Meeting of Two Presidents..

Wow, that title seems so heavy. But let me tell you my story. Three days after my term ended as AIESEC MCP, I met Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, president of the Philippines. AIESEC partnered with JobsDB.com, an online job seeker engine for our country’s biggest job fair and education fair, supported by our president.

For the whole event, AIESEC was in charge of registration and ingress and egress. I was the official ingress and egress girl thus was stationed in the entrance and exit doorway the whole time. I, together with other AIESECERs checked each and every item that came in and out of the EXPO including the serial numbers. A lot of companies were impressed with the efficiency of AIESECERs and asked what AIESEC is about (since we were wearing AIESEC ID slings). They said we were very efficient and fast. I felt happy about it since we dealt with 150 schools and companies. I got 5 HR job proposals just by checking out serial numbers, (HR Manager position), since most of the people doing the ingress were HR managers and VPs.

So to cut the story short, during the opening, I had a short chit chat with our Secretary for Job Creation, (Minister in parliamentary government), he entertained me since he is a good friend of my mother. I made a special request on him to allow me to take a picture with the president. . He was also the one who cut the ribbon- Secretary Arthur Yap.

The president came, with her guards, so many of them... then before she left, amidst the crowd i shouted "madam president! can i have a picture with you?? I am from AIESEC". and Secretary Yap heard me. and he pulled me and formally introduced me to the president (gosh, a lot of people were so shocked, coz it was so random). and the president was happy, she said "oh AIESEC. how are you guys?" I told her we are the ones in charge of the ingress and egress of all exhibitors, around 150 companies. and she saw other people in blue, and asked, are you all from AIESEC? people in blue (the company employees nodded, and smiled even if they are not), then in panic i gave the camera to the first person I saw, the secretary and asked him to take my picture. He smiled and did it.

Then the entourage left, then i left. and went to the AIESEC booth to show my pic to other AIESECERs. and then I was called, by the presidential security group... and they were mad. coz I violated several protocols... whaaa!!

No one is allowed to touch the president (i put my hand on her shoulder, so AIESEC, Gosh that pic is such a violation.. so don’t spam it randomly,.if ever you do, pls. edit it, remove the hand)), no one is allowed to come near her if you have a bag (my god, i had a back pack). and lastly, why did I make the secretary or minister my photographer... oh God... i wanted to melt.. earth, can you like open up now and swallow me alive??

Then my hero came.. the secretary himself.. Secretary Arthur Yap. he asked what the problem was. And told the guards I am his cousin (though we are not), and I was set free. I was so grateful to him. and he is the new presidential management staff chief, (or president's chief of staff).so he really has the final say.

This is where I had my internship... I was accepted and allowed to not go to the palace everyday, coz I am from AIESEC.. AIESEC is such a magic word..

So that's the story behind the picture.. actually the guards were sooo shocked.. just soo shocked.. hahahahaha!! but it was funny. coz everyone in JobsDB are making fun of me now. not even the boss of JobsDB had a picture with Gloria..

It is good to be an AIESECER!

So that's it.

(if you wish to have a copy of the halmen-gloria pic, email me at halmen.valdez@aiesec.net)