Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez talks about her love for Christmas, fondness for gift-giving, and how she plans to spread holiday cheer. The devoted wife, mother, and social entrepreneur likewise speaks about the importance of living for others, and how sharing and serving nourishes her soul.
“Christmas is my favorite holiday,” shares Lucy Torres Gomez, gracefully settling in the makeup chair, her features even more striking up close. “My Mom says it’s maybe because I’m a December baby. So, she remembers the last active thing she did before checking in the hospital to give birth to me, was to put up the Christmas tree.”
Whatever the reason, the Mayor of Ormoc reveals that she’s always had a particular fondness for this beloved celebration. “I catch myself listening to Christmas songs as early as July or August. Yes, earlier than Jose Mari Chan coming out,” she jokes. “And also when the day is hard and I wish for some shape of happy I can access, if only to make things feel better, never mind if it is momentary. Just space for me to breathe, I guess.”
And while many others may find preparing presents overwhelming, it is in fact one of Lucy’s favorite things. “My love language is also giving. When I’m happy or sad, I find comfort in wrapping gifts. There doesn’t have to an occasion, really. My feelings are enough to be, or prompt the occasion. Also, it doesn’t stress me out when it’s somebody’s birthday, or there’s an occasion, because I have a gift cabinet. It is filled and emptied and then refilled year round’,” she says.
To which, one would have to wonder, what exactly is a gift cabinet, that as per Lucy’s account, is the solution to all her gifting endeavors? Well, for fellow fans of Christmas, or other lovers of craft, this is when things get really interesting.
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The Joy of Gifting
Lucy’s gift cabinet, for starters, is not just one cabinet. “I have cabinets and drawers that I call a gift cabinet. That’s where I shop,” she begins. “It’s where I store everything that I want to one day give away. Like, if I come across things, I’ll say, ‘Oh this will make a nice gift one day’. For who, I don’t know, but the recipient will find the gift. I’ll know when the time comes.”
Drawn to unique and meaningful objects, Lucy has assembled a treasure trove of sorts, ready to bring joy or comfort to someone when needed. She enjoys curating presents, thoughtfully filling up boxes based on a theme. She talks about what she had gotten for Lifestyle Asia editor-in-chief Candy Dizon’s birthday, an assortment of stylish coffee table books, wellness essentials, and a few fun things. “Or if it’s a housewarming present, then I look for a big box and then I’ll fill it up with things to warm up a space, a little vase, some books, a frame, some house scents,” she conveys.
For Lucy, the practice of thoughtful giving is a year-long affair with her always on the lookout for delightful finds. “Whenever I’m out, and I see something that I know will make a nice gift, I just get it and store it. Sometimes I’ll get a present that I know I’ll give two years down the road,” she says.
She’s likewise stashed up quite a few things for her daughter Juliana, who she calls her best friend and the joy of her life. “Juliana is easy because I know what she wants. And when I know she’s working on a milestone, I have a gift for that already. And I only gift it when it’s there already, when I know the moment is there,” she shares. “The day I bought it, I already wrote a note, saying that one day I will give this to you for this occasion. I know that by this time, the prayer would have been answered or the dream would have been conquered.”
The Art of Wrapping
Perhaps the only thing that could rival Lucy’s love for gathering presents, is the wrapping of it. She shares that she would collect postcards from bookshops abroad, that she would then use to decoupage her gift boxes. Or, how she’d frequent the flea markets of Portobello in London, and find vintage linens that she’d use to wrap her presents. Lucy would likewise save the pretty ribbons and wrappers from her presents, and mindfully reuse them. These mementos could also end up in one of her many scrapbooks or journals.
This is also the reason why she opens her Christmas gifts, and even her own birthday gifts, in the spring of the following year. “I don’t need to open it right away. I like the slow process. I keep the ribbon, I read the card. I soak in the thought,” she shares. “I honor the whole act of giving, especially when it comes with a note, or it’s beautifully wrapped.”
Ever the sentimental soul, she admits to have kept the letters she’s received even when she was in elementary school. Her friends, knowing how she is, would make it a point to likewise give her beautifully wrapped parcels, confident that nothing will go to waste. “I’ll save it and it will take on a new life and make its way into somebody’s home. And make someone else happy,” she says.
She likewise cherishes handmade presents, as well as those that were kindheartedly given. “When somebody gives me something, it doesn’t have to be an extravagant thing. Just the fact that it comes with a note that was thoughtfully written, and that they thought of me at the moment. I appreciate that” she reveals.
So adroit is she in the subtle art of wrapping presents, that she jests she would be a hit in a department store’s giftwrapping department. “As in pipila sila with how I wrap my gifts,” she says in her gentle voice with a laugh. To wit, she proudly shares that even her daughter Juliana and her staff are now all wonderful gift wrappers.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Her generous spirit and affinity for handmade objects had likewise led her to establish lifestyle brand Truest in 2015, and eventually Ormocana. The providence of Truest actually originates from Typhoon Yolanda, which had devastated her hometown along with other localities. At that time, Lucy had been a representative of the district of Leyte and had seen the destruction firsthand. “Typhoon Yolanda found me very busy, very stressed, and very distressed,” she recalls.
In addition to what she could do for the people as a congresswoman, she had the idea of a fishing boat project. “There were 6200 fishermen who lost their fishing boats, and I wanted to do something more than just give them food for the day, or a relief pack, or shelter kit,” she conveys. “So, I figured, the best way to do that would be to bring back their capacity to be able to earn a living.”
Lucy invited corporations to get involved, and then matched kind donors with fishermen. She recalls one of the first companies to get involved was Bench, of which she had long been an endorser. She had “passports” to document the partnership, and a note from the fishermen to the donor expressing their gratitude.
They called it Mission Possible, and to this day 11 years later, she would still see the boats, which had been decorated with company logos. At times, the fishermen would even call out to Lucy, asking her to join them for a meal from the fish they had caught with these boats.
Gifts with a Purpose
And so, a few years after the destruction brought about by the typhoon, there was still much to rebuild. Unfortunately, there were less available funds as by then, there had been other disasters and projects that needed attention. “And then I thought of Truest, because I wanted to supplement the gift-giving, but I didn’t want to keep asking,” Lucy narrates, sharing that the brand started as a non-profit. “So, we created products and the sales went into all my charities.”
The social entrepreneur endeavored to come up with products that people would love, with just the added bonus that it was also helping someone. “That was my North Star, for it to be able to sustain my charities,” she says, grateful that this new venture allowed her to expand her reach, beyond her personal funds. “The sales go into an account. If I need to send somebody to school, or light a village, or help someone with his or her home, depending on how much is available in that account, we can help. That was the bigger dream of why Truest was made. As the brand grew, there now is a business side to it so that it can be sustainable and so that we can continue to grow, even if it has to be ever so conservatively.”
The line started with three candles, inspired by Lucy’s childhood and her desire to capture esoteric emotions. Afterwards, the brand launched chic luggage cubes for travel. “To this day, that is our hero product,” Lucy shares, likewise happy to provide livelihood to the Filipino artisans who make them. And on top of being well-made and functional, the cubes also come in gorgeous custom prints developed by the brand.
The logo of Truest, which is the cross-section of a sea urchin, likewise carries a special meaning. The simple creatures are a symbol of resilience and adaptability, sensitive to the environment, and quick to protect themselves against the dangers of the sea.
Gifts of Heritage and Tradition
In time, a second brand was born. “I wanted to celebrate my roots as a probinsyana, so that gave birth to Ormocana. So, if Truest is more urban, this is more the provincial life,” Lucy reveals. “We have mugs that have a flower from the province, the calachuchi, which also happens to be the official flower of Ormoc. But everybody from the province had a calachuchi tree, or played with the flowers.” The bloom holds such a special place in Lucy’s heart, that she even collaborated with Jul B. Dizon Jewellery on a Kalachuchi line. With petals reimagined in gold, sapphires, or mother of pearl jewels, it is likewise a gift she likes to give.
The same spirit of gifting informs Ormocana, with pieces exuding the grace and gentility of slow living. The brand likewise carries an assortment of products, like indigenous food or liniments that she sources from all over. For instance, when Lucy wanted to support a local farmer who made the best tablea or hot chocolate, she bought it all. “I go into this whole thing of buying it in bulk, and then packaging it. So that it’s presentable, and good enough for giving,” she shares, wanting more people to try these undiscovered gems.
Lucy shares that she is currently working on another brand called The Prayer Room. As usual, it started when she wanted to give people religious objects but couldn’t find them anywhere. So she had them made.
With her little empire of lifestyle brands growing, Lucy realized that they needed one place for them to come together. This led to their website called Topiary, which is managed with her daughter Juliana, her best friend Denise, and their small team.
The Gift of Service
Altruism and a calling to serve others, is something that has drawn both Lucy, and her husband, Leyte representative Richard Gomez, to a life of public service. “There has always been this sense of giving back, of not being an island in that everything is about yourself, your circumstance,” says Lucy, revealing how they had both been brought up with a sense of duty for their fellow man. “I think we have always been aware, very cognizant of how we are but parts of a whole, pieces to a puzzle, a speck in the grand scheme of things. How life is so much more than just about oneself, how we must all do what we can for each other.”
And while the couple had always been generous as private citizens, she believes being in an elected position opens them up to opportunities to help in more impactful ways. As the current mayor of Ormoc, her two major thrusts are to develop her hometown while still prioritizing social service projects. Thus, alongside infrastructure projects like the City College of Ormoc and the Waterfront Development, is an equal focus on initiatives to take care of her constituents. “We build a city, but at the core of it, its soul, is its people. Both have to thrive in equal measure,” she believes.
Nonetheless, she hopes for Ormoc to “reach its full potential”, without losing track of what makes it special. It is the city of Lucy’s roots, where she grew up, and studied from kindergarten to high school. Thus, her love for the city runs deep, filled with a nuanced understanding interlaced with decades of precious memories.
“Ormoc is a sexy city. It has the softness that all progressive cities cannot claim to have,” she declares, waxing poetic about the azure waters of this city by the bay. “And I like that despite its progress, the warmth of the people, the humanity that is easily lost in the hard chase of life, is still there.”
The Gift of Celebrations
Painting an idyllic picture of provincial life, Lucy is eager to celebrate Christmas in Ormoc. “We go to mass, like the Christmas mass is special. The songs are beautiful, and then there’s the coming together after church,” she shares. She is excited to spend time with loved ones, exchange presents, and eat holiday food.
She is also keen on spreading holiday cheer amongst the Ormocanans, and had the town plaza decorated with a Nutcracker theme. “I’d like for Christmas, for the people of Ormoc, to be some sort of escape, like a daily escape,” she shares. “So we’re dressing up the plaza because that’s where people converge somehow. And I want for them to have access to a space where even if their day isn’t perfect, the plaza will be perfect. And they go home with some measure of joy.”
It is clear how much Lucy cares for the people of her hometown, and is proud of their resilience and strong faith. “We have endured and survived so much, and lesser people would be scarred by the battles we have fought. But there is a kindness of compassion that exists with steely strength, and I see that as a good thing,” she says.
The Gift of Grit and Grace
Indeed, this alchemy of quiet determination, and compassion is not unlike the cover girl who juggles her multiple roles with ease. She is a devoted wife of more than two decades to Richard, a mom, friend, and public servant. At the cover shoot though, it is her model side that is coming out. And while being an actress and television personality may not be her current season, star quality and charisma, it seems, never goes away. Svelte and statuesque, with delicate and yet striking features, she poses with ease, as comfortable scaling ladders as she is shooting enigmatic gazes while lounging on a sofa.
Inarguably one of the most stunning and elegant ladies in society, perhaps what truly makes the creative philanthropist beautiful is her ability to see the potential in things. Be it a pretty ribbon, a talented artisan, or her hometown, she sees things for what they are and seeks to elevate them. And in her own gracefully determined manner, neither is she someone to back down from a challenge. “I honor where I am in my life right now, where I’m in a position to help in a bigger way,” she shares. “Not everyone who wants to serve can, so now that we are able to try our best to make our time matter, and do right by the people we serve. I take nothing for granted.”
Text MARIANE PEREZ
Photos DOOKIE DUCAY assisted by BYRON DE GUZMAN
Sittings Editor CANDY DIZON
Creative Director PAOLO TORIO
Makeup Artist JUAN SARTE
Hairstylist JA FELICIANO
Stylist ROKO ARCEO
Sr. Associate Producer MAE TALAID
Shot on Location SOLAIRE RESORT, NORTH
