TURNING 56 on April 13 will not merit a lavish bash for Cavite Congressman and actress Lani Mercado. Instead, she will dedicate a month-long schedule of activities for her constituents.

There will be a medical mission, blessing of new projects, passport on wheels, job fair, distribution of free eye glasses for 500 students of public schools, blood-letting.

There will be a free concert, G na G (Go na Go) with Ate Lani, on April 13, her actual natal day. Itchy Worms and Flow G will perform.

“Para sa taong bayan,” Lani said. “It’s giving back. Basta healthy lang, lahat kami at magpatuloy ang magandang blessings, para sa aming pamilya. Masaya na ‘yun for me.”

She wished, however, that she can travel more with her husband, Senator Bong Revilla, with whom she has been married for 38 years in May 2024.

Lani expressed her desire to go to Switzerland and visit the romantic sites featured on the popular South Korean drama series, ‘Crash Landing on You,’ starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. That remains in Lani’s bucket list.

“I want to go where he played the piano, the lake where they met, I want to ride the train,” Lani shared. “Maybe we can do it after the (2025) elections.

“Dapat kasama ko mga anak ko kasi mahirap ‘pag nawala kami ni Senator Bong. Hindi kami masyadong techie. Sanay ako mag-travel with my kids, kasi baka mag-away kami ni Senator Bong. Iba ang gusto niya, iba ang gusto ko.

“Nasubukan namin ‘yan nag-travel kami when we went to Japan but with four other couples. We enjoyed that. Not a big group. But I really want to try and travel with Senator Bong na kaming dalawa lang. We haven’t done that yet.

“We were always with friends. Dapat kaming dalawa lang. Walang alalay, no bodyguard, no PA (production assistant). But I have to have somebody with me to help bring my luggage dahil may lower back problem ako.”

Lani was able to request for a Hyun Bin standee from Smart-PLDT executive Chaye Cabal-Revilla, her sister-in-law married to Cavite Rep. Strike Revilla.

“Tinatanong ako ni Senator Bong sino ‘yung nasa likuran ko sa bahay,” revealed Lani. “Ka-birthday pa niya si Hyun Bin (September 25) at pinagseselosan niya. I often mispronounced Hyun Bin’s name, so nagagalit ang mga anak ko and they always corrected me.”

The last time the couple travelled together was when Jolo and Angel tied the knot in the US in 2019. Last December, the Revilla family went to South Korea.

In 2014, before Senator Bong was incarcerated, the couple travelled to the Holy Land for ten days, with four buses of Filipino tourists.

Lani, who’s serving her first term as Congressman, insisted she is not running for a higher position next term (2025). “Maaga pa,” she maintained. “Si Senator Bong tatakbo pa ng 2025. Most likely, I will run for the same position in the next elections.

“I have two more terms in Cavite. So far, happy naman ang publiko sa serbisyo namin. ‘Alagang Ate Lani’ ang tawag namin sa serbisyo ko sa Bacoor. Ever since, noong tumakbo ako in 2010, ‘yun na ang tawag namin.

“Since tatakbo kaming lahat for different positions in the next elections, ginawa na lang namin na Alagang Revilla. So hindi na malilito ang mga tao.”

Lani arrived from Los Angeles last February when she witnessed the birth of her fifth grandchild, Lauren Angela, the daughter of Jolo and wife Angel.

“Lahat ng apo ko, nakita kong ipinanganak – from Gab, the first son of Jolo, to the three children of Inah (Alexa, Iñigo, Mikael) and now the daughter of Jolo, Lauren Angela or LA. The more, the merrier. Kung dadami pa ang apo namin, so be it.

“At wish ko lang si Nanay Lolit (Solis), laging healthy, laging nandyan at kasama namin. Nagbibigay ng saya sa amin at laging nagpapayo.

“Dapat huwag mawala ang mga Korean telenovela sa buhay niya dahil ‘yun ang nagpapahaba ng buhay niya.”

Last Holy Week, the Revilla family opted to simply hie off to their rest house in Silang, Cavite away from the toxic city life.

“Malamig sa Silang, parang nasa Baguio ka,” Lani said. “Ang view namin ‘yung Palace in the Sky or ‘yung Crosswinds. On the other side, nakikita namin ang Laguna Lake. Iba-ibang view at ang gaganda.

“We have piña, mangoes, buko. May mga vegetables din at native na alagang baboy. The whole of Holy Week, the family was there. Very relaxing. The kids liked it better there that to check in a resort or hotel. Mas exclusive kasi sa amin.”

Lani complains about her recurring lower back problem, that’s why she undergoes physical therapy once a week. “I have scoliosis, so the pain shifts from the lower back to the left side of my thigh,” Lani disclosed.

“Too much walking caused that. Parang may pinched nerve when I lie down on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes when I stand a long time or even sit a long time, when I’m walking, I feel the pain.

“When I can no longer take it, I need to take pain reliever, put hot compress then stretching. So dapat talaga makapunta na ako sa Switzerland bago pa ako mag-wheel chair.”