Working on the biography of her father, Bienvenido R. Tantoco Sr., Philippine Ambassador  to the Holy See, which was launched in 2019, and her mom's, which has yet to be launched, has allowed me the joy and privilege of working with Zenaida "Nedy" R. Tantoco (also known as ZRT to the Rustan's family).

While ours was a working relationship, between a writer and his client, I had a few up-close and personal moments with her even outside of work.

The most recent was when she and her partner, the gentleman Patrick Jacinto, joined our DAILY TRIBUNE team in the celebration of our 23rd anniversary and the birthday of our lady publisher, Chingbee Fernandez. Together with other VIP guests, including Rupert Jacinto, we sat in a corner of The Peak at the Grand Hyatt. Ma'am Nedy, as I called her, was most gracious, conversing with us and graciously shaking hands with the editors introduced to her. One could sense a certain shyness, and yet, she was all smiles and was asking questions about the DAILY TRIBUNE. A good conversationalist, she talked animatedly with the lady beside her, Chabeng, or Mrs. Winston Garcia. She and Patrick left in an hour, but not after partaking of some cocktail food.

The first time I met her was in the early part of the century when I was the principal writer of Seagull Philippines, a publishing house that specializes in coffee-table books. But it was for a freelance assignment for Hola Magazine that brought me to her parents' beautiful home in Forbes Park. As I expected, it was one impressive abode with artworks by the masters, mostly Amorsolo, and antique jars eliciting from first-time guests awe and admiration.   

Equally remarkable was an elegant merienda buffet spread of a leg of Jabugo ham, pasta and dainty rectangular finger sandwiches. With us were Nedy's sisters, Menchu Lopez, Marilou Pineda, Marilen and Tokie Enriquez. The interview was about their memories of their mother Glecy. As the afternoon went on, it was obvious to me that the sisters loved, admired, and respected their big sister who also acted as their confidante, adviser, and number one moral support. "It was Nedy this…and Nedy that," as they described how their eldest sister and their mom had been quite close and how she had since taken on the role of the family "matriarch" Glecy who was there for them in their every need and in both good and challenging times. Indeed, one perceived a woman who had taken over the reins of the many concerns that Glecy, in her time, had dedicated her efforts to.