KALIBO, Aklan – Roman A. de la Cruz, 84, a well-known writer,died yesterday of kidney ailment.
De la Cruz, who started writing at the age of 17 has published9 major books on various subjects, aside from individualliterary pieces such as short stories, poems, articles, andessays.
Considered dean of Aklan media, De la Cruz’s writings range from literature to textbooks, religious apologetics, biblequotations, local history, treaties for certain causes.
He has published more than 20 of his short stories, 10 of whichwere about his experience as a foot soldier in the guerilla inthe Panay Island.
Publishing and editing a 35-year old provincial weeklynewspaper, The Aklan Reporter, de la Cruz was running a regularcolumn, A Closer Look.
The late NVM Gonzales,an internationally known short storywriter and novelist, who was the editor of the Saturday EveningNews in the post-war years of 1946-48, where some of the RomanA. de la Cruz’s stories were published has commended on the writing merit of the Aklanon writer in his article published inthe Manila Times magazine in its August 13, 1995 issue. Jose Garcia Villa, commenting with prescience on some storiesthat Roman A. de la Cruz published in 1941, in the PhilippineCommonwelth, remarked in a letter: “I have chosen three of yourstories in the 1940-41 Honor Roll for the Best Filipino ShortStories… but what is important is that I could see that you havethe real responsibility of a fine person.”
A recipient of an award of recognition confered by thePublishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI), De laCruz was one of the founding member and president of the AklanPress Club, Inc. (APCI).
Various organizations have lined up necrological services to honor one of Aklan’s greatest contribution to the Philippine literature and journalism. – (Johnny Dayang).
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