MELLIE ABLAZA Rediscovering a grand dame

Much has been said and asked of Mellie Ablaza, or Tita Mellie to many of us, a woman noteworthy for her accomplishments in the diplomatic, civic, philanthropic and artistic sectors. She is the honorary consul of Guatemala to the Philippines, former president of the Friends of the Cultural Center of the Philippines now known as the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines, a lay leader active in the promotion of devotion to the Sto. Nino, a lawyer who graduated from the College of Law of the University of the Philippines and a businesswoman.

Misunderstood, she was initially thought to have tried a little bit too hard to make it to high society. What they didn’t realize was Tita Mellie just wanted to have fun and didn’t care at all if she would be accepted or not

I am always asked who Mellie Ablaza is, where she came from, and how, all of a sudden, she became part of the social scene toward the end of the 1990s, and achieving much social success at the start of the millennium. By the middle of the first decade of the new century, she had achieved renown as one of the country’s top hostesses and one of the most sought after guests, this according to the high society magazine, Tatler.

Misunderstood, she was initially thought to have tried a little bit too hard to make it to high society. What they didn’t realize was Tita Mellie just wanted to have fun and didn’t care at all if she would be accepted or not. Besides, she did not need to be accepted, being a lawyer, and graduate of UP no less. But as they immediately found out, she proved to be a woman one could easily like. Although known for her generosity and unmatched hospitality, which is essential to anyone who would capture the social world, her kindness, charm, and trustworthiness would stand out among her many desirable traits.

This lady from Pangasinan grew up participating in all kinds of community activities whether as a performer or a local beauty queen, having been raised by surrogate parents, an uncle and an aunt who didn’t have a child and sort of adopted her, although she remained to be her true parents’ daughter as well. Of course, she received love from both sets of parents. No wonder that when she had her debut at the Sky Room of Jai Alai, a favorite party place of the 400, the two pairs, proud of their daughter who had turned into a beauty as expected, stood beside her. With them, she welcomed her guests who included then Vice President Diosdado Macapagal and his lady Evangelina Macapagal.

Tita Mellie would marry the young businessman Louie Ablaza, a student leader during his UST college days, and himself a scion of a family that was engaged in real estate development and even then, financial services (pawnshops).

Meeting at a jam session, where the graceful Louie impressed the charming Mellie with his dancing prowess, the two warmed up to each other. Courtship ensued, with the adventurous and sporty Louie driving all the way to Dagupan to visit her, his persistence leading to their fairytale wedding at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, followed by breakfast at the Manila Hotel.

Of late, Tita Mellie has been keeping a low profile. It used to be that she would host a grand theme ball around her birthday, but in recent years, she has much preferred to host sit-down dinners in her beautiful Tagaytay home.

Proust is sharing with you an interview with his Tita Mellie, in response to many questions asked about her. This conversation took place when Proust was writing the pictorial biography, On Being Mellie, now a rare book if one could find a copy at all. This is not an update on the lady but more of telling you who she was before she became the person that you know her to be today.

Daily Tribune (DT): How did you become an honorary consul?

Mellie Ablaza (MA): There was a party in the house of the Mexican Ambassador, Enrique Hubbard, and his wife, Mariana, on Acacia Road. It happened that the Ambassador of Guatemala to Japan was there, too. As diplomats, they were once together in some part of the world. So the Ambassador of Guatemala to Japan informed Ambassador Hubbard that he was looking for someone who would represent Guatemala in the Philippines.

RESPLENDENT in a Filipiniana. During the party, Mariana approached me, and said, “Mellie, do you think Louie would be interested in becoming the honorary consul of Guatemala here? I replied, “Well, I should say that he is being considered to be the honorary consul of another country.” In that case, she said, “I am very happy to tell you that you are the one they really want for the post.” It turned out the ambassador and his wife really wanted me. But I told them to give me time.

And then, I met the Mexican Ambassador at Evie Costa’s house. And he started to say, “Mellie, what is your decision? Because if you are not interested, I will look for another one.” I said, “Do you think I am deserving to be one?” “Why not,” he said. So, I said, “Okay. Give me time to prepare my papers.” I became an honorary consul in 2003.

ELEGANT and sophisticated. DT: What are your duties?

MA: My duties right now, are, of course, first of all, you have to have an office. We give information to those asking for requirements for applying for visas. But the visas are issued by the Guatemalan embassy in Japan. So we give out information. And for people who want our assistance, we can always look at their papers before they send them to the Guatemalan embassy. We also authenticate papers, like those of the national census.

DT: Let’s talk about Friends of the CCP (now Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines). What were your accomplishments as president?

MA: During my term of two years, (2004 to 2005, then 2005 to 2006), we were able to raise funds for the donation to the national museum. We now have a room named after the FCCP. We were also able to purchase a condominium unit for our office.

DT: Can you tell us about your family, the Romeros?

MA: My father was a graduate of medicine. UST (University of Santo Tomas) ‘yan. My mother married at a very young age. She was about 16 or 18. My mother belonged to the Visperas family. They had light complexion. My grandmother on my mother’s side had two girls and one boy. The boy was a soldier and died during the World War II. My aunt married a politician, Thomas Aquino. Her name was Librada, my mother’s elder sister. She and my uncle did not have children so I grew up with them. After my kindergarten in Dagupan, my uncle and auntie took me to Manaoag where I studied my Grade 1. I was back in Dagupan for Grade 2. And then Grade 3 onwards, up to high school, I was with them. The name of the school was Holy Rosary, which is run by the same nuns who manage St. Joseph’s College in Quezon City.

MA: The ones hands-on were my uncle and my aunt more than my father and mother. But they were all strict. We were very religious. I was a member of the Manaoag choir. We would sing in the loft to the accompaniment of the old organ. We practiced every Saturday for the Sunday Mass. And when the Virgin was brought out for a procession, I would be one of the two angels standing beside her image. I enjoyed the experience because they would dress me up and have my hair curled, so I have pictures showing me in my kinky hairdo.

My uncle, with whom I grew up in Manaoag, started out as mayor immediately. He had about two terms. He then practiced and later became a fiscal.

FROM classic to trendy. Basketball team muse

DT: You took up Law in the University of the Philippines. Tell me about University of the Philippines (UP).

MA: UP was nice. We were only few women. Almost all, thank God, ended up in good positions. Some of my classmates are Ruben Ancheta, Consuelo Ynares Santiago, Alice Austria Martinez, and Nenita Chico. Bellaflor Angara, too.

LOUIE and Mellie are always a graceful pair. DT: You must have enjoyed campus life.

MA: We had a happy student life. We would go to Brown Derby on Quezon Boulevard.

Haydee (Yorac) would tell us, “Let’s watch a movie.” So we would go all the way to Manila.

We were friends, and sometimes just the two of us would watch a movie. One time we were so in a hurry to leave the school, I tripped on the stairs. Haydee was very kind. Once, I was the basketball team’s muse. Another time, they assigned me to be on the float during one Lantern Parade. There was a miscommunication as to whether I would be on one float, or be on someone else’s pick-up, so I ended up not being able to participate in the parade. We all had a good laugh, of course. One participant then was Boots Anson Roa.

MELLIE (center) is lucky to have two sets of parents: her biological parents, Dr. Pedro and Zosima Romero (to her right), and her adoptive parents, Atty. Tomas and Librada Aquino (to her left). DT: What did you like in Tito Louie?

MA: He was different from my other suitors. It’s probably because he was older than I. He looked like a man of the world already. When I was in Dagupan, he would drive his car to Dagupan every Sunday. He would do that every Sunday even when the road was bad. But then he also loved driving. He would sometimes stay overnight. He would sleep in the hotel.

Being conservative, my parents were strict and you know how it is in the province, they would not show any sign that they liked him.

But of course, I made clear to my parents that I liked him. I was adamant about my choice. I would speak loud that I liked him when they asked me. But again, your Tito Louie said that if they weren’t that strict and practically guarded me, he would not have pursued his courtship.

DT: I am interested in the way you look, which varies from day to day, or party to party.

MA: When I was young, iba iba ang looks ko. Ambassador Juan Areglado once told me I am a woman with a thousand faces. I have toned down my look. I found out that I could just look simple. I would take a bath and then go out. I do not have to go to the parlor, unlike before when I would spend more time there. Those were my younger days. But even as a young girl, I was already trendy. I have done my bit of “crazy” things, I must say, now that you’re asking about my looks.

DT: Which designers did you go to as a young matron?

MA: I went to Tente Wilwayco. I went to Bobby Novenario. Also Rudy Diego.

DT: Aside from the organizations, did you belong to any group where you did things together?

MA: Before, we had a tour group that cruised. Then we started dancing on weekends at the Manila Hotel. At the Maynila. We were five couples. That was the time when people loved to dance. We started it after we went to Alaska.

DT: What’s your priority when you give to an organization or a cause?

MA: Organizations involved in the promotion of arts and culture. Yun ding mga charitable organizations. I also do my thing for the Red Cross. Yung sa cancer awareness. When it comes to Red Cross, it was Mang Ben (Ben Farrales) who got me involved. I try to give as much as possible, but I do not really want to talk about these things. Especially when it comes to the church, that is something private. As the Bible says, one hand should not know what the other does.

Her husband, Louie, was different from her other suitors. “He looked like a man of the world already.”