SOCORRO RAMOS @101: THE NANAY WE KNOW

Nanay Coring's bargaining skills made publishers and suppliers shed tears before surrendering and giving the discount she asked for.

- CECILIA RAMOS-LICAUCO

At 101 years old, Socorro Ramos - everyone's "Nanay" - continues to amaze all of us. The mother we know is much more than the much-revered and publicized businesswoman. She raised all three of us (Fred, Ben and me) with the same energy she applied to growing her National Book Store business. There was no demarcation between home and the retail store. Dinners were always about what sold, what got shoplifted, and which publisher was coming to town.

Tatay and Nanay did not take vacations. They just watched movies in the theaters on Rizal Avenue, after the store closed. My father was shy and not sociable. He unfailingly went to the store at 6 a.m. every day, and enjoyed buying fruits from Aranque Market. He then let the staff come in to clean up before opening hours.

Nanay is the complete opposite. She has always been - still is - a night person. She stayed awake until almost sunrise and worked on orders, invoices, and her famous taped messages played on the store speakers ("Umakyat po kayo. Marami pang bestsellers sa second floor..."). She's quite proud to say that she never liked playing mahjong or going to parties. Actually, all her friends were work friends: sales people, suppliers, book reps. She has outlived all of the people she worked with.

She may have been the disciplinarian. I felt the sharp whack of a feather duster on my butt just once; my brothers, Fred and Ben, more often. Even during the busy back-to-school season, she plastic-cover-wrapped our textbooks and notebooks with meticulous care. Needless to say, our school bags were always complete with supplies. She attended every school event and graduation that we had. And yes, she also went to the principal's office when my brothers misbehaved.