My Father's Gifts

Was Albertson a Presbyterian? Why did Bernardo decide to enrol in Silliman soon after graduating from Iloilo High School? Jose skipped Silliman.

Located in one of the most picturesque islands of the country, my father attended Siliman University from XXXX, graduating with an Associate of Science Degree. One of the proudest moments of my father’s life was being given an Outstanding Sillimanian Award from Silliman University the then headed by Dr. Cicero Calderon. (A personal aside, Mahar’s father was VP for public relations of the university at this time).

Many many years later, I visited Silliman and was simply blown away by the loveliness of the campus. Pictures! This 62 hectare campus is dotted with over 300 acacia trees, it has been declared a national historical landmark. The college evolved into a university in 1938. Currently, SU has a population of 9,000 with over 200 international students from all over the world.

Following his brothers Victorino (law), Carlos (law), and Jose (education), my Dad pursued a mechanical engineering degree in the University of the Philippines, a nod to the rising stature of sciences in universities everywhere. He graduated from UP in 1926?

My sisters and I visited MIT in Boston in 1975. I remember walking around the campus and wondering how my father enjoyed his years in this high-profile university. The next year I got accepted in the Sloan School of Management for a degree in operations research. I was never able to pursue this graduate school option – the U.S. Embassy denied my visa application for various reasons. It just wasn’t meant to be.

My father hardly spoke to us about his experiences in Boston. Conditions must have been tough, the U.S. was going through the Great Depression. Still he graduated with degrees in marine engineering and naval architecture (an ode to his Palawan days). And I remember many occasions when MIT asked my father to represent the school in educational events in Manila.

I remember only vaguely 2 stories related to his Boston time. My Dad told me that he had worked part-time in a restaurant as a dish-washer.  He also recalled that once  he was walking home, feeling very cold. Public transport was available but often he couldn’t afford it.  Once, he almost had enough for a ride but was short by 10 cents.  So he reminded me often, never underestimate the power of 10 cents.

MIT Graduates’ List

in Boston

in Japan

After graduation from MIT, my father could have stayed on in the U.S. for a few years (did he work in Bethlehem Steel?  I remember that vaguely.) But for sure, from 1936-1939/40, my father was Yard Superintendent of Engineering Island, where he himself lived.  Most probably, his ship-building career began at around this time. A sharp memory refers to the Q-Boats.  But there is little we know!

At a Zoom meeting with sisters Rory and Bernie, we remembered WW2’s Q-boats and family  stories on how our Dad designed or worked on these Q-Boats.  As Rory has a picture of the Q-Boat construction crew (!) and I promised to look up the history of the boats.

There is a Wikipedia description of the Off Shore Patrol (OSP), a small naval branch of the US Army that was intended for the in-shore defense of the Philippines. The Wikipedia descriptions on these Torpedo Patrol (PT) Boats takes on pretty much a US perspective of the boats and their contribution to the war effort.  There are references to the Philippine Q-boats (most likely named after Quezon) that were used to evacuate Douglas officials.

Other references would focus on the naval officers but not on the naval architects!

Personal highlights, stressing the OSP Philippine squadron  (my selections!):

• The National Defense Act of 1935 created the Off-Short Patrol with the goal of having by 1946 a force of 36 fast torpedo boats as part of the Philippine Army. The intention was to acquire these boats from British shipbuilders. This plan was obviously intended to prepare the country for its transition to a fully independent republic in 1946.  (Military specialists are in a better position to discuss the merits  of OSP being part of the Philippine Army, as designed by MacArthur with support from military experts, i.e. Dwight Eisenhower).
• By 1939, only two of these boats were delivered to the Philippines  at which no further deliveries were expected from Europe.  There is a cryptic description that by 1941 a third boat had been assembled locally (This 3rd boat was built in Engineering Island). Five boats were eventually made locally and attached to the USAFFE.
• Interesting factoid is that the first commanding officer Rafael Ramos, appointed in April 1938 was eventually relieved by Captain Jose Andrada (a US naval Academy graduate of 1930.  Andrada built the OSP team from USNA and PMA graduates. The OSP craft were berthed at the “Muele del Codo” (Engineer Island) and not surprisingly, the training of the team was also held at Engineer Island. Only upon the establishing its core group did Commodore Andrada consider the OSPO established – on Feb 9, 1939.
• For our family historians, this period covers the time that our father was the Yard Superintendent of the Marine Railway and Repairs Shop of Engineer Island from 1932-1939 (Many of my older cousins remember how Uncle Bernardo lived on Engineer Island together with his mother and nieces).  Commodore Andrada was a life-long friend of my Dad.  And together, they had planned various projects – a Tagaytay mobile view deck and a 1972 bid for BASECO that they lost to Alfred Romualdez, Imedla’s brother, just as martial law was declared.
• Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 8, 1941 and nine hours after, Japanese warplanes attacked Clark Airbase. With the American military power diminished and with their evacuation to the Dutch East Indies, the very few Q-Boats (most likely named after President Quezon) was the closest thing to a Philippine navy. On December 24, MacArthur moved himself and his family to Corregidor, several days later it would be President Quezon.  In both cases, the Philippine OSP squadron was used.
• There was also an American Squadron, called also the OSP, consisting of 6 PT Squadron. The squadron was considered “forgotten” and how they fared was made into a movie in 1946  – “They were Expendable” starring Robert Montgomery, John Wayne and Donna Reed.
• The OSPs most vital tasks was to help carry food and supplies including ammunition and medicines from nearby provinces to Bataan and Corregidor. Within 100 days, the OSP ceased to exist. To keep the 2 story headquarters out of enemy hands, the OSP burned down their base in Engineering Island. This was then relocated to Corregidor.

It would be fascinating to pursue this research further. But this will need to do for now.

Manila was literally devastated by WW2.  Independence from the Americans in 1946 propelled the country into a tremendous rebuilding effort.  After being based in Tokyo as part of the Philippine Negotiation Team for reparations, my father was appointed to head the newly created National Shipyards and Steel Corporation in 1951.

Under his leadership, NASSCO contributed to the realising the vision of an industrialised Philippines.  The following is a speech associated with President Elpidio Quirino in 1953 during the launching of the NASSCO DryDock.  In this speech President Quirino provides the ambitious vision of post war Philippine industrialisation.

National Government Portal – edited at the Office of the President under the Commonwealth Act No. 638.

Transcription of the Extemporaneous Remarks of the President at the Inauguration of the NASSCO Shipyard in Mariveles, Bataan, March 31, 1953. Posted on March 31, 1953

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At long last I am relieved of the continuous anxiety that brought me hereto less than a dozen times in the recent past to see that this dry dock is completed.

We meet here, brought together by a new human concept which is totally different from the old concept of what would be realised in this vicinity. During the early part of the Spanish administration as well as during the whole period of the American occupation, this area was conceived to be an area dedicated dated to national defence. This channel between Corregidor and Mariveles was supposed to be a naval Thermopylae by which to keep the invader who would penetrate toward Manila Bay and crush the Philippines through its capital. That continued to be the concept of previous administrations up to the last world war.

One afternoon, contemplating the crossfire between Corregidor and Mariveles during the last few days of the conquest these islands by the Japanese when we used to get together along the beach of Manila Bay to see not only the beautiful sunset which has made Manila famous or Corregidor renown(ed), but the exchange of fire and flashes from the mouths of the guns that were exchanged between Corregidor and Bataan during these latter days of the Occupation, we realised then not only the beauty of the sunset but the furious exchange of fire between two enemy guns in Corregidor and in Bataan.

But when the Philippines was eventually retaken by the United States, there was a new concept, a new vision, a new inspiration that set in our mind, in the wake of the granting independence which was then given to us to give Us an opportunity to develop this land in accordance with our own genius, our own inspiration, and our own effort.

That  change of concept has conceived this vicinity as an industrial district, no longer as we discovered during the last world war to utilise that channel for national defence purposes but to use it as a gateway to Manila in order to open new facilities such as the building of a new dry dock supposed to be the biggest in the Orient and which would give us a basis for our industries and encourage the development of the maritime industry. It is true that we first encouraged maritime shipping by the acquisition of three ocean-going vessels , one of which is the Dona Aurora which brought many of you here. But it is also true that something was conceived to be of greater and far-reaching importance than the mere acquisition of ocean-going vessels.

We conceived a new, entirely new idea for the establishment of basic industries as the secret of a new venture at industrialization. We thought of building hydroelectric plants. We thought of establishing a fertiliser plant. We thought of promoting and establishing more irrigation systems. We thought of establishing this shipyard as a basic industry necessary to promote and, to some extent, develop industries connected to these basic industries and to supply actual requirements of the industries to be organised under this impetus.

For long, long years, and until lately, our country has been regarded only as a producer of raw materials to supply the requirements of industrial countries. We have refused for some time to accept that role in our economic development ent but have not been able tp show that we can also develop our country industrially. But nowadays, after having established so many industries in the Philippines, inviting foreign capital to make investments here in order to multiply our industries, many new industries have been established.  There are now 165 new tax-exempt industries in the Philippines.

We wanted to go farther by establishing these basic industries to show that this country and make a complete change in. our economic activities — from an agricultural country to an industrial one. But we do know that there are so many products we are producing here that need to be industrialised because of we can continue to produce export products it would simply mean enslavement by industrial countries which we only supply with raw materials.

And, my friends, the establishment of this dry dock in Mariveles is one of the means to show that the country can be industrialized. There are one thousand and one reasons to convince us that the establishment of a dry dock will save not only dollars but at the same time the necessity of having  to go abroad for the purpose of repairing ships which we are in daily need of increasing or extending the volume in order to cope with international commerce, especially with the products that need to be transported more economically than before , in view of keen world competition.

The establishment of the dry dock, therefore, is part of a huge program of development. It is not only because of the insistence of Colonel Bautista and Mr. Abrera that I decided to establish here or approve the establishment of this shipyard that we are inaugurating this day. It had to form part of the general program of development , a program which I ambitiously called total economic mobilisation program (bold letters, mine).

Those who deride the program, those who disparage the results, those who fail to see from the afar or through the future the great advantages of following the program, will begin to realise this year that this program is not a mere theory.  It is not a mere philosophy, it is not a mere vision, it is not a mere shibboleth to attract people together or give them more confidence on the effectivity of the program of development that we have adopted.

This year we are inaugurating not only this shipyard but also the fertiliser plant as well as the hydroelectric plant in Maria Cristina, Lanao. This year, we will also inaugurate the steel mill in the same vicinity, and during the latter part of the year we will also , be inaugurating another branch of the cement plant in La Union.

In our program of economic development, therefore we have tried to cover all necessary preparations by establishing basic industries to make the country industrially able to meet our requirements in order to supply the needs that have been supplied by foreign importers.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure, it is a great source of pride, and it is a great incentive to the country to see the plant established here, the dry dock that is being inaugurated today.  History will record our great efforts in this epoch.

When before, dreaming was the only thing about development in our mind, ten or twenty years hence, when we review the steps taken today, since America gave our freedom on July 4, 1946, we shall be able to show real Filipino genius, determination, and capacity to stand the criticism of any generation. I hope that with this auspicious beginning, as the years go by, we will increase all these evidences of the capacity of the Filipino people not only to maintain their name and prestige in world affairs.

And, my friends, I congratulate those who have initiated the establishment of this dry dock and those who have effectively cooperated in the realisation of that plan.

This is one of the greatest examples of cooperative effort on the part of the government. I hope that from now on there will be less talk and more work, there will be more concentrated effort in our constructive activities and less criticism, and there will be more sensible thinking people rather than silly political talks in our midst (applause).

Ladies snd gentlemen, I want you to take stock of, analyse, interpret, and realise in conscience what is being done for you. This dry dock alone, you may not know how many laborers  will be employed here. No less than three thousand, three thousand of the numerous labourers displaced from offices in Manila. In our effort to economise, we reorganised government corporations and reduced their number. We now only have 23. We used to have more than 30.And as people who were discharged have to be accommodated somewhere, we have to create more opportunities, we have to open more lands, and we have to establish industries in order to give them opportunities for employment elsewhere, in order to reduce the unemployed.

With 165 new industries, do you know how many of the unemployed are being accommodated? The lands we are opening, are now being settled by them. Do you know how many people are being given lands and homes in order to have the capacity to produce and provide wherewithal for each family? Do you know that the efforts we are making in building this country are of a wide range which were not conceived during those days of idealism, when we were just crying loud to the sky asking Heaven to give us the freedom that we need? Those days of idealism are gone.

These days are days of hard work, and I invite you, my friends, to realise the importance of the project we are now realizing because this spells the future capacity of the Filipino people to stand on their own feet, with their own government and with the opportunity to establish here a firm, strong foundation upon which we could base the continued enjoyment of our liberty and freedom. Thank you very much (Applause)

Source: University of the Philippines, College of Law Library

After many years of obtaining/refitting war surplus ships, the national shipping fleet marked a major milestone in the building of its own ships. The M/V General Roxas and the M/V Benito Lopez, launched in 1959 and 1960, were built by the National Shipyards and Steel Corporation headed by Jack Abrera. Described as the first locally built ships, both ships were considered luxury liners (with air-conditioning!). General Shipping Corporation acquired M/V General Roxas; Southern Lines had M/V Governor Benito Lopez as its flagship.

Where are the ships now? In the mid-sixties, General Shipping sold the M/V General Roxas to the Sweet Lines. M/V Roxas emerged as the Sweet Rose , the historic ship then plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran route. M/V Governor Benito Lopez, in turn, became part off the Carlos A. Gothong Lines, and was renamed as XXX.

in Japan

For the shipping industry to be viable, the country needed steel. Tired of merely being the source of raw minerals, the country sought to have its own capacity to add value, investing in capacity to transform these materials into manufactured steel. This was the aspiration of IISMI.

The IISMI has had a checkered life.

Posted on April 15, 2013 

Looking back to my childhood years, I realize that I was born during the peak years of my father’s Philippine government service and got to know him best after he took his post in ECAFE (now ESCAP) at the UN. 

The UN years, though perhaps not as high profile as his government posts, were nevertheless heady. While he, my mom and my brother were based in Bangkok at that time, I recall many many social events in our ancestral home in Quezon City. There was always a lot of music, piano playing mostly and as needed, Filipino dancing for distinguished guests (The visit of ESCAP Secretary General U Nyun of Burma, I remember the best!, maybe because a French member of his delegation kissed my hand and thrilled a young 10 year old lady to bits!). 

My sisters and I always had a role in these events. Rory was always the organizer- manager, getting Bernie and I prepped to play the piano or recite a poem. We would always dress in our finery and waited till we were called to perform! I was never annoyed in having to do so – it was always good to get a pat on the head and special commendations, though I am not so sure we were all that deserving. 

As part of his work, my Dad travelled to many countries. There were always many postcards from all over Asia – Japan, Korea, China, Iran. He would always tell me – someday, you too will visit these beautiful places. I recall a specially beautiful picture of the Caspian Sea and him saying how much he enjoyed the place and the caviar. I am still aiming to visit Iran. 

My first trip abroad was to visit Hongkong and Bangkok to join my Dad during the summer break. Mr. U Tun Thein, Dad’s colleague and golf buddy, travelled with me from Manila to Bangkok, stopping over in HK for a few days. The HK journey was largely uneventful, except for a severe stomach upset after dring HK tap water (Manila then had the cleanest drink-able water in SEA) and a friendship with young Chinese girl, Janet Wong, who for many years was a pen-pal of mine. 

In Bangkok, my Dad lived in a traditional Thai home with a large garden, owned by a German-Thai couple, the Grafs. Though his work days were full, Daddy and I visited many temples, usually following the list I researched for during the day. I remember a French- Cambodian couple also living in the same residence and where I saw very beautiful photographs of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Many many years later I would visit Angkor and remember those photos.

The Filipino social life in Bangkok was also quite active. There were quite a number of Filipino professionals in ECAFE at that time – the Manalacs, the Arzadons, the Sevillas. There were many get togethers, including swimming at the Royal Sports Club. I first learned to cha-cha in Bangkok with Lily Fernandez, who some years later, died with her whole family, in a plane crash from BKK to Manila. 

Daddy and I also had many of our own swimming sessions in the Thai version of the Army Navy Club. He too was an avid golfer, usually took off for games in Hua Hin, with his buddy U Tun Thein. I’d take long drives with him to the coastal towns and spend the time looking for seashells and reading books. 

Between his golfing and swimming, my Dad was buff – he never had a beer belly. But he did smoke – Chesterfields. 

Posted in April, 2013

My father’s love for Palawan was deep and unquestionable. He didn’t flaunt his roots needlessly but showed it in many ways. Our Quezon City home was built with many Palaweno artisans – I remember their faces but not their names.

I saw the depth of his caring during the Palawan campaign of 1971. Many in the family argued against his running, my mother Sally had many reservations. But I remember her telling me that he really wanted to do it with a passion and so she withdrew her objections. He was excited about visiting familiar towns. Cuyo was where my Dad finished his grade school and there we met his best friend in grade school! Carlos Fernandez. El Nido was stunningly beautiful with its impressive black limestone cliffs. Culion was my grandfather, Basilo’s original home until the island became the country’s leper colony. Coron was our last stop, my father’s home base. Near Coron is Concepcion where my father was born. His family had a rice farm in Tepiquen, in Concepcion. 

During the campaign, we met many relatives, from higher status professionals in Puerto Princesa and as we went farther from the capital, poorer relations. I remember visiting my father’s first cousin, Tia Belen, whom I knew from her Manila visits. Her home was quite spare with leaking thatched roofs. My dad reminded us how education provided him the opportunity to move out of poverty – a theme he kept repeating during his campaign. During an island visit, my Dad saw many kids with beri-beri, children with blond hair and bloated bellies. He turned to us and made us promise to return. 

The campaign was most probably his last visit to Palawan. I like to think that his extended visit was a happy one and while he did not get to represent his province in the Convention, he was able to say good-bye to family, friends and the islands he loved. 

Posted on April 17, 2013 

I am not sure when my father decided to run for a seat in the Constitutional Convention of 1971, representing the province of Palawan. My Dad was not a politician and never ran for office in his whole life. He was a manager, a technical expert, a visionary with ambitious dreams for the industrialization of his country. He commanded from his people tremendous respect and loyalty. I think my Dad ran for office as his way of giving back to his home province. He was also naively expecting that his credentials were sufficient basis for representing his province in revising the country’s constitution. 

In the three weeks leading to the elections, Daddy campaigned in his northern base. With a small entourage consisting of his brother Carlos, nephew Tutit, my sister Bernie and I, my Dad spoke in rallies and to groups in Puerto Princesa, Cuyo, El Nido, Culion and of course Coron. 

“India indorah lipaten akung tatay” (Don’t forget my father) Bernie and I would tell voters in small towns as we distributed leaflets. In his own spiel, my Dad would speak of his own personal history, reemphasizing the value of education. He laid out his vision of balanced development and of the importance of strong agriculture and the importance of industry in the country’s development. 

Palawan, unlike now, only had a single district. The province had 2 seats in the Con-Con. In the final tally, my father won Northern Palawan but lost heavily the vote-rich South. I used to say that we won everywhere we campaigned! 

His 1970 campaign flyer

In his own words – his educational and professional story

His political agenda

His political agenda

If Quirino’s 1953 speech provides a vision and context to my father’s life work, his proposed constitutional reforms and policies, articulated in 1972, gives us a glimpse on what my father considered as important issues  in the national agenda. There are 6 items in the agenda, of which proposals  1/2/6 support economic development goals and proposals 3/4/5 reaffirm the need for a political and judicial environment to enable fair and equitable development.

The first proposal on a “realistic, long range program of industrialisation” continues the themes of the Quirino presidency.  Key to this proposal is the role of the private sector and the importance of incentives for dispersal and distribution in the country.

While recognising the importance of the private sector in the development effort, he clearly understood the excesses of unplanned growth and development. I think this is the reason for proposing an independent economic and planning authority, Only through such independence would it be possible to have the balanced growth of industry and agriculture and the leverage to  intervene against  monopolistic trends in industry, i.e. private business. The agenda also had a strong worker protection dimension.  Support for  gainful employment, decent wages and adequate retirement pensions — all these are key elements of social protection of workers and their families.

Family planning  as a component of national policy,  the 6th proposal, would have been controversial then as it still is.  He saw this as an important pre-condition for an improved quality of life. This proposal would have surely been shut down in the 1971 Convention.

My father advocated for a Presidential system of government, though with limitations on executive power and the autonomy of local governments.  His suggestion for a strengthened role for the Vice President continues to be relevant in current times. He was clearly a believer in governmental checks and balances, with separate and very specific proposals for  the independence of the judiciary and Congress, and of course, the necessity for a strengthened and autonomous civil service commission.

I am quite proud of these proposals for reform, I am glad I campaigned for my Dad.  All three weeks of it!