ANGEL THOUGHTS
Wait till the darkness is over
Wait till the tempest is done
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow
After the shower is gone
—‘Whispering Hope,’ Jim Reeves
We ask several personalities from government and business circles what their Christmas wishes and hopes are and here we share them with you to bring you sunshine.
The pretty and super-efficient tourism secretary is looking forward to this Christmas for a very special personal reason. Berna Romulo-Puyat tells us that her “personal wish” for Christmas is sure to come true as foremost of her wishes is for her son to be home for Christmas. “My son hasn’t been home since February (because of the lockdown and quarantine as he is in the province) and my wish was that the family, with Vito and my daughter Maia, to be together. He texted me the other day that he was coming home for Christmas!” she beams. “And as for my wishes as DOT secretary, in the absence of a vaccine, an affordable and faster Covid test so that more people can travel.”
Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles wishes for a “safe, effective, and affordable vaccine for all against Covid-19.” He earnestly wishes for the end of this pandemic—and soon. Also among his Christmas wishes is for “the Task Force Zero Hunger to have more partners for the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom campaign and for it to be a sustainable effort. He prays for Filipinos to get their jobs back, to get back to work safely, and for all families to be properly nourished. As for his personal wishes, Karlo asks for continued good health and protection for his family—his wife Marga, his kids, and all the people he loves.
Senator Cynthia Villar has a very sincere Christmas wish. “This Christmas, I just want to be with my two apos, Emma and Tristan, whom I miss so much! Manny and I used to spend our weekends with them so we miss our bonding moments,” she says. Emma is the daughter of Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Mark Villar and finance undersecretary Em Aglipay Villar and Tristan is the son of Camille, the only daughter of the Villar couple. Both their grandchildren are in the country with their parents, but with community quarantine restrictions, the apos are staying safe in their homes.
As a legislator, Cynthia wants “all the priority and urgent legislations to be passed, especially the ones that will help our fellow Filipinos cope with the effects of the pandemic on their families and well-being.”
The personal wish of Chito Sobrepeña, president of the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. and executive director of GT Foundation, Inc., is “that the Lord continue to guide my (and his wife Anna Sobrepeña’s) three children Gabriel, Rafael, and Michaela in their respective decision-making processes in the areas of their careers and businesses, as well as their relationships with their “significant others.”
His corporate Christmas wish is that “the Metrobank Foundation and GT Foundation will remain steadfast in our advocacies and projects meant to address the Covid-19 pandemic and recent calamities that hit the country. And that our flagship programs for teachers, soldiers, police officers, and visual artists in 2021 be completed successfully under the ‘new normal’ and that our board, senior management, and staff be blessed with renewed fervor and tenacity to serve ‘without counting the costs.’”
Pepsi Cola president and CEO Frederick D. Ong’s heartfelt Christmas wishes are for everyone. “My personal wish is the same as my wish as president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) and that is for everyone to be safe and healthy this Christmas. May we still find in our hearts reasons to celebrate despite the challenges because the true spirit of the season is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! May this Christmas bring us joy and togetherness! And may our company, our industry, and our country come out of this pandemic resilient and wise with meaningful lessons learned. Let us remain blessed and stronger in the coming 2021!”
Cezar R. Consing, president and CEO of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), hopes that “those who cannot be with loved ones at Christmas know that they are missed, loved, and cared for.” In his CEO hat, his wish is that BPI be at the forefront of the economic recovery that is sure to come, enabling more Filipinos.” What would make him happy, we ask. “Early, broad and equitable Covid-19 vaccine distribution, so that next Christmas will be better for everyone!” he says.