VIDEO:

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Pahayag
ng
Kagalang-galang Benigno S. Aquino III
Pangulo ng Pilipinas
Sa pag-aalis tabing ng pangmarka ng Doña Aurora Aquino at sa kaarawan ni Maria Aurora Aquino-Lichauco

[Inihayag sa Tahanan ng Pamilya Aquino, Concepcion, Tarlac noong ika-10 ng Setyembre 2011]

Maupo ho tayong lahat.

Maayap  a ugto kekayungan. Bihasa ku pu pero ditak lang. [Laughter]

Kagalang-galang Chair Marisse Diokno; Tita Tessie; Tito Butch; Mayor Noel Villanueva; Congressman Bong Lapuz; Vice Mayor Len Len Oreta; mga minamahal ko pong kamag-anak; kaibigan; kasamahan sa pagkatagal-tagal na mga dekada: Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat.

Siyempre para namang iba ako sa inyo, isarado na natin ‘yung notes.  ‘Di, baka maganda po nakabalik tayo dito. Talagang maganda po ang pagkaayos nitong bahay. Aminin ko sa inyo, ‘yung estatwa na nandito sa harapan, noong bata ho ako, nasa—‘di ba?—nandito sa hagdanan eh. Si Kuya Nicky, si Kuya Sambo, at saka si Kuya Bodyen dinadala ako diyan; iniiwan nila ako ‘pag bumukas ‘yung eskaparate, di ba? Si Jesus Christ ay half body na full size, nakalabas ‘yung kamay. Hindi ko malaman kung kakamayan ko, noong mga panahon na ‘yun, o tatakbo. [Laughter]

In 1976, I was 16 years old, it was my first public-speaking engagement anywhere and it was done because Concepcion gave my father an award. So, we had the microphone stand; we had a mic, and my knees were shaking the whole time.  Talagang maraming memories ho dito—may swimming pool na ngayon yata’y fish pond na—Natambak na pala! Well, okey na rin; kontra dengue ‘yan.

Pero noong bata tayo, ang tatay ko talagang—either bilib na bilib sa akin at ako naman bilib na bilib ako sa kanya—sabi niya, “Tumalon ka.” Hindi naman ako tinuruang lumangoy [Laughter] at sinalo naman niya ako at doon tayo natutong lumangoy aso.

Pero, I guess I won’t to talk too much if I talk about all of our shared memories. But, I really would want to pay special attention to two women who have really influenced the lives, or all our lives.  Siyempre, unang-una ang Lola Gindang. Everybody I think will have very pleasant memories of their grandmother. But in our case, ‘yung, I challenge anybody to remember when they saw a frown on unreasonableness in Lola Ginds. Para bang ‘pag nakita mo, parating nurturing,  parating unconditional love, napaka-talented. What was the instrument?—Accordion. Nakulong pa yata si Louie doon sa kahon ng accordion at some point in time. Parang may constancy ang presence niya. Maski gaano katanda ang inabot natin, talagang nanu-nurture tayo. If you wanted to be at peace, all you have to do is see Lola Ginds at parang okey na ang mundo. Of course, if we will have a vivid memory of my father’s assassination, siguro perhaps, besides my dad’s body lying on the tarmac, lola’s head on the shoulder of Senator Tañada when she was feeling most hurt, would be the image of all of us have retained all these years. But inspite of all of the trials and tribulations she did undergo, she really was blessed by God that she was able to imbue in all of us, parang, the ability to think the better of our fellowman. And I think we really owe it to her and more especially to the generations that will come to be able to tell her story. And see a person in the midst of all of those trials be able to overcome them but more importantly to be such a positive influence in so many of all of us.

Siyempre, birthday ng Tita Maur sine-celebrate natin, another very strong… Actually, all the Aquino women are supposed to be strong. [Laughter] Kaya kaming mga lalake ang advocates ng human rights. [Laughter]

Sa totoo lang ‘pag nagkaimbitahan ng pagtitipon natin, ‘pag ang Tita Maur ang nag-imbita lalo na kung may kainan, medyo niluluto pa lang nandoon na ang mga bisita, tama ba? ‘Yung last na… there was one Christmas in particular, the main event was the roast beef. Marami ho tayong kausap ng araw na iyon.  When I got to the beef—and everybody I think went just once—ang dinatnan ko po ‘yung buto.  Kasi ‘yung buto medyo puting-puti na; medyo nasimot. But of course, I don’t think it was Tito Butch who finished it all [Laughter] dahil very conscious sa diet ‘yan.

Alam niyo parang, I guess ‘yung when we do come home, we cannot but help but remember there is a family. There is a family that has been a constant in our lives.  ‘Yung noong inapi; inapi tayo, isang buong pamilya; noong sa triumphs; sa tragedies talagang andito tayong lahat noon. Paminsan-minsan nagkakanya-kanyang landas patungo doon sa parehong patutunguhan, pero at the end of the day, if I am troubled, all I have to do is get back to my family—my sisters immediately, my cousins after that, my uncles and aunts for their continued guidance.

And I guess it’s really a tribute to the women in our lives, members of the family, who have nurtured all of us through all this time. When I was told by Tito Paul that there was such an event, I had the Appointments block it off.  Normally, binibigay na nila sa akin ‘yung Saturday and Sunday—at least ‘yung Sunday. Pero dito sabi ko, kailangan nating puntahan ‘to.  I do make it a point that time to time I visit lola’s tombstone in the cemetery quite near here.  Aaminin ko sa inyo, at one point, noong inumpisahan ko ito, naligaw kami. Sinuyod namin yung buong sementaryo; hindi naming mahanap. Sabi ko, malapit lang sa entrance ‘yun. Nagkamali kami ng entrance, so at dumilim na hindi namin nahanap. Hinintay ko yung next na November 1 kasama ko na ang nanay kong dumalaw kami, sabay.  My mom always used to say that one of our blessings is Lola Gindang. ‘Di ba, si Pepe Pimentel made a career of talking about his mother-in-law and the complete opposite is the relationship that lola was able to do to all of her in-laws. And, ‘yun na nga, when in our world, we’re confronted with too many people who are jaded or cynical puro para sa akin ang alam. And lola’ constantly influence I think really impressed to all of us, that our purpose here in this world is really to live for the other and help the other reach his fullest potentials. And for that, everytime we do remember her perhaps, a special prayer of thanks is in order.

Thank you. Good day.