THIS writer is a proud member of the University of Baguio Science High School Class of 1974.
That makes Manong Mondax a Manong, as we from that school hold, in our tradition of being family with manongs, manangs and adings. Manong Mondax was a member of the first batch of Science High grads that would be Class of 1967.
He was a Manong to me in yet another way. His wife Rebecca, nee Dave, is the daughter of one I call Auntie Cora, dear friend to my mother and longer friend to my father. If I remember what I was told one day, my father and Auntie Cora were classmates at the old Baguio City High.
Manong Mondax was also my column mate in this weekend edition of SunStar Baguio. His Benchwarmer is older than my first ever SunStar column called Performance Level, by about a year. I used to joke that Manong Mon and I shared the senior distinction of being SunStar Baguio’s longest running (writing) columnists.
It is from his bench that Manong Mon served many a cause. He will always be remembered and thanked for the many times he wrote of and for personalities who needed help with an operation, or expenses of another kind, or simply to publicize an issue that needed ventilating. Benchwarmer was journalism as public service, as I told my students whenever I assigned them Ramon Dacawi.
Manong Mon will also always be remembered for initiating and seeing through the award-winning Eco-Walk project which made how to care for the forests of our city top of mind. There was also Children’s Urban Heritage Walk, a version of Eco-walk for the children in our lives, designed to make real for them what they learn about the environment in the classroom.
Manong Mon is also remembered for being the City Hall Public Information Office mainstay back in the day. And for being the president of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club for a number of terms. And for being in the club of Outstanding Citizens of our fair city.
And for passionately advocating for free dialysis, himself being one in need of the such regular treatment. Among many others.
He leaves us a Luisa’s no longer graced by his familiar presence, eco-walks that keep many healthy, a BCBC that under his aegis remains was fearless, and a legacy of good work and works that are inspiring in so many ways.
Godspeed, Manong Mondax.