Get To Know Some BIG Pipol Some Of The Time Volume 1, Issue 1 SPECIAL ISSUE PIPOL MAGAZINE WHAT’S CHANCE OF A LIFETIME: COOKIN’ I N S I D E . COMM 3 ISKOS NEWS: Comm 3 1 Iskos Interview Cory INTERVIEW CORY PROFILE: Cory 2 DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY (Ruthers) — Aquino Four students of Communication 3 (TFY2) under Prof. Melanie Moraga Leaño inter- viewed Her Excellency Corazon “Cory” ESSAY: The Lady 2 Aquino at her offices at 7F Jose Cojuangco In Yellow and Sons Bldg., Dela Rosa St., Makati City last 12 March. The students who interviewed the IN MEMORIAM: 4 former president were Michael Charleston Ninoy Aquino “Xiao” B. Chua, Henderson Gercio, Bryan Clark B. Hernandez & Emmalyn C. Sagum. All of them students of the University Of The Philippines, Diliman. LITERARY: I 5 According to Chua, the former presi- The day came to interview Cory Have Fallen In dent was her dream interview so during the Aquino—12 March, a Wednesday. They Love initial days of February, he wrote the former agreed to meet at 9:30 AM at Ayala Station president requesting for an appointment. and ate together at McDonald’s Glorietta. At CONVERSA- 6 Weeks passed and no reply was received. minutes before 11:00 AM, the appointed time, TIONS: Get Inti- On the night of 3 March, Chua re- they were led to a yellow receiving room at the mate With Cory ceived a text from the personal assistant to the 7th floor of J. Cojuangco Bldg., where they former president, Mrs. Margie Juico, asking would be received by the former president. JOURNAL: Our 16 him to inquire to her for the interview. So the The former president attended to Cory Diary next day, 4 March, he called Mrs. Juico and them for about an hour. She talked about was scheduled to meet the former president at many things, which include her everyday rou- her offices the next day at 3:00 pm. And so tine, her paintings, her lovelife, Ninoy, and Chua hastily prepared his group mates about thoughts about her role in history (See pp. 6- PIPOL MAGAZINE their sudden appointment. He also worked 16). She also granted the students photo op- immediately in making the interview plan. portunity and autograph signing, and gave STAFF BOX The next morning, Mrs. Juico called them desk calendars of her paintings and por- and apologetically cancelled the appointment tions of her Reader’s Digest interview. In • Michael Charleston because the former president have to attend a return, the students gave her a mug bearing a “Xiao” Chua function in the afternoon. They agreed golden seal of the University of the Philip- though to pursue the interview the next pines. • Henderson Gercio Wednesday, in an earlier time: 11:00 AM. Chua said of the former president, Sagum, with the videocam, tripod and camera, “She was very gracious to have entertained us. • Bryan Clark Hernan- was already leaving her house in Bulacan when A very pleasant person.” dez she received the message that the interview To Gercio, “I found her to be an • Emmalyn Sagum was cancelled. adept communicator.” The cancellation worked to the ad- According to Sagum, “We joked and • Prof. Melanie M. vantage of the group as it gave them more laughed with her as if we had known her for Leaño (Adviser) room for preparation. long.” (See pp. 17) PIPOL MAGAZINE Page 2 PROFILE : CORY AQUINO Honorary Degrees: Doctor of Name: Corazon Sumu- Humane Letters, College of long Cojuanco Aquino Mount Saint Vincent (NY), Ateneo de Manila University and Birth: January 25, 1933, Xavier University (Philippines); Tarlac. Doctor of Laws from University of the Philippines; Honoris Parents: Jose Co- Causa, Boston University, Ford- juangco and Demetria ham University, Waseda Univer- Sumulong Cojuangco sity (Tokyo), Eastern University Schools Attended: St. and University of Santo Tomas Scholastica’s College, (Manila); Doctor of Humanities, Manila; Assumption Con- Stonehill College in Massachu- vent; Ravenhill Academy, setts. Philadelphia; Notre Dame Marriage: Benigno S. Aquino, Convent School, New York; College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York; and Far Eastern Jr., October 11, 1954, Our lady Of Sorrows, University in the Philippines. Pasay City. Children: Maria Elena (Ballsy), Aurora Educational Attainment: Bachelor of Arts, major in French and Mathematics, Corazon (Pinky), Benigno III (Noynoy), Vic- toria Elisa (Viel) and Kristina Bernadette Mount Saint Vincent College. (Kris). THE LADY IN YELLOW An essay by Michael Charleston B. Chua, 16 years old This is my message Night of August 30, 1998, I found Champion of the Masses, then President for Mr. Marcos and myself around fascinating people at the lobby Ramón Magsaysay, was their godfather. of the Cultural Center. I have just witnessed his puppets: the presentation ceremonies of the 40 th Years after Magsaysay, a dictator Do not threaten Cory Ramón Magsaysay Awards. I just learned emerged to the throne at Malacañang— Aquino, because I that the Nobel Prize of Asia has been awarded Ferdinand E. Marcos. Senator Ninoy Aquino to names such as The Dalai Lama, became his foremost opponent. am not alone! Mother Teresa and Akira Kuro- Marcos had him imprisoned when sawa among others; great or small, he declared Martial Law. Cory I all look up to them, but no Mag- became, in Ninoy’s words, “sole -Cory Aquino, saysay Awardee had inspired and support, source of comfort and January 1986 affected me much, that she wellspring of hope” for him when changed the course of the history he was in prison for seven years of a country and changed my des- and seven months. On her shoul- tiny forever. And she’s my kababa- der fell the pain of a wife of a po- yan too. litical detainee. It was not only the Aquinos who suffered. All the Fili- Then, I just saw her, up at pinos were denied the freedom of the staircase. She wasn’t wearing a expression. Their right to be free yellow dress though, like she usu- was taken away from them and ally does when I see her on TV. I tried to they lived in fear of the dictatorship, for any- reach her to congratulate her for the prestig- one who dared challenge it would be taken ious prize she won. At last, she turned to me away to be tortured or sometimes be killed. and I shook her hand. It was one of the finest moments of my life, I touched history her- Cory and their children joined Ninoy self—Corazón C. Aquino. for three happy years in Boston. But inspite of that, he decided to sacrifice. He returned Cory’s family, the Cojuangcos, was to the Philippines to talk Marcos into disman- one of the most prominent families of our tling his dictatorship. He was the only hope… province, Tarlac. She was married to a hand- some-looking young man from a political Upon arrival, Ninoy was shot—dead! family—Ninoy Aquino. Incidentally, the PIPOL MAGAZINE Page 3 With Ninoy’s death, vor of an elected successor…she the dictatorship thought that it had restored her country’s de- was all over. It was their great- mocratic institutions and its est mistake. With Ninoy’s good name in the community of death, a sleeping nation was nations…. She governed with awaken to the abuses of the integrity and the devout inten- regime. They mourned his tions to do always what was best death and throngs marched in for the country and its people.” his funeral. And they made the widow, Cory Aquino, their ral- TYRANT: Pres. Ferdinand E. The citation added, “No Asian lying symbol. Marcos leader of our time can claim as much.” When Ninoy’s life ended, Cory’s fight began. Many considered her presidency as a failure for, in their words, “little had changed A million signed up for the little with their lives.” And that People Power was housewife to run for president against the inutile. strongman Marcos. She accepted the call: A fight between David and Goliath! Marcos I just turned two when People Power questioned her qualifications, “She’s only a happened, too young to remember. But I woman…What is she going to do when she could never accept that Cory and People becomes president?” Cory answered, “I ad- Power were a failure. I believe she was God’s mit that I have had no experience in cheating, simple instrument in pinning down a tyrant stealing, lying or assassinating political oppo- and in bringing back democracy for all of us. nents. Because of that, she had changed the lives of millions of people, even of the next genera- The people supported tion, and the world was inspired her all the way in the elections, of that. In a more personal but Marcos cheated and had level, she made way for me not himself re-elected. “Tama na, to experience the hardships of a sobra na, palitan na!” Defence cruel regime, and for me to Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, freely express myself as a writer and General Fidel Ramos broke (Without suppression and cen- away from the regime on Feb- sorship), that sole reason is ruary 22, 1986. Marcos or- enough for me to be inspired to As I came to power dered their arrest but it could- protect and fight for this de- n’t be taken out! Why not? mocracy even in simple ways. peacefully, so shall CONJUGAL DICTATORSHIP: The camps where the defectors Marcos with wife, Imelda I keep it. were, which was situated along Today, at 67, she’s still active in EDSA highway, became surrounded by two safeguarding democracy from those who million people in the name of the housewife would attempt to take it.