Tributes to 2 able men

Despite the heavy rains, people trooped to Antipolo to honor an admired colleague or friend who was celebrating his 75th birthday with a planned planting of 75 trees and the launching of his autobiography. The tree-planting was rained out, but the book, “ED, A Lawyer and A Gentleman Farmer and His Endless Dreams” was well-received.

The interestingly written bio relates the life journey of Edgar E. Tarriela, from a lanky, good-looking boy growing up in Siocon, Zamboanga who tilled the farmland behind a carabao, to a highly motivated law student at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, to an accomplished, suave law practitioner in Manila. But while others write books to merely chronicle episodes in their lives, Ed leaves open pages for a sequel featuring the success of his endless future dreams, the first of which is to establish a livelihood training center for the youth in the vicinity of his farm in Antipolo. Students will be trained in bakery and household management and landscaping, with the experimental lab located in Ed’s farm, where Ed spends his free time planting trees and raising organic vegetables and poultry (another of his endless dreams).

Not dampened by the rain were well-wishers, starting with his family, of course. There was Flor, his wife, a well-respected banker and gardener; their children Edmin and wife Maggi and daughter Tricia and their children, and Ed’s sister and former Judge Lourdes Ignalaga, and lawyer nephew Butch Ignalaga and his wife Judge Maricon.  There was sister-in-law Kay Jimenez and husband Nards Jimenez, architect Angel Lazaro and eye specialist Jaime Lapus. Friends who flew in for the occasion: Fred Horecky from Guam and Dr. Caesar Agnir, president of Northern Christian College, from Laoag.

Former UP law classmates who came were Rene Corpus, Nars Tadeo, Willy Pastrana and Tristan Catindig, and Alpha Phi Beta Frat brods were Frank Tagao, Judge Pablito Roxas, Pablo Castillo and wife Fely, and Jun Gamboa.

Mindoro well-wishers were led by Lubang Mayor Johnny Sanchez and wife Pilar. So many guests there were, but space can only accommodate Spunky and Dolly Perez; James Relova, Tito Santos and wife Betty, Daisy Asuncion and Vivian Garcia, Lily Cheng, Manny and Lani Tayas, Perly Skaar, Bella Ancheta, Joe Bacay, (former TESDA director who will head Ed’s livelihood training center), Dr. Rico de Guzman and wife, Pastor Sam Rendall and wife Ling, filmmaker Popoy Lapus, Philippine Red Cross Gov. Saeed A. Daof, and Lydia Robledo.

Mention must be made of the rondalla players who rendered lively numbers – kids from CARE Philippines.

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In another part of the islands, in Midsayap, Cotabato, the man being honored is a byword in the global evangelical movement. His name: Dr. Eliezer Dulay Mapanao, who passed away last October 13.

Ely was born a day before Christmas, on Dec. 24, 1926, in Aringay, La Union. He was the youngest of six children of Flor and Ma. Cresanta Dulay Mapanao. He married Portia Rodriguez, a dynamic woman descended from the illustrious family of Bishop Proculo Rodriguez, one of the stalwarts of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Ely and Portia have four children – Mario, Jemuel, Jowena Jan and Maryssa Janelle.

Dr. Mapanao earned degrees in Associate in Arts and Associate in Theology at the Union Christian College and Bachelor of Arts at Silliman University. While in Silliman University, he served as pastor of the University church for many years and then moved to Ellinwood Malate Church.

He further earned his bachelor’s degree in Divinity in the Union Theological Seminary, master’s degree in Theology (Ethics Studies) at Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University, USA. While in the US, he served as resident director of the International Study Fellowship at Princeton University. When he received the call to serve as president of Southern Christian College, he first decided to equip himself as manager and leader in education and he earned his master of arts in educational administration at the University of California-Berkeley.

While he was in the US, Ely received an invitation from his father-in-law, Bishop Rodriguez, to lead and manage Southern Christian College, a leading Christian educational institution which emphasized community service, and which he made to grow from “strength to strength in its resources and commitment to relate soil and soul to social wellbeing and social organization.” His son-in-law heeded the call, and on August 6, 1965, he was installed as second president of SCC, serving there from 1965 to 1987, a total of 22 years.

President Mapanao improved not only SCC’s curricular program, but also the Midsayap Trade Area. The College pioneered in the organization of development agencies. It organized the Mindanao Christian Service Foundation (MCSF). Mrs. Portia R. Mapanao helped bridge the college and the community through the establishment of the Cotabato Rural Uplift Movement (CORUM). It adopted a five-pronged thrust: livelihood, education, culture, health, and political responsibility.

The college’s seven-year development plan in 1968 ushered in the SCC educational credo in 1969. That year, the Student Rural Development Corps (SRDC) was created to take students from various academic programs to the rural communities; and “earn while you learn,” serve and study scheme aimed towards giving students actual contact with problems of underdeveloped villages for them to serve the people and to enrich the classrooms with their experiences.

The Center for Non-Formal Education Development (CENFED) was born and made operational in 1977. CENFED provided opportunities for the skills and leadership training and development for the barrio people. Dr. Lourdes Magatao was the director of CENFED. The Creative Learning Center was organized when the CENFED was phased out. CLC was partially supported by the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) that served as the preschool of children of underprivileged parents in Midsayap. Its program includes formal education, health and nutrition, social development of the disadvantaged parents.

Dr. Mapanao received various recognitions and awards. To name a few, he was conferred an honorary degree in Development Education by the College of Maasin. He was a Doctor of Development Education, honoris causa.

Dr. Mapanao, known for his infectious sense of humor, was a jetsetter, travelling far and wide to raise money for SCC and community-based programs. Interestingly, he also raised money from the faculty and staff and SCC alumni (he gave emphasis to the art of giving and sharing), and funding partners.  

At the end of Dr. Mapanao’s term in SCC, he ran for assemblyman representing District 1 of Cotabato. When asked why he ran, his answer was, “Pastor na ako, Reverend, President, General Secretary of CONCORD, hindi man lang naging Bishop and so I will try Assemblyman.” He lost because, according to UCCP Secretary General Ruel Marigza, “You know the style of our Philippine politics.”  

In his tribute to the late Dr. Mapanao, Reverend Marigza said, “Ely taught us the power of action, the importance of reason and arguments, and he taught the SCC faculty and staff the Triple A: Awareness, Analysis, and Action. He made us understand the ties that bind the human spirit.”

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