Aquino plants tree next to Cory’s red maple

LIKE ROYALTY President Aquino arrives like royalty in a state landau, a horse-drawn carriage driven by the Canadian Royal Military Police, for the welcome ceremony at the Governor General’s official residence at the start of his state visit to Canada on Thursday (Friday in Manila). MALACAÑANG PHOTO

OTTAWA, Canada—You might say President Benigno Aquino III wanted to bask in his mother’s shadow when he planted his red spruce right next to a taller red maple planted in 1989 by the late President Corazon C. Aquino.

The ceremonial tree planting by a visiting head of state on the picturesque, sprawling grounds of the Governor General’s official residence is a Canadian tradition that Mr. Aquino observed as he kicked off his three-day visit here on Thursday afternoon (Friday morning in Manila).

The symbolism of President Aquino’s action was not lost on his Canadian hosts.

“Today, you will quite literally follow in your mother’s footsteps; (she) not only visited Canada in 1989 as president, but also planted a tree at Rideau Hall,” Governor General David Johnston said.

“What a wonderful legacy for your family! Reminds me of one of my favorite proverbs: ‘Blessed is the man or the woman who plants a tree knowing that he or she might not be there to enjoy its shade,’” he added.

Icons of democracy

The Canadian official earlier welcomed President Aquino by referring to his parents.

“We stand here in friendship because of the efforts of our predecessors. In your case, it is your parents, icons of democracy in the Philippines,” Johnston said, in a tribute to the late President Aquino and the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.

President Aquino arrived here a little past noon on Thursday from Chicago, and like other visiting heads of state, made a dramatic entrance in a state landau, a horse carriage driven by the Canadian Royal Military Police.

As he disembarked near a dais, the President was welcomed by the Governor General and his wife Sharon Johnston, after which he was accorded military honors and a 21-gun salute.

After inspecting the honor guard, Mr. Aquino headed toward a welcoming group of flag-waving Filipinos to greet them.

Spade bears Cory’s name

The President and the Governor General then walked to the wooden area where Mr. Aquino stopped before the red maple tree for a briefing. His mother planted it during her Nov. 6, 1989, visit to Ottawa, he was told. Mr. Aquino was also handed the stainless steel spade bearing his mother’s name, among other implements used in the tree planting. Finally, he was given a photo of his mother planting the red maple.

Amused, Mr. Aquino said he would show the photo to his sisters. “He was happy to see to it,” gardener Jennifer McNamara said later.

The President walked a few steps to the red spruce, and started shoveling soil onto the base of the tree. The Governor General shoveled the remaining soil and, looking at the motley crowd of camera-wielding journalists crowding them, asked in jest: “Any more trees around?”