Iloilo mourns the deaths of a Balik Scientist & a culture bearer
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – The people of Iloilo are mourning the deaths of two community figures—one was a Balik Scientist while the other was culture bearer of the Panay Bukidnon indigenous peoples (IP) in Calinog town, Iloilo province.
Dr. Lejo C. Braña and Leopoldo “Tay Polding” Cataluña Caballero both passed away Monday, August 30, from complications of cancer and COVID-19 respectively.
The 83-year-old Braña was a pioneer in packaging engineering in the country while the 79-year-old Caballero was a master chanter of a pre-Hispanic oral literature.
“Dr. Braña was an institution himself as he was known as the Father of Philippine Packaging Engineering,” said the board of trustees of Central Philippine University (CPU) in Iloilo City.
Having worked in the United States, Braña came back to the country in 2006 under the Balik Scientist Program (BSP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The BSP aims to reverse the brain drain by harnessing scientific manpower both in the academe and private sectors.
The CPU Alumni Association Inc. noted that Braña was instrumental in setting up the first package engineering course at the university. He not only taught initially, but donated multi-million peso equipment.
The 79-year-old Caballero was one the members of a clan instrumental in reviving the traditions of the Panay Bukidnon, an IP group found in the mountainous villages of Central Panay Island.
“As a teacher at the Garangan Balay Turun-an (School for Living Tradition), he was able to transfer the knowledge of chanting, bolo handle carving, gong beating, and musical instrument-making to his students,” said the Panay Indigenous Culture Advocacy Group (PICAG).
Caballero, a brother of National Living Treasure awardee Federico Caballero, was a master chanter of The Hinilawod, a pre-Hispanic oral literature that is considered as one of the world’s longest epics.
Artist and cultural advocate Liby Limoso also made a call for donations for the cremation and other funeral expenses of Caballero, whose two sons were also infected with COVID-19.
Cash donations can be deposited to One Network Bank account number 5363 3400 3703 0095 of Elsie Caballero or the Landbank account number 1936 1162 79 of Leosita C. Yangco. It can also be sent via the GCash account +639614201836 of Regina Villanueva.