Calm before the storm: PNoy sings to reporters before ‘Basyang’

It took a lot of prodding from reporters for President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III to grab the microphone and sing Tuesday night. At a dinner with Palace reporters, Aquino dished out two songs — Florante’s “Handog" and Dennis Lambert’s “Of All the Things" — before some 150 reporters, Malacañang staff, and white-clad members of the Presidential Security Group. Aquino intended to sing the Dennis Lambert hit only, but shouts of “More! More!" prompted him to take the stage again for a second number. “Alam niyo last time niyo ko pinakanta binanatan ako ng mga limang kolumnista (The last time you made me sing, about five columnists criticized me)," Aquino told reporters in jest. Members of the audience gamely joined him in singing Florante’s immortal lines: “Tatanda at lilipas din ako/ Nguni't mayrong awiting / Iiwanan sa inyong ala-ala / Dahil, minsan, tayo'y nagkasama." It wasn’t the first time Aquino entertained the crowd with his singing. At his inaugural street party last June 30, the President sang Michel Legrand’s 1960s hit “Watch What Happens" and Freddie Aguilar's 1980s hit “Estudyante Blues" before an audience of 120,000.
The dinner took place a few hours before Metro Manila was lashed by strong winds brought by Typhoon Basyang which, according to government reports as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, killed 18 people. Aquino was visibly worried about the possible impact of the cyclone during the social function. He was asking his staff for updates and telling reporters on the sidelines about his government’s preparation plans for high-risk areas. The dinner — the first between Palace media and Aquino as president — had been scheduled a week ago as a "getting-to-know" event of sorts. Before the event, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that while they do not want to dictate nor influence how the media covers the President’s activities, they also do not want a “hostile" media. There had been clashes between the media and members of Aquino’s Cabinet in his first two weeks of office. After the heated exchanges, members of Aquino's Cabinet underwent a seminar on dealing with the media, although Malacanang maintained that these had been planned long ago. Aquino is expected to name members of his Communications Group, the reorganized Office of the Press Secretary, within the week. Aside from dealing with the media, the group will be in charge of handling the government's feedback mechanism to get ordinary citizens' reactions to and suggestions for the Aquino administration. - KBK, GMANews.TV