Chescery Rose Belarmino: Aklanon TV Personality, Actress, Dancer, Singer

Chescery Rose Belarmino:

Aklanon TV Personality, Actress, Dancer, Singer

By

Melchor F. Cichon

December 21, 2014

(draft)

I met her accidentally.

One late afternoon, December 17, 2014, I was writing a haiga for a friend with a photo taken by Maxy Oconer Meñez. After I posted the finished haiga in my Facebook album, Full Moon, I scanned the other pictures taken by Maxy. One of the pictures I liked was that of another Aklanon lady: Chescery Rose Belarmino.

Inspired by her splendor, I immediately prepared a haiga for her and again posted it in my Facebook album. When I informed Maxy that I already have posted the picture of one of his subjects, he suggested that I should contact her, although my posting of the pictures he has taken has no problem with him.

With that hint, I immediately sent her a private message through the Facebook and asked her if I could use one of her pictures for a haiga.

Here is the message I sent to her:

Mayad-ayad nga hapon. Ches. Pwede ko mabutangan it haiku ro isaea mo nga picture ag dayon hay ipost ko sa ang Facebook album nga Full Moon? Ara ro haiku:

harvest moon—

even Ruby's wind stops

to glance at her splendor

Abu gid nga saeamat.

Melchor F. Cichon,  Awardee, Outstanding Aklanon for Culture and the Arts.

(Good afternoon Ches. Can I write a haiku on one of your pictures?  I will then post it in my Facebook album, Full Moon?

Here is the haiku:

Harvest moon—

even Ruby’s wind stops

to glance at her splendor

Thank you so much.)

I did not expect any reply from her.

But three hours after that, I received a reply from her: “ok sir. . Ty man sa pagpili kakon.” (ok sir…thanks also for choosing me)

With that permission, I immediately posted my haiga in my Facebook album. And she liked it.

Below is the haiga.

Not only that,  she allowed me to use her other pictures for my other haiga.

I got more interested in her, so I asked her if I could interview her. She agreed. 

Before that, Chescery was born on October 13, 1990 in Batan, Aklan. Her parents are Chester A. Belarmino and Cindy R Belarmino.

Her siblings are Chester R. Belarmino, Jr. and Clea May R. Belarmino.

Here is my online interview with her:

Melchor Cichon :  May I ask something about you? Are you an actress or a professional  model?

Chescery Rose Belarmino:  Yes, at ABS-CBN. And a local model.

Melchor Cichon: Ay gali. Wow, ang swerte ko naman, nakilala kita. Sa ano ka nga program sa ABS-CBN?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Home Sweetie Home,  Sir.

Melchor Cichon: Gali.  Permi kami karon gatan-aw. Hambaeon ko rang mga kaibahan sa baeay nga nakapagchat ako kimo. Masadya nga klaseng show ron.

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Huo, Sir.

Melchor Cichon: May pelikula ka eon man?

Chescery Rose Belarmino:  Haha. Wa,  Sir. Nag-uli ang abi ya sa Aklan.  May nawait bi ako.

Melchor Cichon: Nabasa mo ro akon nga ginsulat sa Facebook  timeline ko about you? Hara rang ginsueat:

I am so lucky today! This is a joy of being a poet. Today, I was able to "meet" an Aklanon who is not only a wind stopper because of her splendor but also an ABS-CBN actress. She is one of the actresses in Home Sweetie Home show. Her name: Chescery Rose Belarmino of Batan, Aklan. I featured here in my Facebook album: Full Moon.

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Wow,  Sir. Thank you gid. Fully glad. .Thanks po ulit.

Melchor Cichon: You deserve it! Perhaps later, I can write your short bio-profile so that more Aklanons will know more about your accomplishments.

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Thank you po. Nagpapasalamat Po ako kay God sa dami Niyang ibinigay na talent sa akin.

Melchor Cichon: Yon nga. Mabuti na yong naisulat because written records last beyond our graves.

Melchor Cichon: Thank you, Ches. Can I ask you some more information about you?

Chescery Rose Belarmino:  Opo. 3 years champion ako in dance sport,  in Latin category.

Melchor Cichon:  Wow, 3 years!  That's great. Where did you take your elementary and high school?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Linayasan Elementary School, Altavas, Aklan.  And in Altavas National High School.

Melchor Cichon:  When you were in the primary and secondary schools, did you receive any academic award?

Chescery Rose Belarmino:  Elementary po consistent 2nd honor hanggang maggraduate.  Sa highschool, wala po. Pero sa special science class ako in Altavas National High School.

Melchor Cichon: I read somewhere that you studied at NVC, on what course? And why that course?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Bachelor in Secondary Education, major in Music, Arts, Physical Education (MAPEH).  Coz I really love dancing,and music. Gusto ko magturo, kaso di ko type magteach.

Melchor Cichon: Bakit ayaw mong maging teacher?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Mababa po ang sahod at parang tatanda ka lang.

Melchor Cichon: Ok. From NVC, where did you go?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Nagwork ako sa Aklan Provincial Capitol Office,  Sir. Then nagpaManila ako ku June. Before that,  I represented Aklan in a dance sports competition,  in whole Visayas regions. And I won 3^rd place, over-all.

Melchor Cichon: Wow, may I know who your dance partner was?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Mark Arvin Rebaldo.  Kyuwee maw sa Facebook.

Melchor Cichon: How did you get into ABS-CBN?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Ging contact ako nanda, Sir,  ay nakita ako nanda sa Ganda Babae,  nagpascreening.  Hay na discover nanda ako.

Melchor Cichon: Mga kan-o ra? Ano ring first assignment sa ABS-CBN? What was your first impression then? Did you meet some embarrassing moments that made you a better actress later?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: June 23 (20??)  first ko sa GMA,  kat Puso Ni Dok as a reporter. Sa ABS-CBN,   mga August, (20??). Masadya kami ag level lang kami ku mga artista igto. Dahil may sarili rin naman akong dressing room.

Melchor Cichon: OK. What tv sitcom/program assignment that you considered to be the most memorable, and why?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: ABS-CBN po Home Sweetie Home. Kasi doon ko nafeel ang pagiging artsta na nga talaga. At nakakausap ko na mismo sila  Philip Salvador,  John Lhoyd Cruz, Ogie Diaz, Mitoy, Rico J.  Puno.

Melchor Cichon: Wow! Talagang kalevel mo na nga sila. Si Mitoy kuno hay Akeanon man?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Di ko alam, Sir. Barkada ko po sila  Moymoy Palaboy. At vocalist ng Cueshe

Melchor Cichon: OK.  Mayroon ka pa bang gusto maabot sa buhay?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Na madayon ako makapanaw sa abroad, Sir. Pero wa ko pa napanugid. Soon, gusto ko maiangat ang pamilya sa buhay. Ung marangya. Mayaman pero simpleng pamumuhay.

Melchor Cichon: Thank you gid Ches for your time. I will let you know once I have finished writing your profile. I will let you read it first before I post it in my blog/fb.

Chescery Rose Belarmino:  By the way, Sir, may onga eon ako,  Sir sa una. Pero nagbueag kami ku a Tatay. Bukon kami’t kasae.

Melchor Cichon: OK. Sin-o ra ngaean king baby. Pila eon ra edad?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: France Cheo Arceno,  8 years old eon imaw, grade 3. Ag tennis player imaw makaron sa Aklan.

Melchor Cichon: Wow. Tennis player. Aba, basi kon makahampang pa ron imaw sa Wimbledon Championships, sa French Open, sa Australian Open o kun sa US Open.

Melchor Cichon: Kon owa ka’t tv works, ano ring ginakalingawan?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Gamodeling, gakanta, Sir. Sa banda man ako. Makaron sa Nukes ako gabi-gabi.  Journalist man ako tag sa elementary ag sa high school. I also used to write poetry.

Melchor Cichon: What is your philosophy in life?

Chescery Rose Belarmino: Ika nga know your talent. Be thankful of what God has given you.

That’s Chescery Rose Belarmino: an Aklanon actress, a singer, and a prize-winning dancer. 

Kenneth B. Revestir: Lezo’s Pride

Kenneth B. Revestir: Lezo’s Pride

by
Melchor F. Cichon
December 15, 2014

It all started when someone from Aklan sent me a message asking me to translate in Aklanon  this phrase “Disaster resilient” because they were doing their Municipal Vision with Aklanon translation together with heads of an agency. They already had several translations but they were not satisfied with their works.

So the message sender tried to contact me.

After some minutes, I suggested the following:

Madasag makabawi sa kaeaeat-an

Madasag makaginhawa sa kaeaeat-an

Madasig makabutwa sa kaeaeat-an

Madasig makatibawas sa kaeaeat-an

Madali makabangon sa kaeaeat-an

Thinking that I was communicating with a gentleman, I read again his family name. I asked him whether the translation would be used in Lezo, Aklan thinking that the letter sender is from Lezo because the family name Revestir is a native of Lezo. But the message sender said that the translation would be used in Makato, Aklan.

I got curious if he is a native of Lezo. The message sender said yes. I further asked the message sender if Arnold Revestir, my former classmate in the elementary grades,  is familiar to him.

But the message sender said: I am a "she"! 

She further said,  “Parati pong napagkakamalan na lalaki ako dahil sa name ko. That’s why whenever I write my name, I always write Mrs. Hehehe.”

Unfortunately, when she sent me her request, she failed to write the abbreviation "Mrs" in her name.

Then she related to me how she first learned about me. She said: “If you could still recall po, I am the former Miss Kenneth Selorio Briones of Sta. Cruz-Biga-a, Lezo. A former teacher of Lezo Elementary School. I was the one who introduced you when Ma'am Della Mariano, our former principal,  invited you to be our guest speaker in one of our graduation ceremonies.”

Well,that event was memorable for me because I never had thought that I would be a guest speaker in my alma mater for I was always academically behind my classmates. Perhaps they chose me to be their guest speaker because of my accomplishments as a poet.

Now,Kenneth works as a District Supervisor in the Municipality of Makato, Aklan since 2011.

Based on our short exchanges of Facebook messages, I noticed that she can express her ideas clearly, so I asked her if she has the love for poetry or short story writing.

“A bit of poetry, Sir”, she said. “In my younger years of teaching,  I've been a coach and I really love writing although I  have no formal training on it. That's why, it was not so well developed.”

Since I love writing short profiles of some important personalities in our country, I asked Kenneth if I could interview her. She agreed.

Here are the results of our online interview:

Melchor F. Cichon (MFC): Wow, that indeed is a great news. I am so glad to know someone who is a District Supervisor. I am fond of writing short profiles of successful personalities. And I am thinking of featuring you in my blog, http://biographynotmine.blogspot.com/.  Would that be OK with you?

Kenneth Revestir (KR): Feeling so grateful, Sir...but I don't know if I'm deserving.

MFC: You are!

KR: Such a compliment from a person I really idolized and looked up too since the time I was assigned to introduce you...thanks so much Sir. I feel like I'm in Cloud 9...

MFC: If you give me that privilege to interview you, I will be in Cloud 10!

KR: hahaha...good vibes, Sir.

MFC: Would it be OK with you if I ask you some questions?

KR: Ok sir.

MFC:OK. What’s the greatest challenge you have experienced as a District Supervisor?

KR: To win the support of Makaton-on teachers, administrators and stakeholders since I'm not a native of the place and at the same time I'm the youngest to be promoted and most of my administrators are a bit older than I am.

MFC: How did you do it?

KR: I reached them out, Sir. I did not put any block on their way to reach me, too. And of course my Winning Smile, Welcoming Arms and Heart whenever they come to my office.

MFC: That indeed is a winning way of getting their support. But how did you get the support of those people who have attitude problem?

KR: I talk to them personally. I call them in the office as if we are talking in a friendly manner.

MFC: A refreshing way, indeed. When you were still in the grade school, what would you like to be?

KR: A teacher really, Sir...dream come true...maybe because my mother was also a teacher.

MFC: And your Papa, what is his background? How many siblings do you have?

KR: He was formerly employed at a Local Government Unit (LGU) when then mayor was Lolo Satur, the former Saturnino Fernandez, the father of our present mayor. Then he applied to DECS now DepEd as a Utility Worker of Lezo Elementary School,  now Lezo Integrated School until his retirement.

MFC: Ah,ok. You may or may not answer this: May I know your birthday? And the names of your parents?

KR: March 5, 1972 is my birthdate. My father is Johnston Dioso Briones and my mother is Alice Selorio Briones. I have 1 sister and 1 brother. Married to Engr. Salvador Allan I. Revestir with 2 sons, Vynz Keall, 11 years old, grade 6 and Al Nethan,4 years old.

MFC: I have an additional question. I hope you won't mind. Where did you take up your master's /doctoral degree?

KR: I finished my BEED and M.A in Educational Management at Aklan College, now Aklan Catholic College,  and my Ph.D. units with CAR at Aklan State University, Banga, Aklan po.

MFC: By the way, what's behind your name? Why Kenneth?

KR: hahaha...It's a man's name isn't it? It’s meaning is handsome...that makes me unique, Sir. According to my parents they were thinking of the name Azenith but they don't know what happened and how come that it became Kenneth...

MFC: Another one: what's your favorite flower. I have been looking at your pictures because I have been thinking of writing a haiga for you. I wish I could find a close-up picture of yours.

KR: I don't really have a particular favorite flower but I love flowers that are white because it symbolizes purity and red ones like roses for bravery.

MFC: Do you have any more comments? Any advice for our young ones. And to those who want to become a successful person.

KR: "Just give your best and reach for the stars."

MFC: OK. I am so happy for giving me the chance to interview you. I will surely work on this. I will let you see the draft before I will post it in my blog. Good night and enjoy.

KR: It's indeed a pleasure, Sir. Good night and God bless.

That's Mrs. Kenneth  Revestir, someone who is one of the most successful Lezonians.

Sean Marie A. Cichon

Sean Marie A. Cichon
by
Melchor F. Cichon


Sean Marie was one year and two months then.

Now that she could ran, she would go to all sides of the room. And when nobody would watch her, she would go to the bathroom and play with water in the tub, which is dangerous. She might get drawn there.

She was the center of attention in our family.

When she was not sleeping, almost every member of the family was helping hand in hand to watch her, or play with her.

Otherwise, everything that she would touch would be thrown away or would no longer be in its original position.

Then one day, her mother and her grandmother went to Leganes, Iloilo to buy clothes in the Ukay-Ukay. These are relief clothes which are sold in a very, very low prices. One pair of short pants could cost only fifteen to twenty pesos. Or a blouse could cost 15 pesos.

And they are all imported.

While her mother was away, I watched and played with her. She had this Rabbit toy with holes at its sides with different shapes. She would then drop the different cuts in their respective holes.

When her interest had passed away, she stood up and carried her toys toward her father.

But then she suddenly stopped. We did not know why. She then walked limping on her right foot.

Noticing her predicament, her father came near her and checked the right palm of her foot.

No wound.

He carried her to the second floor of our house and allowed her to walk, as she used to.

But it did not take one minute and she called her mama.

Her father carried her to their bed and gave her milk. She drank it without any problem.

Then they came down.

Sean walked towards me, but she was limping. I came to her and carried her in my arms.

We sat in our sofa. I examined her right legs. I could not find any dislocation on her bone. I massaged it as I have learned a little of reflexology. I could not feel any protruding bone.

And she did not cry.

I told my son to prepare a hot tower for a hot compress. Then we applied to her right foot. We did it twice.

After ten minutes, we allowed her to walk. She did. But for a few steps only. Then she would sit down.

I got worried. I just stayed calm.

When Sean's mother and grandmother arrived, Sean's father, my son, informed them of Sean's condition. They got worried.

I wanted to tell them what happened but I could not say clearly because I was in tears.

And I noticed a little swell on her right foot.

I remember when I was a small boy. When I had sprain my mother would get fresh leaves of kasla, a native plant which is now being cultivated as a source of oil for cars, then heated it on fire and applied it on the affected area. With that knowledge, I got some leaves from our neighbor and applied them to the affected foot of Sean after heating them in the fire to the affected foot. We bandaged that leaves for about one hour, and removed them because Sean was crying as she could not get them out.

After a few minutes, we allowed her to walk.

And a miracle happened: she could walk. In fact, she ran without complaining anything.

My Unforgettable Teacher: Mr. Eufrocino L. Revestir

My Unforgettable Teacher
***Melchor F. Cichon.
October 5, 2014

Last Saturday, the world celebrated the Teacher’s Day.

And with that, I recalled my elementary days in Lezo Elementary School, now Lezo Integrated School. That was in the late 1950s.

I cannot remember all the names of my teachers from the elementary to college. And the minor incidents that I experienced inside the classrooms.

But there is one teacher I had that I could not forget. I mean his family name. Thanks to Mrs. Evelyn Nabor Revestir for giving me the first name of my industrial arts teacher in my elementary days.

His name is Mr. Eufrocino L. Revestir.

He was our teacher in an industrial art class in Lezo Elementary School in Lezo, Aklan.

In that class, one of our classmates was Arnold Revestir, his son.

One time, while Mr. Revestir was discussing something (I forgot the topic), Arnold raised his hand and said: "Tay, Tay, may I ask something?"

But instead of asking Arnold of what his question was all about, Mr. Revestir told Arnold: "When I am inside the classroom, do not call me Tatay!"
All of us laughed.

But truly, Tay Ofring was a very helpful teacher. He taught us, among others, how to make a Christmas tree out of abaca fiber.

And of course, I will always remember his write-up on the history of the church of Lezo. And his controvercial write-up on the history of Lezo wherein he states and I quote:

"Spurred by a strong spirit of independence, the prominent men and women of Lezo, under the leadership of Don Juan Legaspi and Benedicta Geronemo (Alias Tana Bectang), organized themselves in the year 1865 and petitioned the higher Spanish authorities to grant the creation of the municipality of Lezo independent from Kalibo.

"The petition was granted. To give a name to the town, many names were suggested. The Spanish authorities would like the name to be in Spanish. Incidentally a Spanish Naval Officer, by the name of Lezo, who was present during the negotiation, was given the honor to have the town bear his name. So the pueblo of Lezo was born. It was inaugurated on July 6, 1865, as per decree of March 21, 1865, issued by the Superior Spanish Civil Government. Don Anacleto Ramos was the first Capitan Basal as Don Juan Legaspi declined the appointment."

This statement of giving honor to a certain naval officer, Lezo, who was allegedly present during the negotiation is questionable. First, until recently, we did not know the first name of Lezo. Second, there is a town in Spain named Lezo, whose name was taken from the name of a certain Spanish Naval Officer who was successful in the a battle against the British forces.

Here is a short write-up about Blas de Lezo from wikipedia: 

"Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish admiral best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in modern-day Colombia, where the Spaniards resisted a siege by a combined British force under the command of Admiral Vernon."

It is clear here that the Spanish naval officer died more than a century before the inauguration of the Municipality of Lezo, Aklan.  And so it is not true that the name of Lezo, Aklan was based from the name of a certain Spanish naval officer who was present during the negotiation for the separation of Lezo, from the municipality of Kalibo.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blas_de_Lezo
1867-1967 Centenial Jubilee Anniverary; Separation & canonical Erection of the Parish of San Isidro Labrador Lezo, Aklan December 29-30, 1967. souvenir Program. Printed by Macar Enterprises, Kalibo, Aklan.

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.