A day with the immortal Mr. SyCip

Ifeel like the Tin man in Wizard of Oz who says, “Now, I know I have a heart for it is broken." My heart is breaking as I try my best to hold back my tears. I am at General Santos airport checking in for my flight to Manila. It certainly is not the best place to cry. People may think I have been abandoned. But I feel quite abandoned. The shoulders that propped us are gone. People tell me that to go at 96 is to be expected. But not Mr. SyCip who seemed immortal and indestructible.

I remember him walking down the GenSan airport ramp all by himself pulling his luggage. Two requests he made: to see the port where tuna is landed and to do some shopping for local crafts.

He spent the day meeting with Mayors from Maguindanao. I think his dedication to the cause of education deepened after listening to them. Mayor Piang from Upi told him stories about children crossing hills for hours to go to school because there were no roads. Mayor Alex from Barira informed him about boys joining rebel forces in exchange for food. The Mayor from Paglas inspired him with the transformation of Paglas from a rebel-infested town to a peaceful one. He proved that that the key to peace is the creation of jobs. In partnership with a private corporation, the Mayor established a banana plantation where people can earn a decent income by working hard. Now, his next task is to get all the children to finish grade six. Mayor Langkuno from Paglat informed him how clan wars or rido traumatize children that scar them for life. Mr. SyCip was unusually pensive and quiet on the road back from Marbel. He never forgot that meeting and kept recounting his experience.

We were worried that Mr. SyCip would be uncomfortable in a modest hotel at GenSan. But there was not a whimper of complaint. He toured the GenSan port and happily noted how the infrastructure helped boost the exports of tuna. He visited a small department store in the evening and noted with concern how flooded the market was with goods made from China. He felt short-changed upon finding out that the buri mats in the store cost R20.00 less than the ones he bought in the Tipanan bazaar that Synergeia sponsored a month ago. I heaved a sigh of relief when he finally concluded that the mats that he bought earlier were longer in size. It was a lesson to me that if a very wealthy man ensured getting the best deal from any transaction, who am I not to do the same?

Back at the hotel, Mr. SyCip did not ask for any assistance. He hosted a simple dinner for the Mayors and ordered the food himself. He quietly retreated to his room at bedtime. He was at the lobby at exactly 8.00 am and joined us in our trip to the airport. Again, the local products that were on display interested him. He sampled the tuna chips but gave the rest to me because they were not to his liking. He spent the rest of the hour reading the papers he had with him. He waved us goodbye at the airport in Manila and expected no help in carrying his luggage and finding his transport.

For 15 years, Synergeia's Chairman for Life demanded no special treatment and claimed no entitlement. He did not want to be waited on and insisted that we remain at our work station whenever he attended workshops. He went from one meeting room to the next by himself and preferred listening to talking. He ate whatever food was served on the table. He was comfortable in any role – a panellist, a guest of honor, or by being part of the audience. He kindly said "You are the boss."

Mr. SyCip surprised us one Christmas by giving cash gifts to the staff. He said it was a small token to let us feel how much he valued our services. He shared unexpected bonanzas to help finance Synergeia’s activities, like the honoraria he received for posing for advertisements, or birthday gifts from his friends. There are days when an envelope with a check waited for me on my table. He gave sans fanfare and publicity. He gave from the purity of his heart.

He worried a great deal whenever we were on travel to Sulu especially with the beheading incident. He warned that the organization cannot afford any ransom money. But we knew where he was coming from. He was truly concerned about our safety and welfare.

We do not know how we can ever recover from his loss. Perhaps we never will. But we are so grateful that he was with us from the time we started our journey. He gave us more than enough to continue his work with Filipino children.

mguevara@synergeia.org.ph