WANTED: PERFECT FIRST LADY
One of them would be blamed for a husband’s fall from grace and loss in one’s quest for reelection
With the demise of President Ramon Magsaysay, the Filipino people did not only lose a beloved leader, the champion of the masses, but also a most gracious and humble First Lady, Luz Banzon Magsaysay, who, during her husband’s term, chose to stay in the background. Many consider her to this day the most beautiful First Lady, although she was never one to flaunt her physical attributes. To be sure, she was an asset to her husband’s popular administration. On her own, she supported the pro-people causes her husband championed, this without calling attention to herself.
The succeeding First Ladies would have their own gifts and talents, all, without a doubt, contributing to the successes of their respective husbands, although there would be instances in the future when one of them would be blamed for a husband’s fall from grace and loss in one’s quest for reelection.
How these First Ladies are viewed varies from one critic and observer to another, for while there are standards by which we generally regard or judge the conduct of a human being answerable to the Divine Creator, our being mere mortals somehow allows us to be considerate of these women, each considered the mother of the Filipino people at least during the duration of their husbands’ incumbency as chief executive. Besides, for a people who tend to forget, human error and frailty are also easily forgiven. In the end, these First Ladies did their best and only history could judge them for all their worth.
Leonila Dimataga-Garcia spearheaded the Operation Puso (Heart) which brought her to flooded areas in 1960, distributing cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves woven in the shape of a heart. The First Lady was very busy as she attended all kinds of functions including baptisms, weddings, birthdays, awarding ceremonies, ribbon cuttings, flower shows and inauguration of buildings and exhibits, and then, funerals, too. Too many activities, though, did not deter her from taking good care of her family.
Evangelina Macaraeeg-Macapagal was a doctor of medicine. Her projects as First Lady were the medical missions and the annual gift-giving in Malacañang. She also presided over the makeover of the Palace. Cleanliness of Filipinos’ homes and their communities were among her priorities. She accompanied the President on his sorties to the markets to monitor prices of basic commodities and to government housing projects. She was the first First Lady to guest on a radio program. Busy as she was with social development work, she made sure that her children were well taken care of and that they did well in their studies.
Imelda R. Marcos’ first project was the Cultural Center of the Philippines which, she said, “is the strength and foundation of our race.” The same rationale, she said, went into the building of the Heart and Lung Centers, Kidney Center, Film Center, Coconut Palace, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, National Arts Center, University of Life, Metropolitan Museum, Nayong Pilipino and 18 luxury hotels. She institutionalized the Metro Manila Film Festival, Pag-IBIG socialized housing, Kadiwa rolling stores and government-led day-care centers.
She became the country’s chief ambassador and met with world leaders like Mao Tse-Tung, Alexei Kosygin, the Shah of Iran, Muammar Khaddafy and Fidel Castro to open up or strengthen Philippine diplomatic relations with their respective countries.
Amelita Martinez-Ramos founded the Clean and Green Foundation which established a P52 million trust fund for the Pasig River rehabilitation program, planted nearly 2,000 trees in Metro Manila, developed parks along the Pasig River and lighted up bridges across it. She set up a foundation that would put up livelihood training centers for relocated residents, its pilot center established in Vitas, Tondo. For tribal communities, she put up the Katutubong Filipino Foundation which aimed to preserve traditional weaving arts and promote them in the world. She also put up an orchidarium and an AIDS Pavilion.
Luisa Pimentel Ejercito Estrada was known as “First Lady ng Masa.” She was chairperson of MARE or Masa ang Riwasa ni Erap, an organization of women committed to social missions for the poor. Her five big projects were medical services for the poor, potable water, vegetable and flower gardening, livelihood programs and rehabilitation of street children.
*Descriptions of the First Ladies were taken from the book Philippine First Ladies Portraits authored by Jose R. Rodriguez with portraits by Lulu Conching Rodriguez.