Social idealism and music are among legacies of the late outstanding Senate President Jovito “Jovy” R. Salonga whose 100th birth anniversary was last June 22 quietly marked at his former hotspring pools resthouse in Pansol, Laguna which is now W Resort. Temporarily closed last year due to the quarantine, W Resort is now open for vacationers, team-building and events.

Its owner writer, realty entrepreneur and Kamuning Bakery Café Wilson Lee Flores said that after the pandemic, he plans to host a musical tribute there for Salonga with a reunion of his favorite singers who used to perform there, like Andion Fernandez, Celeste Legaspi, Homer Son, Frankie Aseniero, the UP singing group and others.

One of Salonga’s favorite singers was the late Nolyn Cabahug. His guests at this Pansol resthouse included three presidents Cory C. Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada; many other leaders, foreign diplomats and intellectuals.

This proposed music tribute to alonga shall be similar to the March 7, 2020 Pandesal Forum hosted by 82-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City just before the lockdown, in honor of poet, veteran journalist and screenwriter Jose “Pete|” Lacaba called “Kape’t Ka Pete Music & Poetry Night”.

Lacaba said he became a “suki” customer of Kamuning Bakery ever since the late movie actress Nida Blanca brought him there. Other movie queens who also enjoyed this pioneer bakery’s pastries include Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, the late Amalia Fuentes, etc.

Among the numerous luminaries who attended Kamuning Bakery Café’s tribute for Pete Lacaba were National Artists Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera and BenCab, leaders like Satur Ocampo and Sonia Roco, painters like Danny Dalena and Jose Tence Ruiz, intellectuals like University of the Philippines (U.P.) Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo and former Ateneo Dean Tony La Viña. Music and poetry performers included Noel Cabangon, Dr. Gemino Abad, Cooky Chua, Vim Nadera, Danton Remoto, Hazel Faith, Skarlet Brown, Michael Coroza, Charlson Ong, Becky Demetillo-Abraham, Jess Santiago,Cavite Young Writers Association (CYWA), Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA) and others. San Miguel beer, Eden Cheese, Philippine Foremost Milling and Pagcor gave support for foods and drinks for performers and guests.

When Salonga died on March 10, 2016, Tony and Olivier Award-winning singer Lea Salonga eulogized: “RIP, Senator Jovito Salonga. They sure don't make them like you anymore.”

On his 100th birth anniversary last year, actress Coney Reyes’ son Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto visited his tomb and said: “I paid my respects to former Senate President Jovito Salonga, one of the greatest statesmen to have ever come out of Pasig.”

Salonga was a nationalist similar to Apolinario Mabini, Gen. Antonio Luna, Gregorio Aglipay, Macario Sakay, Claro M. Recto and Renato Constantino. He was a young World War II guerrilla who was jailed and tortured by Japanese military invaders. A bar topnotcher, graduate of U.P., Harvard and Yale, he in the 1960s defended the Philippine claim to North Borneo (Sabah).

This year September 16 is the 30th anniversary of Salonga leading the Senate in 1991  to vote out U.S. military bases and upholding an independent foreign policy, causing his ouster three months after as Senate President and the loss of business support for his 1992 presidential bid.

Salonga said in explaining his vote: “Today, we have finally summoned the political will to stand up and end 470 years of foreign military presence here.”. He was referring to the presence of Spanish military here since the 16th century and also the U.S. military here starting 1898.

Presidential Spokesman Sec. Harry Roque’s grandmother public school teacher Margarita Reyes Cruz was a first cousin of Salonga. He was also lawyer of his grand-uncle Sen. Salonga for a Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). 

It was on July 22, 2013, coincidentally the 442nd anniversary of the founding of Laguna province by Spanish colonizers, that Wilson Lee Flores purchased the beautiful, natural therapeutic hotspring pool resthouse in Pansol, Laguna of Senator Salonga and his late wife Lydia Busuego Salonga which they had built in 1974.

Now named W Resort, it is located on Champaca Street corner Narra Street corner Sampaguita Street, Miramonte Village, Brgy. Pansol, Calamba City, Laguna. W Resort has two high-ceiling bungalows with many aircon bedrooms, social and dining areas, gardens, 2 pianos, hotspring swimming pool, kiddie pool, 2 kitchens, videoke, BBQ grille and billiards.

After the pandemic, Wilson Lee Flores plans to host some of Kamuning Bakery Café’s  tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum sessions with leaders and media, also music and literary events at W Resort. The beautiful place is now for rent per day or overnight, ideal for excursion, vacation, teambuilding, celebrations, etc., pls. message its Facebook page, text or Viber 09338536436, 09188077777 or 09178481818.