Know Your Candidates: Ronnie Puno is "Mahalaga" as husband and dad
Mike Banos
August 17, 2009
Composed by Louie Ocampo and sung by Rene Puno, Mahalaga made it as one of the top three finalists of the 3rd Metro Manila Popular Music Festival in 1980. Those who wish to listen to how truly unforgettable this classical OPM hit is can log in to the following URL in YouTube: http://www.terk.jp/video/video/1Q41cJnXjwA
So where is Rene Puno now? A blog entry purportedly coming from his son says Rene has been a practicing lawyer for 25 years now (meaning Mahalaga antedates that legal career by four years). Had he continued with his music career, would Rene have achieved the immortality his cousin Rico the "J" has now attained with immortal classics like "May Bukas Pa," "Damdamin", atbp. He has 3 kids daw and is happily married. And yep, he is the younger brother of Dong and Ronnie Puno, his more popular siblings in broadcast and government.
A few weeks ago when he faced the showbiz press for the first time with his family, Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno obliged a request to sing, belting out the full version of Rico J´s "May Bukas Pa," just to ensure the similarities with his younger brother and the more broadcast personality were not lost on the media.
Ronnie´s showbiz ties run deep. One of 13 children (10 sons and two daughters, one deceased), Ronnie is the younger brother of former TV host Dong and semi-retired singer Rene. Rico J. is a relative who joins family reunions which are usually held in their native Pampanga. He´s married to Mikaela (Pinky for short, with whom he has seven children, the eldest is 39 and the youngest is 19) who is a ballroom star in her own right now in Ohio, USA, competing in an international competition. The patriarch is former Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Puno Sr.
Ronnie´s three daughters (Rossana, Rowena and Rosalyn) surprised veteran entertainment writers Lolit Solis, Ethel Ramos, and Ricky Lo by serenading them with A cappella versions of "Saan Ka Man Naroroon" and "You and I."
Ronnie said all seven of his kids sing together. "My other children also sing," he added. "So it´s really very musical when we are together. It´s a real joy to have children who are good mothers, good people, and talented as well. That´s what I want to show you this afternoon...that life is not all politics; that at the end of the day, may inuuwian ako na kung ano man ang pinagdaanan ko sa isang araw, I have a happy family to go home to."
Wife Pinky described Ronnie as "perfect" except for his schedule which compels them to share him with everybody. "Even then, he´s sensitive to all our needs and he´s supportive of our children. He´s a great husband and a great father. He let our (seven) children be what they want to be. He never discourages any of them from undertaking they would like to achieve."
Pinky describes him as very sensitive, "a great husband and especially a great father."
"I can't imagine life without him," she added.
She recalls that one of the best gifts she has received from Ronnie was a "beautiful photo album" he gave her during their first Valentine's Day together. "It was gift of love," she says—an album that Ronnie painstakingly made to depict his life in pictures—a gesture that seemed to demonstrate that he was sharing his entire life with her from that moment on.
Ronna (christened Rosanna) the eldest of the Puno brood of seven kids, says she feels "very blessed" to have Ronnie as her Dad, because he is a "great role model for all of us, of what love for family is, what loyalty to friends and people you work with" should be. "We love him and respect him a lot," says Ronna. "We´re lucky to have him as our father."
Wendy (Rowena) says her Dad, even with his busy schedule, was always around when she needed advice and a shoulder to cry on, even during times when she underwent the heartaches of her teenage years. For Wendy, the second of the Puno siblings, her Dad taught her the meaning of unconditional love and accepting people just the way they are.
"He encourages us to be ourselves; he´s always there for us."
Nina or Rosalina, the third girl in the family, says the first word that came to her mind when she was asked to describe her father was "generous" not only with what he could provide for his family, but also with the time that he spent with them. Generous not only to his family but to other people, especially those who need his help as a public servant.
"He´s constantly helping, helping, helping."
"And I´ve tried to be that way, in my life, with my kids, with other people. If there´s one thing I´ve always tried to be is just to be generous for others and I thank my Dad for that."
Ronnie was 20 and Pinky 19 when they tied the knot. The couple, who share the same birthday (April 25), were married on that day 40 years ago. Their youngest daughter, Tami was also born on their birthday, making April 25 a quadruple celebration for the Punos.
Ronnie has been described in so many ways by the people closest to him—a doting father, a loving husband, a generous man. But one thing in common that Pinky and their three daughters have said to show the personal side of Ronnie is perhaps the secret to how they have raised seven talented kids. Pinky and their three daughters are one in saying that Ronnie always encouraged them with whatever they want to do.
"He never discourages anybody from whatever undertaking they would like to achieve," notes Pinky. "He encourages us all the time."
Ronnie said that he´s an avid follower of the ABS-CBN tele-serye May Bukas Pa in which Santino, the Christ-friendly boy played by Zaijian Jaranilla, helps people solve their problems.
"I like the show because it portrays the police in a positive light," referring to Tonton Gutierrez who plays a good cop (with Precious Lara Quigaman as his wife) taking care of Santino.
When Ronnie ran for Congressman of Antipolo, his campaign song was May Bukas Pa. He recalled that among the stars who helped him win were Willie Revillame and Edu Manzano.
And like Santino in May Bukas Pa, Ronnie said he is optimistic the country has a bright future. "I believe that our nation will be able to rise above the various problems it is facing."
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