With the many significant events that occurred on April 12, 1944 (a Wednesday), the NYC premiere showing of the American feature film based on Lilian Hellman’s play at the Fulton Theater, “The Searching Wind,” overshadowed the rest of the occurrences mainly due to its lead stars Robert Young, Sylvia Sydney and Ann Richards who were the toasts of the cinema during those days.
While the western world was pre-occupied with the grandiose cinematic event an unheralded nascence of Erlinda Mananghaya, a soon-to-be epitome of woman empowerment, was simultaneously happening in the Philippines in a quiet Southern Tagalog province of Bulacan, particularly in Baliuag.
Born assertive and self-motivated, Linda, being a typical Arian, is innately gifted with a tendency to be driven forward and onward and no amount of outside force could influence her principle or judgment.
Fundamental knowledge and skills in foreign policies, cross cultural communication and everything related to such subject caught Linda’s interest and from the University of Manila she received her Foreign Service diploma. But something seemed to be lacking. She knew that contentment could only be possible if and when she could release her overflowing creative juices that motivated Linda to enrol at the University of the East to hone her passion for music and drama.
Her basic training in music and the theater timely ignited the dying ember within and her almost jilted obsession as a singer-actress. Her short-lived acting career was fortuitously redeemed by a vast opportunity that waited across the miles and seas.
In 1982, she found herself easily adjusted to a not-so-alienated lifestyle and Jersey City became the cradle that rocked her lofty dreams. Innately intelligent while maintaining her curiosity in her pursuit of adjusting to her new environment, Linda kept her cool in strange situations, even as she felt the turmoil within. Gifted with great leadership quality that is evident in her outlook towards life, she was instantly recognized as a mover and shaker and an efficient community organizer.
After being elected president of the International Montgomery Gateway Association she joined the Downtown Coalition of neighborhood Associations (DCNA) where she became the first Asian-American President and soon thereafter served on the Planning Board.
Together with Fil-Am veterans, Linda co-founded the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) in 1992 that catapulted her moniker to unprecedented heights and sent her to the prestigious office as the first ever Filipino-American woman to serve as Deputy Mayor for the City of Jersey City in 1998 under the administration of Mayor Bret D. Schundler. During her term, she was instrumental in the launch of the Slice of Heaven Ethnic Festival series and diversity programming. During the same year she was also the first Fil-Am in Hudson County to be elected to the Jersey City Board of Education.
There was no stopping this potential political figure from doing what she did best. Aside from serving on Gov. Jim Florio’s Ethnic Advisory Council and as a Distribution Specialist at Allied Signal, she pursued a career with the City of Jersey City as a Qualified Purchasing Agent until her retirement in 2011. Curently, Linda serves on Mayor Steven M. Fulop’s Transitional Team for Recreation and Education.
For these valuable reasons, the indefatigable community leader was awarded a Birthday Proclamation from the Office of the Mayor of the City of Jersey City during the celebration of her 70th birthday at the Crystal Ballroom of the Ramada Plaza Hotel last Saturday, April 12, 2014. The message was read by Jersey City Council Pres. Rolando Lavarro assisted by Hudson County Freeholder Bill O’Dea.
It was actually a surprise birthday party thrown and hosted by Linda’s unico hijo, Jose “Joey” Mayo, Jr., courtesy of her late husband, Jose “Boy” Mayo, Sr.
And what better way to pompously celebrate the birthday of someone so dear than giving her nothing but only the best. So Joey thought of throwing a surprise birthday bash for the woman who painstakingly cared and nurtured him.
Masterfully planning and perfecting the art of surprising the celebrator wasn’t an easy thing afterall, there could be unpredictable hitches and glitches that could spoil the scheme. With generous support from friends, who acted as accomplices, the preparation went on smoothly as planned.
On the very day of the event, heightened tension and anxiety started to build up especially during the early hours prior to the party. The slated 7:00 program was put on hold since guests were just starting to arrive while Joey and mom Linda were already on the road. Guests were briefed accordingly about the details on delivering the very element of the party. Thru constant communication with the former, guests were provided with a blow-by-blow update of the situation until the final text confirmed of the celebrator’s whereabout: “We’re at the parking lot now!”
That was the most anticipated final signal! As earlier informed on how to execute and blast the surprise greeting, guests settled to their places in haste, the room turned dark, deafening silence prevailed, and the DJ had the birthday song on cue. Even the hotel’s banquet manager, the amiable Louise Salermo, conspired in the strategic scheme by relaying up-to-the-minute scenario at the lobby.
Actually, Linda knew about a party tendered for her but with just a handful of PACCAL friends and relatives totaling about 12 to 15 people. She was actually hesitant to don a formal gown in an intimate gathering but we insisted her to dress-to-the-ninth since we’ll go nightclubbing later…and she was convinced!
She was initially ushered in to the gazebo room where she was told the reception was set. Joey premeditatedly reacted and pretended to be in awe when the venue was closed for renovation. “Maybe, they moved to another room since I was told that the restoration might not be completely done in time for the event.”
As planned, Joey led his mom to the ballroom. Linda was already having doubts as to why a small group be placed in such a spacious room. But she just relied on Joey until the door opened. Lights were brightly turned on. Boisterous greetings and thundering applause prevailed in unison amid the deafening Happy Birthday song. Dumbfounded, there and then, Linda was held in spell. She was taken aback by the sight of familiar faces she never expected to be there at that moment. It took her a while before she got back to her senses and finally realized she was taken for a ride.
Speechless while eyes were blinded with tears, Linda could only maintain her composure and went on with the flow wearing a plastered smile while profuse tears relentlessly streamed down her cheeks. After acknowledging every well-wisher she was mounted on a make-shift springy riser bedecked with assorted greens and blooms that offered a vantage point for shutterbugs.
Suffice it to say that the party’s element of surprise was more than achieved with tremendous enthusiasm. There was nonstop dancing, fun, and sharing endless tales of the bolt from the blue. Despite her over- indulgent jauntiness and gaiety in keeping updated with relatives from the Mananghaya and Mayo sides, and friends, Linda incredibly remained dynamically zestful and frenzied throughout the evening.
Growing old graciously, specifically turning 70, is a grandiose celebration of life and living it to its fullest measure. This is the apex where disarming honesty about life’s reality has to be unfurled with openness and the long standing guilt that has been kept in secrecy for years revealed with guilt.
Linda Mananghaya Mayo, a vibrant and punctilious woman of seventy, stands tall having had proudly shared unfathomed depth of wisdom, immeasurable knowledge and a plethora of consummated experiences which served as an awe-inspiring testimony that life, indeed, has been worth-living. She has the wonderful ability to combine sympathy with the right action, the quality of understanding with unabated courage and, individual action with comprehensiveness of purpose.
Possessing a certain amount of poise that earns respect, Linda can also be very humorous and playful when the mood grabs her and in fact, she can be quite moody and sometimes difficult to truly get close to. She’s capable of making great sacrifices and can recover quickly from reversals of fortune.
Life, for Linda, is a day-to-day unadulterated routine but with a well-planned course. Her typical morning commences with a spiritual communion with her Creator followed by a ceremonious personal ritual that could only seize the day after feeling contented with the way she looks. No amount of persuasive forbearance could break or squeeze into her already solidly patented schedule.
A woman of courage and passion, of style and substance, and of faith and creed, this septuagenarian bundle of womanly pulchritude still manages to exhibit her peculiar flair and unpredictable deportment even under pressure.
“I don’t believe that woman should feel and think their age…but merely act their age accordingly .” Linda openly opines. “As they say age is just a state of mind and aging is undoubtedly defined by the way people act.”
While the current trend of the 70-year-old-woman tends to gravitate toward concentrating on full retirement, enjoying the remaining years ahead by just clinging on to every passing year, growing old and getting wiser for Linda entails a much more zest for life. Every passing year isn’t merely an additional figure to her age but more of a head-on challenge to defy the aging process.
Although men look more distinguished and refined as they grew old and grey, women, for Linda, are undeniably youth-obsessed. “If vanity has always been a woman’s personal trait then wrinkles, thinning hair, and deteriorating health become her worst curse… then the commission of denial becomes a common transgression absolved by admission.” She utters in jest.
Incidentally, former Mayor Bret D. Schundler personally called on Linda the following morning to extend his birthday wish for his former staff and justified his absence with a reasonable excuse.
Famous people that share Linda’s birthday are novelist-historian Tom Clancy, actress Claire Danes, celebrity host David Letterman, actor-singer David Cassidy, American pianist-composer Herbie Hancock, and American singer-ukelele virtuoso Tiny Tim.
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