet the remains of OFW Flor Contemplacion in Manila. There was so much anger and hatred at the scene. The flowers she gave were seized and torn to pieces. What hurt the most was when she handed Flor’s husband an envelop containing P100,000. He opened the envelop and saw its content. The next day, the papers announced that he said the envelop was empty. Flor’s husband later retracted his statement, but the damage had been done.

The other incident was the “Anti-Charter” and later on, what Ming perceived to be the “Anti-Ramos campaign” which resurfaced time and time again in 1997 and 1998. “After seeing Eddie working so hard for the country, I was quite downhearted and disappointed.”

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The eminent scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. gave testimonials, and the Manila Concert Choir, headed by Education Secretary Leonor Briones, provided the special music, and rendered Handel’s “Hallellujah Chorus” majestically. Bishop Melzar Labuntog, UCCP general secretary, gave an inspirational message, Bishop Joseph Agpaoa the prayer of dedication, and several bishops, the blessing. On the side, we were reminded that it was Pastor Al Senturias who convinced the UCCP General Assembly  at its convention last May to honor the first Protestant president with a testimonial.

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