On the opening of Congress, senators are usually allowed to bring two individuals to be their special guests to the session hall.
Senator Bam Aquino invited his wife, Timi, and content creator/rap artist/entrepreneur Pio Balbuena to the opening of the 20th Congress.
Known for his video series and songs, Pio has 6.9 million Facebook followers and almost 650,000 YouTube subscribers. He is also the man behind the Tambay brand of caps – collectors’ items that fetch prices of hundreds to Php 1,000+ each.
Pio has come to embrace “Tambay,” a contraction of “stand by” and a term for fellows who just sit around and are seemingly unproductive. In Pio’s case, his alter ego of Tambay is a modern everyman who still strives to be better in the face of limiting circumstances. It’s a character that has become relatable and has captured the attention of people, including Sen. Bam.
Pio and Bam met through their common friend Geil who helped the rap artist when he was starting out. Both Pio and Geil became volunteers for Bam’s most recent senatorial campaign.
“D’un ko nakilala si Sen. Bam sa meeting at d’un ko din nalaman na may libreng kolehiyo pala…,” said Pio referring to the free college law that Sen. Bam sponsored. “Sa tingin ko naman kahit ilang beses pa lang kami nagkikita ni Sen. Bam, masasabi kong magtropa na kami,” Pio added.
When Pio received Sen. Bam’s invitation to the 20th Congress, he was pleasantly shocked. “Special event daw ‘yun! Aba, dalawa lang pwede invited sa session hall, at dalawa lang kami ni Ma’am Timi na guests ni Sen. Bam. Aba’y feeling ko, parte ako ng pamilya!… Sobrang nahihiya ako kasi magbabarong daw,” said Pio.
Good thing Pio had a Barong Tagalog ready. “Rare ‘yun na nabili namin sa palengke, pero maangas ang quality,” he said of his outfit. He tried to sleep early the night before to make it to the morning call time. He joked, “Nagising naman ako nang maaga. Sabi ko nga, hindi gising ng tambay ‘yun. Gising ng senador!”
Being among the lawmakers was both a humbling and eye-opening experience for Pio. “Parang mga ilang araw din, feeling ko na may alam ako sa politika!” he remarked.
More than that, Pio formed a greater appreciation for the work of lawmakers as he observed and listened to their speeches. “Kahit papano, nakita ko yung mga ginagawa at tungkulin ng mga nasa sangay ng lehislatura ng pamahalaan.”
It’s something that he hopes every Filipino can experience.
