FPJ'S LAST CHRISTMAS GIFT TO SUSAN /  ANOTHER STRESSFUL CHRISTMAS

MANILA, December 20, 2005 (STAR) FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo - Not many people know that a few weeks before he died on Dec. 14 last year, FPJ had prepared a "surprise" gift for his wife, Susan Roces, but it remained unopened until March this year when Susan was interviewed for the premiere episode of the GMA Saturday-evening show, Showbiz Stripped.

It’s a jukebox, filled with the couple’s favorite songs (in 45 rpm discs), kept at the canteen of the FPJ Studio on Del Monte Avenue, Quezon City, where FPJ suffered a massive stroke on Dec. 11.

Followed by a TV camera, Susan was smiling nervously as she approached the canteen. Her expression turned serious as she watched a studio hand remove the wrapper, barely holding back her tears as she saw the jukebox for the first time.

Yes, the jukebox, FPJ’s last Christmas gift to Susan, has remained where it was and not included among the FPJ Memorabilia which was unveiled Tuesday (Dec. 14) last week at the MOWELFUND Compound in Quezon City. It’s not for public viewing, you know, and Susan is keeping it perhaps for her own viewing – and listening – pleasure.

Also, not many people know that Dec. 13 marked the date when Susan and FPJ eloped 37 years ago. They got married in civil rites on Dec. 16 of the same year and in church on Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 1968).

Like last year, Susan is marking Christmas Day and their 37th wedding anniversary reminiscing happy days with FPJ, with relatives keeping her company, including niece Sheryl Cruz and husband Norman John Bustos (and daughter). Susan’s daughter Mary Grace left a few days ago for the US where she’s spending Christmas with her husband, Neil Llamanzares, and their children.

Except for the annual family bingo (last year, it was FPJ himself who wrapped the gifts at stake and for the raffle), things will go on as usual – the noche buena, family reunion, etc.

"I know that, even if he’s gone, Ronnie will be with us," said Susan. "I know he will be."

On this page and the succeeding one are photos of some special guests during the blessing of the FPJ Memorabilia and of the precious items on display.

Another stressful Christmas STAR BYTES By Butch Francisco The Philippine Star 12/20/2005

Help! It’s five days before Christmas and I’m totally freaking out!

Traffic and expenses – not necessarily in that order – is what’s driving me hopping crazy these days.

Traffic is particularly difficult for me because I live in the traffic capital of the Philippines – Greenhills with its tiangge.

To solve this problem, I only go to appointments that are work-related. The trouble is, my being a reviewer of the Cinema Evaluation Board (the one that gives tax incentives) is work-related and I have to honor this commitment I’ve made to this country or to whoever or whatever I’ve made this commitment to. (We were sworn in at Malacañang, but I didn’t show up. Does that mean I can break the commitment?) And this is the most challenging part of being a Cinema Evaluation Board reviewer – being able to survive all the Metro Manila Film Festival entries. No, I’m not even talking about the quality of the films because the entries have become better and better through the years. It’s not even the marathon screenings I am complaining about because I can take in six movies a day (that’s my record so far). What is killing me is driving to Makati during this season because the screenings are done at the My Cinema in Greenbelt.

The problem about going to Makati is that after battling it out in EDSA, you still have to contend with Ayala Avenue. I can never forget what I did two years ago when traffic was so bad I jogged from the corner of EDSA-Ayala all the way to Greenbelt. And it wasn’t at all fun if you have to run in leather shoes. This week, I have committed myself to watch all the Metro Manila Film Festival entries till I go blind and till I break both legs running that stretch of Ayala Avenue from EDSA. More than the traffic, I’m even more horrified with how the prices of goods have really – and I mean really – escalated. Every time I go to the counter to pay for whatever purchase I have made in a particular store, I feel like a part of me died.

No, I don’t buy anything for myself. (I’ve never bought anything for myself for Christmas.) I buy mostly gifts to be distributed this holiday season. The bulk of the presents I buy goes to the staff of Startalk. I’m not complaining. I love them genuinely and that’s the least I can do for them in return for all the things they’ve done for me from the time I joined the program.

Buying gifts for them was not that stressful for me this year because I started way back in March. At Rustan’s Shangri-La, I saw this brand of scent that was affordable if you buy them individually, but could send you to the poorhouse if bought in large quantities. What I did was buy these in batches. Every time there was a delivery, I would have every item stashed away and come back for these every so often. My pocketbook would cry ouch! Ouch! Ouch! with each trip to Rustan’s, but at least the pain was gradual. And the best part of it is that I am the only one who has this particular brand because I’ve wiped out the entire stock in practically every Rustan’s outlet. It’s a limited edition and you can’t find this anywhere at this point anymore.

Another wonderful thing about shopping in Rustan’s (aside from the exquisite service from a well-trained staff) is the free wrapping. Of course, you wait forever, but it’s free wrapping and that takes out a lot of the stress from the giver. One thing you can do is to come back for your purchase another day or have it sent to your house (but they only do that if you reach a certain amount). Of course, not everything I buy comes from Rustan’s and so I have a ton of other presents staring at me at this point – all waiting to be wrapped. And so I am again stressed out.

Adding to my stress is my promise to have the house fixed up with tinsels and all the trimmings for Christmas. We skipped that last year because we had no furniture that time – my furniture-maker having decided to play hide-and-seek with me (read: unable to deliver on time).

This year, we’re availing of Designer Blooms’ offer to fix up the house for free for a minimum purchase of P5,000 – which is not a lot. Tomorrow, they’re sending over Leo Domingo from the Greenhills branch to fix up the house (that’s early for us because we used to put up the tree on Christmas Day itself). We had a meeting with him the other week and we trust that he’ll do an excellent job. Not all the ornaments are coming from Designer Blooms, however (which is what I like about this promo – they work even on your existing Christmas decors).

Over the weekend, I’ve been assigned to buy 100 pieces of Christmas balls. When I went to Megamall, my heart leaped with joy when I saw that these items were already on sale at 20 percent off – only to be dismayed that the only colors left were in the saddest shades of purple and blue. If only we put Christmas balls in our Holy Week carroza, the image of St. Peter we bring out on procession would all be decked out.

I ended up in National Bookstore buying Christmas balls in copper – no red or gold, as specified by the Designer Blooms consultant, because all those colors were gone. That is not the end of the story, however. When I went to pay at the counter, the sales clerk almost called 911 because I fainted when the bill shot up to more than P4,000. Yes, Christmas balls can cost that much now. I ended up returning some of the items – with the people behind me all smirking because I was holding the line.

And so this is what the Christmas season is all about for me (and for everyone else, I guess) – a time to get stressed out and, yes, freak out. As I’ve always suggested, why can’t we just hear Mass on Dec. 25 in honor of our Savior Jesus Christ, which is what Christmas is all about? But how can you fight tradition?

Of course, I will survive Christmas. I survived it last year and I will survive it this year. But next year, I will be away.