June 7, 2000

Lotto Winnings

By First Lady Sea Princess

Money is so difficult to come by these days unless you are either one of the mistresses of the President (… of the country, not Rotary – please, he can hardly sustain my expenses!) or working for the administration.

I have heard so many stories from all over about how much kickback is going on in all sectors of business and industry. The percentage of commissions has gotten so big that our late President Marcos almost looks okay by comparison. He just clearly over stayed but again at least only one wife was busy spending all the money. Of course, one of her may well be equivalent or still more than the 5 or so ladies of Erap.

The gigantic house in Wack-Wack being built for Laarni (recently sold according to the papers) is still in its finishing stages similar to our own house. The big difference is that we are personally financing our place and budgeting everything so we can achieve the look we originally wanted. The other house is made of 100% imported materials and only the labor is local. Down to the doors, glass windows, paint finishes, nails, hinges, etc. are all being flown in from the U.S.

It just pisses me off to see our tax money funding that other house. I think that entire supposed sale is baloney! I have a client who lives in that village and she says that the Chinese buyer is just a front so PDI won’t question how Laarni got funds to build that mansion.

The sad part is that the bad karma that is going to Erap is affecting the whole country. Our economy is so badly beaten, I am actually depressed about spending money and shopping. When I skip through the malls, no one is shopping with me. I hate it when I am the only customer and all the sales ladies are attending to me.

As shopping is contagious, I’d rather stay home than go to empty shops. My solution: a trip to Hong Kong. Maybe that will cheer me up a bit. Unfortunately, our peso is so weak, so I shall exercise controlled shopping.

I wish I could win the Lotto. Then I’d of course give 1/3 to charity (1/2 if it’s really big!). I’m sure my sister would give it all away. The rest I would use to finish our house with Poggenpohl kitchen cabinets, Sub-Zero refrigerators, Gaggenau appliances , Philips Flat TV, Pioneer home theater system, Bose sound system, electronic lighting system, central A/C, Siemens telephone and intercom system, a full-capacity generator set, Jacuzzi in every room, murals by Italian artists, Pella windows, Kohler taps and toilet fixtures, Roche Bobois furniture, Baccarat chandeliers, Tiffany dinnerware and Pierre Frey fabric all over. And that is just the short list! The garage would have a Lincoln Navigator, Jaguar XKE and a Benz for the palengke car.

Here are some of the spending patterns of some of the Anns:

• Ailene Litonjua – go on a golf tour – Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, etc.

• Carla Chuatico – buy stocks at Makati Med.

• Melissa Romualdez – half to charitable institutions and half to my family.

• Nelleke Otto – buying a dream house in the Netherlands.

• Linda Rosal – finish the chapel for the poor that we started, build more chapels in depressed areas, share with the poor and buy an island paradise.

• Marides Puyat – buy a nice condo in Metro Manila and build my dream house on a farm or on a beach.

• Becky Co – buy a place like Amanpulo and buy my Al a Manila Golf share – maybe his own golf course, too!

• Grace Cochingyan – paying for more Paul Harris Fellows and finance matching grants and maybe some medical missions.

• Kathleen Say – go on my dream vacation (a cruise to the Mediterranean).

• Chatty Roxas – a house.

• Sandy Abad Santos – pay off our debts and splurge on something really sinfully expensive!

• Marisun Uichico – a ranch.

• Gina Lagos – buy properties somewhere in Makati and buy a local beach resort.

• Leni Go – 10% to charity, 60% on properties and hold on to the last 30%.

In closing, in my true "comment on Alvin" fashion, while the rest of the girls either give a percent to charity or fulfill their personal dreams, it’s only Becky who designated anything for her husband’s benefit. And such timing it would be if she did indeed win the Lotto, since Al just turned 35 and got kicked out of Manila Golf, a golf share for him would certainly come in handy.

But I’d rather continue praying for Obelix than for Becky to win the Lotto. And besides, I am already praying that I am the one who wins the Lotto!