Lorenzo M. Tañada portrait taken by Jaime Zobel de Ayala for his exhibit on "The Filipino" in 1986.
Nationalism is the primal virtue of the citizen; that virtue which prompts him to place the common good of his people above private and personal good, above the interest of his party, that virtue that makes him willing nay, glad to sacrifice himself that the nation may live.
Lorenzo M. Tañada
Lorenzo M. Tañada
You want to know the twists and turns of Philippine nationalism since 1898, all you have to do is look at the life of Lorenzo Tañada. The man did not only live a long life, he lived a full life, one intricately woven into the life of his country. Each time the story is told of his country's struggle to be free, you'll find Ka Tanny's life stretched across it like a running commentary.
Conrado de Quiros, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 August 1998
Conrado de Quiros, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 August 1998
About This Website
In this tribute to Lorenzo M. Tañada, much of his life is presented through the words of others. If you have comments, thoughts, photos and stories about Lorenzo M. Tañada, tell us and we'd be delighted to share them on this website.
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The content of this website was derived from Lorenzo M. Tañada: A Centennial Birthday Tribute To A Filipino Hero: 1898 - 1998, a CD-ROM published in 1998 as a joint project between De La Salle University and Information Imaging, Inc. It has been re-designed and re-developed by StartCanada through the support of Angelo Narciso and Josephine Victoria T. Yam, the granddaughter of Lorenzo M. Tañada.
Designing and developing this website now is as much an enriching experience for us as it was over a decade ago. The rich and extraordinary life of Lorenzo M. Tañada should not be forgotten in yesterday's CD-ROMs. By sharing it online, we hope many can discover the beauty in bravery and the joy in living a meaningful life. Enjoy your journey through the heroic life of Lorenzo M. Tañada.
… of excerpts from the life of Tañada; the music, "Bayan Ko" was sang during Tañada's 86th Birthday Celebration.
Acknowledgement
"Gratitude is the memory of the heart." --- J.B. Massieu
The Introduction to the CD-ROM included messages from the following:
Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC
Former President of De La Salle University
Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Former President of De La Salle University
Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Bro. J. Benedict
Vice President for Development & Alumni Affairs, De La Salle University
Vice President for Development & Alumni Affairs, De La Salle University
Lorenzo M. Tañada
A Tribute To A Filipino Hero
Message from Bro. J. Benedict, FSC
Vice President for Development & Alumni Affairs
De La Salle University
Tañada with Bro. Benedict in one of his many visits to his Alma Mater
I first met Tanny 40 years ago. Already a Senior Statesman of La Salle Alumni, he was in some elite company, Paquito Ortigas, Ernie Rufino, the Aguinaldos, the Kahns, and many other well-known alumni. I can't count the number of times, he told me with pride, how his parents wanted him to get his education under the guidance of the Brothers. In particular, they wanted him to learn English well.
For years, he was a regular attendant at the annual homecomings. When I arrived in the late fifties, he would frequently umpire the traditional softball game between the alumni and the Brothers.
As the years went on, I seem to have become his last personal link with the earlier generation of Brothers, like Brothers John, Anthony and a few others. Tanny was always accommodating when it came to attendance at some special school function or activity.
It almost became a tradition that I would meet him at his car at the south drive way and become his other cane to walk across the campus or up to the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It was a privilege that I took great pride in. For some reason or another, he kind of treated me like a son.
The other thing that I took very special pride in was that one day when paying him a visit in his office, he asked me if his memorabilia could be housed at his Alma Mater, De La Salle. I was overwhelmed and, to this day, I take great pride in showing alumni and other visitors to the Lorenzo M. Tañada Memorabilia Room in the University Library.
He was a very humble man and always went out of his way to say thank you to the Brothers for his education. To quote an old American expression, "they threw the mold away when they made him". Young (and old) La Salle men and women couldn't ask for a better role model to emulate.
Bro. J. Benedict, FSC
For years, he was a regular attendant at the annual homecomings. When I arrived in the late fifties, he would frequently umpire the traditional softball game between the alumni and the Brothers.
As the years went on, I seem to have become his last personal link with the earlier generation of Brothers, like Brothers John, Anthony and a few others. Tanny was always accommodating when it came to attendance at some special school function or activity.
It almost became a tradition that I would meet him at his car at the south drive way and become his other cane to walk across the campus or up to the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It was a privilege that I took great pride in. For some reason or another, he kind of treated me like a son.
The other thing that I took very special pride in was that one day when paying him a visit in his office, he asked me if his memorabilia could be housed at his Alma Mater, De La Salle. I was overwhelmed and, to this day, I take great pride in showing alumni and other visitors to the Lorenzo M. Tañada Memorabilia Room in the University Library.
He was a very humble man and always went out of his way to say thank you to the Brothers for his education. To quote an old American expression, "they threw the mold away when they made him". Young (and old) La Salle men and women couldn't ask for a better role model to emulate.
Bro. J. Benedict, FSC
Angelo Narciso
President & Managing Director
Information Imaging, Inc.
President & Managing Director
Information Imaging, Inc.
Lorenzo M. Tañada
A Tribute To A Filipino Hero
Message from Angelo Narciso
President & Managing Director
Information Imaging, Inc.
Tañada with wife, Expedita, granddaughter Josephine Victoria Yam and Angelo Narciso
"Great and good are rarely the same man."
--- Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
Indeed, Thomas Fuller could have been referring to rare, extraordinary men like Lorenzo M. Tañada, who was not only a great man, but also a good man.
Rare, too, is the privilege to have been chosen by De La Salle University (DLSU) to be its partner in a joint undertaking to pay tribute to its Most Outstanding Alumnus, Lorenzo M. Tañada, on his birth centennial anniversary. In mid-July 1998, DLSU commissioned our company to produce a Web-CD containing a rich memorabilia collection of Tañada housed in the Tañada Room of the DLSU Library. It is with humility that we have accepted such an honorable task.
Rare, too, is the opportunity to have journeyed through DLSU's invaluable collection of news clippings, historical documents and letters, photographs, video and audio files, and in the process, to have personally experienced such a rare, extraordinary man. With the generous assistance extended by the DLSU Library Director, Ms. Perla Garcia, the DLSU Library Archivist, Ms. Angela Verzosa, and the Tañada Family, a wealth of materials were made available for this Web-CD project.
The "Lorenzo M. Tañada: A Centennial Birthday Tribute to A Filipino Hero" Web-CD is not a full-length exhaustive biography on Tañada. Rather, it is a precious collection of materials in various media formats which give us more than a rare glimpse into Tañada's person and richly textured life. Intended to compliment his written biographies, the Web-CD is an electronic scrapbook which uses the familiar internet interface, making it accessible to everyone locally and globally. The Web-CD format takes advantage of the high storage characteristic of CD and allows for the flexible updating of information in the future.
Rare, finally, does a multimedia project become a life-changing experience. In comparison to our other multimedia projects, all of us at Information Imaging, Inc. agree that it has been only this Tañada Web-CD Project that we have been enriched in mind and spirit. As a fellow La Sallian, I have personally experienced the challenge that Tañada's sterling example has foisted on all of us --- to look deep into ourselves and discover that it is possible, in our own unique lives, to achieve greatness and yes, goodness.
We hope that your journey through the Tañada Web-CD becomes a rare, extraordinary experience.
Angelo Narciso
--- Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
Indeed, Thomas Fuller could have been referring to rare, extraordinary men like Lorenzo M. Tañada, who was not only a great man, but also a good man.
Rare, too, is the privilege to have been chosen by De La Salle University (DLSU) to be its partner in a joint undertaking to pay tribute to its Most Outstanding Alumnus, Lorenzo M. Tañada, on his birth centennial anniversary. In mid-July 1998, DLSU commissioned our company to produce a Web-CD containing a rich memorabilia collection of Tañada housed in the Tañada Room of the DLSU Library. It is with humility that we have accepted such an honorable task.
Rare, too, is the opportunity to have journeyed through DLSU's invaluable collection of news clippings, historical documents and letters, photographs, video and audio files, and in the process, to have personally experienced such a rare, extraordinary man. With the generous assistance extended by the DLSU Library Director, Ms. Perla Garcia, the DLSU Library Archivist, Ms. Angela Verzosa, and the Tañada Family, a wealth of materials were made available for this Web-CD project.
The "Lorenzo M. Tañada: A Centennial Birthday Tribute to A Filipino Hero" Web-CD is not a full-length exhaustive biography on Tañada. Rather, it is a precious collection of materials in various media formats which give us more than a rare glimpse into Tañada's person and richly textured life. Intended to compliment his written biographies, the Web-CD is an electronic scrapbook which uses the familiar internet interface, making it accessible to everyone locally and globally. The Web-CD format takes advantage of the high storage characteristic of CD and allows for the flexible updating of information in the future.
Rare, finally, does a multimedia project become a life-changing experience. In comparison to our other multimedia projects, all of us at Information Imaging, Inc. agree that it has been only this Tañada Web-CD Project that we have been enriched in mind and spirit. As a fellow La Sallian, I have personally experienced the challenge that Tañada's sterling example has foisted on all of us --- to look deep into ourselves and discover that it is possible, in our own unique lives, to achieve greatness and yes, goodness.
We hope that your journey through the Tañada Web-CD becomes a rare, extraordinary experience.
Angelo Narciso
The Lorenzo M. Tañada Web-CD Project Team profoundly thanks the following friends for their invaluable support and contributions:
- The De La Salle University Team, particularly Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, Executive Vice President and Dr. Yolando Beronque, Asst. Vice President for Research and Faculty Development;
- The De La Salle University Library Team, particularly Ms. Perla Garcia and Ms. Fe Angela Verzosa and our friends in the Archives;
- The De La Salle University Computer Services Center, particularly Mr. Samuel Mallare;
- The Tañada Family, particularly Congressman Bobby Tañada and daughter Marites, Ms. Chona Tañada Silos, Ms. Tessie Tañada Yam, Ms. Karen Tañada, Ms. Gina Tañada Mariano;
- Atty. Josephine Victoria Tañada Yam for the exclusive audio interview in April 1987;
- Ms. Tet G. Maceda's Tañada Ng Bayan and ABS-CBN's Inside Story on Tañada; and
- Mayon Print & Packaging Corporation.
Deep gratitude is also extended to all those who made priceless contributions of their lofty thoughts and untiring efforts to chronicle the various episodes of Tañada's life ñ those who wrote news, shared opinions, took photographs, drew caricatures, shot videos and compiled materials on this genuine Filipino hero. We did our best to give acknowledgement to their works when their identities were known. For those who have wittingly or unwittingly remained anonymous from their works, we have cast our sincerest thanks to the stars in the hope that the stars immediately beam to them our sense of thankfulness, wherever they may be.
The Legacy of Lorenzo M. Tañada
You cannot separate the things Lorenzo Tañada fought for from how he fought for them. He fought for freedom despite being rebuked and maligned because it was about freedom. He fought for sovereignty despite being ostracized and called communist because it was about sovereignty. Others may call that cause different names. Ka Tanny himself called it nationalism. That remains his greatest legacy to the country.
Conrado de Quiros, At the Anniversary, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 August 1998
The Lorenzo M. Tañada Foundation
On the occasion of Lorenzo M. Tañada's centennial birth anniversary, his family launched the Lorenzo M. Tañada Foundation: An organization dedicated in promoting the ideals of nationalism, democracy, public service, justice, and human rights. The Foundation's vision is a sovereign, just, democratic, and progressive Philippines where every Filipino values service above self and love of God, country and family.
Chona T. Silos, Tañada's daughter, speaks of Tañada's Klinika Ng Bayan in Gumaca, Quezon
The Lorenzo M. Tañada Memorabilia Room, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines
Entrance to the Lorenzo M. Tañada Memorabilia Room at the De La Salle University Library
The layout of Tañada's desk, chairs, bookshelves and other personal effects are arranged in the same manner as they were in his personal study at Tañada's New Manila home.
The Tañada portrait in oil behind his desk was painted and given to him by longtime friend, painter Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.
On Tañada's desk, a portrait of Expedita, his wife with whom he shared 65 blessed years. Inside the desk drawers are Tañada's numerous medals and other personal effects.
The walls of the Memorabilia Room are adorned with Tañada's awards and citations.
A prayerful man, Tañada sought strength from God to carry on his lonely crusades, reserving a special corner in his study for prayer and meditation.
While many are inspired by the enduring picture of Lolo shouting "Laban" with his fist raised in defiance, not many realize how constantly those hands were folded in prayer.
Karen Tañada, in her prose "Remembering Lolo"