by Telly G. Ocampo
Ming Ramos, the first lady sans controversy!
Amidst this present controversy of cha-cha (charter change) and people’s initiative, the former first lady, Mrs. Ming Ramos, immediately came to my mind. She was (and still is) someone who never had any taint of controversy about her person. She remained as Mrs. Ming Ramos, the principal of the American International School in Makati. She stood firm in her role as teacher and pianist, and not as a first lady who would walk behind and beside the former President, Fidel Ramos, anywhere he went..
Mrs. Ming Ramos is still alive and has continued to stay as a privately as possible, away from the klieg lights of power and fame. She is presently living in Tagaytay with her daughter who operates a garden restaurant in the area. I’m wishing I could try that restaurant someday with all the veggies sourced from it. Ming Ramos’ garden is truly amazing. It is filled with different varieties of orchids. In fact, there is an orchid named after her.
When I was younger, we went to Sonya’s Garden in Tagaytagy to experience the cuisine and the scenic beauty. And from there, I saw woman’s creativity at its best. I have also seen the Ramos residence in the plush Ayala Alabang area. That was during the time of the pre-Edsa days courtesy of my high school and college chum, the late Carol Zapatos. Carol was a resident of the area from the earliest days until her demise in 2021.
When her husband was appointed chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), she had an orchidarium right at Camp Crame. My having been there was courtesy of another high school chum, Tess Pernia Reyes, the wife of the late General Angelo Reyes.
It’s really a small world. The niece of my good friend, Chona Escano Bernad, married the grandson of Mrs. Ming Ramos. The wedding was in Tagaytay and instead of the traditional Despedida De Soltera, another event took over – the Ramoses doing the honors of meeting and welcoming the family of the bride-to-be, the Bernads of Cebu.
The Ramoses are steadfast in their principle of having their feet on the ground no matter how high they soar, both in social and political affairs. The former president, was a bemedalled soldier – this is a fact which the Filipinos know of and would not deny. His credentials were carved from Annapolis and Harvard, yet, he and his family have remained humble. Their lives never changed with the glitter of gold..
On incident about them has stuck in my heart. One time, a married woman (with children) was bumped by a vehicle decades ago. She was incapacitated and bedridden up to now. This daughter of this woman is in the care of the Ramoses now. The latter;s kindness has not been announced with the sounds of cymbals and gongs.
As for me, Ming Ramos is an epitome of a woman who keeps the hearth burning. She stayed in Malacanang during the presidency of her husband, without creating controversies and flames of conflicts. Up to this day, she has been maintaining the values of a woman’s role in the heart and hearth of the husband and the family. And most of all, she has remained a gardener until the sunset years.
How about the other first ladies? Your answer is as good as mine.
