A legend celebrates his birthday

            

The stance, the stare, the presence- a mentor in every sense.

The Original Dragon Scribe celebrates his birthday today. And as a Campus Journalist wishing to prove myself someday, I join the whole of our Kingdom in rejoicing the birthday of our King. 

Today, the Academe of the Province of Laguna, especially the Campus Journalists and School Paper Advisers (some of whom were writers in his active days as a mentor), and his loved ones celebrate this most joyous occasion. On this day, some hermermer years ago, a handsome baby boy beckoned to the world, set to fulfill an unimaginable destiny.

He was blessed by the universe with unparalleled writing skills to fulfil a destiny of his own- write and share light.

He underwent the most unimaginable trials as a child, ones that even shook the core of his faith. On the day of his graduation, his home was burned down. Financial difficulty came his way, but instead of yielding to hopelessness like teens his age, trials only made him realize that his passion for attaining education of the highest calibre is all worth the sacrifice.

With his laudable skills coupled with the right attitude, he became a shooting star- the brightest of his kind. Climbing up the career ladder came naturally, of course.

It was in San Antonio de Padua College where our paths first crossed. He was then the adviser of the Paduan Torch. SAPC was at the peak of its glory, and winning recognitions were as easy as picking grapes in a vineyard.

From the President to the aides, he gains love and respect. Everybody was his friend.

His children, Xyza and Borgy, were my childhood peers. Maybe because we were still childish and innocent, Xyza and I would find ourselves arguing most of the time, which often ends up with me crying.

He always exudes that simple, unassuming, and
approachable aura even with a Barong on!

One day, in 1994, we decided to imitate Mask Man, the most popular sentai (Japanese superhero shows) that time. I wanted to imitate Red Mask, because he was the leader of the team, and he wears my favorite color. But young Xyza insisted that I should be Black Mask because my skin is brown.

When I insisted on being Red Mask, she teased me. I went on a corner and cried. Then, the legend saw me. He approached me and asked me why I was crying.

“Si Xyza po kasi ayaw akong gawing Red Mask kasi hindi ako maputi (Xyza doesn’t want me to play Red Mask because my skin is not fair)”. Oh how silly those times were!

To comfort me, he took out a two peso coin from his wallet and smiled, “Naku pagpasensyahan mo na si Xyza ha? O eto, bili ka ng ice cream (Please have patience with her. Buy yourself some icecream)”.

I didn’t. Not because I decided to, but because the sorbetero (ice cream vendor) was already gone. Instead, I gave it during the offering in a mass held in our school that afternoon. I really didn’t wish to be like him that time, because I never really understood how big he was in the field of Journalism. What I remember is that I wished that, like him, I want to be in a school publication. Like him, I want to be admired and loved. 

Two months after, at a very very young age, I was thrusted into the editorial board of The Centrallites, the Official School Publication of Pila Elementary School. And as the cliché goes, the rest was history.

Oh, recalling and writing this part of my tribute is just making my hairs raise!

To this day, Sir Ed remains as the ONLY Lagunense to be awarded as the Philippines’ Most Outstanding School Paper Adviser. But he still remains as the simple and unassuming person that we have all grown to love. Occasionally, I see him walking with his back pack on. He smiles just the same. He still rides the jeepney while observing the people around him, looking for anything nice or bizarre to write about.

He is now a proud grandfather to Xyza’s beautiful kids who might still be unaware that legendary blood runs in their veins, and the compelling story of their Lolo’s inspiring story from being a school paper adviser to the magnificent Education Program Supervisor for Private Schools that he is today.

Yes, today, we are abundant with a new generation of talented school paper advisers and campus journalists. But all of us, his successors, will have to eat truckloads of cooked rice with Knorr Rice Mate before we can even reach what he has achieved.

What separates veteran actors like Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon from the stars of the new generation is that they have worked with veteran directors like Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. These veteran stars have acquired the discipline and passion for their craft because they were trained by screen legends.

Perhaps, I can say the same about our beloved birthday celebrant.

He shall remain as the larger-than-life secret that only our generation can keep, something that Campus Journalists today will never ever know.

He shall remain as the edge that our generation has enjoyed, something that Campus Journalists today can only wish of experiencing.

Above all, he shall remain as my personal hero, my maverick, my shining star, and every imaginable word that can describe his simply but deadly awesomeness.

Sir Ed and Borgy's father-son moments at Palawan.

More than two decades have passed since we met, but my wish never changed.

I still want to be like him. If only I can be half the person that he is.