Today is Father's Day. While scrolling down my news feed, I saw a post with his picture where I commented, "Father of Storytelling--- just one of the hats that he wears." Out of curiosity, I googgled if there had been somebody who held that title before. As I had not found any, at least for today, then my comment in that post is valid... until such time that I find out I was wrong.
There's already a lot of publications about him. Who would read my work? I don't really care at all if this blog would be read by anyone. I just want to note today that it occurred to me that he should be given that honor, or maybe he has already received it. I am not abreast with every detail about his life, anyway. All I know is that he's been looked up by children especially during the time of Batibot, and even by the adults, for his creative way of telling stories. He's an actor both on stage and in film. I may not be an authority to write about him but I had admired Bodjie the moment I heard him lecture during the First National Conference on Children's Literature in 2003. It was one of the events that I cannot forget as the speakers were really authorities in their field.
When social networking sites were created, it gave me a chance to see a little more about him. The more personal side, I guess, or his "facebook side," for that matter. So far, I have seen him as an extraordinary person who has known himself and the universe so well, who continuously inspires me with his posts, the style of writing that he shows, and the way of thinking that he possesses. I am not alone, I could see that he has thousands of fbfs (facebook friends) who subscribe and comment to his posts.
If there had been an award accorded to him or had there been somebody who gave him the title "Father of Storytelling in the Philippines," my apologies. I had no idea about prior recognition. I do not claim to be the first, either, but I see this title as something that nobody fits but him. He may not be the first storyteller to have existed but the unique style that he has introduced is surely original. He made a difference to something that has existed long before he was born... storytelling. How I wish to be like him, somebody who has understood his art so well and converted complex theories into simpler ones better understood by all!
Happy Father's Day to one of the greatest Filipinos I have known, my fbf, Luisito Pascua!
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