It’s `Hall of Fame’ Again on this Valentine’s Issue

By: Veronica Leighton

 

Filipinos, being known as the “Latin Lovers” of Asia, always look forward to Valentine’s Day as their Romantic Feast Day. This is the day that Manila’s usual congested traffic problem double or triple and all hotel rooms are booked before, during and after Valentine’s Day February 14th celebration, with flower shops and stores selling Valentine’s gifts running out of stock. Why? A friend who’s very familiar with Pinoy lovers’ romantic habits and idiosycracies explained it’s because these are the gents who have two or three mistresses and, of course, the wifey (the No. 1) usually takes the special day of the 14th Feb, Valentine’s Day.

For this column’s annual Valentine Couple 2017 pick, I am proud to present Drs. Rupert and Amelita Mayuga, recipients of the 2015 Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame Model Family award. Speaking of the Mayuga family, the offspring and extended family are as fantastic as the parents. What a glorious family!

Amy Mayuga, whose birthday falls on Feb 14th, contributes the following article for this honored occasion in the Mayuga family. Read on…

 

A Primer on How to Celebrate LOVE
By Amelita (Amy) Mayuga MD

“February is popularly known as the “Love” month culminating on the 14th, Valentine’s Day. This celebration can be traced back to the 5th century when it was proclaimed a religious holiday by the Pope. Technically, though, I believe that Love and affection should be expressed any day of the year, enjoyed by anyone regardless of age and dedicated to those people special in your life, not only your spouse. Nevertheless, St. Valentine’s Day is a special day for celebrating Love.

In this country they start teaching pre-school children the value of caring for classmates by exchanging Valentine’s cards. For this month, be involved with the virtue of caring. Express it to someone or to many someone( s) by giving them a friendly call, text or email. Better yet, send flowers or schedule an outing for tea…Do not procrastinate. Life is unpredictable and you may not get the chance again. If you do this good deed often enough, it will become second nature to you and contribute to making you that special person we all strive to be.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote, “We loved with a love that was more than love..” When the moment inspires you to express love, act on it. Do not lose the momentum. The unique circumstances that make up that inspired moment may never come again.

Here are some of my personal suggestions, to name a few, on ways to show someone you care: (make sure he/she is not allergic to what you plan to give and do some research into what would be appreciated)

GIFTS: (inexpensive but tasteful)

Flowers, chocolates, perfume/cologne, books/magazines, scented candles, an invitation to dinner, a handwritten card, a personalized item, a stuffed bear…

MOVIES (preferably to watch together with popcorn and a beverage):

Sabrina, Sleepless in Seattle, The Notebook, Pretty Woman, Love Actually, My Best Friends Wedding, Best Man Holliday, Something’s Gotta Give, Before Sunrise…

PLAYLIST OF SONGS: (in a cozy ambiance with cheese and wine)

Signed Sealed Delivered, For Once in My Life, All You Need is Love, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Cherish, Bridge Over Troubled Waters, The Twelveth of Never, How Deep is Your Love, Unforgettable, The Way You Look Tonight, I Say A Little Prayer…

BOOKS: (a classy, enduring and cerebral gift)

Where Did You Go Bernadette, Beneath A Marbled Sky, Rise and Shine, P.S. I Love You, Water for Elephants, Whitney My Love, A Walk To Remember, The Name of the Rose, When Breath Becomes Air, Commonwealth…

THE GIFT OF TIME: (precious)

Offer to help with chores, driving, marketing… Offer to learn new hobbies with that person…

Here are some noteworthy couples (fictional, as well as real) with one thing in common. All knew how to love…Robin Hood and Marianne; Ferdinand and Imelda; Romeo and Juliet; Jose Rizal and Josephine; Superman and Lois Lane; Richard Burton and Elizabeth; Prince Rainier and Princess Grace; Marc Anthony and Cleopatra; Han Solo and Princess Leia; The Beast and the Beauty (Belle); Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara; John Lennon and Yoko Ono; Sonny and Cher; Fernando Poe and Susan; Luke and Laura; Joe Flores and Cindy; Joe Mauricio and his “irog”, Veronica.

As for me, I am so lucky to have my own, Mr, Darcy, Mr, Bond, King Arthur, Pacquiao, Nadal, Batman, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Billy Graham, Captain Napoleon… all rolled into one, my champion…Rupert, to love and enjoy for the rest of my life’s journey… In life, we make our own story. Each of us is unique and we have our own choice of how to love and whom we love.

Sometimes, life may even lead us down a path that is not by choice…but by destiny. Live on and Love well.”##

Thanks so much for considering me and my “Irog” and for including us in your list of “noteworthy lovers” of this century (a real story, ha ha).

 

Happy to share that a full-blooded Filipino, Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban, is now the De Paul University’s 12th president,

as announced at the Student Center of the Lincoln Park campus, as of deadline. He is the first lay leader in De Paul’s 119-year history, and will assume the leadership role on July 1. De Paul University is the largest Catholic university in this country, with student entrollment of more than 23,000.

A recipient of the 2015 Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame’s Excellence in Education award, he also served as the guest speaker for that year.

Here’s a little bit more information about Esteban’s leadership skills and background (online info).

Esteban became president of Seton Hall, a Catholic university, home to nearly 10,000 students, in 2011. During his tenure, he implemented strategic initiatives to increase enrollment and transformed the academic profile of the university’s student population. In addition to strengthening retention and graduation rates, Esteban’s leadership helped increase the diversity of Seton Hall’s students and maintained the percentage of freshmen who are the first in their families to attend college.

Under his leadership, Seton Hall invested close to $150 million on their campus infrastructure in the last five years. In addition, fundraising reached all-time highs with more than $40 million raised in the last year and a half alone.

As a professor of marketing, Esteban has taught in many classrooms across the country, as well as the Philippines. His dedication to students and learning has been a driving force throughout his career.

A celebrated leader and advocate for minorities, Esteban has received multiple honors. The Carnegie Corporation of New York recognized him as a “Great Immigrant” in 2015, and New Jersey’s leading business journal, NJBIZ, included him in its list of the 100 most powerful state leaders in 2016 for the second year in a row. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem knighted him in 2014.

Esteban earned a bachelor’s in mathematics and an MBA at the University of the Philippines, where he met his wife, Josephine. He was the first Philippine recipient of the Fujitsu Scholarship, taking him to Chaminade University in Hawaii, where he earned a master’s in Japanese business studies. He holds a doctorate in business administration from University of California, Irvine. His wife holds an MBA from the University of California, Riverside, a master’s in economics and a bachelor’s in business economics from the University of the Philippines. Their daughter is a medical resident at the University of Chicago.##

2015 Hall of Famers Drs. Rupert & Amy Mayuga

Seton Hall University greeting page on the souvenir book of the
Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame 2015.

The outstanding batch of 2015 Hall of Famers with A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D., Mabel Turtogo-Sacay, Estela Santos, Marilin Solomon and Rev. Nancy Abiera, pose with Dr. Esteban and his family during the21st annual Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame gala awards and dinner reception night.