She was one of the biggest and most consistent buyers of our family farm’s specialty fresh produce, and even made several visits to the farm, each of them unforgettable.
On one such visit, Margarita spotted the young, berry-like pinkish flowers of alugbati that was growing wild crawling with its tendrils along a kakawate tree.
Now, alugbati would hardly be considered “specialty” fresh produce. The plant is more known as a partner to the equally humble monggo as an inexpensive yet healthy local dish. But Margarita somehow spots the treasure in the rubble.
As for me, what I knew about the plant, from childhood, was that the mature fruit oozed with a violet pigment that was definitely not edible, probably bitter, and possibly toxic. But before I could react, and to my horror, Margarita started nibbling on the fronds of young flowers.
Alarmed at the possibility of one of our most well-known chefs getting poisoned, on my premises, I started thinking of nearby clinics or hospitals in Silang, Cavite where I might have to rush her.
Then, she exclaimed, “Ang sarap! At ang ganda! Gejo, bring these along with our usual orders!”
Thus was a new product — young alugbati flowers — born. Shortly after, other obscure, local produce followed and made their way into Margarita’s legendary dinners, both here and abroad. Kadena de amor flowers, wild baby cucumbers, to name a few — plants we had forgotten or taken for granted, whose beauty and flavor Margarita saw and relished.
This was the part of the Margarita I got to know: adventurous, curious, with a childlike joy and sense of wonder, who lit up a room, or a farm with her charisma, with an eye for beauty even in what seemed ordinary, unwavering in her love for all things Filipino. She elevated local cuisine and ingredients with her culinary artistry and the joyful force of her personality. Even the lowly alugbati.
She certainly lifted us up as farmers, made us feel not just like workers, but as collaborators. She fiercely believed in the dignity of farming and treated us all with deep respect. In Grace Park, one of her restaurants, she even displayed the photos of several of us farmers on the wall, one of the ways she expressed her appreciation and value of our work.
When I decided to leave farming, to heed another life-calling — painting — Margarita was the first person I called to break the news to (the second was Joel - Marketman - who introduced me to her).
She naturally expressed sadness at the decision. But instead of treating it as just another end of a customer-supplier relationship that is normally part of business, she went several thoughtful, generous steps further, saying: “Gejo, let’s go to your farm and let’s take one final walk around.”
And we did. It was one of the most memorable gestures I have received in my whole life. “Godspeed as you embark on your new passion,” she wrote in a note on her Instagram account.
Margarita went from being the highlight of my farming days, to becoming one of my biggest supporters when I shifted to painting. She provided the catering for my first solo exhibit as her gift. Several paintings I did, which she bought over the years, are displayed at Grace Park.
I was very inspired by the elegant and beautiful table spreads she had become known for, and I thought of adopting the table-setting as my take on still life painting, for my second solo exhibit. For this, I requested her if she could have a typical table setting prepared, for me to use as reference. She replied that she would have one prepared.
When I came by to take photos of the arrangement, I was greeted, not by a small spread, but a whole 12-seater table filled with her elegant tableware, that practically overflowed with flowers and rose cabbage succulents, a signature of her flower arrangements and catering! And to complete the arrangement were her name cards for the guests, their names written in her elegant penmanship.
In everything, including helping friends, Margarita was always “all out.”
I titled one of those paintings Margarita’s Table, as the arrangement was like a portrait of some of her many endearing qualities. Most certainly, whenever I do a table-setting painting, I will remember the one and only Margarita A. Fores.
Gerardo "Gejo" Jimenez is a Filipino artist, who transitioned from organic farming to painting in 2018. As the owner of Malipayon Farms, he supplied produce to Manila's top restaurants, where he found inspiration in their serene, light-filled interiors during off-peak hours. This led to his first solo exhibition, "Fleeting," in 2018, featuring watercolors of these quiet restaurant scenes. Jimenez's work often explores the interplay of light and everyday settings, capturing the transient beauty of ordinary moments. He is also one of the founding members of Outdoor Archivists, a plein air watercolor group in Metro Manila. Gejo is a former captain of the Philippine men’s epee fencing team.
