Girl cited by P-Noy in speech won’t bask in instant fame

FRANCESCA Santiago in her school uniform CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

This 13-year-old student from Bacolod City didn’t expect that the very man she had defended would publicly recognize her before the nation.

Ma. Francesca Santiago, a Grade 8 student of University of St. La Salle (USLS), was overwhelmed when President Benigno Aquino III quoted a portion of the article she wrote for the Youngblood column of the Inquirer’s opinion section.

Mr. Aquino was speaking at Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City during the National Heroes Day celebration on Aug. 25 when he used Francesca’s writing in  stressing that his campaign for good governance would continue even if a “select and selfish few” were bent on restoring the “old and abusive political system.”

Her piece came out on Aug. 21, the death anniversary of the President’s father, former Senator Benigno  Aquino Jr.

Call from Luistro

Education Secretary Armin Luistro called up Francesca the day after and told her Aquino was impressed with what she wrote and would want to ask  her permission to cite a part of the article.

The delighted writer said it would be an honor if the President did.

Francesca became an instant celebrity after the President’s speech. “But Iela (her nickname) has remained calm and grounded, knowing all the attention she is getting will pass,” said her mother Leah May Santiago, a USLS accounting teacher.

On Aug. 25, Leah May and her husband Teodoro were still in their pajamas and were getting ready for breakfast when they turned on their TV and saw  Aquino delivering his speech. They tried to wake up their daughter but she was fast asleep.

Teodoro, an accountant, decided to record the speech. In bed, the family watched the video and didn’t expect the President would extensively quote the Youngblood item, which decried the “tidal wave of hatred,” and praise Francesca.

“To her, it seems as if the latest trend is to hurl criticism, even at those who are doing everything in their power to uphold the interests of the people,” Aquino said.

Instant celebrity

“Instead of helping find a solution, there are some who want to worsen the fear and suffering of our countrymen. It is clear to her that everyone has a right to free expression, but at the same time, each one has the obligation to remain just and reasonable.”

The President said he was impressed that at 13, Francesca had already shown more discernment than those older than she is.  “If this is the caliber of thinking of the youth today, I am certain that we are indeed facing a brighter future,” he said.

After the speech, Leah May said their phones wouldn’t stop ringing from friends and media who wanted to interview her daughter.

But Francesca remained composed amid all the frenzy because she knew the attention would pass after a while. Besides, she is used to getting attention in the past when she received various awards for academic excellence and even winning a singing contest.

Francesca recalled that she wrote the article the day after the President delivered his State of the Nation Address on July 28 when a few congressmen   calling for his impeachment staged a walkout.

She said she felt angry because in her opinion, the President deserved to be given a chance to be a good leader since he had not done anything wrong and had been doing everything to fulfill his promises to the country.

“People don’t seem to be willing to give him that chance and I hope they will,” she said.

Her mother read the article only when it appeared in the Inquirer. “I am amazed at what she wrote,” she said.

Not a fan

To call Francesca an Aquino fan would be wrong.

“In our child’s eyes, she just believes that the person leading the country needs the help of its citizens,” Leah May said.

Francesca writes for the school paper Crossroads and is a voracious reader. “She reads about anything and everything anywhere and loves to write,” Leah May said.

The eldest of three girls, Francesca is a consistent honor student and has an IQ of 147. She sings and plays the piano and guitar. She dreams of becoming a doctor who will conduct research to find cures for diseases.

Leah May admitted that Francesca’s article drew some flak from some online readers of the Inquirer.

One posted that it was written by the President’s propaganda people—which Leah May said was below the belt.

Francesca wanted to answer the bashers, but her mother told her to just drop the idea.