NEWSFLASH

MIKEY'S WEDDING: LUBAO SPRUCED UP FOR FAVORITE SON'S WEDDING TOMORROW

Lubao, Pampanga, June 23, 2002 - Lubao, the only town in the country to have produced two Philippine presidents, has been spruced up for the historic wedding tomorrow of another favorite son, presidential son and Pampanga Vice Governor Juan Miguel "Mikey" M. Arroyo to beauteous Maria Angela Montenegro.

For one, big streamers are now flying in many parts of the town welcoming and congratulating President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, her son Mikey and future daughter-in-law Maria Angelica.

The improvements are simple and the budget modest compared to the wedding of then-presidential daughter Irene R. Marcos and a scion of a prominent family, Greggy Araneta, also in a historic setting – the old Spanish church of Sarrat in Ilocos Norte, hometown of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

Lubao will be the main beneficiary of the big event. This is the reason why Lubao folk are awaiting the wedding with great anticipation.

Mrs. Anita Salalila Limson and Vivian Turla Queri, whose houses stand beside the Saint Augustine Church, said they were thankful President Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice Governor Mikey chose their hometown as the site for the wedding.

"We are on a vantage point during the wedding and important event in our town because our houses are adjacent to the church. We are looking forward to this event on Monday," they chorused.

For one, the nation will be focused once again on the town, they said. Still, some infrastructures in the town like bridges, roads and drainage canals leading to the Saint Augustine Church were improved in time for the wedding.

The 491-year-old Saint Augustine Church is the biggest beneficiary of the event. The church where Mikey’s grandfather, President Diosdado Macapagal, was baptized on October 12, 1910, underwent a major facelift, especially its interiors.

To make everybody comfortable during the wedding ceremony which will start at 10 a.m., heavy-duty Carrier and Koppel air-conditioning units have been installed inside the church. Some 600 to 700 people could be accommodated inside during the wedding ceremonies.

The church’s front yard, which is about half a hectare, was also given a facelift.

About a dozen split-type air conditioners were also installed at a newly-built fully enclosed white canvas tent with wooden flooring at the church courtyard dwarfed and dotted by centuries old trees, a centuries-old brick house for the priests and several buildings of the church-run Holy Rosary Academy.

To ensure that there will be no power disruption during the wedding and reception, a mobile power generator was installed at the back of the church.

Bishop Paciano Aniceto of the Archdiocese of Pampanga will officiate the wedding. He will be assisted by Fr. Rodolfo de Guzman, parish priest of Saint Augustine Church, and Fr. Pat Lim, parish priest of La Vista Church in Quezon City where the First Family resides.

The colorful wedding ceremonies will highlight the creations of couturier Pitoy Moreno (barong), Joe Salazar (wedding gowns), Ronnie Ong (cake), Tony Parsons of 517 (floral arrangement) and the Ateneo Glee Club Choir and String Minstrels (music).

Key participants in the ceremonies will be the parents of the bride and groom – President Gloria and First Gentleman Mike for Mikey and Rosario "Charito" Arroyo and German Montenegro for the bride.

Main sponsors are former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos, Sen. Loren Legarda Leviste, Georgina de Venecia, wife of Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.; Enrique Aboitiz, Salvacion Villaraza, presidential brother Diosdado Macapagal Jr., Manila Bulletin Chairman Dr. Emilio Yap, Mario Cruel and Norma Chan.

Mikey’s brother, Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo, will be the best man; Emily Montenegro Yupangco, matron of honor; Rose Montenegro and Evangelina "Luli" Arroyo, maid of honor. The secondary sponsors are Alex Macapagal and Joanne Dawns, Greg Montenegro (candle) and Marinella Montenegro (veil) and Rafael Mondragon and Cetrin Datok (cord).

Presidential social secretary Betina Aboitiz will be the overall supervisor of the ceremonies.

After the Church wedding, the newlyweds and entourage and guests will proceed to the church courtyard for the celebration and reception which will approximate a barrio fiesta.

Food for the churchyard reception -- consisting of an all-Filipino fare like lechon, halo-halo, crispy crablets, pancit luglog, tibok-tibok and avariety of seafoods -- will be prepared by the Plaza and Cabalen. Caterer for the evening reception at Malacañang Palace will be the Manila Hotel and Graito Forest.

Only a week before their wedding, Mikey Arroyo and Angela Montenegro were visibly happy and "a bit nervous," said Claire Morales True, herself a native of Lubao, the vice governor’s media consultant. The bride and bridegroom were at the Saint Augustine Church last June 18 for the final practice for their wedding ceremonies together with other principal participants of the wedding. "Happy because we have found our perfect partner but a bit nervous because, understandably, we are undergoing this process only once in a lifetime," the couple said.

After the wedding, Mikey will take a leave as Pampanga’s acting governor, duly-elected vice governor and presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. He and Angela will fly to the United States for their honeymoon.