Category: Philippine Star

For many Filipinos, the dream of earning a global education often comes at a cost-literally and figuratively.

It’s a dream that often feels out of reach. The idea of studying abroad entails high tuition fees, long distance and being far from home and loved ones. But what if you could earn an international degree without ever leaving the country?

The collaboration between Mapúa University’s E.T. Yuchengco School of Business, School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing, and Arizona State University® (ASU) is making the dream of earning a global degree at home possible. Students in the Philippines can now access innovative, world-class, and internationally recognized education without the hefty price tag or the need to move overseas.

‘Through the collaboration, we are able to strengthen our efforts to providing future-ready and globally competitive learning that responds to changing demands of the evolving market. We are preparing our students to be global citizens and this collaboration allows them to work with international peers, adopt global perspectives, and understand how to thrive in diverse environments,’ said Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, president and CEO of Mapúa University.

The modern path to global learning

The collaboration delivers transnational education, a modern approach to learning that involves cross-border ties between two educational institutions. It allows students to take programs and degrees from another university without relocating. By bridging higher education institutions across different countries, transnational education makes global education more accessible to students worldwide. It brings the world’s top universities and their expertise into local campuses and translates their learnings into the context of a student’s home country.

In the Philippines, global education is gaining traction with the government passing the Transnational Higher Education Law in 2019 to expand ‘access to educational services.’ It aims to ‘modernize the Philippine higher education sector and bring international quality standards and expertise into the country.’ This is now redefining what it means to earn a global degree in the Philippines.

The collaboration between Mapúa University E.T. Yuchengco School of Business, School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing, and ASU® provides students with access to ASU®’s world-class programs and curriculum in the country. Also, the faculty has access to ASU®’s content repository to enhance their teaching materials and practices. This has eliminated economic, geographic and cultural constraints, making global learning accessible to students in the Philippines.

For students aspiring to study abroad, this model presents a compelling alternative: the prestige and intellectual challenge of an international degree, at a fraction of the price. It helps Filipino families achieve global ambitions without uprooting their lives. Beyond cost savings, it also promotes cross-border engagement, improves cultural competence, and prepares students for work in multicultural environments.

Innovation-driven learning

In addition to the integration of global curricula, what makes the collaboration stand out and innovative is the cultural and knowledge exchange between two recognized educational institutions. Mapúa University, and its subsidiaries Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, were all equipped and designed with respective Global Classrooms, enabling students to attend cross-boundary classes in real-time virtually.

Through the Global Classroom, Mapúa students engage with faculty from ASU® and the ASU®-Cintana Alliance network and peers, helping broaden their international perspective and culturally immerse themselves in an international learning environment. This prepares them to tackle real-world challenges while developing cross-border skills that are highly sought by multinational and international employers.

The collaboration also uses cutting-edge technology to enrich learning experiences. Mapúa’s virtual learning environment, augmented by ASU®’s new and relevant practices, allows for highly interactive and immersive learning.

As technology evolves, with remote working and global mobility changing the face of industries across the board, innovative transnational education becomes necessary for graduates to thrive in the workplace of tomorrow. The collaboration positions students at the forefront, imparting the technical and adaptive skills they need.

A global future that starts at home

Students today increasingly seek advanced programs that offer flexibility, local and international relevance, and global competence. Mapúa University addresses this head-on, inviting Filipino students and their families to invest in a future with endless global opportunities.

As Mapúa University’s transnational education continues to evolve, it sets the benchmark for how other universities around the region, and beyond, would deliver global learning. Technology is continuing to blur national borders, and transnational education is now becoming a way forward into accessible, innovative, and future-ready global education for Filipinos.

The naval forces seized P18.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in two separate anti-smuggling operations in Basilan and Sulu, the Western Mindanao Naval Command reported yesterday.

WMNC commander Rear Adm. Constancio Arturo Reyes Jr. said Naval Task Force 61 personnel intercepted a motorized boat loaded with smuggled cigarettes off Pandukan Island yesterday dawn.

On Sunday, Navy men aboard the BRP Herminigildo Yurong also intercepted P2.7 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Hadji Muhtamad town.

Reyes said the two operations yielded a total of 440 master cases of smuggled cigarettes, valued at P18.7 million.

He said the cigarettes were turned over to the Bureau of Customs here for forfeiture and destruction.

‘The Western Mindanao Naval Command continues to strengthen maritime patrols, inter-agency collaboration and enforcement of the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept to safeguard the seas of Western Mindanao,’ Reyes said.

In business, numbers usually show up in boardrooms as balance sheets, profit margins and quarterly earnings. They tell us whether the organization is winning or losing, thriving or barely keeping the lights on. But numbers aren’t just dry statistics. They carry culture, symbolism and – if you’re superstitious – a fair bit of drama.

Numbers are never just numbers. If you step into an elevator anywhere in Japan, don’t be surprised if you can’t find the fourth or ninth floors. Developers replace ‘4’ with ‘3A’ and ‘9’ with ‘8A,’ because in Japanese, number four (shi) sounds like ‘death’ and nine (ku) means ‘suffering.’

In Metro Manila, I discovered a newly-refurbished hospital with the same superstitious practice. They have no fourth and ninth floor. Not even ‘3A’ or ‘8A’ floors.

Now, a Westerner might smirk: ‘Really? Skipping floors because of delusion?’ Look. Imagine being in a hospital bed and being wheeled into Room Suffering on the ninth Floor. That’s not superstition – that’s a horror movie. Smart businesses, including modern hospitals know perception is everything, and if avoiding certain digits keeps customers calm, then by all means, skip the fourth and ninth floors.

In truth, the Western world is also superstitious. They panic over number 13. Skyscrapers often jump from floor 12 to 14, airlines avoid row 13 and some hotels don’t have room 13 at all. Try convincing a nervous guest that sleeping in ‘Lucky 13’ is safe – you’ll need more than a soft pillow.

Bright side

Numbers don’t just mark superstition. They also define achievement. Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10,000-hour rule as one key to becoming world-class at something – whether it’s violin, coding or running a business. It requires at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. That’s 20 hours a week for 10 years.

If you’ve been binge-watching Netflix that long, congratulations – you’re now a master of couch endurance. The rule reminds us of something powerful: numbers measure commitment. Ten thousand hours isn’t just math; it’s a story of grit, patience and effort stacking up over time.

Last week, I wrote about how to measure one’s mastery in Kaizen problem-solving. It’s similar to Japan’s tradition of folding 1,000 origami cranes. Legend has it that if you fold them, your wish will come true. Families often send bundles of colored origami pieces to hospitals, hoping for the recovery of a loved one.

Those cranes aren’t just paper – they’re hope, folded a thousand times. I’m telling my clients the same thing: complete 1,000 problem-solving projects, big or small, and you’re not just doing Kaizen. You’ll become an origami champion in continuous improvement.

That’s 10 hours per project. When multiplied to a successful 1,000 Kaizen projects, it becomes the equivalent of Gladwell’s ‘tipping point’ of 10,000 hours. See the contrast? Ten thousand hours represents discipline to master a craft. One thousand origami pieces represent faith in healing. Both are numbers, but each carries a different emotional meaning.

In business, numbers build credibility. Investors don’t buy stocks using ‘gut feelings.’ They want revenue, ratios and forecasts. In today’s digital world, companies often fall into ‘vanity metrics.’ Boasting about a million social media followers is an impressive tack – until you realize none of them ever buy anything.

It’s like bragging you have 5,000 Tinder connections but never went on a single date.

The human side of numbers

Despite their precision, numbers carry emotional weight. A worker doesn’t think of her salary as ‘P40,000/month.’ She thinks: ‘Rent, tuition, groceries and maybe pizza on a Friday night.’ Dynamic managers don’t see ’15 percent attrition.’ It sees skilled people walking out, knowledge leaking and morale dropping.

Some managers forget this. They talk about ‘cutting five percent of staff’ as if they’re trimming fat from a budget. But behind every percentage point are human lives and livelihoods. Business leaders who understand this don’t just see numbers – they see stories.

So, what can managers take from all this numerical wisdom?

Respect cultural numbers. If skipping a floor builds trust, do it. Math purists may cringe, but most people are fine as long as the elevator is operational.

Pick the right metrics. Focus on numbers that matter. Customer retention and employee motivation rates beat any social media ‘likes.’

Tell stories with data. Don’t just say sales rose by 15 percent. Say, ‘sales rose by 15 percent – enough to fund merit pay increases.’ Numbers persuade when they mean something.

Balance head and heart. Some numbers measure profit, others measure patience, others measure prayer. Intelligent managers know how to balance all three.

Numbers run the world – on spreadsheets, in superstitions and in stories of struggle and hope. Number four means death in Japan, eight means prosperity in China, ten thousand hours mean mastery and one thousand folded papers mean hope for healing.

It’s not just math – it’s tradition with a calculator. Ignore the power of numbers, and you risk losing people’s trust. Respect them – and you’ll see that behind every digit lies not just data, but people, culture and countless possibilities. In the end, numbers don’t just count; they narrate.

In business, the story told by numbers is the one customers and employees believe in – because behind every figure is the figure of trust.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity improvement enthusiast. DM your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, or X or email elbonomics@gmail.com or via https://reyelbo.com. Anonymity is guaranteed even if you skipped your math and statistics classes in college.

State-run Land Bank of the Philippines has rejected allegations of irregular activity following reports of unusually large cash withdrawals by contractors of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) involved in flood control projects.

In a statement, LandBank said ‘all transactions were carried out strictly within the bounds of Philippine banking laws and regulations, under full compliance with government mandates and oversight requirements.’

‘The funds deposited in the accounts of DPWH contractors originated from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), released pursuant to the General Appropriations Act as passed by Congress and disbursed by the DPWH,’ the bank said.

‘These funds are legitimate government allocations, not private or unverified sources. LandBank, or any other financial institution, has no legal authority to block or question duly appropriated government disbursements,’ it added.

The lender explained that under DBM Circular 2018-14 and Bureau of the Treasury Circular 3-2018, government contractors are required to open and maintain deposit accounts with banks such as LandBank to facilitate the release of payments for public projects.

The bank said it has fully observed Know Your Client protocols, risk management procedures and documentation requirements in opening these accounts.

LandBank also underscored its strict adherence to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, noting that all cash withdrawals exceeding P500,000 are automatically reported to the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

‘Any transaction deemed ‘suspicious’ at the time of execution is immediately flagged to AMLC via a suspicious transaction report,’ the bank said.

‘In this case, the legitimacy of the source of funds – government releases through DPWH, the lawful purpose of the payments and the KYC account opening documentation of the contractors – have all been properly established and recorded. There was, therefore, no basis under the law to withhold the release of funds,’ it added.

The bank maintained that its primary role is to execute banking transactions in accordance with regulations, not to assume investigatory functions.

While distancing itself from the controversy, LandBank assured the public that it remains committed to ‘the highest standards of integrity, regulatory compliance and public trust’ and is ready to cooperate with any inquiry.

The controversy stems from a Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation that flagged massive cash withdrawals by DPWH contractors for flood control projects.

Investigators are looking into whether the transactions are linked to alleged anomalies involving public funds.

For the third consecutive time, the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) bagged the highly coveted School of the Year title at the 11th Philippine Student Quill Awards.

University of Santo Tomas (UST) finished first runner-up, while CIIT College of Arts and Technology was the second runner-up.

The Philippine Student Quill Awards is the junior counterpart of the prestigious Philippine Quill Awards, which lauds organizations that embody the high global standards in the field of business communication.

Themed ‘Advancing Intelligence with Business Communication,’ the event was spearheaded by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines. It recognized exceptional research, programs, creativity and skills among industry practitioners and students.

The 66 accolades – 25 excellence and 41 merit awards – copped by Benilde came from various categories such as writing, audio/visual, social media, publications, advertising, brand communication, marketing and special and experiential events.

‘On behalf of the entire Benildean community, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to all our students, faculty, and administrators who have worked tirelessly to make this possible. Your passion, collaboration and perseverance have once again brought honor to our College,’ Benilde president Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC shared.

Winning entries included works primarily from two groups from the Student Publications Unit: the Benildean Press Corps (BPC), the college’s official student-journalists’ organization and Ad Astra, Benilde’s official yearbook organization and some from the Culture and Arts Unit.

BPC received the Student Top Award for Communication Skills for ‘Setting the bar high: Cloanne Mondoñedo got it when she least expected it’ by Pio Perez. Also nominated for the same award were other entries from the student publication, namely, ‘Shades of Gray: Crossroads’ by Jorel Magistrado and ‘Self-care or self-sabotage? Diving into the perpetual loop of sudden purchases’ by Renee Aguila.

The Benilde Book, which chronicled the 35th anniversary of the school, also took home the Professional Merit Award in Publication in the 21st Philippine Quill Awards.

DLS-CSB has since garnered a total of 479 awards from the IABC since 2015.

Despite a quick turnaround and rain stoppages, Alex Eala is heading to the next round of the Suzhou WTA 125 tournament in China after outlasting Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in their rain-delayed match Tuesday.

Eala, who exited the Jingshan Tennis Open this weekend, just had a few days’ rest before heading to Suzhou.

Their match was likewise suspended twice due to rain.

But the World No. 58 tennister asserted her mastery over the 124th-ranked Kawa.

The first stoppage came in the first set, with the two players tied at 2-all.

When play resumed, the Filipina grabbed the first set, 6-3.

Kawa, though, tied things up in the second set despite another stoppage.

But in the third set, Eala took a slight separation, going up 3-1.

The 32-year-old from Poland, however, won the next three games to go up 4-3.

But Eala did not yield, winning four of the next five games to grab the victory.

Kawa banked on her receiving game, winning 51 points against Eala’s 44. The latter, however, won 51 service points to the former’s 42.

The Pole also committed 11 double faults, which basically offset her three service aces.

Eala will now take on Greet Minnen in the next round. The Belgian player, ranked 106th in the world, defeated hometown bet Han Shi earlier in the day.

The 20-year-old pride of the Philippines will try to win her second WTA 125 championship after her breakthrough title in Guadalajara earlier this month.

Former Rep. Elizaldy Co’s resignation does not mean he gets away scot-free, Rep. Toby Tiangco (Navotas, Lone District) said.

In a statement on Monday night, September 29, Co’s vocal critic stressed that a resignation does not amount to anything if he faces no accountability.

‘Let me be clear: Congressman Zaldy Co’s resignation is not enough. Resignation is not accountability,’ Tiangco said. ‘What the Filipino people deserve is for him to face the music.’

By simply resigning, Co has insulted both the country’s institutions and the Filipino people, he said.

‘At kung hindi niya haharapin ang mga alegasyon, this can be interpreted as a tacit admission of guilt,’ he added. (And if he does not face the allegations, this can be taken as a tacit admission of guilt.)

The public expects Co to address the allegations against him not through press statements but in a proper forum where evidence and testimonies can be examined. This has been clear in the anti-corruption protests and demonstrations held weekly.

‘[U]muwi siya dito sa Pilipinas, para sagutin ang lahat ng paratang sa kanya,’ Tiangco said. (He should return to the Philippines to answer all the allegations against him.)

Tiangco, one of Co’s loudest critics in the House, turned his accusations over the P13-billion insertions in the 2025 budget and Co’s ‘ostentatious display of wealth’ into a formal ethics case.

However, Co’s irrevocable resignation renders the ethics complaint meaningless, given his departure from public office. This was confirmed by House Speaker Bojie Dy and ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos (4Ps Party-list).

Still, Tiangco pointed out that Co’s resignation does not close the door on legal action, as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) had already recommended charges over a P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

‘Hindi ito natatapos sa simpleng resignation at statement lang. Mas lalong hindi tama na siya pa ang magdidikta kung kailan siya uuwi sa ating bansa,’ he said.

(This does not end with a simple resignation and statement. All the more, it is not right for him to dictate when he will return to our country.)

Co has been accused of padding the 2025 budget when he was the appropriations chair of the 19th Congress, allegedly to receive 20% to 30% in kickbacks from public works projects like flood control.

The recently resigned lawmaker also co-founded Sunwest Inc., one of the country’s top flood control contractors, which reportedly secured about P86 billion worth of infrastructure deals from 2016 to 2025.

On top of these allegations, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials from Bulacan have also linked Co to bribery incidents, including reports of him receiving suitcases of cash.

Co, however, has been absent since the 20th Congress convened. He reportedly left for the United States to seek medical care. While he promised to return, he failed to comply with Dy’s order to return by September 29, choosing to step down instead.

Catholic schools were not among those the government recently flagged for claiming funds for non-existent voucher beneficiaries, or those called “ghost students,” according to the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).

Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ, CEAP president, clarified this at a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, where he was asked whether Catholic schools were involved in the anomalies in the Department of Education (DepEd)’s multi-million senior high school voucher program.

“They do not come from the Catholic schools,” San Juan said.

The “ghost students” were uncovered by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), a government mechanism that certifies the schools receiving funds in the voucher program and monitors their compliance with rules, San Juan said.

PEAC verifies that schools part of the voucher program actually exist and have proper systems to handle government subsidies.

“When they do their very systematic certification and monitoring work, that’s where they discovered the ghost students. And in the past, we have released statements on that,” the CEAP president said.

Earlier this month, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that they have filed criminal cases against private schools that were caught defrauding the voucher system, which pays schools directly for the subsidized tuition of qualified Grade 11 and 12 students.

Angara told the House appropriations committee that DepEd had filed cases against seven unnamed private schools accused of claiming subsidies for ghost beneficiaries. The total amount involved is P61.9 million, Angara said.

In July, DepEd said it could recover over P100 million in fraudulent claims, in addition to the P65 million already ordered refunded by 54 schools that were removed from the program for listing students who were either ineligible or fictitious.

‘Bad name’ for private schools

CEAP treasurer Br. Edmundo Fernandez said the discovery of these “ghost students” is hurting the private school sector.

“There are many schools that have ghost students. These schools exploit these subsidies and it’s a serious concern for CEAP,” said Fernandez, who is also president of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde.

“In fact, it gives a bad name to Catholic and private schools,” Fernandez said.

CEAP, which represents around 1,500 Catholic schools, said it is cooperating with DepEd on the issue by strengthening its own monitoring.

“We have a self-monitoring mechanism to monitor that we are complying with the standards of government to be given government funding,” the CEAP president said. “Pero may mga nakakatakas pa rin (But there are still some that escape monitoring). The good thing is we can monitor and flag them.”

The voucher system currently covers students at the junior and senior high school levels, with subsidy amounts ranging from P9,000 to P13,000 per student.

CEAP is pushing for its expansion to include elementary school students amid its declining enrollment and rising operational costs, which it said are worsened by competition with tuition-free government-run schools.

Tala, a global financial infrastructure company building the world’s most accessible financial services, has been Certified as a Great Place to Work company in the Philippines. The certification is given to organizations that provide excellent workplace culture and employee experiences, as determined by employee feedback and other criteria.

‘It is an honor to be part of the Great Place to Work list. This reflects Tala Philippines’ commitment to ensure the well-being of employees and champion inclusivity in the workplace,’ said Mia Lim, people director of Tala Philippines.

‘We are delighted to know that our employees take pride in their work and enjoy being part of this organization as we all work together to advance financial inclusion in the country.’

Over 90% of Tala Philippines employees said it is a safe, welcoming and a fair place for all regardless of one’s gender and sexual orientation. This year, 86% of employees said it’s a great place to work-21 points higher than the average Philippine company.

Tala continues to foster employee well-being through the implementation of a remote-first work set-up. To support this, it offers free teleconsultations for mental, financial and physical wellness as well as learning and development programs, including participation in professional conferences, to employees.

It also champions gender equality and inclusivity in the workplace by maintaining gender pay equity that ensures there is no significant gender pay gap across departments and levels within the organization, equal employment opportunities and creating a safe space for employees where they can express their true selves without worries. Moreover, Tala exercises zero tolerance for harassment and discrimination with stringent policies always in place.

‘Through these measures, we’re building a workplace culture that we can all be proud of-one that is healthy, fair, respectful and inclusive for all our employees,’ said Lim. ‘We continuously listen to feedback and enhance our programs and policies to address the diverse needs of our workforce.’

Tala Philippines is listed under Great Places to Work in the Financial Services and Insurance industry.

The writer Greg Brillantes died age 92 on a Friday, the last weekend of September, as a severe tropical storm was heading straight to the central islands of the archipelago. His second daughter Cecilia, perhaps named after the patron saint of music, was surely coming home after many years based

stateside. Chi, that was her nickname, was a student of mine at UP Manila 40 years ago, in English I with her block of rowdy occupational therapy majors. In class sometimes her father was mentioned, author of ‘Faith, Love, Time and Dr. Lazaro,’ a staple in any syllabus introducing college students to literature and other literary forms, a tale of the country doctor whose son teaches him a thing or two about faith.

It wasn’t until after the first EDSA revolution that I got to work closely with Greg B., as he had once written his name in my pocket directory (***9507), when he was editorial consultant for Midweek magazine for six years, and I was among the staff writers. Of course I’d read his work before, aside from the aforementioned faith, love and time, such as ‘The Distance to Andromeda,’ which made you never look at the night sky the same way again. Or ‘The Cries of Children on an April Afternoon in the Year 1957,’ which was an ode to adolescence in the province of Tarlac, although written in prose.

Greg B also edited The Manila Review, a martial law era literary journal that came out more or less quarterly, where I first read Erwin Castillo’s ‘The Watch of La Diane,’ as well as a sheaf of poems by the teenage poet Diana Gamalinda, who drowned in Vigan in 1978. The review was also where I saw mind-blowing illustrations by the likes of Red Mansueto.

In Midweek the hours were lax, meaning irregular, so long as the issue was put to bed on at least a weekly basis. Greg B was usually behind his desk in the afternoons, wrestling with copy of the writers and columnists, the blue pencil eventually rendering the poor edited copy like a Rorschach test, which made you pity the poor encoder who had to manually put in all the corrections and transpositions in the rewritten article.

He was hard of hearing and cupped his hand to his ear if he couldn’t hear what you were saying, and sometimes totally misheard you so that you had to raise your voice and repeat whatever you needed to say to him, ending with a few guffaws from both sides. Also you should have seen him when he was deep at work, sometimes shaking his head and muttering the ritual ‘tsk, tsk, tsk,’ looking at copy from a certain angle so light would fall on it the right way, before applying his editing pen as if he were doodling or doing a spot cartoon.

After hours there was time for some beer, sometimes in the old gutted building bedside the office on A. Roces avenue, Quezon City, or else a short drive or taxi ride away to Davao Inihaw on Timog, where the inihaw na panga and sisig were quite the treat after not such a hard day’s work.

It was at Midweek where we first developed a sort of journalist routine, learned the ropes of the trade, out of town coverage and tightrope deadlines, especially since the magazine’s editor in chief was Pete Lacaba, who taught us all the basics of days of disquiet, nights of rage.

Greg B drove an old model Mercedes-Benz that might have seen better days, the backseat filled with books he would occasionally give away to young writers, and near the dashboard a pile of cassettes that included ol’ blue eyes.

Before Midweek closed down with the exit of the first Aquino administration, Greg had gone on a central American sojourn following the death of his mom, which coincided with political upheavals in Nicaragua and other parts of the region, and the essays written at the time later formed the main section of a book of essays, traversing most of the continent by bus, train or foot and recording his adventures in drafts written in long hand.

After Midweek it was on to Graphic magazine where Pete already was, as well the National Artist Nick Joaquin, the Cabangon Chua publication along Pasong Tamo and dela Rosa that spawned its own counterculture. Greg also had a regular column in the Times Journal, the title of which I forget, but it was in the manner of Nick’s ‘Small beer.’

At the turn of the millennium I asked Greg to contribute an essay for a special supplement of The STAR, sort of like to beat the projected 2K bug, and he delivered in spades, recalling his fledgling years at the Ateneo along Padre Faura just after the Pacific War, as an FOB (fresh off the bus or Benz) provinciano

from Tarlac, and his corps commander at ROTC was a fellow named Max Soliven, who was described unflatteringly as strutting around with his sword, or words to that effect.

When I handed him his writer’s fee in the early months of year 2000 we met at Sionil Jose’s bookshop Solidaridad also on Faura, after much shouting and repeated phrases on phone to set the appointment, and he was as usual in his element among books, as calm as any browser. He invited me to lunch at anearby eatery, on the second floor of which he said there used to be a girl’s dorm, where he and his batchmates at the Ateneo visited on weekends, maybe with an impromptu serenade in mind.

In the 2010s I saw less of him, except for a Midweek reunion at Teacher’s Village in the house of one of the magazine’s staff writers Tezza Parel, where I brought a bottle of Capt. Morgan spiced rum which he was hard-put to part with, until I drove him and other staff home to Sta. Mesa Heights, the dog Juanito no longer around, but he wouldn’t let us leave without giving us a couple of books however yet unread somewhere in the apartment.

Or else in New Manila at the house of fellow writer Ben Bautista, dinners with Pete and Krup Yuson washed down with single malt while in the lanai works of Bautista’s bosom buddy Chabet kept watch over us.

In Baguio of course I bought his collected short stories to shore up a weather beaten, dog-eared copy of The Apollo Centennial, still bedside, while Chi finally is home from Houston to join her two sisters and mom, the distance to Sta. Mesa Heights hardly measured by the words of a great writer who taught us much.