Positivity Buzz

(Initially published last June, this post is re-published to commemorate the 3rd death anniversary of Miriam Defensor Santiago on September 29)

June 15 marks Miriam Defensor Santiago’s birth anniversary. To foreign visitors of this blog, Miriam was the first Asian (from a developing country) and Filipino elected to the International Criminal Court (ICC). She was a Senator, cabinet official, and trial court judge in the Philippines. A Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize), she has dedicated her life to government service. Just last December, she was conferred by both houses of Congress and affirmed by no less than the President himself the Quezon Service Award, the highest national recognition that the Republic can bestow to its citizen for exemplary service to the nation. She was the first and only woman and 6th Filipino to receive such award since its inception in 1946. Internationally, she was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit from King Juan Carlos I of Spain and was named one of The 100 Most Powerful Women of the World by The Australian magazine.

So why am I paying tribute to Miriam? I thought I would rather remember Manang Miriam (Manang is a Filipino word used as a sign of respect to an older person, like a big sister or auntie) on her birth rather than death anniversary. As what Manang Nini (Miriam’s younger and closest sister) said in her dedication during Miriam’s interment, she thanked God for bringing her into this world, coz there is only one Miriam Defensor Santiago. True, almost three years after her passing, the country still awaits for a Miriam 2.0 and we are not even sure if he/she has been born yet.

Did I inherit Miriam’s “shapeliest legs” title? Or maybe just her sense of humor lol (Miriam’s photo courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer while my photo is courtesy of GoPro Hero7 Black)

You might be thinking why I’m putting Miriam out there like I know her a lot. Like, what’s my connection with her? Not a lot of people know this, but she was my first cousin. We may be generation apart (she was the oldest among the cousins while I am among the youngest) but my memories of her are still vivid up to this day. I remember every time she would visit Iloilo City for an official or personal engagement (she was a regional trial court judge then), she would leave her kids Archie (about my age) and AR (about my younger sister’s age) in our house. I remember her being very close to my Mom (my Mom is just a few years older than her which explains the closeness), where sometimes just by looking at each other, they would both laugh without even uttering a word. She would have so much trust in my Mom that she would leave her kids to play with us. Our house is like a sanctuary to her. Not only her. Every year, our house is the venue for Christmas family reunion. My siblings and I would call our house The Switzerland. It’s the most neutral place in the world where family members who don’t see each other eye to eye would converge and be civil with each other even for just a moment. So every family member including Manang Miriam would be in our house for social visit, to reconnect, let out anger and frustration, temporary shelter when under personal crisis, or just simply to see us and have a good time.

In one of her visits, it was right after my graduation. I brought some of my college friends to our house. When she got there, she was delighted to see so many young faces. That’s her fascination with young minds and that’s what actually endeared her to the young generation. She almost had the Presidency way back then because of the youth vote. Anyways, my Mom, who would be happy to brag about her kids accomplishments (which Mom doesn’t?), mentioned to her that I just graduated from the very same university where Manang also graduated from and with honors at that (not same with hers though, Manang graduated magna cum laude while I got only the last two words). I remember Manang saying “Ga saler gid noh?” (It runs in the blood, huh?). That mere mention of my academic achievement would have sat in the back of her mind that a few years later, she would ask me in at least two separate occasions to work for her in the Senate.

I always maintain a personal policy of not working for or with a family member. Not that I don’t like working for or with them, but I want to succeed in this life in my own terms. This is why up to this day, not a lot of people really know that I am related to her and people would see now that what I have accomplished in this life is thru my own sweat and blood and not because of my family connections. That’s why when Manang offered me those opportunities, no matter how tempting those were particularly to work for and with one of the brilliant minds of her generation, I politely declined. Besides, politics is not really my cup of tea. As a young student, I campaigned for her when she ran for President. When she was not proclaimed, that was my first and last foray into politics.

Years went by that even if we rarely see each other, there were still moments where her caring and generous nature would manifest. Every time we would send her family Christmas hampers, she would not be remiss in sending us back a personal thank you note. We would get invited to her family’s Christmas parties here in Manila (reminiscent of the old family reunion in our house). Just like my Mom, she looks after her family members where she even has a dedicated staff to attend to family matters.

To my country, she was an icon, a national treasure. To Asia, she was the Iron Lady. To the world, she was one of the most powerful. To me, she was just my thoughtful, caring, and generous Manang.

Happy Birthday Manang Miriam. We miss you.

(Note: Thank you to Senator Grace Poe, a fellow Ilonggo and a ‘student’ of Manang in the Senate, Senator Sonny Angara, who considers Manang as a mentor too, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senator Richard Gordon, and the Youth Reform Movement a.k.a Youth for Miriam Movement, for your efforts in making the Quezon Service Award possible. Much love to all of you.)