A legacy of greatness
MANILA, Philippines - When I was a six, I used to visit our neighbor’s house to watch Batibot, a popular morning show for children way back in the early ‘90s. Watching Batibot fulfilled my simple dream of learning different stories for kids. At that age, I was simply fascinated by the stories for children presented in every episode, and was overwhelmed by the values embedded in every story. It was a simple gratification for me, for my family was not able to afford a single storybook because life was difficult on the island where I grew up.
After almost a decade, I qualified to study at the University of the Philippines. Amid the cyclic change of subjects and professors every semester, imagine my surprise when I walked into the room for my Filipino 25 class, and realized that my professor was Rene Villanueva, the creative director and head writer of Batibot. Behind his serious and strict personality, it was evident that he had a deep passion for his craft and a soft spot for children.
Equipped with his record-breaking 29 Palanca awards and other local and foreign recognitions, I was blown away and was greatly motivated to grasp every insight and technique that he shared during the course of our creative writing class. From the basics of writing non-fiction essays to the way he scrutinized our work in every class workshop, it was truly an enriching experience for me. He helped each of us develop critical thinking and taught us to always give back to the Filipino people in every possible way.
In his informal essay collection, Personal: Mga Sanaysay sa Lupalop ng Gunita, his awe-inspiring anecdotes are divided into three parts: Matris ng Memorya highlights his touching relationship and even conflicts with his seamstress mother and street cleaner father; Lunsaran ng Malay narrates his childhood memories from his birthdays, passion for writing up to the blossoming of his awareness that molded his values and ideals; and Lupalop ng Gunita unveils more about himself through his experiences in Blumentrit, Pasay and La Loma and with different people who have made an impact on his life.
I admire his realistic presentation of the loves of informal settlers, burlesque dancers and the other underrepresented lower class population. Some parts of his essays made me laugh, ponder, feel grateful, and even feel empowered — that I can also make a difference by inspiring others through writing.
One day, he asked us to write our autobiographies. We were also instructed to give our constructive opinions about the works of our classmates, and to be brutally honest about it. I thought the writing part was already nightmarish, but the presentation part made me feel I was having a nightmare in limbo. However, I cannot deny how much I learned from the strict and straightforward comments from my classmates and Sir Rene. Among the many presentation in class, one moment I will never forget was when he frankly criticized my written output, because I unintentionally described a helper in a mini-restaurant with a metaphor similar to an unaware or naive child, which ended up sounding like I was belittling the waitress. That incident pushed me to be more careful with my words and be more open-minded to the stories of people from all walks of life.
The semester ended and I never had the chance to personally thank Sir Rene. I eventually graduated, became a teacher, and fortunately, I was able to meet his former students in my workplace. We shared our experiences with him and agreed in describing him as a man of principle and a strict professor in class but with a heart for children. I was saddened when I learned from a new colleague that our former mentor died a few weeks before Christmas of 2007.
It was in 2010 — almost three years after his death — that I received my first Palanca award. I wrote an essay about my experiences in jail with juvenile delinquents during my practicum days as a teacher. I gave my best shot to captivate people with my story, using narration that would engage the senses of every reader. I have to give special credit to Sir Rene for honing my gift in writing, even if he was not exactly aware that he did.
Reading my essays in the previous years enabled me to reflect and ponder the things that I have done in my life. Revisiting my past experiences enabled me to improve myself as a person. Sharing it with others is also a great platform to instill good values and social awareness especially to young generation. I feel grateful each time my students or co-teachers are moved by my stories. It makes me more determined to give back and be more passionate about improving my craft in writing. Inspired by Sir Rene’s humble beginnings, I am eager to continue writing my childhood memories way back from my hometown in Quezon and my present realizations and advocacies as an educator. Just like Sir Rene, I would like to impart a legacy of greatness and be an inspiration to others even in my own simple way.
THIS WEEK’S WINNER
Mark Gil M. Caparros is a native of Alabat, Quezon. He finished his BSE in special education, cum laude, at UP Diliman in 2008. He received his first Palanca Award in the Essay Filipino category in 2010. Currently based in Singapore as a behavior therapist, his dream is to establish a therapy center for children with special needs in his province.
