A time to celebrate
Lawyer Rene Puno is the non-controversial Puno, but is no less an achiever. His brothers include former Press Secretary Dong Puno, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Secretary Ronnie Puno and congressman Robbie Puno.
Music lovers will remember Rene as one of the members of the ’80s Pinoy pop group the New Minstrels.
One of the 12 children (10 boys and two girls) of former Justice Secretary Ricardo C. Puno and his wife Priscilla Villanueva, Rene has opted to live, as far as is practicable, a relatively private existence. “Given a choice, I would like to stay away from politics and government service,” says Rene, 52 years old.
A graduate of the
A devoted husband and loving father, Rene declares unequivocably: “I consider my wife, Ann, and my children Renee, Yago and Luis as my greatest treasures.”
A family crisis
In the course of a lifetime, a person will certainly undergo trials and challenges. Rene is no exception. In recent times, Rene has undergone life-altering experiences, which have defined the kind of person that he is today.
“Sometime in May 2006, my wife Ann was diagnosed with malignant breast cancer. As in most cases, it came as complete shock. In quick succession, Ann underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation,” Rene recalls.
Rene was particularly apprehensive about Ann’s chemotherapy treatment. “I had previously heard all the horror stories of people undergoing chemotherapy, so when Ann’s own schedule for chemotherapy was approaching, I was devastated. But my firm belief that God is a loving and merciful father convinced me that Ann would be healed.”
For Rene, the overwhelming prayer support from loved ones accounted for Ann’s suffering –– she experienced no ill effects from her chemotherapy. “Ann went through her chemotherapy sessions with flying colors. We had no emergencies during the course of the treatments, and any expected adverse symptoms were bearable. During these chemotherapy sessions, Ann remained in high spirits and optimistic, unyieldingly confident in the knowledge that God heard all those people who joined us in prayer for her healing. The love of God, expressed through the support of numerous prayers, had made us strong in our faith and had affirmed our knowledge that Ann had been completely cured.”
Rene learned to cope with the trials of the illness. He says, “In the beginning, I was completely inconsolable. I was fortunate that God allowed me to have a conversation with another husband whose wife had, at one time, serious liver cirrhosis and was expected to live only for another month. I asked him how he was able to deal with the intense fear, sadness and uncertainty. He told me that he completely surrendered his wife’s illness to God, and placed this fear, sadness and uncertainty at the foot of Jesus’ cross. His wife is alive today, and the liver cirrhosis prognosis was six years ago. At the end of the day, only God sees the master plan. I try not to entertain my doubts. Instead, I trust in God’s healing power and divine mercy.”
Rene knows that everything happens for a purpose. “Even illness can be a blessing. I now have a better relationship with my wife and kids than I’ve ever had before. Ann’s illness has brought us together. Nothing is worth being upset about, because I have too much to be grateful for.”
Rene feels that the ordeal of Ann’s illness is a thing of the past, and is happy that she is back to doing what she does extremely well: baking homemade cakes and party food for the Christmas season. Sounding like a typically proud husband, Rene boasts that “Ann makes the best Baileys Choco Walnut Cake, Prune Walnut Cake, Almond Coffee Cake, Pistachio Cake, Kahlua Toffee Cake, Vanilla Brandy Cake and Chocnut Cake. She also has excellent food specialties such as Frozen Cookie Dough, Dulong in Olive Oil, Quesong Puti in Herbs & Spices and Chicken Relleno.”
Ann’s baking business is home-based, which ensures the quality of her products. They are already packaged and gift-wrapped, ready for gift giving. (Ann Puno can be contacted at 807-6431 and 807-2757.)
As the chairman of Geograce Resources Philippines, Inc. (Geograce), Rene has taken on the challenge of promoting a responsible and sustainable mining industry. He believes that the mining industry will be the springboard for a booming Philippine economy in 2008 onwards.
A year ago, things didn’t look too good for Rene and Ann. But they didn’t despair and held on till the storm passed, confident that their faith in God and in each other would see them through the night.
Who would have thought that Ann would be baking again this Christmas?
What is Ju.D up to now?
Ju.D Lao, the Philippines Fruitcake Lady, deliberately took one step back to find her soul this year. After being established as a media personality and book author locally and overseas, and winning three quality awards for her delicious fruitcake, she keeps busy teaching vegetarian cooking and computer classes to the aged in the Tzuchi Campus in Sta. Mesa,
Not to say that she has left everything behind. She still is the master of invention with her newest products, the Ginger Cranberry Fruitcake (with candied cranberry flavor and a dash of liquer), Ginger Apricot Fruitcake (Europeans for centuries believed apricots were the perfect aphrodisiac; with walnuts and Ilocos basi), her no-egg Ginger Cranberry Cookies and Ginger Apricot Cookies, and her All New Ju.D Gold (flavored with wild honey and aged with the Philippines finest rum).
Ju.D still has her traditionals, too. The world’s first coffee fruitcake Ju.D Blue (with Blue Mountain Coffee and Kahlua Coffee Liquer), the world’s first fruitcake cookie Chewie Chewkies, her Prune Cake Fruit Cake (sun dried prunes with
Ju.D continues, as always, to personally supervise the baking of her fruitcake with the help of her maids and out-of-school youth for extra help. Unused products like egg whites are donated to orphanages and convents and eggshells are donated to an eco-friendly group to regenerate the soil.
(For inquiries, call 633-0260 or 633-1188). (You may e-mail me at [email protected])
- Latest
