‘Mr. Sev’

Last Sunday, the Britanny Bay Central Park courtyard along Sucat could have churned out this year’s best commercials in 20 minutes – if only the 200 or so people gathered there were in the mood for work.

But these creative geniuses were in a party mode, and for good reason.

You see, last Sunday was the 80th birthday celebration of former Bates-Alcantara and DYR Alcantara chairman Severo "Sev" Alcantara. About 200 of those who had once worked for and with Sev from 1948 to 2004 came together for what seemed to be like a creative powwow – over a sumptuous buffet catered by Hap Chang and a main course that consisted mainly of memories.

Sev Alcantara, then a working student from Virac, Catanduanes, started as a messenger in what was then Grant Advertising. He worked his way up to account manager, media manager, accounts director, and eventually president of the ad agency. Before he retired, Sev Alcantara virtually owned the agency, which took on several partners but retained the flagship account of Colgate-Palmolive through the years.

Lily Pasimio, former personal secretary to Sev who would become personnel manager of the agency, credits Sev’s rise in the corporate ladder to his hard work and people skills.

"He really had a way with clients," recalls Lily.

I joined Bates-Alcantara briefly in 1985 – for all of six months – the only time in my life that I wasn’t doing news or feature writing. My father Frank Mayor had met a Colgate-Palmolive New York executive named "Mr. Jordan." My proud dad told Mr. Jordan he had a daughter who wrote well (so my dad believed) and Mr. Jordan told Sev all about me. If Mr. Jordan was at all influenced by my dad, then he must have spoken about me to Sev in glowing terms. Anyway, Sev interviewed me and referred me to someone he described as one of his agency’s "best creative minds," Ed Ramirez. I guess I passed Ed’s criteria because I was hired as his copywriter. I later became his wife.

So you see, in more ways than one, my short stint at Bates-Alcantara changed my life forever. (Ed and I now have a 20-year-old son, Chino.)

* * *

So rain or shine, I was determined to attend Sev’s 80th birthday party. If he didn’t listen to Mr. Jordan and take time out to interview Mr. Jordan’s friend’s daughter, well... my destiny would have been different (So I have much to thank Mr. Sev for).

In the six months that I was at Bates-Alcantara – the only time in my life that I tried out copywriting as a living – Sev stood out as really a "people’s person." He smiled at all employees and greeted everyone in almost all departments during his "rounds," just like someone who was campaigning for a political post (except that Sev was not campaigning for anything in the office, because he already owned the company!) He just didn’t want to be locked up in his ivory tower. Eventually, he would be vice governor, and later governor, of Catanduanes. He truly loved being with people.

* * *

I would like to share with you the sharing of other former Bates employees during the party. Grace Chong, author of the bestselling Gifts of Grace 1 & 2, used to head the creative department, and Lucy Bigornia, (the author of Now the Bed’s All Mine, who reversed what she wrote by reconciling with her ex-husband) now happily US-based.

From Grace: And today we’re doing what we looked forward to every year: celebrate Mr. Sev’s birthday. Then... it was easier. Caloy was just down the hall. Mr. Rip or Mar would hand us a check. But check or no check, a volunteer organizing committee got the ball rolling – Boy P, Danny Adapon, Mother, Sol, Bing, Mabel, Dolly, Ggie, Belards, Baby and Gem. Pretty soon the list of attendees swell to 150.

Just like old times. Gem follows up Belards, Belards promises Gem, Ggie follows up Belards, Belards promises Ggie; Jun Beltran wails. Sol nags the media; Bing nags everyone. Boy P nags, period.

Yes, to anyone who might be reading the XDYR e-mails about Mr. Sev’s birthday bash and this grand reunion, it would seem that these creatures are still within a yelling distance away.

Today, we are privileged to see people from different centuries and planets together in one place. I see Boy Javier, George Balagtas, Ed and Joanne Ramirez, Mercy Aquino of Grand Port Area, Nonoy Gallardo.

So this very hour, we are here. It is our reunion, and we are here to honor the man who has touched each of our lives; the man who has been a part of our career growth because he was there to see it all: SCA or Mr. Sev.

From Lucy: Dear Mr. Sev,

Special occasions make me want to ramble. So please allow me:

I always say that in order for a person to be really special, he’s got to have one thing: COMPASSION.

A compassionate heart listens deeply, moves, shares, bonds, cares.

And in my book you’ve got it, Mr. Sev. You’ve got Compassion. Because YOU CARE.

You cared when, many years ago, coming from lunch, I was greeted by a phone call at the reception area. It was from the Jesuit mentors of my son, barely into his teens, saying that he was caught with a porno material! You happened to be in the area, and you asked me with concern why I was so upset. I don’t remember now if I ever answered you but what stuck in my mind was that YOU ASKED. You cared to ask.

You also cared when one day I went to your office after an account director of the group to which I was CD said that we lost an account because client wasn’t happy with the creatives. I let you know that when the AE handling the account retired, client didn’t want to see this AD (who took over the client servicing) and client gave his account to some other agency. After I had unburdened myself to you, you remarked that I looked like a big weight had been lifted from my shoulders. You cared to do that to make me feel better.

You let me know personally whenever I would get a promotion and a raise and I guess you did that to everybody because you cared to witness for yourself the look of joy and pride on our faces.

They say that 30 minutes of wonderful is better than a lifetime of nothing special. Well, I think you’ve got a lifetime of both wonderful and something special, and I wish you more of that in the years to come.

As for Ed and I, well, what can we say? Our testimony to our "productive" stint in Bates-Alcantara is now 21 years long... and running.

Happy Birthday Mr. Sev!

(You may e-mail me at [email protected])