Admired from a distance till an introduction to the noted historian, writer and public servant brought a fan face to face with an icon. Lifestyle Asia Editor-in-Chief Anna Sobrepeña remembers Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, who passed away yesterday at 96.
It was many years before I met Carmen Guerrero Nakpil but hers was already a familiar name when I was growing up. She had established herself as a writer and journalist of substance when I was a student in St. Theresa’s College in Manila, which was also her alma mater. Women like her had contributed to the reputation of academic excellence of the convent school on San Marcelino Street. Though there were many graduates who had distinguished themselves in different fields, Carmen Guerrero Nakpil was among the most prominent, being in the public eye with a byline, then a column in a succession of Manila dailies. She also came from a family of distinguished persons who had streets named after them in the vicinity where our family lived.
Kin to Heroes, Writers, Doctors, Artists
She was born in Ermita, Manila, a few blocks from our house on General Luna street. Her grand uncle, painter Lorenzo Guerrero had mentored Juan Luna, the celebrated late 19th century Filipino painter who was recognized internationally. Lorenzo’s younger brother was Leon Maria Guerrero, a scientist who was referred to as the father of Philippine Botany. He was Carmen Guerrero Nakpil’s grandfather. His son, Alfredo was also prominent in the medical field. He married Filomena Francisco, one of the first women pharmacists in the Philippines. Alfredo and Filomena were the parents of Carmen Guerrero Nakpil.
The lineage on Carmen Guerrero Nakpil’s maternal side counted Gabriel Francisco, her grandfather who published the first Tagalog novel Cababalaghan ni P. Bravo. The writer and novelist, who was also a playwright and journalist, incorporated historical genre into the Tagalog novel.
The university I went to had a theater named after her cousin, playwright and director Wilfredo María Guerrero. Her barrister brother, also named León María Guerrero was a diplomat who had translated Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, and had written the prize winning The First Filipino, a biography of the national hero. There was a family connection to Jose Rizal when Carmen Guerrero Nakpil married Lt. Ismael Cruz, who was the grandson of Jose Rizal’s sister, Maria Rizal. He passed away after three years, leaving her a widow with two children. She remarried five years later and became the wife of Angel Nakpil, an architect and city planner who was kin to composer Juan Nakpil, son of Gregoria de Jesus, who had been married to Andres Bonifacio.
Authentic Influencers
I began reading her columns and editorials in Manila’s broadsheets, which provided a historical viewpoint of the country. She had lived history and conjured images of the old neighborhood in Ermita, the people who populated the refined circles of intellectuals and true influencers. She also wrote short stories and books, as well as essays. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil was enlisted into public service to chair the Philippine National Historical Commission. Subsequently, she was appointed director–general of the Technology Resource center, which she headed for a decade.
I caught glimpses of her in social gatherings and in theater shows. My mother had pointed out the patrician looking woman with a reserved countenance. She appeared intimidating. That, coupled with the awe over her intellectual aptitude apparent in her writings, kept me at bay. It was only when her daughter Germma Cruz Araneta became my friend that I was finally able to exchange a few words with her. I do not remember what words were said; I was too star struck. I did manage to get her to autograph one of her books, which I acquired by asking Gemma to have her mother sign it. Once I even mustered the courage to ask Gemma if I could visit her mom but by then her health was failing and she kept mostly to the company of family and circle of friends.
Connecting Through Her Writings
Yesterday, I arrived from a trip abroad and heard of her passing. I called Gemma and later another daughter Lisa Guerrero Nakpil to express my sympathies. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil was 96 years old, a chronicler of history, an author, journalist and public servant. I would have liked to know her more intimately. Nonetheless, I am grateful to have met her, spoken a few words with her and gotten a feel of the times and places she wrote about. People are sharing memories and stories of her. Mine is insignificant but I will read her books and published writings, and hear her tell her own story. It will be the conversation we never had but I know it will be unforgettable, just like she was.
