There’s a Pinoy behind this leader
By Ignacio Dee
George Walker Bush may be president of the most powerful country in the world, but it is a Filipino who literally has control over his every whim.
This man, Fidel Medina, is his personal valet, and he serves his master with unquestioned loyalty and with efficient service that has been the hallmark of every Filipino valet who has served every US president since 1969.
Richard Nixon’s personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, and his wife, first made a name for Filipino valets when Nixon praised them in his autobiography.
Succeeding presidents such as Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and the elder George Bush have all been served by Filipinos, whose efficiency is highly valued by the American leaders.
Medina, an American citizen, has been the White House valet since the time of Bill Clinton in 1993 and continued the job when George W. Bush became president in 2001.
Bush, who has relentlessly waged war against terrorism since the tragedy of 9/11 is a totally different person in private says Medina.
“He is a regular guy and his family is very nice,” said Medina during a break in Bush’s state visit to the Philippines yesterday.
Medina said he also serves the president’s father, George Sr., when the latter is around. He says George Jr. is very similar in temperament to his dad.
Being the president’s personal valet means ministering to Bush’s every needs: from the time he gets up till the time he goes to bed. This means staying up at least 12 hours, which Medina, thanks to his energy and fitness, manages.
But the valet’s biggest asset is learning to be circumspect and even neutral in times of crises, for his service depends on the extent of his boss’ trust.
Despite the pressure-packed demands of his boss’ job, Medina says Bush keeps regular hours. Even when the US mounted attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, “his hours didn’t change,” Medina said.
Medina also serves Mrs. Bush and their two daughters, as well as the elder Bush and the former first lady, Barbara, when they visit their children. “Former president Bush also has a Filipino valet, but he prefers that I serve him,” he said.
From Navyman to valet
The eldest child of veteran newsman and public relations practitioner Romy Medina, Medina joined the US Navy in 1984. After becoming the youngest noncommissioned officer in the US Navy, where he was a master chief, Medina applied for the job of the US president’s personal valet in 1997.
Medina passed the required tests, but he had to obtain security clearance which, due to the nature of his job, carries the highest security clearance in the world. He got it, no thanks to his performance as master chief.
His father Romy, a veteran newsman, said his eldest son was familiar with the job, having worked with former president Clinton when he was at Camp David. Working with admirals also imbued in him a respect for protocol and to be reserved.
“He is quiet, efficient and loves sports,” said his father, who met him yesterday at the airport.
taken from Manila Standard Today 2002
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
FATHERS DAY
HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL BATCH 80 FATHERS. . .
Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving to fathers and family-oriented activities. In 2008, it will be celebrated on June 15th in most countries.
In the Catholic tradition, Father's Day is celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19, though in most countries Father's Day is a secular celebration and celebrated on a different date.
In the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia or on June, 19th of the same year, in the state of Washington.In West Virginia, it was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy. Another possible inspiration for the service was Mothers' Day, which had been celebrated for the first time two months prior in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away.
Another driving force behind the establishment of the integration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children, by himself, on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Then rest of the world follows to celebrate a fathers day.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting male-oriented gifts such as electronics, tools and greeting cards. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts.
agpineda
Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving to fathers and family-oriented activities. In 2008, it will be celebrated on June 15th in most countries.
In the Catholic tradition, Father's Day is celebrated on Saint Joseph's Day, commonly called Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19, though in most countries Father's Day is a secular celebration and celebrated on a different date.
In the United States, the first modern Father's Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia or on June, 19th of the same year, in the state of Washington.In West Virginia, it was first celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy. Another possible inspiration for the service was Mothers' Day, which had been celebrated for the first time two months prior in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away.
Another driving force behind the establishment of the integration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children, by himself, on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not provide the organizers with enough time to make arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. The first June Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, WA.
Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread. President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. Then rest of the world follows to celebrate a fathers day.
In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting male-oriented gifts such as electronics, tools and greeting cards. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts.
agpineda
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