READING the February 11 news feature of the Inquirer about the death of ex-Mayor of Baguio, Mrs. Virginia "Gene" de Guia at 98, who died in her sleep on February 9 in her Baguio home made me cry with grief for the loss of a dear friend.
Baguio City has just lost a Mother. Virginia de Guia was the only female mayor of the city.
The Inquirer news written by Vincent Cabreza was entitled, "Last of Baguio's '3 Witches' flies home". These three women, all known to me: editor Cecile Afable of a Baguio weekly paper, died in 2012; educator Leonora San Agustin, curator of Baguio - Mt. Province Museum and the country's first female chemical engineer, died in 2011' then Gene.
The three outstanding crusaders for the preservation of Baguio are famous for rallying and hounding Baguio officials who imposed policies which threatened the city's old scenic skyline for changes which would displace the verdant pine trees. They carried huge placards, marched around Baguio and told people not to permit this.
"Why bury Baguio for the cause of modernization?" Let us preserve its pristine beauty, cold weather, and our God- given heritage. They won their case. Gene was appointed as Mayor in 1946 by Pres. Manuel Roxas when the ruling mayor died.
Among the three women, the most memorable for me is Gene. She has a most colorful life achievements serving Baguio. In 1939, she had her first and last movie with her screen name, Lydia Leynes, "Nagkaisang Landas" (United Destiny) with Rogelio de la Rosa, a matinee idol of that time. Gene is a survivor of two catastrophes that the city suffered. The first was the second world war which flattened the city in ruins. Only the Baguio Cathedral remained and Gene was lucky to seek shelter there. Incidentally, I was married to my late husband, Virgilio here on August 26, 1962. Gene helped to save what was left of Baguio. The second task was to rebuild the city after the 1990 earthquake. She worked hard to bring back Baguio as the summer capital with millions of tourists enjoying it till now.
Gene started the 20-year-old Panagbenga Festival which means Blooming Flower Festival. Gene had been on a wheelchair in the last few years of her life but took an active part in recent events like the Inquirer Read-Along activity in Baguio with her son, Eric and grandson, Kabunyan.
Gene was married to Victor de Guia. They had four children, Eric Jr., Eric who took the name "Kidlat Tahimik", Virginia, and Patricia, eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. We used to attend parties in their huge house with a unique indoor garden with tall trees reaching the open roof.
Gene was very active in scouting because of the tragedy in 1963. Her son, Eric Jr. together with 23 other Filipino Boy Scouts died in a plane crash at the Sea of Bombay in India en route to the 11th Boy Scout World Jamboree in Marathon, Greece. Twenty-four streets in Quezon City were named after these boy scouts to honor them; thus Scout de Guia.
Among Gene's kids, Eric of Kidlat Tahimik fame has the longest association with me because he was with my late husband in Munich, Germany during the Olympic Games there in 1972. Eric had a customized colorful Philippine Jeep in the park loaded with native souvenirs Filipino memorabilia using indigenous materials from trees.
Eric stayed with my husband, a very cozy home where a fine lady was his host family as scholar in Germany. It was located at Black Forest, a long ride in a rented bicycle from the city. They had a talking love bird, which knows German, like "libling virgilio" and many more. It could imitate their laughter and coughs. They recorded this and sent it to me.
Eric is a world famous filmmaker, writer, actor. His life is featured in the net at Google and Wikepedia. No writer in Davao will not know Kidlat Tahimik. He wrote and directed the film adaptation of 14 films. I saw "Mababangong Bangungot" or Perfumed Nightmare, deep and challenging. Another is Turumba, a quaint festival honoring Mama Mary. I liked it, too. Eric had won international awards. He won the International Critics Award at the Berlin Film Festival for his "Kidlat Tahimik" (Silent Lightning). He is a respected independent film maker in the world. All his works emphatically include his four tenets of making indigenous creation with his native Filipino rural background namely for God, environment, people, and country. Eric's usual attire is the Northern Luzon native costume complete with the "bahag", headgear, and trinkets. Eric is married to a German, Miss Murrel who acted in his film and they have three sons named Kidlat, Kabunyan and Kayosuagan. They live in a four-story native hut. Eric also has his art studio where he welcomes tourists. His latest work, Balikbayan was shown February 5 to 15 and is expected to win more international awards for him. I am glad to have been a part of the lives of the de Guia family in Baguio, my residence with my family for 15 years from 1960 to 1975.
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