Aklan leaders pay tribute to writer

Prominent leaders of Aklan Province paid tribute to Dr. Beato de la Cruz, an outstanding educator, imminent and prolific writer and respected man of letters, who served as Aklan’s division superintendent of public schools.
The occasion was the launching of De la Cruz’s book of poems and prose entitled, "This Be Our World."
Former Assemblyman Jose T. Tumbokon, who was guest speaker at the occasion, recalled that De la Cruz was his mentor "who helped paved the way for my modest successes in life."
"Where I succeeded most, his mentorship shined as my guiding light, a brilliant one. He was my instructor in English and Literature with a contaminating focus in studies that changed my cavalier attitude in school and engrossed me to peruse books in the school library," he said.
"At that early stage of my schooling, 2nd year to 4th year high school, I rummaged the school library and read the Harvard Classics edition on the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson," Tumbokon said.
Tumbokon, at the prime of his public career, served as Minister of State for Public Information, chairman of the Committee on Public Information of the law making body and spokesman of the KBL ruling party of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
He was Presidential Adviser for General Affairs with Cabinet rank until the EDSA I revolution.
He was an Outstanding Aklanon Awardee for public service at the golden anniversary celebration of Aklan Province in April 25, 2006.
"It was at the United Nations (UN) Committee on Public Information meeting in New York, where I felt most the value of his mentorship. I was Philippine Head delegate to the UN Committee on Public Information. I have nothing with me – no reference paper, no anticipation of what will be taken up – except a portable manual typewriter," Tumbokon said.
There were no computers yet at the time.
"For my representations in that said meeting, I received letters of congratulations: from General Carlos P. Romulo, then Philippine Minister of Foreign Affairs, "for excellent and exemplary performance in the committee proceedings;" and from UN Undersecretary General for Public Information Nobushi Akashi, "for your words of beauty and wisdom which will serve as inspiration to the youth of the world for many years to come," Tumbokon said.
Tumbokon was the only Philippine delegate to the UN for a long time, who received words of congratulations from General Romulo, an Ambassador in the Philippine UN Mission Office in New York observed.
"Dr. Beato de la Cruz was, indeed, my guiding light as he was in my search for knowledge and the facility in the use of the English language, oral or written," he said.
"Even with his high professional standing and intellectual superiority, Dr. Beato de la Cruz had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and continued his schooling for a Master’s degree in English and Literature and until he was conferred with a Doctorate in Education," Tumbokon added.
He said Mrs. Josefina de la Cruz and the members of the de la Cruz clan can rest with pride and satisfaction over the many laurels, achievements and distinctions that Dr. Beato de la Cruz deservedly earned in his lifetime.
Tumbokon expressed profound gratitude to his "great mentor who was educator par excellence, prolific writer and highly respected man of letters."
Other officials who spoke at the book launching were Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez and former Vice Gov. Ronquillo Tolentino.