A gift from Cory Aquino

Back in September, she had been suffering from cancer for at least six months, had undergone chemotherapy, and was only making rare public appearances, let alone sit-down interviews. She just didn't have the strength. Our television public affairs team at the time was producing a special program called Newsmakers, featuring all the living Philippine presidents past and present. Cory Aquino, of course, had to be an integral part of the show. But she was ailing, and our producers had the delicate task of trying to arrange for her to still be part of the show, if it was at all possible. After her three daughters Ballsy, Pinky and Viel were interviewed together for the show, they promised they would try to convince their mom. Sure enough, Ballsy -- the daughter who was also Cory's right hand during her six years in Malacanang -- texted a day later to say her mother had agreed to be interviewed. According to program manager Ella Evangelista-Martelino, who conceived of the project, the interview was initially set to take place at her office in the Cojuangco Building in Makati, but "Cory decided to see us at Times instead as this might be more convenient for us. How considerate could she be!" Martelino recalls. (Times refers to the home on Times Street in Quezon City that Cory shared with husband Ninoy and their children.) Cory finally sat down on September 3 with Jessica Soho for her last full-length interview. Frail but smiling, and summoning a still-sharp memory, she gave us more than an hour of reminiscence, insights, and just the down-to-earth goodness that endeared her to the nation. None of us dared talk about it at the time, but all those who were at the shoot knew this would be one of their final encounters with her, if not the very last. She herself talked almost matter-of-factly about soon joining Ninoy, with the tone of contentment of someone who felt she had already accomplished her life's mission on earth. Even as she neared death, her calmness served as a lesson for us all. She was interviewed in the living room within sight of a portrait of her as a young attractive woman by national artist Fernando Amorsolo, a gift from Ninoy early in their marriage. She struck her interviewer Jessica as "a woman so secure with herself and her place in history." Alas, our airtime for Newsmakers could only include a few minutes of that conversation with Jessica. But we felt that Cory agreed to speak not just for the show but as a way of leaving some parting words for the nation. In the video embedded near the top of this page, and in the previous one we uploaded while she was still alive (Cory Aquino: Woman of our time), we chose some of her most revealing soundbites, the ones that moved us most, and the nuggets of wisdom and encouragement that we want future generations to take to heart. This is one of her farewell gifts to us -- to those of us at GMA News and Public Affairs who were fortunate enough to be part of that production... and to the Filipino nation that she loved unconditionally. Thank you, Tita Cory.

— Howie Severino

From the interview, recalling her campaign against Marcos in early 1986:

Doon sa isang pineapple plantation sa Mindanao, nagsasalita na ako tapos nakita ko, may isang bucket na pinapasa-pasa doon ng mga taong nakikinig sa akin.

Sabi ko, ano kaya ang ginagawa nila? Pero sige pa rin ako doon sa aking talumpati.

Noong natapos ang aking talumpati, umakyat iyong barangay captain, binigyan ako ng isang bilao ng saging at pineapple at nagpasalamat naman ako.

Pagkatapos, mayroong nag-abot sa kaniya nung plastic bucket na nakikita ko, sabi, “Para sa iyo ito."

Nung tiningnan ko, mga piso, bills at saka coins. Alam mo, parang gusto kong maiyak dahil ang hirap na nila, yet they were giving whatever they had to me.