27 NOVEMBER 2018_1

20
LIFESTYLE
Dinah S. Ventura, Editor
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Daily Tribune
Nando Ortigas on his father, Don Paquito
Don Paquito was the son of the family’s founding father, Francisco
Sr., who was known to be a brilliant lawyer in his time
His is a name probably better known in movie
circles than in Philippine Commerce and Industry. This,
despite their family owning vast lands, once upon a
time the whole of Mandaluyong and San Juan. That’s
more or less, of course, since the family property was
supposed to have covered that vast area from Pasig
River on one side and the fences of Camp Aguinaldo
and Camp Crame, on the other, both government camps
having been donated by the Ortigases.
Recently, Proust visited Fernando “Nando” M.
Ortigas, who has just published a book about his father,
Lineage, Vision, Empire: Don Francisco “Paquito”
Ortigas Jr., written by the famous man of letters Krip
Yuson. Don Paquito was the son of the family’s founding
father, Francisco Sr. who was known to be a brilliant
lawyer in his time. Equally popular was Francisco’s
wife, Julia Vargas, a philanthropist and civic worker.
PORTRAIT of Don Paquito Ortigas. Spending two long hours with Nando in his office
at the decades-old Ortigas Building allowed us a
glimpse into not just a typical Spaniard who considers himself foremost a Filipino. This
is also not just another rich businessman of the same mold as the others with such big
famous family names. This one produces movies including
Heneral Luna for which he shelled out P70 million, right
after the family had concluded a sweetheart deal with the
SM and Ayala Groups, allowing Nando the freedom to do as
he pleases with his life.
Well, Nando has always been a movie buff, even writing
scripts in his younger days while based in Canada. Those
scripts went as far as being considered by big Hollywood
movie outfits but, as Nando told me, “They said they were
not good enough.”
Well, Nando was meant for something bigger and nobler,
for in a few years’ time, he would be home and prove himself
a top producer. There is more to be said of this aspect of
his life, but Proust would rather focus on one that tells us
how good a son Nando is. He published his father’s book,
a noteworthy effort coming as it does from a son who had
been away for a long time and who, at one point, did not
care about joining the family business. He would finally be
persuaded when Don Paquito was showing signs of old age,
and so, Nando gradually reacquainted himself with the Philippine scene until he felt he
was ready to be home at last.
The story is not that simple as family sagas go, but I am reserving the juicy parts for
something special that you will soon find out. We will unveil this project in a matter of
weeks and, as an initial offering, so to speak, we shall share with you a lot more stories
about Nando and the Ortigases, among other subjects who, of course, never fail to thrill
the Filipino reader, especially since most of us are social observers and, like Proust,
social climbers, ha ha.
In this issue of Daily Tribune, Proust chose to give way to Nando as a
matter of respect for a son who pays tribute to his father, a great man
whose many good works were not publicized in his time. Still, Don
Paquito had his share of the limelight as he served one Philippine
president after another in various capacities. This was one
gentleman who looked beyond politics and saw the need to serve
each president because by helping the chief executive of the
land, he was actually serving his countrymen. Or that’s how
Nando explained his father’s politics, not exactly different
from Nando’s.
While Nando is not the outgoing type, not one to go to parties,
unlike his famous brother, the venerable Ambassador Paqui,
Nando has proven one could still hog the limelight, in this case
as a movie producer. But again, this is not about his romance
with the movies. This is about Nando, the faithful and loving son
who has fond memories of his father, Don Paquito.
PHILANTHROPIST and civic
worker Julia Vargas.
Nando has always been a movie buff, even writing scripts in his younger days
while based in Canada. Turn to page 19
But then, he came up with part two. That time, I
was thinking of becoming a nurse. Okay, Nando, he
said, you become a good nurse, or you become a doctor,
who’s going to handle the finances? So, whatever you
take up in life, throw in business because, if not, what
would you do with the funds you have? And I could not
argue with that point.
DT: In what way are you similar?
FO: I like sports, he liked sport. He was determined,
I like to believe I am also determined. I can see in my
siblings that he has a part in all of us.
The part that I don’t like, which my brother Paqui
likes, is meeting people, like Rotary, Lion’s Club. I
don’t join any group. I don’t go to parties. My dad
went to parties to help sell the company. Not that he
did not enjoy it. I am not a seller. I do not promote my product. I’m in the movies, but I
let other people do the promoting. I don’t like giving speeches. I know that you have to
get used to doing things that you do not like.
My father was very outgoing.
DT: What was his management style?
FO: I honestly can’t tell you because I was not really a witness to that. But I’d
like to think that he would be like me that you help people who work with you.
You trust them to do their jobs. And I am that way. I need another guy to be the
bad guy. Someone has to crack the whip because I can’t be that guy. Because,
to me, it is more like I hired you because I trust you and I don’t need to tell
you to do your job. That’s the reason why I hired you in the first place. And
if I need to tell you what you’re supposed to do, I might just
as well take over your job. Which sometimes is good,
and sometimes is not, because you sometimes need
people to be kicked in their ass.
DT: He was very close to his father, right?
Did he talk about his father?
FO: I know he wanted to write a book about his
father. All the papers he had were burned during
the war. He would just tell me a few things. The
most memorable is that he was a very good friend
to Quezon. I think Quezon’s first job was with my
grandfather. But one thing I remember is, when
Quezon was Senate President or something,
he would knock on my Dad’s house, and my
grandmother would get pissed off, “Who
is this guy knocking at ten o’clock in
the evening?”
“It’s Quezon,” her husband
would say. “I don’t really
care. He shouldn’t
When I had my own crisis,
he said, as far as education
is concerned, you can take
whatever you want to take, but
the scariest thing is when he
said, just be the best of whatever
you take.
PROUST IS BACK!
Jojo Gumpal Silvestre
Daily Tribune (DT): Tell me about your father. How would you describe him?
Fernando Ortigas (FO): I think he was very caring. I can’t complain because he
smoked and drank, and I smoke and drink. (So there’s nothing good in blaming your
father.) I think he was very supportive to all of us as a father.
When I had my own crisis, he said, as far as education is concerned, you can take
whatever you want to take, but the scariest thing is when he said, just be the best of
whatever you take. If you want to be a garbage collector, fine. You want to be anything,
just be the best.
FILM producer Fernando
Ortigas.
“CARAVAN” (2001, artist’s collection.)
“BAYANIHAN” (2001, artist’s collection.)
Celebrating Hau Chiok
For its final
exhibition of the year,
the Metropolitan
Museum of Manila
presents “Coalescences:
60 Years of Hau Chiok,”
an exhibit which
features over a hundred
ink paintings.
Hau Chiok is a
second-generation
Chinese-Filipino
who has a profound
understanding of the
Philippine landscape.
This apparent
manifestation can be seen through his works of
Manila and Chinatown where he is able to capture
the density and congestion often attributed to the
old city but he also emphasizes the sense of order
and regularity internal to it that often escape the
attention of many. Hau Chiok’s ink medium and
his acute interest and observation of peoples
and places imbue his Philippine scenes with
strange familiarity, especially in the eyes of the
Filipinos that are trained in the style of Western
art. His local scenes invite close examination
and encourage us to shift perspectives and see
ourselves and our surroundings from different
points of view.
In “Coalescences,” the exhibit veers away
from the chronological retrospective of the
artist’s works and instead explores the attribute
of convergence which is predominant in the
artist’s oeuvre.
Hau Chiok, who belongs to the Lingnan
“FIGHTING Cocks” (2016, artist’s collection.)
School of Painting, approaches his works with
methodical precision. His main tools — the brush
and ink — coupled with his skillful use of control
of pressure and speed, produces an exquisite
display of brushwork with unlimited effects. The
nuance present in Hau Chiok’s pieces is that he
does not situate himself as a detached spectator
but rather as someone who takes an active part
in the society which he depicts.
The exhibit is a celebration of Hau Chiok
and the role he plays among young students of
the art. His practice as an artist is inseparable
from his dedication as a teacher promoting
appreciation for Chinese painting. A strong
believer in making art accessible, he is teacher
and mentor to thousands of students from
various backgrounds and nationalities.
“Coalescences: 60 Years of Hau Chiok” is on
view at the Tall Galleries of the Metropolitan
Museum of Manila from 16 November 2018 to
February 2019.