Up Close and Personal With Margarita “TingTing” Cojuangco

Former Tarlac Governor, Margarita “Tingting” de los Reyes – Cojuangco, is the wife of Former Tarlac Congressman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr., and a mother to the beautiful China, MaiMai and Mikee Cojuanco-Jaworski .

This is how most of the people know TingTing. I was just lucky to be given an opportunity to get to know her up close and personal, aside from being a wife and a mother to equally well-known personalities here in the country. But did you know that TingTing and Peping Cojuanco has already five (5) lovely daughters and not just China, MaiMai and Mikee?

• Luisita Immaculada Angeles, a pediatrician, married to Noel Bautista, a businessman
• Josephine Victoria, a businesswoman, married to Jojo Guingona, a businessman
• Mikaela Maria Antonia a.k.a. Mikee, equistrianne, movie and television actress and civic worker married to former Congressman Robert “Dodot” Jaworski, businessman
• Margarita Demetria a.k.a. MaiMai, fashion designer for Segue and Benetton, married to Andrea Zini, businessman
• Regina Patricia a.k.a. China, actress, Chef, Stage Actress

Before I have met her personally, I have already read most of her articles in the Lifestyle Section (Fashion and Beauty) of the Philippine Star. I enjoyed her written articles because they are very informative and useful especially for those who want to be beautiful (who doesn’t?). We can’t deny the fact that even at her age, TingTing Cojuangco is still enviously gorgeous. Maybe it’s also because that she’s into ballet that’s why she still has those “curves” at the right places.

Anyway, as a person, she loves to collect valuable antique items and take note, not just collecting per se, but she also knows the origin and other important details about her collections! Isn’t this interesting?

Also, despite her busy schedule, every Sunday, she still sees to it that she will devote her time to her family. Because her daughter, China, is a chef, she’s the one who cooks during their Family Day.

Other truths I’ve discovered about TingTing Cojuangco when we visited her in her house at Dasmarinas Village, Makati is that she is very accommodating, loves to chitchat and is very good with names and faces. I mean, two days after we visited her, we then meet again at Freeway Art NACS Launch Botong Francisco Collection and surprisingly, she still remembered me! You know how busy the likes of TingTing and that how hectic her schedule is, but to remember an ordinary person like me is really something!

Anyway, the latest buzz about her is that, she was the one who completed the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial slate for the 2013 Senatorial Elections together with:

2. Cagayan Rep Juan Ponce “Jack” Enrile Jr
3. San Juan Rep Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito
4. Sen Gregorio Honasan II
5. Resigned Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri
6. Zambales Rep Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay
7. Former Senator Richard Gordon
8. Former Senate President Ernesto Maceda
9. Senator Loren Legarda
10. Senator Francis Escudero
11. Grace Poe-Llamanzares