The Woman of All Trades

“I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.”
-Cory Aquino (1933-2009)

I never thought that I would be fascinated by former President Cory Aquino. I woke up August 1 expecting to watch my favorite morning shows. I was unaware of the death of Cory, and was quite startled by the flooding of interviews and past segments of Cory Aquino. When I saw my father, I asked him if Cory’s already dead. He confirmed my guess and added that she passed away 3:18 in the morning. I was half expecting that she will not survive this disease (knowing that she is already suffering stage 4 of cancer). We are not personally close, but I felt relief in behalf of her. She survived, not death, but the harshness of life. As I was watching ABS-CBN and GMA’s tribute to the demised president, I was shocked on the contribution that Cory gave to our country. I was not yet born during the People Power I (I was born in 1990) and did not experience the “freedom” that my parents felt. While watching, my parents reminisced during those hard times when Marcos was still reigning. They told me that they thought that that would be happening forever; until the revolution came. When Ninoy was assassinated (predicted to be the cronies of Marcos), people turned their eyes to that mourning woman beside the Ninoy’s body. She was mourning, yet she is visibly strong and determined. She became the symbol of strength.

Yes, Cory did not give Filipinos the tipping point of our economy and she did not make the greatest laws in the land, but she formed united hearts among us. She is the symbol of strength, of power, and of faith. And most importantly, she is a SHE. How many years, decades and centuries that women are regarded to be “decorations of men”? How many cases of harassment to women have not been given justice? And how many times women felt feeble and alone? Infinite is the answer. Then, there came a woman who gave voice to the country, and to women. She proved that women are humans, and that they are very capable of doing things far greater than what other “macho” type of men can do. She became an icon, a threat, and a hope for her friends and foes. She became the president. Other countries were astounded by her great determination and strength as a woman. The congress of United States of America turned their head to us and applauded our president (former) because of her extraordinary spirit to lead a “start-from-scratch” country.

Before Cory led our country to one of the most popular revolutions in the world, she was first the loving wife to Ninoy. There was this poem made by Ninoy (and Jose Mari Chan added the melody) entitled “I Have Fallen in Love with the Same Woman Three Times.” Here, Ninoy humanizes Cory. He describes Cory as a loving wife that he met, and fell in love with. She became his pillar of strength when he was sentenced to prison during the time of Marcos. She was always there to guide him as he unravels and fights the bad side of the world. On the other hand, he also described Cory as a mother was very caring and affectionate to their children.
Cory is indeed an inspiration to most of us. She showed the powers of prayer and faith. She revolted without blood. She used her special weapons of love and hope to fight the bad people who do injustice in the land. She is truly the woman of all trades—a mother, a Christian, a wife, a leader.