Imelda Marcos talks about Natalya Bronzova
"On our very first meeting, Natalya gave me her book, which she had titled “Philippines, a country of kindness and gratitude".
"Then, Natalya asked me for an interview and I was surprised that it had been enough for her to write a whole book about me: “Imelda: true, good and beautiful”. From this book, I was convinced that Natalya was searching for something spiritual… Today, on April 23rd 2013, I have the good fortune of sitting all afternoon with Natalya and have this long talk about herself, history, economy, art, and many more subjects.
"I see before me a very intelligent person, with a sensitive heart. I was quite amazed that she titled her book about me, "Imelda - true, good and beautiful". That is God made real. I truly appreciate Natalya's fascinations about the Philippines. She writes her books with a sensitive and open soul; this is why they are a reflection of her own soul.
"Today I picked up Natalya in Urdaneta, half way between Manila and Ilocos Norte, where we are heading now. She was staying at her friend’s house, the faith healer Ester Bravo, an amazing woman, whom she presented to me today. Natalya wanted to write further more on me, as she said: “I’d like to write about your soul and personality Madam Marcos…”
"I was deeply touched by that words as she is the first ever writer who is interested on my own soul, not politic or scandals…Along the way, I asked Natalya the reason she came to the Philippines. She told me a beautiful and sad story, that she came to faith healers in search for God and that she fell in love with our country, the beautiful nature and the people’s warm hearts.
"I am very happy to know Natalya, because she is very special and she has a sensitive heart capable of seeing reality beautiful. I am thankful to her for writing such a book about my country, the Philippines.
After our long conversations I understood that Natalya was looking everywhere for God, all over the world.
"She was born in Russia, moved to Canada and now searching in the Philippines. I told her, " Natalya, do not search for God around you, because He is in you! Because you're able to see in people truth, goodness, kindness and beauty! Remember Natalya that you are made in the image of God, that is why you are perfect! All you need to do is to bring to people truth, goodness and beauty; only this way will you find peace and fulfilment in life.
"And when you are at peace God is in you".
April 23th, 2013
Imelda R.Marcos by Natalya Bronzova
Some lines from our Ilocos Norte trip, the province of Marcoses where Imalda was a Congressman at the time...
The 2013 election campaign of Imelda Marcos
On May 5th, I witnessed the busiest day of Imelda Marcos election campaign. This was day Madam chose to tour her Second district in Ilocos Norte, accompanied by forty journalists from leading world agencies, Reuters, Associated Press and the Filipino media.
During that day we visited 12 Mothering centres, built by Imelda in remote towns of her district. The tour also included the Museum and Mausoleum of Ferdinand Marcos and the former presidential residence "Malacañang of the North".
We were about one hundred people: Imelda and her team, assistants, security people, some forty journalists, photographers and videographers, a dozen policemen with automatic weapons and a open truck filled with drummers to give a joyful atmosphere, when we arrived in the villages.
A police car led the motorcade of 18 vehicles; behind it was the drummer’s truck, announcing the arrival of Madam Marcos, following in her bus. Trailing after her where several minibuses with the journalists, one large bus with satellite and WiFi, and finally a few brand new buses, donated to farmer’s communities by Imelda Marcos.
I had the honour to travel in Madam’s bus.
Let me now review more in the detail the 17-hour press marathon in Ilocos Norte province
. The day began at seven in the morning, with a press conference by Imelda Marcos in her living room, where media were able to setup lights and cameras.
The press then followed her to the Mausoleum and Museum of Ferdinand Marcos. The crowd was so dense that I was not even able to take any photos of Madam. From there, surrounded by her assistants, Madam led everyone to the Marcos family photo gallery. This is a large hall, displaying hundreds of Marcos family photos, many showing the first couple with well-known world leaders.
On the way, the whole group took the entire road; Madam continued to answer questions; oncoming cars stopped and honked, welcoming her. TV crews filmed her every movement and of course took close-up of her shoes, as they always do... One reporter loudly shouted the question, whether this brand of shoes was still Imelda’s preferred.
Imelda just smiled and ignored the question. She is accustomed to being filmed, right up to each detail, especially her shoes... She is not irritated and does not take offence at all for little things like that.
To satisfy the curiosity of some, Imelda wears many different brands of shoes, most of them without any visible labels. The main quality for her is comfort. Usually they are backless sandals, of middle height platform.
Of course the colour always matches her clothes. For Imelda, shoes are commodities, not objects of glamour or superiority. I witnessed how Imelda simply bought a few pairs at the mall "168". All those, so wrongly interested in Imelda's shoes, see her as an extravagant lady only, but it is their level of understanding, not hers!
Problems of her country and matters of the world constantly occupy her mind.
In the Marcos photo gallery, breakfast was served while Congresswoman Imelda Marcos presented her Mothering care theory, as her election program. She herself did not eat breakfast, but sat at the big screen commenting on the microphone what we were seeing and changing the images herself with the remote control.
With impeccable clarity of mind and logic, she explained the notions of Mothering care for the country, using her district as example. The journalists ate, drank coffee, took many photos, talked to each other and did not listen much throughout the session... The noise in the room was such that it was necessary to speak loudly, yet Imelda went on explaining her theory of the world harmony; the result of years of philosophical soul searching, reflection and personal life experience.
After the presentation, everyone took their places in the buses and the motorcade drove off to follow Imelda Marcos in her election tour to twelve towns of Ilocos Norte’s Second district. Only a few cities stayed in my memory: Solsona, Sarrat, Badoc, Dingras and St. Nicholas. Every town has a Mothering centre, built by Imelda. They are called “Mothering” not because they are just for a mother and a child, but because they carry the idea of maternal care for the whole population.
They are the only emergency health centres in these small towns. People with different problems and injuries are being treated there, not only mothers and their babies. During our tour, two young mothers had newborns, barely a few hours before our arrival. Imelda held the babies, talked to the mothers and other patients.
The cameras did not stop clicking, journalists gathered around her in a compact semicircle and it was hard to compete with them.
In each centre, there were dozens of people waiting for us and many more waited on the street! In Badoc, several thousand of supporters wore red and pink T-shirts with Imelda’s name.
At each location, music was playing and there were tables with sweets and fruits. Imelda and the journalists had no time for that, but a few assistants and myself tried the very tasty offerings.
Local organizers gave us whole trays of sweets and fruit for us to carry in the bus. Imelda, assistants, the guards and myself thus shared the welcome gifts on the way to the next town, to the sound of the merry drummers, just ahead of us.
Imelda invited all staff and the press for lunch at hotel "Fort Ilocandia", which I have already talked about. The Chinese restaurant prepared a fine lunch for over a hundred people. Imelda sat at the main table, next to her were the heads of news agencies. So, she had to answer more questions from the press.
In addition, four cameras filmed everything happening at the main table. As always, in the presence of Madam Marcos, those sitting next to her are usually shy to help themselves from different dishes on the table. So, Imelda takes the dishes and first offers food to the guests, and then she serves herself.
Every lunch and dinner I witnessed with Madam Marcos, followed the same ritual, first offering food to guests, then to herself.
After dinner we all went to the museum "Malacañang of the North". It is the former residence of Marcos family, where they lived during Ferdinand’s presidency; it is located on lovely Paoay Lake.
Imelda Marcos lead us around her former home, showing it as though it was still her own house, even if it has now become a museum in her life time... Everything this woman touches, becomes history of the Philippines; the very jewelry she wears will become part of the museum collection and she is already knows that!
This house itself seems very comfortable with good taste and simplicity; it is very large, yet minimalist in decoration, I would even say, almost ascetic. Both floors have wide terraces. The large, open space living room, takes up all the front of the house, with a dozen window-doors opening on a terrace, overlooking Paoay Lake.
The house has only three bedrooms. The largest bedroom, with bathroom and dressing room is for the presidential couple. The other bedroom on that floor was for the daughters. There, Imelda stopped and sat at the mirror table and immediately turned to accept more questions again.
The third bedroom belonging to her son BongBong is located on the ground floor. The whole house is built of high quality materials, but with minimum furniture and no visible luxury. I asked Madam Marcos, if it looked like that during the President times and if anything had been robbed during their exile.
She replied that it was nearly the same as today; some furniture was destroyed or lost and replaced by newer ones. Imelda lovingly and patiently toured the house twice, because many journalists lingered around outside the house; and twice she answered many repeating questions.
Usually it is not permitted to sit on the museum furniture, but seeing Imelda assistants sitting in the centre of the living room, I was happy to join them. They were surprised by my question whether it was permitted to sit on the museum exhibits; laughing, they assured me that if its the furniture of Madam, we are certainly permitted to sit on it.
The freshness of the house was a pleasant surprise to me. It has no air conditioning, yet it is quite comfortable inside, greatly due to large open space and windows, allowing good air circulation. There is no glass in the windows and no mosquito nets, yet there are no mosquitos, because of the breeze from the lake. The window frames are made of dark local fine wood, and artful panes made with mother of pearl fill the open areas instead of the glass. This is a true traditional Filipino home, very bright and with a strong positive energy.
It is the loveliest house I've visited in the Philippines, although not the richest, nor the biggest. It makes you wish to stay longer and even to live here. This is the first time someone's house gave me such feelings...
Around the house, is a large garden laden with large trees and overflowing with flowering shrubs, all planted when Imelda was mistress of the house and now forming a quiet shady garden.
There once were other buildings surrounding the house, but destroyed during the Marcos family exile...
The press tour to other Ilocos towns eventually forced us to leave the coolness and light energy of this incredible home. Leaving this comfort for the burning heat of the afternoon rural roads demanded all our motivation... When we arrived at the next Mothering centre, I found little courage to leave the air-conditioned bus.
From this point on, the journalists did not run after Imelda, and the camera shutters clicked a lot less... The good lunch made everyone tired, and the burning heat of the hot afternoon made breathing outdoors almost unbearable... But Imelda kept coming out to greet people, speak, smile and endlessly accepting to be photographed with her supporters... This former First Lady certainly proved that she was still ahead of everyone else, always first!
She has an endurance and self-discipline that I never saw in anyone else, even far younger that her. Even the farmers, whom she donated air-conditioned buses, did not want to come out of them, because of the heat!
And these people are accustomed to work under such heat in their rice fields. Imelda walked fifty meters to take pictures with them, and then they went out from the bus for barely a minute, simply for a photo with her.
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