A Wedding to remember
By Eva C. Visperas

This wedding could be easily classified as the wedding of the year, if not wedding of the decade, as the country’s  “who’s who” were in attendance. Held  last Jan. 12 at  7:00 p.m. at the Santuario de San  Antonio, Forbes Park in Makati City, former Board Member Marie Antonnette Villar, the  only child of Undersecretary for Local Governance Antonio Villar Jr. and Mayor Vivien Villar exchanged “I dos” with Luwee  Pescador, son of Sto. Tomas Vice  Mayor Willie and Minda Pescador. No less than President Gloria Arroyo and Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco topped the list of godparents in a solemn wedding ceremony officiated by Very Rev. Msgr. Marlo Peralta as the main celebrant. Other godparents included Diosdado Macapagal Jr. and Ma. Georgina de Venecia, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. and Carmen Cojuangco, General Ricardo Dapat and Herminia Pamintuan, General Claudio Cabreros and Gina Haas, Mayor Nonato Abrenica and Editha Abesamis, Guillermo Hernandez and Maria Teresa Hernandez, and Engr. Felipe Casem and Estrella Padilla. Mayora Vivien’s core group of friends in the clergy in the Urdaneta diocese, composed of Reverend Fathers Teofilo Calicdan, Alejandro de Guzman,  Franklin Tandingan, Noel Bulosan, Numeriano Gabot Jr., Arturo Aquino, Richard Abalos, Hurley Solfelix, Angelito Arsola and Jesus Melvyn Bufete were the  con-celebrants. And it was indeed the longest dinner I’ve ever attended as food was served non-stop. Served in sequence were Parma ham with melon and mesclun salad  tossed in raspberry dressing, lemongrass infused duck consomme’ with shiitake wanton, pan-fried Chilean seabass on asparagus spears in clam sauce, pink  champagne sherbet, roast rib-eye of beef with black peppercorn sauce gratin potatoes and roasted vegetables, molten chocolate hazelnut pudding on brandy sauce with star anise orange ice cream, and there was chocolate fountain, too, and pick and eat all chocolate you could consume. Tonette, as we fondly call her, is often described as “the luckiest person for having doting parents”. Of course, though he refused to admit it, Usec Bebot could not hide  his sadness for his baby Tonette will no longer be his darling dear alone  anymore. But I believe Luwee will do well his part as a dear hubby. 

The sadness on Usec’s face was evident in the pictures taken earlier during the pre-wedding moments and during the church rites which were flashed onscreen while the guests were waiting for the food to be served. Can’t blame him, really. I knew how he felt. I was lucky to have been part of circle of few close friends of  Usec for a long time already. He has often shared with me some of his observations, feelings even sentiments towards other friends, politicians included. Of course what made the affair something to remember was President Arroyo’s staying on at the reception until past 12 midnight. She seldom does that, says one guest. Of course, I knew of Tonette’s and Luwee’s love affair. I worked as her  Chief of  Staff when she was the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President  of Pangasinan. In one of our conversations, I told my little sister Tonette,” Alam  mo, sabi  ng papa mo, maski sino daw ang mapapangasawa mo, maski mahirap, okay  lang sa kanya. Ang importante ay mahal na mahal ka daw ng lalaki ( You know  your papa told me that whoever will be your husband, though poor, it’s okay  with him. What’s important is he will love you truly).”   “Talaga ate, sinabi niya yon (Really, he said that?),” she repeatedly asked me. Then, next thing happened. What we thought as mere friendship blossomed into a beautiful love affair. 

Cheers to the newlyweds!  

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