Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta Marcos (LAM) is a lawyer and teacher/professor; and happens to be our First Lady. It’s easy to have that slip from our minds as the more popular, reposted images of her on Instagram will be highlighting her myriad of cultural events – those centered on music, on fashion, and the Arts. Those who attended these events will post their prized selfies with her, and whether intentional or not, they give off the impression that this is her “world” – one of Philippine society, the fashion community, and of beautiful people. And don’t get me wrong, she’s comfortable in this world; but it’s only one aspect of her personality, and of her drive to promote Filipino craftsmanship and achievements.

Last academic year, she was teaching Criminal Law at the West Visayas State University (WVSU), in her late father’s home town of Iloilo. In February of this year, she even graced the testimonial dinner for the 12 new lawyers from WVSU. WVSU is the first state university in the Western Visayas region to offer a law degree. And I’ll bet you my bottom dollar, that she’s just at home and enjoys these legal profession-related events; as she does the fashion shows and musical recitals we see posted on IG with regularity.

I’m confident saying this because I had the opportunity to travel with my brother-in-law and sister to India last week, during the President’s State visit; and watched first-hand as our First Lady “rolled up her sleeves,” and enthusiastically participated in events with strong business implications, and touching social impact – showcasing even another facet of how she resolutely strives to be of service to the nation.

My brother-in-law heads Cavitex Holdings, one of the major partners of the consortium behind the Sangley Point International Airport project. The GMR Group of India is a strategic partner of the SPIA, and they have an impressive track record in the Philippines, having played major roles in developing the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, and the Clark International Airport.

The GMR Group is behind Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and Aero City, a vast mixed-use development that lies adjacent to the air terminal complex. They had invited our First Lady to tour the airport complex and Aero City, and to drop by the Airport Control Center. And what should have been a short Tuesday afternoon tour was extended, as the First Lady was enjoying how the visit was opening her eyes to possibilities of what could be part of an “extended” SPIA vision for Cavite, and how GMR was ready to make that a reality.

The big treat for First Lady LAM came when she was ushered into the central control tower. The geek in her came out, as the GMR executives explained the different monitors, equipment, and functions of the center. There was a social media monitoring system, such that any comments and complaints about the airport would be picked up and responded to – with a guaranteed response time of 15 minutes, at the latest. The vigilant monitoring of the Immigration lines meant that if there was an unusual hold-up or delay, they could send someone within eight minutes to resolve the issue, and get the lines moving smoothly again.

When GMR and the SPIA partners had a courtesy meeting with the President on Wednesday morning, our President quipped about how the First Lady had so much airport “kwento” the previous night; and was most impressed with the social media monitoring, as she had seen the icons of ABS and PNA (Philippine News Agency), while they were showing her the system.

That Wednesday, our First Lady spent the afternoon at the Apollo Hospital in Delhi. A joint project of the Apollo Hospital and the Philippine-India Chamber of Commerce, the program brings children suffering from biliary artesia to India, for their life-saving liver transplant surgery. The young children travel with their parents and liver donors.

Biliary Artesia is a childhood disease of the liver, in which one or more bile ducts are abnormally narrow, blocked, or absent. It is a life-threatening disease, and can be fatal without treatment. It’s the most common cause of chronic liver disease in neonates; and for some inexplicable reason, occurs with higher frequencies among infants born in East Asia and the Philippines, than among those in the West.

Our First Lady met with these brave infant warriors, and with some of their parents. Because the treatment is not widely available in the Philippines, these parents made the decision to cross borders, and give their children a fighting chance at survival. This has been an ongoing initiative of the Philippine-Indian Chamber of Commerce, working with our government; and it’s one I was touched by, as we’re talking of Filipino children having to travel all this way, just to get the required medical attention.

For this Apollo Hospital visit, the First Lady was joined by OWWA Administrator Atty. PY Caunan and Welfare Officer Jay Teves. This one was about compassion and care; and I salute our First Lady for making this hospital visit a vital part of her Delhi itinerary.