Spotted: Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco at the Freeway x Botong Francisco Holiday 2012 launch.
There is this undeniable regal flair about Ms. Tingting Cojuangco. Way before I got to meet her personally, there is always this feeling that I kind of know her a bit already. You can’t blame me, her column, together with her girls, when it first came on print on Philippine Star, is the first thing I turn to when I get hold of the broadsheet. Yes, that’s the Entertainment section. I especially loved how the column sounded a lot like the three of them are conversing while giving their respective two cents to the person asking for advice.
STYLE S.O.S. By Tingting Cojuangco, Lucy Torres-Gomez and Rissa Mananquil
Then the column transitioned to her trio with Lucy Torres-Gomez and Rizza Mananquil for Style S.O.S. on Philippine Star still. You can just about guess where I got the beauty tips right from when I was in college. ๐
Imagine my delight when I was invited to dine with “the” Tingting Cojuangco, beauty and brains, then until now. It was from my folks, who also look up to her, that I learned what’s in her name. Mom told me that she used to be a model, very thin during that time and she was named Tingting, vernacular for broomstick. I forgot to verify this with her during our visit. She just might confirm this in the event that she chances upon this post. ๐
I was even more impressed at her vast collection of artifacts that she has built over the years that originated from all over the Philippines!
Tingting Cojuangco’s Artifacts collection
Here’s the kicker, she knows exactly which ones come from where and what those trinkets are designed to do! Whew! I love her already and her passion for our culture and everything beautiful about our Philippines. ๐
Kulintang
Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. Source: Wikipedia
Follow Tingting Cojuangco on Twitter – @TingCojuangco
Tingting Cojuangco is on Twitter too. How cool is that? I use Instagram on a regular basis and because I had to know what the above pictured musical instrument was (it’s at the tip of my tongue, lost in my olden days of Batibot), so I instagramed away. ๐
Family photos were everywhere at the Cojuangco residence’s receiving area. The room, I think, essentially doubles as a mini museum full of artifacts from different parts of the Philippines. The room had this tastefully eclectic feel that was really cozy. Nothing of that usual stiff unibody construction church chairs museums usually have. We were not just entertained, we also learned quite a bunch about different provinces and tribes.
Together with selected bloggers, I enjoyed a very hearty dinner with Tingting Cojuangco.
On my plate were the yummiest bits of Filipino dishes I have had in a long while. ย Thanks again, Ma’am Tingting! ๐
Yes, we were both wearing stripes! ๐
I still had a few more beauty tip questions I hoped to ask. But the other bloggers were pretty much into knowing what her political plans will be. Not that I care less about politics. I do. In fact, I constantly pray for the people who rule over us. It is what we should do, if we really love our country. We cannot be stoic about this. The Bible says that the king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord (Prov.21:1) and my hope that with the constant purging that’s happening in our government, the exposure of corruption, the Philippines can actually hope for a better future.
I see it as a privilege to meet Tingting Cojuangco in the flesh. She is a real sweet lady, unpretentious and unassuming. And for the record, most of my first impressions are quite accurate. Despite her place in the society. She was even honest enough to admit that she’s new on Twitter, Facebook and all these techie stuff and she was willing to learn and hear our take about things trivial or not. ย It was also lovely to see her go about her household as a normal person would. But at the same time a real knock out when we look at her credentials, which I happen to have a list of. ๐