I mulled over the sensitivity of my last post.  I am a professional after all, working across different ad agencies from a neutral standpoint.  Therefore confidentiality must be the minimum order of the day.

The irony of it all lies here : we lose our humanity in the name of professionalism and non-disclosure.  We have it this way simply because there are so many jobs that need to get done - the majority of which were supposed to be done yesterday.  So most of us speed off as robots trying to do the impossible.

Robots.  That's the perfect noun - robot.  I guess I was a robot for the large part of the time I spent in the agency.  Then singlehandedly trying to do what now takes 6 or more people to do.  In the process losing so much time.  Much time to talk, much time to live, much time to connect, and more importantly, much time to show appreciation.

In trying to recover what may have been lost in time, allow me the space to show appreciation for someone who has transcended an uncharted dimension of motherhood.

Minnie Bobe and I met her in 1996 when our fledgling agency in Bacolod became McCann's strategic alliance partner in that part of the country.  After doing some media training at McCann when the agency was still in Herrera St., a dinner at Italianni's to cap off a week of media info overload.  When dinner was done, she had to excuse herself to get back to work.  To say that I was impressed by her dedication is an understatement.  Little wonder that five years later, when Venus calls on me to join the agency, Venus emails, "I will be out of the country by the time you join the agency but AVP Cookie Bartolome will be there to orient you".

And so it was. Cookie welcomed me to the team and served as mother to the brood which found Mon Samarista and myself as the only males working directly under her auspice.  There were only good times and hard times. 

The good times: Touch Mobile OOH launch, TCEC Non-Carbonated Beverages win, winning Project WTA, Globe Handyphone relaunch (total overhaul of Globe's OOH inventory), Coke OOH plan year after year, plus a whole lot more to mention including the recovery of PhP 2million of Coke's money from a supplier who failed to deliver.  

The hard times : Cost Esimates forever stuck and unsigned in the desk of a brand manager; me almost breaking down due to the lack of an available assistant during the days when OOH planners were as scarce as an ice cube in the desert (thank God Dep de Pasion came along!); consequently, I would for a long time be behind in my plans for the NCBs; a lot of momentary setbacks like Coke Chief Marketing Officer Mary Minnick at the verge of staring at a non-operational Coke tri-vision billboard from her room at the Makati Shangri-la; Mother Ricki and Angel Guerrero appeasing an upset Cathay Pacific Country Manager; the litany of unpaid media suppliers and my "heroics-slash-stupidity" of advancing payments to them which later backfired.

Through it all, it could only be "the best of times".  In contrast to Dickens, there could be no worst of times.  

My account above is only one of the many stories of her brood.  The rest have deeper stories to tell, more profound statements to share.  With tighter bonds forged through the years, they are even in a much better position to share how great a mother/leader/friend Cookie is.  And I guess that is why this Mother's Day weekend may go down as one of the longest weekends ever for some.

I've seen the tears and I could feel the pain.  The stillness permeates.  I wouldn't be surprised if even the arowana at the UniversalMcCann lobby feels the loss.  The pain is not in Cookie's leaving and moving to a new agency.  Everyone moves on at one point or another.  The pain is really in the abruptness of the move.  For the most part, it has left a number of people...errr, 'blindsided'.

With a big jolt like this, it only serves as proof that Cookie B. has really cornered a large part of our hearts.  Proof as well that I am not a robot anymore.  Humanity largely restored.

Trash professionalism and sensitivity of confidential agency info...anyway, the transition will be heralded in Media Magazine's next fortnightly issue.  Mother Cookie, you're the best!  I did recall that I was hoping to talk to you before I left the agency but it seems like we were all too busy.  Before we know it, three years have passed by and BOOM!, you're the one now leaving.  My family and I wish you the best in your new endeavors!  

I know the decision you had to make was a tough one but, like 'blindsided' always says, "The greatest risk one will ever take is not taking a risk at all".

For this, you deserve a bag!  A Rafe bag no less!

Happy Mother's Day!





-photo note : none of the people in the picture are with UM anymore, even the background has been changed :)