Max and His Fe and Alexis

Max J. Edralin, Jr., has been a friend of mine, and of a great many others for years, mine for decades. He is going through one of the most trying tests a mortal man could ever be put through.

Early morning of 22nd April, his beloved wife, Fe, passed away after years of battling cancer. Her remains are at the Capilla de San Francisco, Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park. She will be buried tomorrow.

Early this morning 25th April, Alexis, adored granddaughter, light of Max's life, young and of bewitching soprano voice, followed her Lola to heaven. Max loved and lavished care on them.

There must be a way to understand things like this. There must be a way to plumb the depths of a friend's sorrow.

All this friend can do is pray for the souls of Fe and Alexis, and marvel at and thank the Lord for the courage and loving kindness of Max.

A Beautiful Daisy

She is in her 80s now, and I haven't ever met her, but judging from her memoirs, The Drama Of It, A Life on Film and Theatre, Daisy Hontiveros Avellana, National Artist for Theater, is a beautiful lady.

Everything about her exhudes freshness-- a lifetime devoted to a singular passion, an idyllic childhood in a provincial town in a placid time, triumphant early years in U.P. before the war, a beautiful story of love and struggles with a genius who was not above designing her bridal gown, and now the quiet years, of affectionate remembering.

How I enjoyed reading this book! edited by my friends Monina Allarey Mercada and her daughter, An-Mercado Alcantara. Of her life during the Japanese Occupation, which saw a golden age of Philippine theatre, and her helping her husband Bert, as writer and over-all aide, produce and direct plays, and this man of hers horsing around with a Japanese officer to save his family from harm, and before that Bert's group of bright Ateneans, doing their thing in college theatre and later, during the War, fighting in Bataan and as guerrillas.

I like her evocation of Binan, where Daisy and Bert shot Nick Joaquin's Portrait of the Artist as Filipino which turned out to be one of their most memorable collaborations. Bert and Daisy founded the Barangay Theater Guild, which put on plays on radio and stage. She wrote the story for Sakay, Bert's first directorial job, now a classic.

Mrs. Avellana is a lady of great humility, a fact quite evident in this book. She could have gone on and on about the plaudits, and the talent and fortitude that won them, but does not. Or about her distinguished siblings, including Lenny and Father Ed Hontiveros, or her artist daughter Ivi, or her summa cum laude father, a Supreme Court Justice, and chooses not. She praises her grandchildren and great grandchildren

I like the quietness and tenderness of these memoirs. Did many people know Daisy wrote short stories as well? They are here, told with a clear sure voice. Especially precious is a still photo from Sakay, with Leopoldo Salcedo and, unnamed here, Arsenia Francisco.

Carmen Guerrero Nakpil who writes the Foreword, notes she wishes she had written this "splendid memoir" herself. Splendid too was their time and the people, including the valiant youth, who lived in it.

Read this book about a life of abiding freshness.

PR Seminar for Entrepreneurs, April 22

Although entrepreneurs are a smart lot, they need help, too. Like, in marketing and PR, making the most of new and traditional media, gaining new customers, creating buzz and enhancing competitiveness, and a lot of others.

The International Public Relations Association, Philippine Chapter and the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) are together mounting a seminar to precisely address this need: PR for Entrepreneurs: How To Make PR Work for Your Business, Thursday 22 April, at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex.

Edd Fuentes and Butch Raquel, President, IPRA Philippines and PRSP, respectively, announced that speakers at this seminar will be Rene Nieva, President/CEO, Perceptions: How PR Can Improve Your Business; Illac Diaz, social entrepreneur and founder, Pier One and MyShelter Foundation, Creating an Entrepreneurial Revolution Through PR; Ramon Jimenez, Founder, Woo Advertising, Traditional Media: How It Helps Your Business; Mike Enriquez, President, RGMA Network and Corrie Narisma, Assistant Business Editor, Philippine Daily Inquirer, What Makes News?; Jay Bautista, Executive Director, Nielsen Media Research, Why Media Analysis; Rupert Japlit, Marketing Director, Roque Digital, Inc., The Power of the New Media, and Carlo Ople, Managing Director, Catalyst Interactive Marketing, The Appeal and Value of Social Networking.

There's an advantage to registering for this seminar before 15th April. Find out from Ms. Sheena Ramos, 8939355, 8183109, sheenaramos@fuentesmanila.com. or Ms. Sonia Tejada, 6380010, publicrelations.prsp@yahoo.com.

The country's two major PR organizations are well-advised to carry on with this message: PR is for real, PR has real value.