The love for books

The launching of Fr. Mamerto Alfeche's book "Augustine On The Hope of Groaning Creation" Tuesday gathered a number of book authors from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo.

Led by Fr. Manuel Vergara, O.S.A., president of the University of San Agustin, there was Fr. Rodolfo M. Areza, O.S.A., former USA president and himself with two books to his name.

And other authors like the multi-awardee writer Prof. John Iremel E. Teodoro who has authored many books. Prof. Amorita C. Rabuco was also there. She wrote the famous local poetry called the "Lo-a".

Prof. Teodoro, managing director of the University publications and Libro Agustino that publishes all these books, told us the University targets to publish some 100 books by the end of 2006, the eighth centennial of the Augustinian Order founded in 1206.

He said, today Libro Agustino has already published some 50 books and they plan to beat the target. I said 80 books would be all right for the significant 800.

I set aside modesty to say I am proud of my Alma Mater in the project of book publications. I was told it is the only University outside Manila that publishes books.

How I wish we in Negros can develop a culture of book publication. Modi Sa-onoy has published many books and is busy working on more. Rex Remitio, I recall, one time has published a book. And so with his father, the late Bacolod Mayor Vicente Remitio.

***

Last Tuesday I was also happy to have met Fr. Bong Delariarte, head of the Augustinian school of studies in Manila who came with Bacolod RTC Judge Ramon Delariarte, his uncle. Fr. Bong also heads the Augustinian seminary in Quezon City.

What was more interesting was my meeting with Fr. Areza who wrote two books, "Ex Corde Universitatis" or "From the Heart of the University" and his other book, "The University of San Agustin Through the Years." It was a book published during the centennial celebration in 2004.

I have not gotten a copy of that book. Fr. Areza told me in his book which he gave me a copy with a personal dedication he wrote about the history of "The Augustinian Mirror", the University literary publication.

He made a very good research for this publication that started in the early 30s and studied the works of the different editors.

He opened to the page where, in his research, he wrote that of all the editors he called me "eloquent and prolific" and that "one of the milestones of the Mirror was during his editorship."

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Yes, he wrote about my articles fighting the printers when the paper was delayed and the students whose poems I did not print. But, those articles were written in a light vein that the students whose legs I pulled even enjoyed it more.

As I have been saying here, I found out I was a better writer more than 50 years ago than I am now. My language was elegant then, my prose was poesy, and as a student there was freedom. I was close to the priests also. My file of The Mirror was burned when my house was burned in 2001. But last year or was it two years ago, a former girl classmate who now lives in the States sent me a xerox copy of the article I wrote about "Life," with the influence of St. Augustine's thoughts whose books I already read that early.

I was happy this classmate had a complete file of all my writings. She said, she kept it among her files.

Yes, and at San Agustin, according to Fr. Areza's book I founded "The Augustinian" a news publication where today my grandson, Stevenzon is one of the top editors.

I had that opened with the blessing of Father Rector Isaac Insunza because The Mirror was a literary publication and we needed a news organ. I was its first editor.

Reminiscences, reminiscences! That's what you enjoy in one's senior years. It was in the early 50s when American poet Robert Frost wrote that poem "The Road Not Travelled" which I liked most and which I followed in my life that made me dedicate to writing.

Wrote Frost: "I will tell you this with a sign / Somewhere ages and ages hence, / Two roads diverged in the woods and I, / I took the one less travelled by / And it made all the difference."

Frost went into teaching at Harvard, then went into a little farming. But, in the end dedicated himself to writing. I took the road less travelled.

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I was given a copy of the letter former City Vice-Mayor Juan Ramon "Monju" R. Guanzon sent to our editor-in-chief on the reaction of City Administrator Lorendo Dilag to the letter of former Bacolod architect Raming Esteban.

Actually the letter was sent to me by another architect, Joe Dureza. And, by the way Joe Dureza finished his architecture at the University of San Agustin and was No. 1, in the architecture board exam. He now lives in New Jersey. At that time too, Raming Esteban was a professor there. That was where we knew each other. He now lives in L.A.

The letter and answer of Dilag was on the transparency of the government center building. Monju's letter was saying he is willing to "substantiate my claim that this choice (the acceptance" of the donation of the Gonzaga lot) to the city "was never transparent."

Why wait for the open forum, Monju? Say it now that there was "never" a transparency. What I know, the Gonzaga heirs donated. The city, which means the mayor and the councilors, accepted.

What was being hidden? Come out. Why wait for the open forum with Dilag?

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We know you offered a site in your land in Mansilingan. But the city officials did not get it. Were the Gonzaga heirs bribed by the city officials? Or were the city officials bribed by the Gonzaga heirs?

We need that government center. If there is anomaly or anomalies, expose them. I hope your exposé will not be tainted by the color that you are doing it because the city officials did not accept your offer. That would be sourgraping.

I have always said and still stand by it, that the best to be Bacolod mayor is Monju Guanzon. He has the political will, honest, and hard working. The problem, however, is he cannot win. But, I say this, if he runs and even if I know he cannot win, I will vote for him.

But that government center, Monju, let us leave that to the officials unless you have something to expose of anomalies. When we offer something, let us not complain if it is not accepted.*

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