BY NESTOR CUARTERO
JUST A THOUGHT: The happiest people are not those getting more but those giving more. – H. Jackson Brown
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BERT TAWA: A sudden surge of Bert “Tawa’’ Marcelo’s San Miguel beer TV commercials on the internet has re-introduced the late comedian to the present generation.
But, I’m luckier. I knew Bert from way back, in the 70s. We were friends.
We actually spent time together on many out of town trips, courtesy of San Miguel. I loved his quick wit, his jokes.
They were snappy and never offensive. They were always marked by his signature screeching laugh.
That time, SMC had a campaign called Balik-Banda that sought to revive the fading art of brass band music in the countryside. Bert was its regular host.
Bert loved his role as brand ambassador of the company from 1971 until his death in 1995. His son Gerard recalls that his dad was fiercely loyal to San Miguel, embracing it like it was his own.
“He lived that value of friendship over money. He would do SMC shows for a minimal fee. He lived the SMB value of “Iba ang may pinagsamahan.”
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HAPPY FOR BULACAN: If he were alive today, Gerard says his father, originally from Baliuag, would have been happy and proud of SMC’s transformation.
The Ramon Ang-led company is heavy into infrastructure development, whose current centerpiece project is a modern international airport rising soon in Bulakan, Bulacan.
The P734 billion Manila International Airport project is set to start construction soon.
As projected, it can handle up to 100 million passengers per year, eyed to create about 30 million tourism-related jobs.
