Lately, I bumped into a Filipino here in Rochester. Let's call him "Larry." It was David who talked to him and later learned that he's a Filipino. And you know David, he'll scream for my name and introduce me to his new Filipino friend.
Mang Larry has lived in Rochester for many years. His daughter had petitioned for him to live in the US. He's probably in his 80s. And what do you think we talked about? Philippine literature! He said he admires F. Sionil Jose's novels, particularly Ermita. When I told him that I met Sir Frankie years ago in a workshop in the Philippines, he got ecstatic. He said he had been to Sir Frankie's bookstore, Solidaridad, before he came here and he said it was as if he was in cloud nine that time. He also told me he likes reading Carmen Guerrero Nakpil's books and revered Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo's fiction. I told him to read Bino Realuyo, Jessica Hagedorn and all the new crop of Filipino-American fictionists who are re-envisioning the Filipino spirit in their prose. I also recommended that he read fiction written by Ian Casocot and Vince Groyon. I would have encouraged him to read Luisa Igloria, Eric Gamalinda, Rick Barot, Nick Carbo but he was into fiction not poetry.
Later he revealed that he is now an American citizen, but he said, "I swore my allegiance to the US, but my heart still belongs to the Philippines. Never forget your roots. Until now, I am still a Filipino by heart."
We should learn from our countrymen.
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