Nostalgic

MEDIUM RARE Letty Hahn turned 93 years and one day old last Tuesday, Nov. 5, and like magic a pretty cake frosted in pastel colors showed up under her nose. Just as wonderfully, the room full of gentle people erupted into polite waves of applause under the soft glitter of a colony of Czech-made chandeliers, five of them I counted.

It was Nov. 5, the first Tuesday of the month, reserved for a series of “Merienda Cena with Meldy” – the former first lady Imelda R. Marcos – and it was again held at Goldenberg Mansion, which is fast becoming a popular venue for weddings, parties, conferences, and other happy happenings.



The 126-year-old mansion on Arlegui is next-door to Malacañang Palace. Wearing a jade-green pantsuit with matching shawl and pearl jewelry, Mrs. Marcos was surrounded by allies and friends, though no longer the Blue Ladies who were her closest pals way back when.

John Nite, singing in Tagalog, gamely offered his microphone to Mrs. Marcos, but she declined, even if the song he was singing was “Dahil sa Isang Bulaklak.” Just then, I thought I heard a rumor that the next merienda will be scheduled with “Meldy’s doctors,” in particular those who helped Mrs.

Marcos plan her Heart Center, Lung Center, Kidney Institute, Children’s Hospital, etc. As Ping Valencia, Nenuca Blardony, Charo Yu, Vicky Sales, and Aida Aspiras cheerfully encouraged the photographer to take their pictures against such a photogenic, old-world backdrop, waiters came out with trays bearing boneless bangus bisteak Tagalog, roast chicken, pork stew, chopsuey, seafood pasta, strawberry pannacotta, calamansi juice. When I got home, the first thing I did was to dig up a diary-like notebook which was published on Mrs.

Marcos’ 95th birthday in 2023. The blank pages are preceded by color photographs chronicling the countless projects that IRM initiated and completed when she was first lady and Metro Manila governor. I remembered how the reporters covering the first Marcos Malacañang used to complain that the FL’s projects were too much and too many for them to cover also; how consequently an Office of the First Lady had to be created, with a staff of her own who were then joined by female reporters from the three broadsheets in circulation.

Those were the days ...

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