Friday, September 5, 2014
Roman de la Cruz, Writer, Historian, Journalist
Roman de la Cruz, Writer, Historian, Journalist
by Melchor F. Cichon
I first met Mr. Roman de la Cruz about three decades ago.
By then, he was already known as a journalist, publisher, writer.
The last time I met him, I learned that he was being recommended to the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Award, known as the Nobel Prize in Asia.
With that information, I gathered everything I know about him and wrote this article. I hope that this article will give you some insights about this great man.
He is known as the Dean of Aklan journalism and the historian of Aklan.
But he is also a poet, a novelist, a politician, an essayist, and a lay minister.
He started writing when he was still in high school. Now at 82 years old, he is still actively writing on his age-old Remington typewriter. “I will not use a computer,” he said. “I do not have time to study that”.
Aside from his weekly editorials and essays in his weekly newspaper, The Aklan Reporter, his major works include Town of A Thousand, a 270-page history of Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, covering the period from the middle of the 13th century up to year 1993. He is presently updating this work. His 618-line epic poem, Song of The Ati-Ati, was published in 1973. His short stories on war and non-war, were compiled in a book entitled: Alone Along A Lonely Road and Other Stories which came out in 1973. His other works are Concordance on the Triune God; Is Christ God; Life with the Family, City World; The Power of Prayer With Praise, The Joy and The Wrath, The Hero Who Was Not, To The Child King: An Image and A Song, The Adventures of Umpag and Bonghayan, Out Of Too Much Grief, and The Filipino Speaks, a 79-page treatise in reaction to a multi-interneted article of an American from Nevada proclaiming “nothing respectable has ever come from the Filipino people during the entire human history. ”
But his monumental contribution to Aklan is his 929-page five-language dictionary that came out in 2004. It includes English, Hiligaynon, Tagalog, Kinaray-a and Aklanon words. His whole collection of works are now being compiled in a two-volume book entitled Legacy. It consists of short stories, novel, historical book, book of poetry, eulogies, speeches and lectures, declamations, essays and others.
His name is Roman A. de la Cruz. Mr. de la Cruz or Tay Omeng to most of his friends was born in Kalibo, Aklan, on August 9, 1923.
He studied at Kalibo Elementary School, then proceeded to Kalibo Institute, and took his Bachelor of Science in Education degree at Northwestern Visayan Colleges also in Kalibo. At the age of 17, his short stories were published in Philippine Commonweal. These were then included in Jose Garcia Villa’s Roll of Honor for Filipino Short Stories , 1940-41. During the war, he enlisted himself as a guerilla in the USAFFE.
His experiences in the war were included in his short story book, Alone along the Lonely Road and Other Stories. One of the stories here had been included in the The Voice of the Veteran (An Anthology of the Best in Song and Story by the Defenders of Freedom) edited by Manuel E. Buenafe in 1946. After the war, Tay Omeng taught in high school from 1950 to 1956.
But he left his teaching career and switched to journalism and politics.
He founded and edited The Aklan Reporter, where he wrote a lot of essays and poems on politics, economics, religion, and other things about the happenings in the Philippines. While editing and publishing this community newsweekly, he wrote short stories, novels, historical materials, and dictionary.
And joined politics.
He was elected as Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Member of Kalibo from 1971 to 1986 (16 years). Tay Omeng is indulging not only in writing, but he is also in sculpture and in sketches. His six-foot cement sculpture of Jesus Christ is in their house, still unfinished. His sketches are found in the covers of his books. He also molded the Madonna and Child which can be seen on the wall of their sala in Kalibo.
A religious and civic minded man, Tay Omeng is involved in the various civic and religious organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Barangay Sang Birhen, Charistmatic Movement, and Aklan Press Club. As a writer, publisher and community leader, his biodata is included in Baron’s “Who’s Who in the Asian Pacific Rim” 1992 international edition. In 1996, the Department of Education and Culture conferred him the Huwarang Pamilyang Pilipino Award (Model Filipino Family) for Western Visayas. On December 14, 2004, the Publishers Association of the Philippines conferred an Award of recognition to Aklan Reporter/Roman A. de la Cruz during its 9th National Press Congress pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 738. And this year (2005), the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan together with the Kalibo Knights of Columbus and the Philippine Association of Publishers, Inc. (PAPI) have endorsed nomination to the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Literature and Journalism. Dela Cruz is married to Julita O. Ilarina of Banga, Aklan. They have seven children -Vellyzarius, Cortesa, Marlon, Didecas, Sumra, Hagbong and Amihan.
He is the grandson of the late Roman Aguirre of Lezo, Aklan, one of the 19 Martyrs of Aklan.
Roman A. de la Cruz, Aklan's Literary Giant*
Roman A. de la Cruz, Aklan's Literary Giant*
by Melchor F. Cichon
September 14, 2007
Every time, I go home to Aklan, I make it a point that I pass by the house of Mr. Roman Aguirre de la Cruz, or Tatay Omeng for some personal reasons.
But the last time I went to Aklan, I failed to pass by him because of my hectic schedule. I was then travelling with Prof. Virgilio Almario, a national artist who visited Aklan for a book he was writing on.
But I asked Sumra, his daughter, how Tatay Omeng was. And she said that he was OK.
I did not know that it was not so.
Tatay Omeng was not only a World War II veteran, but he was also a teacher, a sculptor, a politician, a novelist, a short story writer, a poet, and a dictionary maker. In fact his five-language dictionary is to me his most memorable legacy to Aklan and to the world. In this book, he was able to capture and publish thousands of Aklanon words that will be used by this generation and the generations to come.
I visited him not only because he would always gift me with his published works, but because he would discuss with me the present socio-political situations in Aklan and in the country. He would tell me his on-going projects like the one which he had at the Aklan Rehabilitation Center where he conducted a creative writing workshop among the inmates. I believed he made good in it because after several meetings with them, he was able to come up with a book of poems written by the prisoners. This to me is the first time in Aklan that a creative writing workshop was ever held inside a rehabilitation center.
And while he was inside the Center, he would persuade the inmates to go back to our Lord. And I think he was successful too in this because, he was able to put up a poster of our Lord Jesus Christ inside their cells. This is a part of his mission: to make this world a better place to live in.
On my part, Tatay Omeng helped me edit for free of charge two of my books of poems: Ham-at Madueom Ro Gabii? And the book, Haiku, Luwa and Other Poems by Aklanons.
Tatay Omeng was not only helpful to me but to all the members of the Aklan Literary Circles. He promised and fulfilled his promise to allow us younger writers to publish our works in the Aklan Reporter. On several occasions, our works were printed in the Aklan Reporter. He would also chip in to help finance the several creative writing workshops we held in Kalibo.
As mentioned earlier, Tatay Omeng was a poet.
We are aware of his famous 618-line epic poem on Ati-Ati, and his many poems in English.
But he did not write Aklanon poems until after we the younger writers encouraged him to write poems in Aklanon. That was when he was about 60 years old. As far as I know, he wrote ten Aklanon poems. These are all included in the book Song of the Ati-Ati and Other Poems, 1994.
Even at this age, and being already an accomplished writer, Tatay Omeng attended several workshops conducted by Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada, of the UP in the Visayas. He was a fellow in the Baguio and in Iloilo City creative writing workshops. While in Iloilo City, although he could afford to stay in hotels, he preferred to stay in a classroom together with younger poets so he could further discuss with them the different techniques in poetry writing being fed to them by Dr. Deriada.
Although he was there listening to the new theory of poetry writing, he was not always in consonance with Dr. Deriada’s teachings. He in fact put this in one of his poems: Ulihing Tubo.
Here is his poem.
Ulihing Tubo
Ni Roman de la Cruz
Ratong binohian mo nga pana, Toto,
Hay tumiurok sa dughan ku ginikanan nakon
Nga pirming nahawag sa hueag ku mga batan-on.
Apang ro ungon hay gulping naduea
Sa mabuot mo nga pagbawi.
Saeamat Toto.
Magahilubot kita. (1994)
In one of those workshops, in Baguio, Tatay Omeng wrote a poem which won a prize. The title of his poem is Ano Gid Man. It is a poem with religious underpinning.
Allow me to read that poem:
ANO GID MAN
By Roman de la Cruz
Itay, nagburoka si Nanay
Nga hubas eon ro atong taeagbasan.
Ring gin-uli sa pagpamanday
Basi buhinan mo pa para sa simbahan.
Kueang pa katon ro imong kinita.
Nahawag gid ako, Itay, basi hitaman ka.
Kanugon kon owa't kamatuoran
Ro imong ginatuohan.
Pabay-i eang, Toto.
Ro tubi nga nagailig paeawod
Mabalik man gihapon paagi sa uean.
Owa't pagwasi, owa't pag-uyang.
Kon buko't matuod rang ginatuohan,
Ano gid man,
Basta matuman ko ro hutik kang dughan
In another poem, Tatay Omeng focused on the rain that awakened him. Here his religious relief is apparent.
AGAHON
by Roman A. de la Cruz
Ro mga tudlo ku uean
Nga nagpatik sa sim
Hay redoblante nga nagpukaw
Sa akong hamuok nga katueogon.
Bangon eon sa kahayag nga magaabot
Ag humoeag ka.
As a parting line, let me read an excerpt of Tatay Omeng’s poems, Eulogy:
Indeed, greatness and humility are the same and one
And so when the last battle of life’s journey was won
And saw that the inevitable would soon come
When he could have been laid in the nation’s shrine among the high,
His votive wish was that when he die
He be borne back to the humble hometown that he loved
So that his folks here in the countryside
And in this one last wish of his
He proved his greatness still.
Tatay Omeng, you have not passed this way in vain.
Goodbye.
* This is the eulogy I delivered in honor of Tatay Omeng last September 14, 2007 at Kalibo Cathedral, Kalibo, Aklan.
by Melchor F. Cichon
September 14, 2007
Every time, I go home to Aklan, I make it a point that I pass by the house of Mr. Roman Aguirre de la Cruz, or Tatay Omeng for some personal reasons.
But the last time I went to Aklan, I failed to pass by him because of my hectic schedule. I was then travelling with Prof. Virgilio Almario, a national artist who visited Aklan for a book he was writing on.
But I asked Sumra, his daughter, how Tatay Omeng was. And she said that he was OK.
I did not know that it was not so.
Tatay Omeng was not only a World War II veteran, but he was also a teacher, a sculptor, a politician, a novelist, a short story writer, a poet, and a dictionary maker. In fact his five-language dictionary is to me his most memorable legacy to Aklan and to the world. In this book, he was able to capture and publish thousands of Aklanon words that will be used by this generation and the generations to come.
I visited him not only because he would always gift me with his published works, but because he would discuss with me the present socio-political situations in Aklan and in the country. He would tell me his on-going projects like the one which he had at the Aklan Rehabilitation Center where he conducted a creative writing workshop among the inmates. I believed he made good in it because after several meetings with them, he was able to come up with a book of poems written by the prisoners. This to me is the first time in Aklan that a creative writing workshop was ever held inside a rehabilitation center.
And while he was inside the Center, he would persuade the inmates to go back to our Lord. And I think he was successful too in this because, he was able to put up a poster of our Lord Jesus Christ inside their cells. This is a part of his mission: to make this world a better place to live in.
On my part, Tatay Omeng helped me edit for free of charge two of my books of poems: Ham-at Madueom Ro Gabii? And the book, Haiku, Luwa and Other Poems by Aklanons.
Tatay Omeng was not only helpful to me but to all the members of the Aklan Literary Circles. He promised and fulfilled his promise to allow us younger writers to publish our works in the Aklan Reporter. On several occasions, our works were printed in the Aklan Reporter. He would also chip in to help finance the several creative writing workshops we held in Kalibo.
As mentioned earlier, Tatay Omeng was a poet.
We are aware of his famous 618-line epic poem on Ati-Ati, and his many poems in English.
But he did not write Aklanon poems until after we the younger writers encouraged him to write poems in Aklanon. That was when he was about 60 years old. As far as I know, he wrote ten Aklanon poems. These are all included in the book Song of the Ati-Ati and Other Poems, 1994.
Even at this age, and being already an accomplished writer, Tatay Omeng attended several workshops conducted by Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada, of the UP in the Visayas. He was a fellow in the Baguio and in Iloilo City creative writing workshops. While in Iloilo City, although he could afford to stay in hotels, he preferred to stay in a classroom together with younger poets so he could further discuss with them the different techniques in poetry writing being fed to them by Dr. Deriada.
Although he was there listening to the new theory of poetry writing, he was not always in consonance with Dr. Deriada’s teachings. He in fact put this in one of his poems: Ulihing Tubo.
Here is his poem.
Ulihing Tubo
Ni Roman de la Cruz
Ratong binohian mo nga pana, Toto,
Hay tumiurok sa dughan ku ginikanan nakon
Nga pirming nahawag sa hueag ku mga batan-on.
Apang ro ungon hay gulping naduea
Sa mabuot mo nga pagbawi.
Saeamat Toto.
Magahilubot kita. (1994)
In one of those workshops, in Baguio, Tatay Omeng wrote a poem which won a prize. The title of his poem is Ano Gid Man. It is a poem with religious underpinning.
Allow me to read that poem:
ANO GID MAN
By Roman de la Cruz
Itay, nagburoka si Nanay
Nga hubas eon ro atong taeagbasan.
Ring gin-uli sa pagpamanday
Basi buhinan mo pa para sa simbahan.
Kueang pa katon ro imong kinita.
Nahawag gid ako, Itay, basi hitaman ka.
Kanugon kon owa't kamatuoran
Ro imong ginatuohan.
Pabay-i eang, Toto.
Ro tubi nga nagailig paeawod
Mabalik man gihapon paagi sa uean.
Owa't pagwasi, owa't pag-uyang.
Kon buko't matuod rang ginatuohan,
Ano gid man,
Basta matuman ko ro hutik kang dughan
In another poem, Tatay Omeng focused on the rain that awakened him. Here his religious relief is apparent.
AGAHON
by Roman A. de la Cruz
Ro mga tudlo ku uean
Nga nagpatik sa sim
Hay redoblante nga nagpukaw
Sa akong hamuok nga katueogon.
Bangon eon sa kahayag nga magaabot
Ag humoeag ka.
As a parting line, let me read an excerpt of Tatay Omeng’s poems, Eulogy:
Indeed, greatness and humility are the same and one
And so when the last battle of life’s journey was won
And saw that the inevitable would soon come
When he could have been laid in the nation’s shrine among the high,
His votive wish was that when he die
He be borne back to the humble hometown that he loved
So that his folks here in the countryside
And in this one last wish of his
He proved his greatness still.
Tatay Omeng, you have not passed this way in vain.
Goodbye.
* This is the eulogy I delivered in honor of Tatay Omeng last September 14, 2007 at Kalibo Cathedral, Kalibo, Aklan.
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