Gloria Arroyo birthday potluck turns into feast for poor

What began as a post-birthday potluck for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Saturday became an extended party with poor families who lost their homes in a fire on Agham Road in Quezon City on Friday.

Arroyo’s well-wishers who visited her at Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) shared the food they brought for the celebration with the fire victims.

Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo said the former President instructed her spokesperson, Elena Bautista-Horn, to ask her Pampanga allies to give some of the food for her birthday celebration to the fire victims.

“She heard about the [Agham] residents’ plight and told us late Friday night to share [with them] what we [would] bring,” Pelayo said in a phone interview.

Arroyo, now holding her Pampanga district’s seat in the House of Representatives, was allowed to hold a party at VMMC, where she is detained on electoral sabotage charges, to celebrate her 65th birthday on April 5. But the date fell on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week.

The Pasay City court hearing the case limited the number of guests to 500 and ordered the party to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. only.

Delayed party

But the celebration was also delayed because Arroyo caught shingles and needed to get well first.

According to Pelayo, Saturday’s gathering was held to give Pampanga’s local leaders a chance to greet the congresswoman.

“There were no VIPs, no Cabinet secretaries, no talk of politics. It was just some 500 local officials, including barangay leaders,” he said.

Pelayo noted that Saturday was also the 15th death anniversary of Arroyo’s father, President Diosdado Macapagal.

He said the guests offered to bring food for the celebration.

The feast consisted of native Pampanga food, including buro, grilled fish, adobo, salted egg, rice cakes and corn, which came neatly wrapped in banana leaves. There were five roast pigs (lechon).

Pampanga food

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said in a separate interview that the former President also prepared native Pampanga food, including menudo and caldereta.

“It was a very simple celebration,” Topacio said.

Pelayo said Horn called him Friday night with a message from Arroyo to share some of the food with the fire victims.

“We coordinated with the social workers from the city government for the orderly distribution of the food,” Pelayo said.

Arroyo’s aides carried the food to the fire victims’ shelter in Barangay Pagasa. The food included lechon, balut, corn and rice cakes. Pampanga mayors donated rice for the fire victims.

A Mass was held at the VMMC covered court, near the presidential suite, at 10 a.m. Arroyo’s birthday celebration followed.

Pelayo said the guests included members of the Macapagal and Arroyo clans.

‘Very happy’

“She was very happy,” Pelayo said, noting it was the first time that Arroyo could be with many people from Pampanga since her arrest.

Arroyo gamely blew the candles on her blue-themed birthday cake, Pelayo said.

There was no talk of politics between Arroyo and her Pampanga allies, he said.

“She asked after Pampanga, [the] preparations for disaster mitigation, the latest news in the outside world,” he said.

Pelayo said Arroyo asked her guests to pray for the country to be spared from calamities, especially during the rainy season.

Topacio had the same observations. He said Arroyo appeared to be very glad to be among her fellow Kapampangans.

“I couldn’t understand a word of what they were saying in Kapampangan except for potang bengi (tonight),” he said.