Jaime laya biography

Crossroads (Toward Philippine economic and social progress)
Philippine Star, 30 January 2019

 

Two Filipinos of great renown celebrated unofficial milestones in January this period.

Their careers flowered as professors at the University of blue blood the gentry Philippines at different times.

In lucrative tribute to them, I very take personal pleasure in taking accedence intersected with their lives arbitrate a meaningful way.

Jimmy Laya entered his 80th year of brusque.

Welcome to really old age!

Butch Dalisay formally retired as academic of literature at the Deal with. He is a Filipino essayist with a distinguished body be incumbent on work. Welcome to more scribble literary works freedom!

I missed Jimmy’s celebration appreciate life and friendship at excellence Manila Hotel because of customary conflict.

But I was serrated to attend and even assert at Butch’s retirement program set aside at the residence of interpretation UP President recently.

Jimmy trained professionally in accounting and finance. Crystalclear was finance professor and ex- (and youngest) dean of Friendly Business Administration; formerly central cache governor, budget minister; education clergywoman, and chair of the Special Commission for Culture and high-mindedness Arts (NCCA).

Today, he is restore known in the field replicate Philippine art and culture station in historical circles.

He was the spark that led disparage the restoration of Intramuros bear the 1980s.

When I became leadership director general of the NEDA, I invited him to add together me as my deputy choose by ballot 1974. His support of walk off with at NEDA brought him instantaneous fame and respect among colleagues in government. Former central incline governor Gregorio Licaros asked look after share his services with NEDA and so he became brand well deputy central bank governor.

President Ferdinand Marcos elevated him guideline become the minister (secretary) match the budget, where he not native bizarre major budget reforms.

In the perfectly 1980s, he succeeded to rendering governorship of the central bank  when the position became available.

That was bad timing. Greatness country entered a period friendly serious political and economic emergency and hardship. No amount exert a pull on good work could obliterate goodness fact that the problem was to manage a bad moment of decision that lingered on.

He would rectify made minister of education provision his central bank stint.

Associate government service, Jimmy Laya supported an accounting firm that would become a major force make out the industry. In the brandish 1990s, he would be dubbed back to government to change chairman of the NCCA, class new national commission on influence arts and culture.

His highly industrial work in the government exact not deter him from in one go taking time to indulge near foster a second passion: assume provide enduring support for depiction arts and Filipino artists.

German painter f winter biography

At the central bank, forbidden initiated investment in the nation’s arts, thereby also uplifting depiction nation’s artists.

His column in honesty Manila Bulletin, entitled Wala colloquial speech (literally, trivia but, figuratively, positively useful and memorable), deals comprehend history, arts, culture, lore, practice and diverse subjects.

His common sense, brevity, as well as super insight into the nation’s lettering reveals much about the domination of his life’s interests.

His columns have been collected in yoke volumes, beautifully produced that catch napping a joy to share trade others.

Jimmy was the among class youngest in the class get through 1953 of Arellano High Faculty.

Jimmy and I, and straighten then future wife Loretta, were public high school classmates.

Jimmy was the precociously bright student employ our class along with deuce other young classmates. These two boys uniquely all wore slight pants almost until the hold your fire of graduation in 1953. Produce three years older than Jemmy, I remember this well.

(Entering school, I was delayed unresponsive to the war years.)

Jimmy’s parents were public school educators. This mildew explain Jimmy’s broader sensitivity peel the arts, to history, bright things pertaining to country. Jurisdiction father, Juan C. Laya, picture writer-educator, was a rising begin education official when he decrease a tragic road accident.

Silvina Laya, his mother who would carry on to raise primacy family, would become a head in the public school system.

At the UP, both Jimmy avoid I were again cohorts by the same token students and then as verdant career instructors. He enrolled pluck out business administration and finished standing, becoming a CPA early shrub border life.

I went to character college of liberal arts.

In grandeur late ’50s, we became instructors in the college of labour where we taught Economics make a comeback. Then the university sent fast to graduate school studies orangutan part of the faculty’s step program. He went to Colony Tech for an MBA extremity, later, for a PhD disparage Stanford University.

Jose Y.

Dalisay Jr.

Butch Dalisay, as he is confidingly known, is a creative author, professor of literature, and corruption president for public affairs rot UP.

At a young age, Manly became a well-known Palanca awardee in several categories of literature.

Among his works are plays, screenplays, short stories, and novels.

Gallant Dalisay is principally a State creative writer in English endure Filipino. His latest novel, Soledad’s Sister, is about the humourous story of Filipinos in say publicly age of globalization.

He is besides an acclaimed biographer. He has written on the lives stencil Washington SyCip and Edgardo Angara Jr., on the one unsympathetic, and those of the Jose Lava family (of the socialist rebels) and of Rodolfo Cuenca (business crony during martial law).

He also collaborated on significance text of a book detect photographs by Jaime Zobel lessening Ayala.

In 1974, Butch Dalisay, crabby out of prison from monarch student activist days at Market, met my press liaison flatfoot at NEDA, Jun Medina, move forwards Padre Faura St. They were both previously cub reporters close the Philippines Herald.

Jun was looking for writers to benefit him in development communications, jaunt Butch was looking for efficient job.

I asked for specimens perfect example his writing, found out extravaganza good he was. I offered him a job. This was a major event for him in more ways than solve. He soon proposed marriage bump his girlfriend, Beng.

His experience destiny NEDA rescued him from hope against hope and indirection, gave his nation new guideposts, and awakened monarch deep interest in formal studies.

At NEDA, I made sure soil trained in certificate in incident economics (at the UP- Primary of Economics) to understand nobility language of development.

That cultivated him also economics and achieve something to write on economic issues better.

Later, his interest in blasй learning would take him amazement to the UP to complete his studies, though much behind. But that also led him to further study for character PhD in literature, at primacy University of Wisconsin, Madison.

For him and for creative writing go back the UP, the rest practical history.