Ever seen graduation photos of well-known Kapampangan
personalities? Here are a few of them as they appeared in their yearbooks. You might say there’s not much difference from
your own school portraits, but--who would think that in a few years’ time, these
young, eager-beaver faces would go on to become the region’s pride—trailblazers,
pioneers, leaders, champions, movers and shakers all.
******
DR. MARIANO M.
ALIMURUNG, Top Cardiologist, One of the Founders of Makati Medical Center
The future cardiologist (b. 4 Aug. 1916) went to St.
Mary’s Academy in Bacolor for his elementary schooling. He moved to Manila to
attend high school in Letran, graduating
as Valedictorian in 1936. He enrolled at the U.S.T for his medical course as
scholar. While there, he also was the ROTC Corps Commander. Alimurung
specialized in Cardiology and became renown in his field. He became one of the
founders of Makati’s premiere hospital in 1969—Makati Medical Center—together
with Dr. Constantino Manahan and Dr. Jose Fores. Dr. Alimurung sat as the
chairman of the Dept. of Medicine, director of the Coronary Care Unit, and Head
of the Cardiology Section. He was also the first and only director of the
Office of Medical Education.
******
SEN. BENIGNO
AQUINO JR, Leading Marcos Oppositionist, Philippine Senator, Governor of
Tarlac, Hero
The peripatetic Ninoy ((b. 27 Nov. 1932/ d. 21 Aug. 1983)
was first enrolled at Saint Joseph’s School at age 6. He then transferred to
American-run Ateneo on his third grade, then located in Intramuros. With the
war closed down Ateneo, Ninoy moved to La Salle, but his studies were cut short
with the Liberation. Once school reopened in 1946, Ninoy returned to Manila in
1946 to become a Bedan. He finished high school in just two and a half years by
cross-enrolling during summer at Far Eastern University and National
University. In his own assessment, he was “in the middle bracket, never
brilliant, never among the 95s, but never in the 75s either.”
******
PRES. BENIGNO
SIMEON C. AQUINO III, 15th President of the Philippines
Noynoy (b. 8 February 1960), is remembered for being a
quiet, introverted gradeschooler who rarely joined extracurricular activities.
His batchmates included future senators Teofisto Guingona III, and movie star
Alfie Anido. Aquino graduated from
Ateneo with an Economics degree. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, his Malacañang predecessor, was his former teacher. He was first was elected as a congressman of Tarlac,
then as a Senator in 2007. After Cory Aquino’s death in 2009, Noynoy heeded the
people’s call and joined the presidential race under the Liberal Party and won
over bets like the popular Manny Villar and Gilbert Teodoro, an Aquino
relative.
******
BISHOP TEODORO
BACANI, Bishop of Novaliches
The popular figure of the Philippine Catholic Church (b.
16 Jan. 1940) was born in Bataan where her grew up. At the San Jose Seminary,
his batchmates included Angel Lagdameo (of Lucban, future Bishop), while
graduating from high school that same year was writer-critic Nicanor
Tiongson. Bacani was assigned in Guagua,
under the San Fernando dicoese. Installed
as a Bishop of Novaliches, he became a visible figure during the People Power
years, remaining in that position until his resignation.
******
CONG. EMIGDIO A.
BONDOC. Pampanga’s Popular Solon.
Emigdio Aliwalas Bondoc
(b. 22 Nov. 1928/d. 25 Nov. 1999 ) of Macabebe entered Ateneo de Manila
in 1946 for his pre-law course. An active member of the Aquila Legis
Fraterrnity, Social Order Club, Sodality to the Sanctuary Society, he was also
the class Vice President. In 1952, he
finished his Law degree alongside classmates like Ernesto Maceda and Cesar
Bengzon. Bondoc joined government
service as the legal adviser of the Senate financial committee in 1957. When
Pampanga was re-districted into 4 congressional areas under the new
Constitution, Bondoc became the solon of the 4th district that included Apalit,
Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, San Luis, San Simon and Santo Tomas. As a
congressman, Bondoc was named chairman of the powerful House committee on
ethics.
******
MSGR. JOSE R. DE LA
CRUZ. The Brilliant Cleric-Academic
"Pepe" (b. 8 May 1913/ 10 Apr.2010), was 15 when he entered San Jose Seminary and finished as valedictorian. He earned a
Philosophy degree, Summa Cum Laude. Too sickly to attend the International
Gregorian University in Rome, he enrolled instead at the Central Seminary of
the University of Santo Tomas and was ordained in 1941. At the same school, he
completed his doctorate in Sacred Theology, Magna Cum Laude and Bachelor of Laws. His assignments included Licab (Nueva Ecija), San
Marcelino (Zambales), Guagua and Bacolor. A seasoned traveler, fr. De la Cruz has gone around the
world 10 times. He is known for helping launch the crusade of Charity revolving around
Virgen de los Remedios, the patroness of Pampanga. The monsignor dabbled in
radio, music, composing prayers, writing poetry, literary pieces and newspaper columns.
******
CONG. FABIAN DE LA
PAZ. Two-Time Pampanga Congressman, Lawyer, Teacher, Pensionado
Fabian de la Paz y Yabut
of Macabebe (b. 1889/d. 1946) was a bright boy who swore never to be
like his father, who squandered the family fortune with his cockfighting vice.
In 1904, he was granted a pensionado scholarship to the U.S. along with Jose Abad Santos
(jurist) and Sotero Baluyut (Pampanga
governor). He earned an education degree from Macomb College in Illinois. Back
home, Fabian was appointed principal of Tondo High School. He took night
classes at the University of the Philippines in Manila where he finished law in 1916,
which he practiced when he moved to Jolo. In 1928, Fabian successfully ran as
an independent and won a seat in the Philippine Legislature for 2 terms
(1928-31/ 1931-34). After Liberation, Pres. Sergio Osmeña was said to have offered him a job as governor
of Pampanga, but declined.
******
VICENTE ALVAREZ
DIZON, The Painter Who Beat Salvador Dali
Dizon (b. 5 April 1905/d. 1945), the artist was 19 when
he finished high school at National University, where he illustrated his class
yearbook. A Fine Arts graduate from the U.P. , he took further studies at Yale. Dizon’s biggest
triumph was winning First Prize at a contest held during the 1939 Golden Gate
Exposition in San Francisco, California. His entry, “After A Day’s
Toil”—showing a Filipino farming family on their way home from their farm
labors, won over 79 artworks--- including that of surrealist Salvador Dali who
could only place second. Dizon married Ines Sadie Henson, and died in
Intramuros at the end of the war. Two of his children, Daniel and Josie, are
both accomplished artists.
******
DR. RAFAELITA V. HILARIO,
Philippine Ambassador, Educator, Scholar, Writer.
Dr. Rafaelita Hilario-Soriano (b. 2 Jul. 1915/d. 1 Jan.
2007) was born in San Fernando of
illustrious parentage, daughter of Judge Zoilo J. Hilario of Bacolor and
Trinidad Vasquez. After Pampanga High School, she went to the Philippine Women’s University for her Political
Science degree in 1936. While a dean at the Laguna Academy, she won a Levi
Barbour Scholarship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Returning to
the Philippines in 1948, Rafaelita became a sought after university lecturer .
Her work at the Department of Foreign Affairs put her already multi-facetted
career on yet another path—Foreign Service. In 1970, she was named as an Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel, thus joining an elite group of
ambassadreses like Trinidad Fernandez and Pura Santillan-Castrence, who blazed
the trails towards the feminization of diplomacy.
******
ATTY. JULIAN
MANANSALA, “The Father of Philippine Nationalistic Films”
Manansala (b. 28 Jan. 1899) opted not to take the bar to
work as a Solicitor for Pensioners for Filipino veterans in Washington, D.C.
before shifting to films, starting with his controversial “Patria Amore”(1929),
which created a stir with its direct references to Spanish abuses. He directed
a series of patriotic movies like “Dimasalang”, Kilabot ng Tulisan”, “Pagibig
ng Bayan” before continuing his deferred law career. He was admitted to the bar
in 1945.
******
EFREN OCAMPO,
Topnotch RTW Fashion Designer
The designer whose name is synonymous with RTW
(Ready-To-Wear) fashions went to local schools in Angeles City, and was known
as a Class-A tennis player. He next hied off to Manila, and started out as assistant of couturier Dante
Ramirez in the 70s. After that stint, Ocampo went to New York to study fashion
design, draping, cutting at the Traphagen Institute of Fashion and worked on
Seventh Avenue as an assistant designer for a few companies. He came back in
1980 and in 1983, decided to give RTW a try. His simple, wearable and
affordable designs caught on with department stores and found himself supplying
SM, where his creations are consistent bestsellers to this day.
******
CLAUDE TAYAG, Award-winning Chef, Artist, Designer, Writer
Angeles-born Claude Tayag (b.1956) is a self-taught
artist, with backgrounds in architecture and economics from the University of
the Philippines. He counts the late writer/painter Emilio Aguilar Cruz as his
greatest influence. He first entered the Manila art scene in 1978, with his
watercolor exhibits of fiestas and religious santos. In 1990, he ventured into functional and
sculptural wood pieces via an “Art
Furniture” exhibit at the Ayala Museum. As the Philippine representative to the
8th annual Embassy Chef Challenge 2016
in Washington, DC, Tayag won the People’s Choice Award. Together with
wife Mary Ann Quioc, Tayag runs his Bale Dutung and Café Downtown 1956 food
businesses in Angeles.
