Source: PDI
It could have been his calvary. As if fasting and abstinence were not enough, President Benigno Aquino III also climbed the equivalent of a 24-story building on Ash Wednesday.
In his very first official tour of a Singaporean facility the other day, President Aquino trudged up the equivalent of 24 floors from underground after the elevator broke down while he was visiting a water treatment plant.
Among those who climbed the stairs with him was his Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. Del Rosario is 71 years old and had knee surgery a few years back.
Mr. Aquino and his group had just inspected the pipes 60 meters below the ground at the Changi Water Reclamation Plant when the elevator broke down, said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
“It was no big deal for the President and for us. We took brief rests in between so the climb was manageable. No sweat,” Coloma said.
Cory’s advice
Coloma said that even Del Rosario was able to climb all the way up from the ground level together with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo.
“There was no major problem. Secretary Del Rosario held up very well under the situation,” Coloma said.
Since it was Ash Wednesday, Mr. Aquino still had not had a full meal at the time the lift broke down late in the afternoon.
“The President observed fasting and abstinence (on Wednesday). As you know, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics are required to observe fasting and abstinence,” Coloma said.
“He was telling us in a very light vein that now as President, he could almost hear President Cory reminding him to observe fasting and abstinence so I think his considered full meal was only in the evening,” Coloma added.
The water treatment facility was Aquino’s first stop after he arrived at Changi International Airport for a state visit. The plant is operated by Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB), which handles the city-state’s water system.
A minister from the Office of the Prime Minister, Lim Swee Say, was also with Mr. Aquino’s group.
“We were about to go up but there seemed to be some kind of technical difficulty and the door wouldn’t close. We stepped out and we made efforts to repair it but apparently it could not be done quicker,” Coloma said.
“Because we wanted to observe the schedule with the Filipino community, which we were due to meet later, we just decided to climb up.”
A member of the group at first thought the elevator was overloaded and so some of them stepped out, but still the doors would not close.
“There was a diagram showing that we were below ground and the distance to the surface was equivalent to a 24-story building,” said the source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak for the group.
No water
The President’s party and their hosts at first decided to wait for technicians to repair the lift.
“It must have overloaded. That lift was inspected last week and I think it was meant only for seven people. But this time, many of us got in,” the source said.
“There was also no water and so they had to radio the (Presidential Security Group) on the surface to bring water downstairs.”
After waiting for around 20 minutes for the lift to work, the President took off his suit jacket and said: “Let’s go and use the stairs.”
The source described the staircase as “dusty and a bit narrow.” He said there were “four levels” going up, giving Mr. Aquino and his group time to rest between climbs.
“But then the President said that we would have cramps if we rested and so it would just be better if we continued climbing and did not rest,” the source said.
Mr. Aquino, a known chain smoker, remained in good spirits while some of his Cabinet secretaries joked about following him wherever he went.
Page 1 photo
The Thursday edition of the government-owned Straits Times had as its main front-page photo a picture of Mr. Aquino smiling as he reached the last flight of stairs.
“The Singaporeans were impressed that he could do it. They were impressed not just with his fitness but more so with his attitude and his disposition,” said a member of the Aquino party.
“He did not get angry and was smiling all the way,” the second source said. “The minister from the PUB was so sorry but P-Noy (Aquino) was as always the gracious and humble man. He didn’t want people to fuss over him.”
No to steak
In Manila, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that in keeping with Ash Wednesday, Mr. Aquino declined the steak served him at a “sumptuous” state dinner for his party at the Resorts World hotel in Singapore.
“I could just hear my mom telling me that there are only two days in the year that you should do fasting and abstinence, and today was one of those days,’” Lacierda quoted Mr. Aquino as telling members of his party, based on information from Coloma.
“So he didn’t eat the steak. He just took seafood,” Lacierda said.
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It could have been his calvary. As if fasting and abstinence were not enough, President Benigno Aquino III also climbed the equivalent of a 24-story building on Ash Wednesday.
In his very first official tour of a Singaporean facility the other day, President Aquino trudged up the equivalent of 24 floors from underground after the elevator broke down while he was visiting a water treatment plant.
Among those who climbed the stairs with him was his Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. Del Rosario is 71 years old and had knee surgery a few years back.
Mr. Aquino and his group had just inspected the pipes 60 meters below the ground at the Changi Water Reclamation Plant when the elevator broke down, said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
“It was no big deal for the President and for us. We took brief rests in between so the climb was manageable. No sweat,” Coloma said.
Cory’s advice
Coloma said that even Del Rosario was able to climb all the way up from the ground level together with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo.
“There was no major problem. Secretary Del Rosario held up very well under the situation,” Coloma said.
Since it was Ash Wednesday, Mr. Aquino still had not had a full meal at the time the lift broke down late in the afternoon.
“The President observed fasting and abstinence (on Wednesday). As you know, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics are required to observe fasting and abstinence,” Coloma said.
“He was telling us in a very light vein that now as President, he could almost hear President Cory reminding him to observe fasting and abstinence so I think his considered full meal was only in the evening,” Coloma added.
The water treatment facility was Aquino’s first stop after he arrived at Changi International Airport for a state visit. The plant is operated by Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB), which handles the city-state’s water system.
A minister from the Office of the Prime Minister, Lim Swee Say, was also with Mr. Aquino’s group.
“We were about to go up but there seemed to be some kind of technical difficulty and the door wouldn’t close. We stepped out and we made efforts to repair it but apparently it could not be done quicker,” Coloma said.
“Because we wanted to observe the schedule with the Filipino community, which we were due to meet later, we just decided to climb up.”
A member of the group at first thought the elevator was overloaded and so some of them stepped out, but still the doors would not close.
“There was a diagram showing that we were below ground and the distance to the surface was equivalent to a 24-story building,” said the source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak for the group.
No water
The President’s party and their hosts at first decided to wait for technicians to repair the lift.
“It must have overloaded. That lift was inspected last week and I think it was meant only for seven people. But this time, many of us got in,” the source said.
“There was also no water and so they had to radio the (Presidential Security Group) on the surface to bring water downstairs.”
After waiting for around 20 minutes for the lift to work, the President took off his suit jacket and said: “Let’s go and use the stairs.”
The source described the staircase as “dusty and a bit narrow.” He said there were “four levels” going up, giving Mr. Aquino and his group time to rest between climbs.
“But then the President said that we would have cramps if we rested and so it would just be better if we continued climbing and did not rest,” the source said.
Mr. Aquino, a known chain smoker, remained in good spirits while some of his Cabinet secretaries joked about following him wherever he went.
Page 1 photo
The Thursday edition of the government-owned Straits Times had as its main front-page photo a picture of Mr. Aquino smiling as he reached the last flight of stairs.
“The Singaporeans were impressed that he could do it. They were impressed not just with his fitness but more so with his attitude and his disposition,” said a member of the Aquino party.
“He did not get angry and was smiling all the way,” the second source said. “The minister from the PUB was so sorry but P-Noy (Aquino) was as always the gracious and humble man. He didn’t want people to fuss over him.”
No to steak
In Manila, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that in keeping with Ash Wednesday, Mr. Aquino declined the steak served him at a “sumptuous” state dinner for his party at the Resorts World hotel in Singapore.
“I could just hear my mom telling me that there are only two days in the year that you should do fasting and abstinence, and today was one of those days,’” Lacierda quoted Mr. Aquino as telling members of his party, based on information from Coloma.
“So he didn’t eat the steak. He just took seafood,” Lacierda said.
