I received an email on March 16 from FVR’s exective assistant Mae Gaffud. It was an invitation to interview me on camera for the former president’s memoir which they call FVR Oral History Project. The interview would be conducted by respected veteran journalist Mr. Toby Nebrida.
The Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV) launched last March 17, 2016 the FVR Legacy Projecrs designed to ensure that the documentation of FVR’s administration is preserved and made available to future generations as an example of good governance, sustainable development and leadership.
A major component of the FVR Legacy Projects is the FVR Oral History, a series of interviews which aim to recount the life of Fidel V. Ramos. They have so far interviewed a hundred friends and colleagues and once viewed in their entirety, will give a sense of FVR the person.
The interview was set on March 22 at 2 pm at the RPDEV office in Makati.
I didn’t want to be too formal so I veered away from wearing a business suit. I opted to wear a colorful cotton dress made in Nepal and flat sandals. This turned out to be a good decision because my car got stuck due to heavy traffic a few blocks from their office building so I decided to get off, cross the street and walk a few blocks so as not to be late.
They interviewed former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro in the morning, me, in the afternoon.
They picked the perfect interviewer. Toby Nebrida’s style was very pleasant and he made me feel comfortable. Parang kwentuhan lang. It also helped that we both had experienced traveling with the presidents, that”s why he knew how it was like.
I did not expect that FVR would be there on that day. He had guests, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court Hilario Davide, Jr. and his wife.
