Pictures from Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao’s 62nd Birthday Party

Bariles was privileged to be invited to the 62nd Birthday Party of the Pambansang Ina, Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao last Sunday, May 15, 2011 and has a few pictures to show for it.

Bariles had to join eariler the motorcade for Manny Pacquiao, part of the Hero’s Welcome for the homecoming champion, fresh from his victorious defense of the World Welterweight Title against Shane Mosley in the US.  His plane arrived a little before 6pm and so it was already dusk when he and Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio went up the float prepared to him by the GenSan LGU.

So it was already 8:30pm when Bariles, together with 2010 Mr. GenSan Jenel Labiana and 2010 Ms. GenSan Ghen Mutia arrived at the party at the new Pacquiao Gymnasium, with Manny Pacquiao and wife Jinkee a few minutes ahead of them.

The whole place was packed with 700-800 people and the group sensing that there was no vacant table left tried to maneuver themselves to the nearest buffet table where there was hardly any food left.  They however managed to score a few bites of whatever was available and situated themselves behind a now empty dessert table.

The program emceed by a very spirited blogger-teacher Joana Lapore of the Soccsksargen Bloggers, started with some lively performances from fire dancers.  Eventually, it was time for Mommy Dionisia in what is a Thalia-inspired look doing a modern latin dance number with matching background dancers.  The beat was so fast that even the spritely 62-year young birthday girl could hardly keep up at times but of course, her adoring friends and guests surely didn’t mind.

There were a couple of other numbers and testimonies from Mommy D’s relatives but the highlight was her Congressman son Manny who took to the microphone and thanked her mom for his and his siblings’ upbringing, among other things.

Then the whole Pacquiao gym was hushed when the initial bars to the song “Bakit” popularized by Imelda Papin, played on the background while Mommy Dionisia now in a resplendent red gown came out onstage, lipsyching to her recorded voice like there was no tomorrow… with the right dramatic gestures and pained facial expressions befitting a spurned lover.  At one point during the song, she even kneeled on the stage! (Note: Papin recently had a concert with Mommy D in GenSan. Read about it by CLICKING HERE.)

Then the moment which the guests and perhaps, the Champ’s mother have been waiting for – Congressman Pacquiao and ravishing wife Jinkee Pacquiao (now visibly slimmer, sexier and less agitated) presenting to Mommy Dionisia a big, heavy orange box with her birthday wish – a HERMES BAG!  It was Jinkee Pacquiao who picked out and shopped for the bag herself reportedly costing almost a million pesosesoses!

Finally it was time for the blowing of Mommy Dionisia’s birthday cake which was as large as a regular plywood and adorned with more than 10 Barbie Dolls, a special request from the celebrant herself!

But then, Mommy Dionisia‘s happiest moment was when from out of the blue, appeared her co-starrer in the movie “ANG TANGING PAMILYA“, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada to greet her personally onstage.

After a few more musical numbers from Pacman who sang a duet with his Pacman Band vocalist Madonna Decena and novelty tunes from Max Surban, the much-heralded Argentine Tango number from Mommy Dionisia concluded the evening’s programme.

Thanks Mommy D for inviting GenSan News Online Mag and for sharing with us again, one of the happiest moments in the life of the Pambansang Ina.

Photos are courtesy of GenSantos.com official photographer Marz and GenSan Gazer‘s Mandi Nicolas.