MANILA.
Bohol's media matriarch is dead.
Mrs.
Rosario "Charing" Pernia Dejaresco, died in peace at her hospital bed
at 10:36 a.m. yesterday after receiving the Extreme Unction, the last rites of
the Catholic Church. She was 85.
I
have known Nang Charing even before I went to school way back in 1949 when I accompanied
my mother, Mrs. Milagros B. Cal's regular visit to the Dejaresco family in their
rented apartment near the residence of former President Carlos P. Garcia in Tagbilaran
City.
At that time, Nang Charing's husband, the late Atty. Zoilo Dejaresco
Jr. was a practicing lawyer but at the same time a professor at the Holy Name
College (now Holy Name University). | |  DEJARESCO |
But
in between, Atty. Dejaresco was a correspondent of the now defunct Manila Chronicle.
His
passion in news writing gave him the idea to pioneer Bohol's first community newspaper
- The Bohol Chronicle in May 1954. Since then, the Chronicle has not missed an
issue to date even during martial law.
| | | Through
thick and thin when The Bohol Chronicle was in its infancy, Jun and Charing Dejaresco
held on together. They pulled through every obstacle the fledgling newspaper encountered
with flying colors.
But
it was Nang Charing's perseverance, constant prayer being a Marian devotee and
faith in God that made the big difference.
When
big problems occurred, Nang Charing was always there on the side of her beloved
husband, giving advice to take things easy and leave the matter to the Almighty. |
One summer
vacation when I was nine years old, I found myself as a newsboy, selling Bohol
Chronicle, Manila Chronicle and Alimyon, a Visayan vernacular magazine which the
Dejaresco family was the exclusive distributor in the province of Bohol at that
time.
As
a doting and loving wife, Nang Charing was the treasurer of the Bohol Chronicle,
dutifully keeping an accounting of all the sales of the struggling community newspaper.
Every
Christmas Jun Dejaresco and Nang Charing would host a Christmas party for the
newsboys.
When
I graduated from high school, I was employed in the Bohol Chronicle initially
as proofreader-messenger in 1963 through the recommendation of my mother.
I
was unaware at that time that it was the start of my journalism career.
Jun
Dejaresco, the Chronicle's editor-publisher, and Justino "Ning" Romea,
a prolific writer, not only gave me the encouragement to be a journalist, but
taught me how to write straight and feature articles.
However,
Nang Charing, an English teacher in her own right, was there not as an editor
but my unsolicited adviser, giving some pointers of the story I have written.
It
was Nang Charing's friendly coaching that I had to be careful in my grammar and
choice of words when I submitted my stories for the Chronicle's Sunday issue,
especially when her husband was in Manila or abroad for a conference or official
business.
It
was Nang Charing's dominant presence in the newsroom, her ever smiling face that
we, the employees would double our efforts - working overtime every Saturday for
the Chronicle's Sunday issue.
The
last time I talked to Nang Charing was in 2004 when the Chronicle observed its
golden anniversary.
She
was so happy to meet me after years of not having seen each other.
I
did not know that it was the last time I would meet her in person.
For
me, I would always remember Nang Charing's big heart, her kindness, always helpful,
and her wide smile.
Though
she may not be larger than life, but Nang Charing was at the forefront when she
and her husband pioneered the press and radio network in Bohol and watch the Chronicle's
growth into a media empire and watchdog of press freedom.
Through
the years, Nang Charing was ever conscious of the shortness of life. That way
she had gained wisdom of heart for her fellow being.
Goodbye,
Nang Charing. | 
