In my opinion, today is a historic Valentine's Day (and Ash Wednesday) because a colorful figure in Philippine politics is celebrating his 100th birthday. Juan Ponce Enrile is the name of the man. Currently serving as the Presidential Legal Counsel, Enrile is the oldest incumbent public official in the Philippines. He is also entitled to a 100,000 peso cash gift from the government. (An infinitesimal sum compared with his net worth). Also known by the nickname Johnny, he has become a staple in pop culture in the past few years because of the memes that poke fun on his longevity.
Many people are in awe with his ability to stay alive that long while supposedly possessing mental clarity. (I am one of those who wish to achieve that feat in the decades to come.) My interest in Enrile's longevity started in 2012, when ABS-CBN Publishing released his memoir. Enrile was already 88 years old then, so many observers thought that the book was meant to be some sort of a "swan song." The following passage is even found in the back cover: "I have been judged and condemned many times. But I fear only the ultimate judgment of God and of history."
If I am not mistaken, the book had a price tag of about 1,200 pesos at the time of its release. Although I wanted to get hold of a copy, I ruled against shelling out the amount. I would have to work for a few days to earn the amount needed. Furthermore, there were voices saying the book was too expensive for what some reviewers labeled as "fiction." (To be fair, I would also embellish my own memoir if I would write mine.)
The publishing house is part of ABS-CBN, a multimedia giant in the country. As part of the book's promotion, the then-active TV station of the company aired Enrile's story as a two-part episode of the drama anthology "MMK." Bugoy Cariño and Enrique Gil portrayed Enrile in his years as a child and adult, respectively. (Side Trivia: Enrique Gil's movie "I am Not Big Bird" is going to open in movie theaters today.)
I forgot about the book until it came to my consciousness six years later. Let me tell you a background story. Before the work-from-home era, I used to commute from the province to my office in Quezon City. There was a policy that anyone logging in beyond 10 a.m. was considered late. One day in July 2018, it was already 10 a.m. and the UV Express van I was aboard was just approaching SM North EDSA. In instances like that one, I would alight the van and proceed to the mall. I would have early lunch and do some window shopping. I would do bulakbol first before working.
On that day, I decided to eat bulalo at the Food Court and make a pilgrimage to National Bookstore. In the latter establishment, I saw shopping carts holding copies of Enrile's memoir I was planning to buy about six years ago. I was amazed that it was on sale for only 125 pesos. Of course, I promptly bought a copy, along with Asuncion David Maramba's "Seven in the Eye of History." The book eventually disappeared from the store's bookshelves and became some sort of a collector's item. In 2021 or 2022, I saw a Facebook post of a media personality saying that she bought a second-hand copy for 3,000 pesos. 😅 For now, I have no plans to sell my copy.
Due to work-related and personal obligations, as well as the challenges of commuting, it took me another two years to finally read Enrile's memoir. (My thoughts about the book will be the subject of a future post.) As my reading intensified during the pandemic, I sought more online articles to supplement my book list. One of those articles is about him attributing his long life to a vegetable called saluyot. In an effort to boost my immunity, I also started to include this vegetable in my diet most days of the week. It can then be safely asserted that Enrile is not just a pop culture figure but also a health influencer.
