Fantastic Yellow Friday

Around Manila with Pinoys from all over the nation, rich and poor, and the men who will lead us to the future. It’s the day before the BIG DAY. Let me take you around!

words by Jeanne Carmel Puertollano

On November 27, two months after the typhoon, Balay has changed and so has its name. It is now the People’s Power Volunteer Center. Pero bayanihan parin.

Around 2pm, Noynoy arrived, and in quite a subtle manner, might I add. In the many times that I came within inches of him, this was actually the first time I shook his hand. I found myself a bit starstruck, to say the least.

Dinky Soliman and Mae Paner, best known for her alter-ego, Juana Change, did their bit to entertain the crowd who came from different parts of the Philippines (and even Asia!). It was kind of an informal way of educating the voters, which the crowd actually enjoyed. After that, three leaders from different faiths – Evangelicals, Muslims, and Catholics offered their prayers. Kontra-gapi also played traditional Filipino instruments.

Vice Presidential bet Mar Roxas then graced the stage, and danced a bit to the music. He was a natural crowd pleaser. Something he said struck me: that the true People Power lies in each volunteer’s heart. The place was merely a concrete venue for convergence. He then introduced some of the senatoriables who were present – Neric Acosta, Sonia Roco and Risa Hontiveros. Interestingly, he refers to them as “magiging senador”.

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