BY EVA C. VISPERAS
More than a visit, it was a connection
SHE walked in with grace—khaki pants, a simple yellow collared blouse, and white walking shoes—an outfit that spoke of purpose rather than pageantry. There was nothing extravagant about her arrival, yet everything about her presence drew attention.
Her face, untouched by time’s harsh signatures, carried no trace of artificial refinement. And as she stepped down from her vehicle, she wore what many have come to recognize as her trademark: a radiant, disarming smile.
This was Ma’am Kimi Cojuangco—former congresswoman, public servant, and the wife of Pangasinan Second District Representative Mark Cojuangco. But in that moment, titles felt unnecessary. She was simply “Ma’am Kimi” to the lolos and lolas gathered before her.
She did not speak from a podium. Instead, she stood close to the people, speaking in straight, heartfelt Tagalog—simple, sincere, and deeply personal. Mayor William Dy accompanied her.
“Masaya ako. Ang sarap ng pakiramdam na nandito ako sa Barangay Salasa,” she said, her voice light yet full of meaning. She shared, almost casually, that she had just turned 67. “Ipinagmamalaki ko na senior citizen na rin ako,” she said.
There were smiles. There was a connection.
She spoke of life in its simplest truths—“Health, peace, and simple joy. Iyan lang naman ang hinihingi natin sa buhay,” she said.
But it was when she began telling a story—unscripted, spontaneous—that the crowd grew quieter.
“Gusto n’yo bang marinig kung bakit malapit sa puso ko ang Bugallon?” she asked.
Then she shared something deeply personal.
Her great-grandmother, she said, once fell gravely ill. Doctors had already given up hope. Yet every day, despite her condition, she traveled from Lingayen to Salasa Church to pray to Our Lady of Lourdes.
“Araw-araw siyang pumupunta rito… nagdarasal. Pero nagulat ang mga doktor—bigla siyang gumaling,” Ma’am Kimi recalled.
And then, with a quiet sense of wonder, she added, “Kaya naniniwala talaga ako na may himala rito.”
At that moment, Salasa was no longer just another stop in a three-day barangay visit. It became a place of faith, memory, and miracle.
From March 17 to 19, she visited eight barangays each day, personally bringing her “pa-birthday” to senior citizens—rice, support, and a modest financial contribution to their organization. But more than the material gifts, it was her presence that lingered.
I watched her closely in Salasa, Bacabac, and Polong. No prepared speech. No grandstanding. Just someone who knew how to listen, how to ask, how to connect. It spoke volumes of her experience—not just in politics, but in people.
Among all the barangays, Salasa clearly held a deeper meaning for her. And perhaps, for those who understand faith and memory, that is not difficult to comprehend.
Like Ma’am Kimi, Salasa is also special to me. I find peace and solace there, at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church, or the Salasa Church as it was known before. Founded in 1714, it is one of the oldest churches in Pangasinan, its structure and design reminiscent of the Spanish era, virtually untouched since its construction.
Visitors can also stop by at the grotto beside the church, where intricately sculpted Stations of the Cross can be seen and admired.
It is here where I would kneel quietly—praying, thanking Mama Mary for everything, and asking her intercessions for special petitions.
Image grabbed from Ramon Mon-Mon Guico III’s Fb page