Noynoy Aquino and Girlfriend Shalani Soledad Will Celebrate Their First Year Anniversary as a Couple (Magnobyo) Next Month (September 2009)

13 August 2009

Senator Noynoy Aquino and girlfriend Shalani Soledad, who are fast becoming the hottest political couple in the Philippines in spite of the scant information regarding the relationship, will be celebrating their first year anniversary this September.

This Inquirer online article gives us some information on when and how they met:

A source close to the senator claimed the two first met in 2000 or 2001 when Soledad interviewed him for a media project. They met again, this time by accident, in August 2008 at Alfredo’s restaurant in Quezon City. Both were dining with their respective friends but they had their picture taken with each other and exchanged phone numbers.

The following month, Aquino reportedly introduced her to some of his friends, although he said they were just going out.

Assuming the Inquirer information that they met either in year 2000 or 2001 is correct, their first encounter happened while Noynoy was still a Congressman (Noynoy was a three-term Congressman, 1998-2001, 2001-2004, 2004-2007).  As to what "media project" Shalani interviewed Noynoy about at that time, one can only guess. 

Shalani's stint in the Senate as an executive staff officer of Senator Panfilo Lacson happened in 2002-2003, way before Noynoy became a Senator in 2007.

For easy reference, I post here again Shalani's personal information sheet published at the Valenzuela City website: 

As well as Noynoy's resume as it appears in the Senate website:

Senator Benigno S. Aquino III

Senate Office: Rm. 526 5th Flr., GSIS Bldg., Financial Center, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City Trunk Lines: (632) 552-6601 to 70 loc. 5541  Direct Lines: (632) 833-6383 Telefax No.: (632) 552-6601 loc. 5540 Email: sbsa_iii@yahoo.com Website: www.noynoy.ph

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Biography | Resume

GOVERNMENT SERVICE

Senator	Senate of the Philippines 14th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines
Member	House of Representatives (1998-2001; 2001-2004; 2004-2007)
Deputy Speaker	House of Representatives 13th Congress of the Philippines (November 8, 2004-February 21, 2006)
Vice Chairman	Liberal Party of the Philippines (March 17, 2006 to present)
Secretary General	Liberal Party of the Philippines (2004 to March 16, 2006)
Vice-Pres. for Luzon	Liberal Party of the Philippines (2002-2004)
Secretary General	Liberal Party of the Philippines (1999-2002)
Chairman of the Board	Central Luzon Congressional Caucus

HOUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

13th Congress

• Banks & Financial Intermediaries
• Energy
• Export Promotion
• Public Order & Safety

12th Congress

• Civil
• Political & Human Rights
• Good Government
• Public Order & Security
• Inter-Parliamentary Relations & Diplomacy

11th Congress

• Civil
• Political & Human Rights (Vice-Chairman)
• Public Order & Security
• Transportation & Communications
• Agriculture
• Banks & Financial Intermediaries
• Peoples’ Participation
• Suffrage and Electoral Reforms
• Appropriations
• Natural Resources
• Trade & Industry

SELECTED HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

• House Bill No. 4251 – granting annual productivity incentives to all workers in the private sector
• House Bill No. 4397 – strengthening the regulatory power of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to effectively enforce consumer laws
• House Bill No. 4252 – increasing the penalties for non-compliance of the prescribed increases and adjustments in the wage rates of workers
• House Bill No. 3616 – extending the reglementary period for the educational qualification for PNP members
• House Bill No. 1842 – providing for the codification of criminal laws
• House Resolution No. 65 – inquiry in aid of legislation into the policies and processes of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in granting rate increases to electric utilities
• House Resolution No. 788 – creating a select Congressional Oversight Committee on intelligence funds to check and study the use of intelligence funds by government agencies to ensure that funds allocated therefor are utilized for the purpose they are intended

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE

Made the procurement of the petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) requirements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines transparent by requiring public bidding.

EDUCATION

AB Economics	Ateneo de Manila University (1977-1981)
Secondary Education	Ateneo de Manila University (1973-1977)
Primary Education	Ateneo de Manila University (1965-1973)

If you haven't noticed yet, Shalani is a graduate of De La Salle while Noynoy is a true blue-blooded Atenean!

Anyway, they met again at Alfredo's Restaurant in August 2008 and a month later, September 2008, they were already a couple. Anybody know the exact date in September of their anniversary?!   

GMA News, in one of its reports, featured this photograph of the couple together with a bigger group which includes Senator Mar Roxas and wife-to-be Korina Sanchez apparently taken in 2008, most probably when Shalani was already the girlfriend of Noynoy.  

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