By Eva C. Visperas

 

I have a confession to make. I never spoke with the revered, multi-awarded Santiago “Sonny/Santi” Villafania, the famous bilingual author from our province. I never had the chance to meet him.

So I was surprised one day, late last year when he sent me this text message via Messenger: “Ma’am, masanton kabuasan. Wala so entry yo ed NCCA Writer’s Prize?”

I was hesitant to admit because as I might not have made it. I love our language, I use and promote it in my humble way, but I never tried writing a literary piece in Pangasinan.

“Kababaing, ompan atalo ak,” I told myself. But I wanted to be honest and I cannot change the fact that I joined it. I decided to give it a try simply let my emotions out, for the many life’s punches thrown at me. Like a real fighter, I always stand up and face another battle, unmindful of the bruises I had. The battle was the NCCA contest.

Then he went on to congratulate me.

I could hardly believe it because I was only able to submit two short stories initially, and the requirement was three.

Fortunately and, maybe, destiny intervened because  NCCA announced an extension, so hurray, I wrote another story and made it to beat the deadline.

So, when I got that text message from Sir Santi, his very first message to me, I knew the judging of the entries was over when he shared the happy news. But I begged him not to joke about it.

But when he mentioned the title of my entry,  I knew he was not joking.

“Congrats!,” he wrote again and I was already shaking, on the verge of tears. I said I was never confident I would make it.

“Yup. First in Pangasinan,” he wrote. “Hehe proud ak ed sikayo kaluyagan!,” he continued and I thanked him for the good news.

“Anggapo’y wala. Deserved ya maung,” he replied. I said I just tried joining it, trying to be modest because literary writing was never my cup of tea and I just saw the call for entries on Facebook and I knew had the time to write as I had my sabbatical from my reporter’s assignment during that period.

“Marakep ira’y insulat yo,…Happy ak ta sankatageyan ya award so Writer’s Prize,” he wrote. “Finally, wala la so Writer’s Prize winner na Pangasinan.” I didn’t know it was the highest.

“Kanian sumpal yo so collection yo within the year,” he advised. The winner has to write nine more short stories in the category I joined. While we were chatting, I told him I was already crying non-stop, out of extreme joy.

“A time to celebrate!,” he commented, to cheer me up. “Basta sumpal itan, Madam, insan i-publish,” came his reminder.

I asked if I could call him. He said, “Sure!” but I failed to do just that. Sayang!

Then Monday, February 26, 2024, while I was seated at the gallery of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall for the coverage of the board members’ session, media colleague Ging Cardinoza casually told me that Sir Santi has gone.

“What?,” I asked. Totally surprised. It was a day of mourning for Pangasinenses for the loss of a great man who had an undying love for Pangasinan, its history, people, culture, and language.

Goodbye, Sir Santi. Masaol kayo. Asakbay yo kamin tinaynan!

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