"REST IN PEACE...Tito WILSON GAMBOA" ♥

The past few nights, my husband Babes, our son B.E., & I have been at the wake of our beloved friend (Tito) Wilson Gamboa...

 Last night, at the mass, the choir sang beautifully and when they sang the song "Tanging Yaman", I couldn't help but tear up~it was just so beautiful.

 Somehow, am feeling "emo"/"senti"...feel very sad...

 This month alone (October), there are 3 people I know who passed away:

 first, (Tito) Primo Esleyer, then my Pare Pael Lacson (whose wife Drixie is a good friend and my Kumare ~ their youngest child being my 'ihado'), and now (Tito) Wilson Gamboa.

 Sad :-(

"Tito Wils" (as I fondly call him) was very close to my hubby Babes 

~ the reason why I (and my son) also got close to him.

He would always call us and see us every time he was in Bacolod.

(He was mostly in Manila and would come home like every 2 weeks.)

 He and the hubby were very close ~ he was an "esteemed friend"...was "like a brother"...and as the hubby says: "a loyal friend" through and through.

 Now that he is gone, we feel a deep sense of personal loss.

 We condole with the bereaved members of his family.

 Sending healing thoughts of comfort to his loved ones, esp. Jun & Aiai Gamboa and my friend from U.P. Diliman days, Antonino "Babu" Gamboa.

DEATH LEAVES A HEARTACHE NO ONE CAN HEAL,

LOVE BRINGS A MEMORY NO ONE CAN STEAL.

Rest In Peace, dear Tito Wilson

We will miss you...your calls...and the long meaningful talks you had with the hubby and me. I, for one, will especially miss the way you would fondly address me as "Ne"...

SAD,

S. ♥

Negros Daily Bulletin Headlines - October 14, 2011  Negros Local News    

By Gil Alfredo B. Severino

ASSEMBLYMAN WILSON GAMBOA, SR. 

TAKES FINAL REST 

Twenty seven years ago, the late journalist Primo Esleyer called former Assemblyman Wilson Gamboa, Sr. “The Wonder Boy of Bacolod Politics” but at past 4:00 P.M. yesterday, he yielded to liver cancer after confinement at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute Intensive Care Unit.

Esleyer called him “Wonder Boy of Bacolod Politics” after having been elected the youngest councilor at the age of 28 and served for two terms which lasted for about 10 years because of the imposition of Martial Law.

As of press time, former Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa, Jr. who took a 5:30 P.M. flight to Manila could not give details yet regarding final medical reports or disposition of his father’s remains until the entire family gather in Manila.

Incidentally, Monsignor Guillermo Gaston earlier yesterday spoke about the Assemblyman during the Marcos regime with certain favor, saying, that after all the negative feedback hurled against Gamboa, Sr., his acts during his stint as Administrator of Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) apparently was to unite the sugar organizations towards the common good.

Gamboa, Sr. was then appointed by President Fidel Ramos as SRA administrator and caused the ire of some sugar organizations but Msgr. Gaston is of the opinion that as a public official, Gamboa was honest and had not been involved in any scandalous transactions at all.

NDB has files of newspapers’ clippings showing support of local and national writers and hearsay aside, whether elective or appointive positions, Gamboa had never received a single accusation related to graft and corruption.

“He is not the charming type,” Gaston said owing to the number of losses Gamboa, Sr. experienced as a candidate but as an Assemblyman, Esleyer on the other hand, described him together with his colleague Assemblymen of Negros Occidental, “performed well even without pork barrel”.

He won councilor in 1971 but when lost as Mayoral candidate in 1981; he won lone opposition Assemblyman in 1983 to 1986 but lost as a congressional candidate in the late 90s.

President Corazon Aquino appointed Gamboa as Secretary of Agrarian Reform for the shortest stint but reappointed Undersecretary of National Defense.

President Ramos appointed him SRA head and later one of the Governors of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

President Joseph Estrada appointed him Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Journal, his last appointive office.

‘I Fought a Good Fight, I have finished the Race’ 
- Wilson ‘Jun’ Gamboa

Negros Daily Bulletin Headlines - October 18, 2011
  Negros Local News   

By Gil Alfredo B. Severino

This is how former Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr. described the life of his late father Wilson Gamboa, Sr., in a statement sent to NDB yesterday, which is a life of staging a good fight since childhood until his last breath.

The Manila-based Gamboa clan is now gathered at the wake in Loyola Memorial Chapel along Commonwealth Avenue and Gamboa, Jr. found a Biblical verse most fitting to what his father stood and dedicated his life for.

This is a verse, according to Gamboa, Jr., culled in 2 Timothy 4:7, which is about “fighting a good fight, unwavering in his determination to finish the race and keeping his faith to God” as a source of his strength.

“All of us grew up seeing our Tatay indefatigably fought for righteousness’ sake. He was an adamant advocate of social justice and the rule of law; many of these were judged by the world as losing battles, a fight against the windmill,” Gamboa, Jr. added.

Young as they were then and as children of the late opposition Assemblyman under a hostile Marcos dictatorship, Gamboa, Jr. recalled how they wished their Tatay could have been a bit flexible, pliable and open to fair compromises, “He could have reached the highest pinnacle of political leadership.”

“But this is no longer our Tatay. If we ourselves stripped him of his idealism and his past, it could have been an early murder of a staunch Nacionalista Party member. In his blood ran the Nacionalista Party platforms,” Gamboa, Jr. stressed.

Among those who visited his wake at the Loyola Memorial Chapel was no less than Eva Estrada-Kalaw who called him a great nationalist, “We have lost a great nationalist and we are losing them one by one.”

Gamboa, Jr. found a Biblical verse most fitting to what his father stood and dedicated his life for.

This is a verse, according to Gamboa, Jr., culled in 2 Timothy 4:7, which is about “fighting a good fight, unwavering in his determination to finish the race and keeping his faith to God” as a source of his strength.

“All of us grew up seeing our Tatay indefatigably fought for righteousness’ sake. He was an adamant advocate of social justice and the rule of law; many of these were judged by the world as losing battles, a fight against the windmill,” Gamboa, Jr. added.

Young as they were then and as children of the late opposition Assemblyman under a hostile Marcos dictatorship, Gamboa, Jr. recalled how they wished their Tatay could have been a bit flexible, pliable and open to fair compromises, “He could have reached the highest pinnacle of political leadership.”

“But this is no longer our Tatay. If we ourselves stripped him of his idealism and his past, it could have been an early murder of a staunch Nacionalista Party member. In his blood ran the Nacionalista Party platforms,” Gamboa, Jr. stressed.

Among those who visited his wake at the Loyola Memorial Chapel was no less than Eva Estrada-Kalaw who called him a great nationalist, “We have lost a great nationalist and we are losing them one by one.”

The 91-year old Kalaw, according to Gamboa, Jr., stayed in the wake until midnight recalling to the bereaved children the strong kinship of the Nacionalista Partymates and as opposition, she was awed at how they survived a Marcos controlled Batasan Pambansa.

Together with all the rest of Nacionalista stalwarts in the Batasan Pambansa, Kalaw will never forget the eloquence and articulateness of Gamboa, Sr. whenever he took the Batasan floor and fearlessly air his views.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Mrs. Celia Diaz-Laurel and family, former Assemblyman Homobono Adaza and former Senator Kit Tatad were among those who personally attended Gamboa, Sr.’s funeral wake. 

Gamboa, Sr.’s remains will be flown today at 5:00 P.M. and will be laid at the Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels - Annex and will be interred October 21, 2011. Details of interment will be reported tomorrow.

Remains of Wilson Gamboa Sr. in Bacolod Tuesday


By Carla N. Canet
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

THE remains of former Sugar Regulatory administrator, Bacolod City councilor and undersecretary of National Defense Wilson Gamboa Sr. will arrive Tuesday in the city.


The former public servant succumbed to a liver cancer at the age of 70 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City on October 13, 2011.


His son former Bacolod City councilor Jun Gamboa said that their beloved father will be laid in state at Rolling Hills Annex Building in Mandalagan, Bacolod City for four days or until Friday.

He said, “We lost a great nationalist who always protect the rights of the Filipino people. He both served well his country and family. He was patriotic and devoted most of his time to our beloved country. He was a great father and provider. He raised us well along with the loving care of our beloved mother Thelma.”

Wilson Sr. and his wife Thelma were blessed with five children, namely Lauro, Wilma, Wilson, Jr., Roseller and Antonino.

Jun added that their father taught them the value of hard work and study.

“He was a great nationalist. As his son, I have tried to follow his footsteps in public service but I did not match his brand of leadership…”

Jun said his father had said that when he dies, his body should be cremated and be put beside the urn of his beloved wife who also died last year.

Jun also said that his father also asked to be placed in a closed casket considering that he significantly lost weight from 180 pounds to 140 pounds. But the family decided to open it to the public so that his friends and former constituents can view him and pay him the last respect as their former leader.

He will be cremated on Saturday morning but will be exclusive for the family members only.

Jun said he did not see his father in pain. In fact, two weeks before his father died, he was even preparing his pleadings in the cases handled against PLDT.

The older Gamboa served as councilor of Bacolod from 1971 to 1981. He was the assemblyman of the Province of Negros Occidental from 1983–1986.

President Aquino appointed him secretary of Agrarian Reform, and later undersecretary of National Defense in 1986–1988.

During the term of President Ramos, Gamboa was appointed SRA administrator and later governor of the Development Bank of the Philippines, and President Joseph Estrada appointed him chairman of the board of the Philippine Journal.

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on October 18, 2011.

Bacolod condoles with Gamboa family

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

MAYOR Evelio Leonardia signed an order giving honor and recognition to the late former city councilor Wilson P. Gamboa Sr. for his significant contributions to the city and directing the observation of a half-mast flag in mourning of his death.

Leonardia, in his Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011 signed October 18, 2011, said the former city councilor, an institution and an important political and civic figure in the city, had considerably and momentously served for two terms.

Gamboa served in the National Government as Secretary of Agrarian Reform, Undersecretary of National Defense, and Administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

Gamboa, Sr., as a great leader of the city, contributed selflessly to the betterment of Bacolod and, as such, the city will forever be grateful to him, the mayor said.

Wilson Gamboa Sr. is the father of former city councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr.

The younger Gamboa said his father fought a good fight. He finished the race and has kept his faith to God, country and family.

His remains now lie in state at the Rolling Hills Annex Building in Mandalagan, Bacolod City. He was brought in the city Tuesday by his mother Concepcion and sons Jun, Pipoy and Antonino from Manila.

The family grieves the loss of their father who has served his beloved country selflessly. “It’s truly a great loss, considering that my father has fully served his country well with his best effort and intelligence. He is still young to go but then his time is already up and he has to leave for good, considering that his physical body has already reached his expiration,” Jun said.

“Our father could have done more for the country because he never stops doing what is best for the country. It’s always the greater good of the country that is his passion and many can attest to it,” he added.

The late councilor’s friends Senator Eva Estrada Kalaw, former Senator Kit Tatad and Vice President Jejomar Binay and his media friends dubbed Gamboa as the last great nationalist. They said he never wavered on his principles and causes.

Necrological mass and tribute for the late Wilson P. Gamboa, Sr. will be held on October 21, 2011, 6:30 p.m. at the San Sebastian Cathedral. (CNC)

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on October 19, 2011.

TOP STORIES 

Flag flies at half-mast for Gamboa

BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Former Bacolod Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr. said yesterday that friends of his father, former Assemblyman Wilson Prio Gamboa, described him as “the last great nationalist whose idealism and patriotism has never changed up to the very end.”


Jun Gamboa said his father’s friends former Senators Eva Estrada Kalaw and Rene Saguisag, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and some journalists went to his wake in Manila before his body was flown in to Bacolod yesterday.


Wilson Gamboa’s remains now lie in state at the Rolling Hills Memorial Chapels in Mandalagan, Bacolod City and will be cremated on Saturday after a necrological mass and tribute at the San Sebastian Cathedral at 6 p.m.


His son, Jun, said Kalaw lamented that people like his father “are gradually being taken away us.”


He said he felt sad that his father passed away since he still had many plans. He has sacrificed so much since his childhood, until his life ended.


Jun Gamboa said his father was preparing the pleadings on the PLDT case before he was brought to the hospital.  He does not rest and maybe God took him away to tell him, “that is enough,” he said.


The virtue of hard work, and value of patriotism and nationalism, and value of honesty, study and hard work, are among the values their father have instilled in them, Jun Gamboa said.


He recalled that his father’s priority was split between his family and country.


He would dedicate more of his life to his country than to his family, Jun Gamboa said.


“That is why I say, this is the son of Bacolod and Negros whom we are giving back to you,” he said.


They even tried to reach out to him so he would be closer to them his children, he added. He also said his father has fought a good fight, had finished the race and had kept his faith to God, country and family.


Wilson Gamboa’s mother Ma. Concepcion Gamboa, 89, arrived in Bacolod yesterday together with her grandsons Jun, Pipoy and Antonino.


Meanwhile, Mayor Evelio Leonardia signed Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, giving honor and recognition to the late former City Councilor Wilson Gamboa Sr. for his significant contribution to the city of Bacolod and directing the observation of a half-mast flag in mourning of his death, a City Hall press release said.


Leonardia, in his E.O. signed yesterday, said that the former city councilor, an institution and an important political and civic figure in the city, had considerably and momentously served for two terms.  He has served in the national government as Secretary of Agrarian Reform, Undersecretary of National Defense, and Administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.


Gamboa Sr. contributed selflessly to the betterment of Bacolod and as such the city will forever be grateful to him, the mayor said.


Wilson Gamboa Sr. is the father of former City Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr.


His remains will lie at the Rolling Hills Memorial chapels annex until Oct. 21.*CGS

Friday, October 21, 2011