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ARTHUR
Jesus Planta Tugade drives a 2.4 “matic” Ford Focus.
But while he says he tremendously enjoys his ride, what
really drives him is his penchant for charity.
He even
buys cars and golf carts and raffles them off in a golf
tournament that he loves to stage yearly since 1997—but
that’s getting ahead of the story.
I first
wrote about Arthur Jesus Planta Tugade, who traces his
roots in Claveria, Cagayan, some three years or so ago.
He was exceptionally trim then, almost emaciated, pale
even, as he had just recovered from an illness—one that,
he said, almost claimed his life.
“I was
taken to the hospital one night bleeding from inside
without knowing what caused it,” he had said. “Doctors
had given me a 50-50 chance of survival.”
He
survived and, APT, as he is fondly called by everybody,
now attributes his “second life” to a miracle.
“I’m
sure God has more plans in store for me,” he had
concluded then. “I can feel it.”
I saw
him again on January 4. He appeared fully recovered as
he had grown a paunch.
Late
that night, he kissed me passionately in the cheek.
Next, he toppled my golf cap. Why, he was drunk. Only
the healthy are usually the ones willing to get drunk.
This was
the evening the day APT had held his APT Cup, the only
golf tournament in the world whose awarding ceremony
requires that only those drinking a poktanju are allowed
entry into the hall.
And
what’s a poktanju?
It is a
mug of beer mixed with a jigger of whiskey, gulped down
in three seconds or less.
You kill
two shots of the potion, it stirs you to life, if not
makes you want to instantly hug the person—male or
female—next to you.
Three
shots and your head will start spinning. Four and you
start growling like a tiger.
APT must
have downed six shots already when his knees started to
wobble.
“I love
you, Al,” APT said to me, before he kissed me and next
went table-hopping on shaky legs, two friends on the
guard in case he suddenly fell—which almost happened
four times. “I love you as much as I love helping the
caddies of The Orchard, as much as I love extending
support to the Tuloy Foundation of Don Bosco in Alabang.”
The next
morning, hangover and all, APT distributed oodles of
cash to many Orchard caddies, whose children APT had
been sending to school on scholarship for years on end.
On
Wednesday, January 9, APT, in celebrating his 62nd
birthday (there’s “Jesus” in APT’s name because January
9 is the feast of The Black Nazarene in Quiapo), shelled
out P700,000 to the Tuloy Foundation in Don Bosco
Alabang.
I have
yet to see one person, not that very rich, who digs deep
from his pocket yearly for the last 11 years and
distributes them to the downtrodden.
Oh, yes,
APT owns the Perry’s Group of Companies, a
much-respected, very diversified outfit, whose
staunchest of supporters like PAL’s Jimmy Bautista more
than willingly pitch in for the success of the APT Cup
year in and year out.
But ask
anybody close to APT, like Rolly Enriquez, Leo Tayag,
Ochie Tuazon and Aaron Francisco, and he’ll tell you APT
will give his last shirt on his back in the name of
charity.
So
popular has APT become—or his tournament—that no less
than President Fidel V. Ramos graced the APT Cup for the
first time this year.
“Until
tonight, I had thought all along that APT stands for
Assets Privatization Trust,” FVR said during the
awarding ceremony. “But seriously now, Mr. APT (Art P.
Tugade) is worth emulating. He is a man of leadership,
whose life is filled with goodness in his heart.”
But
while APT is a certified “man for others,” crafting
innovative ideas has also been his natural calling; for
example, he has discarded the bundy clock for his
employees and “it has since produced more efficiency
from my staff.”
Every
year, participants in his APT Cup wear weird
costumes—from Ninja turtles to pineapple men, from
Superman to Batman & Robin, from hobo to Fantastic 4,
from King Arthur to the Pirates of the
Caribbean, etc.
Last
year, APT required everybody to wear a coat and tie and
the golf course, when seen from a distance, became a
poignant sea of darkness when the tournament was on.
But APT
readily acknowledges that the APT Cup would not be
successful without the help of his wife, Marisol, and
children, Powie, Jay-Art, Barrie and Finina.
“Our APT
Cup, with my family beside me, will always be a culture
of happiness,” APT said during the awarding ceremony.
“Over here, we are all kapamilya and kapuso.”
Seemingly, if one drives a Ford Focus, he’s always
focused—and foe-less like APT?
Glenn
“Ford” Dasig must be in Cloud Nine right now.
Pee stop
Here’s
wishing that Nissan’s Raymond Tribdino gets well
soon…Here’s a glass to PAL’s Jimmy Bautista, who was
chosen by Orient as The Aviation Person of The Year. |
