Philippine society icon, host, and dear friend Johnny Litton is celebrating his birthday soon. As part of the celebration, he is giving a special recognition to several ladies who have supported his charitable projects over the years.
I am blessed to be one of those lucky ladies.
At first, I was hesitant to say yes. Honestly, I just wanted to sit quietly, watch the program, and enjoy the food. But then I realized that even if this isn’t a major award like the Oscars, it is still a meaningful gesture. Johnny and his team thought of me. They believe I deserve to be called on stage, and for that, I am truly grateful.
Now comes my first problem.
Lahat ng friends ni Johnny, super fabulous and fashionable. Kahit magkakape lang sila, aakalain mong mga debutantes—ang gaganda at bihis na bihis! In fact, his photographer once told me, “Ma’am, ikaw ang nakita kong pinaka-simple.”
So I started inventorying my aparador, hoping to find an appropriate formal gown.
Halos lahat ng gowns ko hindi na kasya sa akin. During our recent U.S. vacation, I gained five pounds. Pagdating sa Manila, nadagdagan pa ng another five pounds. Kaya ayun… wala nang kasya!
The poster says Dynasty theme.
So I went to the ever-accommodating fashion designer, Amir Sali, and showed him the event poster.
He smiled and said birthday ni Johnny Litton.
Apparently, he had already received several inquiries because many of the ladies attending wanted him to make their gowns.
Then he shared something that made me admire him even more.
He had turned down two clients. One told him, “Gusto ko ang gown ko ang pinakamaganda.” Another said, “Gusto ko mas maganda kaysa kay…”
Amir simply refused.
He’s a deeply religious man with strong values. He doesn’t design gowns just for the money. For him, fashion is about making a woman feel beautiful and confident—not about feeding competition or vanity at someone else’s expense.
Amir has always been so kind to me. Every time we see each other, he gives me a warm hug and says, “We’re family.”
Whatever he designs for me, I never question. I simply wear it. I only have one request every single time: “Ayaw ko ng may borloloy. Gusto ko simple lang.”
He quickly sketched a design. Looking at it, I thought, Parang bagay ito sa may maliit na bewang.
Naku… bahala na kung bagay sa akin o hindi.
Sa laki ng bewang ko ngayon, Amir will probably have the challenging task of hiding my bilbils.
Honestly, I just want to show up, say thank you, and express my appreciation to Johnny, his team, and the friends who thought I was deserving of this recognition.
And what does Bangladesh have to do with the Johnny Awards?
Absolutely nothing.
Except that the first thing Amir Sali told me when I arrived at his atelier was, “Ayaw ko na dito sa Pilipinas.”
He said he was already so frustrated with the government and our politicians that he was even thinking of applying for a second passport—kahit Bangladesh daw!
Sama ako, Amir!
