#Throwback2014: The notable Pinoys we lost in 2014

This year, we lost several Filipinos who made outstanding contributions to their fields and professions, made a difference in the lives of others, and changed Philippine history. Let's take a moment to remember them.

JOURNALISM

Harry Gasser, 76 – Gasser, formerly a news anchor on RPN 9's News Watch—the first English-language news program in the Philippines, which first aired in 1970—leaves behind widow and former comedienne Flora Gasser. The two appeared on an episode of GMA's “Wish Ko Lang,” during a time when the latter was struggling to earn for herself and her husband.

Raffy Marcelo, 68 – At GMA, where he worked until his final days, consummate journalist Marcelo was a news anchor, a production manager, and a news executive producer. During the time when GMA 7 was earning its reputation as the news authority, Marcelo put his career on the line every time he produced and aired anything that was critical of the administration or perceived by it to be injurious to national security—such as when he aired a now-famous news crawl about the Ramos-Enrile breakaway that infuriated Marcos.

Dino Balabo, 45 – Environmental journalist Balabo was a reporter and editor for Mabuhay, a weekly regional newspaper in Central Luzon. The paper was recognized by the PPI for Best in Science and Environmental Reporting and Best Photojournalism in June 2013. He was considered a pillar in community journalism.

Richard Najib, 35 – The station manager, disc jockey, and radio broadcaster of Tawi-Tawi-based DXMN-FM station, Najib was walking home from a basketball game when he was apprehended by three men, who shot him dead.

Donnie Ramirez, 73 – Ramirez was a former Lifestyle columnist, PR, and advertising executive. He died after falling into a coma from brain surgery.

Rubylita Garcia, 52 – Garcia was the host of a blocktime radio show at dwAD station in Cavite, as well as a reporter for tabloid newspaper Remate. She was shot dead while entering her home in Bacoor.

Johnny Midnight, 73 – Prostate cancer claimed the life of veteran radio broadcaster John William Joseph, Jr., more popularly known as Johnny Midnight. His decades on the radio included a stint as an anchor on dzBB.

Alvin P. Capino, 64 – A stalwart of both print and radio journalism, Alvin Matthew Palmes Capino was a columnist at the daily broadsheet Manila Standard Today and lead anchor of the DWIZ radio program "Karambola." He was also a columnist at the Philippine Free Press and the broadsheet Today, as well as a commentator at radio networks DZRH, Radio Veritas, and DWWW.

PUBLIC FIGURES

Epimaco Velasco, 78 – Velasco served in the NBI from July 1992 to March 1995. He was then elected governor of Cavite in 1995. Three years later, he was named by former President Joseph Estrada as Interior and Local Government secretary. In January 2007, Velasco was named by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as acting member of the board of directors of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

Jennifer Laude, 26 – The murder of trans woman Jennifer Laude (formerly Jeffrey Laude) in October sparked conversations about the treatment of transgenders, human rights, and, once again, the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Pablo Martinez – Martinez was an Air Force master sergeant who was implicated in the 1983 assassination of former Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. He had insisted that it was Rolando Galman who shot the former senator, and that Martinez in turn shot Galman. He was pardoned in 2007 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Jerry Barican, 66 – Fernando “Jerry” Barican served as Presidential Spokesperson during the Joseph Estrada presidency. He died of a stroke after a month in a coma.

Jesus T. Tanchanco, 83 – Tanchanco was once an administrator for the National Food Authority (NFA), and served as the manager for the University of the East’s basketball team, the UE Red Warriors.

BUSINESS

Don Emilio Yap, 88 – Business magnate Yap, who was elected the Manila Bulletin's chairman of the board in July 1984, was also the chairman emeritus of Philtrust Bank and chairman of the board of Manila Hotel. In 2013, Yap ranked 13th on Forbes' list of the 50 richest personalities in the Philippines.

DIPLOMACY

Dr. Alicia Santos, 64 – Santos was the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur’s Labor Attaché from 2011 to 2014 and a recipient of the Gawad Mabini Presidential Award in 2013. During her three-year stint in the Malaysian capital, Santos spearheaded the creation of the Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM), an umbrella organization for Filipino community groups in the country.

GOVERNMENT
 

 

Juan Flavier, 79 – Flavier was a barrio doctor before he became Health Secretary. As an advocate for health and the environment, the former senator Flavier authored and sponsored health-related legislation, including the Traditional Medicine Law, the Clean Air Act, the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, and the Tobacco Regulation Act. He also popularized the phrases "Let's DOH it" and "Yosi Kadiri." Flavier was consistently the "poorest" among the senators, as reflected in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

Vicente Paterno, 89 – Elected as one of President Corazon Aquino's candidates in the first post-EDSA senatorial elections, Paterno served as senator from 1987 to 1992. As the chairman of the board and director of the Philippine Seven Corporation—and the owner of 7-Eleven, which he helped set up in the Philippines—Paterno received the Ramon V. del Rosario Award for Nation Building in 2013 for his exemplary personal life and professional career, marked by outstanding achievements.

Raul Gonzalez, 83 – Gonzalez served as Iloilo congressman from 1995 to 2004, and was part of the prosecution during the impeachment trial of former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. He then served as Justice Secretary for then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. A staunch defender of Arroyo during his five years in the Department of Justice, Gonzalez was tagged "Malacañang's attack dog" for his verbal abuse of her critics.

Raul Goco, 84 – Goco practiced private law briefly before joining the Department of Justice, where he worked from 1957 to 1961. During his career he was also governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in the 1970s and president of LAWASIA in 1983, the first Filipino to hold the position. He served as Solicitor General from 1992 to 1996. Goco was also a recipient of the Dean Robert G. Storey Award for International Leadership in 1996.

Lorenzo Relova, 98 – Relova served as the high court's 103rd associate justice from May 14, 1982 to Jan. 19, 1986. He taught law at the Ateneo Law School for more than four decades.

Serafin Cuevas, 85 – Former Supreme Court Justice Cuevas led a team of lawyers who defended then-Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012. During the course of the nearly five-month trial, Cuevas would earn grudging respect from trial observers for his passionate performance in the proceedings. Cuevas became the 106th associate justice of the Supreme Court, serving from June 1, 1984 to April 16, 1986.

Roberto P. Nazareno, 81 – Nazareno, who was Secretary General of the House of Representatives from 1996 until 2008, climbed the ranks within the legislative body. He joined the the Batasan Pambansa as Director of Plenary from 1978 until 1986, then was Head of the Secretariat Task Force during the 1986 to 1987 Constitutional Commission before resuming his former post as Director of Plenary Affairs of the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1990. Before being appointed Secretary General, Nazareno served as Deputy Secretary General for Operations until 1996.  

FILM
 

 

Tado Jimenez, 39 – A victim of the GV Florida Bus tragedy, Arvin “Tado” Jimenez was an actor, activist, artist, and comedian who was very passionate about his advocacies. He founded several non-government organizations, including DAKILA and SuporTADO. Tado also ran the Strange Brew radio show and a shop called LimiTADO.

Giovanni Morillo, 32 – Morillo, “Bam” to his friends, was Solar News' creative head. He also worked on the visual effects for the films "Awaken" (2005) and "Lasponggols" (2005). He also died during the GV Florida Bus tragedy. Recognizing his love for cycling, Morillo's friends captioned tributes to him on social media with the words “Ride in Peace.”

Azucena Vera-Perez, 96 – Azucena “Mama Nene” Vera-Perez was the owner of Sampaguita Pictures, one of the Philippines’ premier film studios and where many stars were discovered. She was married to the late Doc Perez, the studio’s famed producer, and her daughter is Pangasinan’s 4th district House of Representatives solon Gina de Venecia, wife of former House speaker Jose de Venecia.

READ: Celebrities and personalities who passed away this year

MUSIC

Francisco Feliciano, 73 – Declared a National Artist for Music in June, Feliciano was considered one of the Philippines' most important composers and one of Asia's leading composers in liturgical music. During his career, Feliciano composed more than 30 major musical dramas and operatic works and hundreds of worship songs.

Oscar Yatco, 84 – An accomplished violinist and conductor, Yatco was a concert master, conductor, music consultant, and professor for the Cultural Center of the Philippines Orchestra, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and orchestras in Germany.

LITERATURE
 

 

Damiana L. Eugenio, 94 – Eugenio, the “Mother of Philippine Folklore” and professor emeritus of the UP Department of English and Comparative Literature, was best known for being a "foremost researcher and archivist of our local mythologies," said poet and critic J. Neil Garcia, director of the UP Press. Her seven-volume work on the nation’s epics, folklore, myths, proverbs, riddles, and more, is one of of UP Press’s all-time bestsellers.

Martha Cecilia, 59 – Martha Cecilia was the pseudonym of Maribeth dela Cruz, who wrote Tagalog romance novels. Her works include “Akin Ka Noon, Ngayon at Magpakailanman,” “My Lovely Bride,” “Sweetheart,” and “Kristine”—some of which have been adapted for television. She has four children, two of whom are also writers under the pen names of JP Adrian and Tsina Cajayon.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Rev. Delbert Rice, 86 – An American missionary who’d been working in the Kalahan Reserve in Palawan since the mid-1960s, Rice was an educator, anthropologist, electrical engineer, and environmentalist. A champion of the Ikalahan tribe, his books were mostly about them, the most popular being “Life in the Forest: Ikalahan Folk Stories,” and “Ecology: Ti Urnos Ti Lubong.” The earthworm species Archipheretima ricei was named in his honor.

VISUAL ARTS/ARCHITECTURE
 

 

IP Santos, 84 – Known for the sweeping green vistas he created, Ildefonso Paez "IP" Santos Jr. pioneered landscape architecture in the Philippines. He was also part of the design team behind Batulao Village Club in Batangas and Rain Tree Sports Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was named National Artist for Architecture and the Allied Arts in 2006.

Don Salubayba, 35 – Visual artist Salubayba's work was characterized by "sweeping lines and diluted colors" as well as an extraordinary attention to detail, a chaotic dreaminess, and a tendency to sprawl over the surface utilized, Prolific as he was multi-awarded, the PHSA teacher was engaged in shadowplay theater, painting, and installation art. His work paved the way for exhibitions and residencies in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and the US. He won the Special Jury Prize Award and Voice Award at the Singapore Short Film Festival held at the Substation Art Center in Singapore for his animation piece, “A Not So Giant Story” in 2006.

David Sicam, 35 – Davaoeño Sicam was a visual artist, traveler, vocalist, and composer, having been a part of the band Makiling and co-founder of the band Kinaiya. He created the four-kilometer-long peace mural in Camp Aguinaldo. Sicam died in the GV Florida Bus tragedy, saving his four-year-old son Amian, for whose birthday the family and their friends were traveling to Kalinga.

Gerard Baja, 35 – Baja was a batchmate of Sicam's and Salubayba's in the Philippine High School for the Arts, and also a victim of the bus tragedy. He was the head of the visual group Ilaw, which often performed shadow puppetry to Kinaiya's music.

Christian Cabardo, 34 – Tattoo artist, filmmaker, graphic designer and events coordinator Christian “Mylo” Cabardo was another victim of the GV Florida Bus tragedy. He was on his way to Bontoc with other tattoo artists to give lectures to tribal artists about safe tattoo practices. Cabardo thought to record the minutes following the crash despite his own injuries.

Marcial Baranda Jr., 59 – Marcial “Don” Baranda Jr. was also a tattoo artist, as well as the prime mover of the Pinoy Body Arts Prestige Club, which has over 1,000 members. He was also an engineer and semi-conductor expert in Silicon Valley for a time. According to RizalHenyo.com, Baranda died saving the life of fellow tattoo artist Trina de Leon during the GV Florida bus crash.

Abdulmari Asia Imao, 78 – A native of Sulu, National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Asia Imao was a sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist, documentary filmmaker, cultural researcher, writer, and articulator of Philippine Muslim art and culture.

FASHION DESIGN

Kenneth Chua, 38 – Kenneth Chua debuted onto the scene at the 2010 Philippine Fashion Week, and went on to design clothes for celebrities. Chua was found dead in his Makati shop in March, believed to have been murdered by a former employee.

Paul Herrera, 31 – Herrera was one half of a duo that put forth the House of Herrera brand, along with his brother John. Herrera was also an accessories designer who did weddings and whose designs were worn by celebrities. He died of a heart attack brought on by meningitis.

Aureo Alonzo, 85 – One of the best-known names in the Philippine fashion industry, Alonzo is the only Filipino to win the prestigious Camel Award of International High Fashion in Italy. A Marian devotee, he also created the gowns of some of the country's famous Virgin Mary images, such as the Our Lady of La Naval at the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception at the Manila Cathedral, the Virgin of Manaoag in Pangasinan, Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Naga City, Our Lady of Piat in Cagayan and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City.

RELIGION

Msgr. Francisco Tantoco, 75 – Cardinal Tagle called Tantoco an “achiever, diligent, and talented,” even though he was shy. He was incardinated to the Archdiocese of Manila in 1985, and headed Caritas Manila until 2004. During his work at Caritas, he expanded his work beyond feeding the poor, boosting their dignity as children of God.

Sr. Paola Perez Floria, 92 – For six decades, Floria worked in India, quietly inspiring generations of Indian nuns for the Daughters of Saint Paul convent. According to MattersIndia.com, Sr. Paola "infected others with the joy of living," and died just shy of her 69th anniversary of running away from home and joining a convent.

Ruben Profugo, 76 – Profugo was auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Lucerna in 1979 and diocesan bishop of the same in 1982.

Prospero Arellano, 77 – Bishop Emeritus of Libmanan, Camarines Sur from 1989 to his retirement in 2008, Arellano finished his theological studies in Naga’s Holy Rosary Major Seminary. He then taught there before being appointed the first bishop-prelate of Libmanan.

EDUCATION

Fr. John Schumacher, SJ, 86 – American-born and a naturalized Filipino, Fr. Schumacher was a local historian and professor emeritus of Ateneo de Manila's Loyola School of Theology, where he taught Church History. Among his books are “Father Jose Burgos: Priest and Nationalist”, “Readings in Philippine Church History”, “Revolutionary Clergy”, and “The Making of a Nation: Essays on Nineteenth-Century Nationalism.” He received several awards for his work.

Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, 78 – Former Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi led the community of Caceres from 1983 to 2012, when he retired. He discovered he had lung cancer in 2009. Legaspi was the first Filipino rector of UST, serving from 1971 to 1977. He also headed the CBCP from 1988 to 1991.

Froilan Bacungan, 88 – Human rights legal expert Bacungan served as the dean of the UP College of Law from 1978 to 1983.Under his watch, "new academic institutions in the field of law were established at the College." He held several posts in both government and the private sector, including Executive Secretary and legal and economic counselor of the Philippine Chamber of Industries (1964-1972) and Chief, Research and Public Information Staff and Manager of the Claims Department of the Social Security System (1958-1964). His last two books were "Labor and Social Legislation: An Updated Systematic Presentation"; and "Universal Human Rights: A Reality in the Constitution of the Philippines."

Rev. Fr. Frederik Fermin, 90 – Fr. Fermin was a Dutch-born naturalized Filipino citizen who served as Rector Magnificus of the University of Santo Tomas (1978–1981), Dean of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, and Rector of the UST Central Seminary.

Fr. Thomas Lopez Francisco, 88 – Fr. Francisco was a Dominican provincial from 1980 to 1984 and a rector of Colegio de San Juan de Letran from 1986 to 1989.

Fr. Ramon Mores, SJ, 86 – Fr. Mores was a former rector of Ateneo de Zamboanga from 1969 to 1971 and 1977 to 1979. Mores was the last rector and head of the university before its Board elected a president. He served in the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome and was rector of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro for several years. — BM, GMA News