– Bert “Tawa” Marcelo who hails from this place did not live long enough to see the transformation of the company that makes his favorite beer. But his son, Gerard said his dad would be proud and happy to learn of the successes of San Miguel Corporation who is giving back to Bulacan with the soon-to-be-built airport 25 years after his demise.
Gerard said the gloom of the lockdown due to the coronavirus disease gave Filipinos time to revisit his dad’s old SMC TV commercials on Youtube and share these on Facebook. One of the favorite ones was featuring Bert demanding debt payment from Bruno, a karate practitioner, who sends his sparring partner sailing through the front door. A dazed Bert then invites him with his characteristic Bulakenyo lilt, “Mag beer muna tayo.
“Yes, definitely he will be happy and proud of the development. My father was a proud Bulakenyo. As Jose Guevarra also said, ‘He was one of the two men that the province of Bulacan can be truly proud of. He placed Bulacan on the map. The other one is Blas Ople, the serious one,” he said.