Farewell Cory

For the first time I was glued at the television set the whole day watching the requiem mass for "Tita Cory" and monitoring the events of the funeral convoy carrying her body to the Manila Memorial Park. Because of the more than 250,000 people waiting to see her for the last time, it took the procession 8 long hours causing the delay of the interment.

I bet most of the people who watched the mass cried a river...I did, specially when Piolo Pascual sang Sa Iyo Lamang and Zsa Zsa Padilla's rendition of Hindi Kita Malilimutan. I liked the last farewell words for Cory of Fr. Arevalo (Cory's spiritual adviser) and Kris Aquino her youngest daughter.

Whenever I hear Tita Cory's voice on the radio, I can really feel of her being a good mother, a good christian and one of the greatest Filipino ever lived.

Special Non Working Holiday for Cory's funeral

Malacanang has declared August 5, 2009 as a special non-working holiday in commemoration of the late former President Corazon C. Aquino. She will be buried at the Manila Memorial Park beside her late husband, Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino. A mass will be held at 9am at the Manila Cathedral before the burial. GMA declared a holiday to allow the nation to witness the moments before Cory is brought to her final resting place according to Lorrelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokesperson.

Cory Aquino passed away

Former President Corazon Aquino died of cardio-repiratory arrest at exactly 3:18am August 1, 2009 at Makati Medical Center. Her son Noynoy Aquino read a statement at around 5am outside the hospital:

"Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m., August 1, 2009, of cardio-respiratory arrest. “She would have wanted to thank each and every one of you for all the prayers and your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country. “Hinihiling po ng aming pamilya ang kaunting panahon para makasama namin ang aming mahal na ina.

“Later today, we will be announcing further details of her wake para sa lahat ng ating mga minamahal na kababayan na nais magbigay ng respeto sa aming ina. Maraming salamat po.”

She was diagnosed of stage 4 colon cancer on March 2008. She died at the age of 76, her body lies at Heritage Park.

Cory's painful ordeal

When former President Corazon C. Aquino was diagnosed of colon cancer it was already on stage four. Before this, she suffered from high blood pressure, cough, lost her appetite and weight. March 2008 when her family made the public announcement of her real health condition. They requested the public to respect their privacy and asked prayers for her recovery. May 3, 2008 when he made her public appearance at the Pink Sisters' Convent in Quezon City at a mass held on her behalf. On October 2008, Cory was experiencing some side effects of the chemotherapy so she failed to witness the unveiling of the historical marker "Jose C. Cojuangco" at their ancestral house in Malolos, Bulacan.

Recently (May 4, 2009) a team of doctors led by French surgeon Joel Leroy performed surgery (laparoscopic colectomy) on her to remove parts of her colon. After three days she was discharged from Makati Medical Center, but she was confined again last June 24 due to poor appetite. Until now she is still struggling in pain and Kris Aquino was asking for our prayers that the pain would be lessened. With the Divine intervention, I know one of these days her pain and agony will disappear. Let us offer her prayers.