Maybe we may have encountered the name Bienvenido Santos. But we have nothing information about him except of his name and being a writer.
It is grateful to know that we have her daughter here in our university. She will be our instrument to know Bienvenido Santos better. Therefore, we conducted an interview about him from a daughter’s memory of his late father
Mr. Bienvenido “Bening” Nuqui Santos was born in Tondo, Manila on March 22, 1911. He was married to Beatriz Nidea Santos of Albay, Bicol. Ben and Beatriz were blessed with four children: 3 daughters and a son who inherited his father’s expertise in writing and currently studying at Colorado State University.
Bening was an elementary classmate of the late Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal and he also became Dean of Arts and Sciences here in our university while his wife is Dean of Graduates Studies.
Their youngest daughter, were proud that she’s our Executive Vice President, Madam Lourdes S. Anonas, gladly she accepted our invitation for an interview about his late father, famous writer, Bienvenido Santos.
Q: How can you describe Mang Bening as a father, a friend and a husband?
A: My father is a very sentimental person. He is humorous, fun loving, funny and a very generous man. He is excellent in everything and a good lecturer to all his children. He was opposite to my mother’s attitude of being very serious considering that she is 6yrs older to him. My father possesses beautiful eyes. He is fond of embracing and he is a very good friend. He was very friendly and demonstrative. He used to say that,”when I love, I love…” Perhaps, I inherited that from him.
Q: When did he start writing? Does he have any ways and “rituals” in writing his pieces?
A: It was at the age of 12 when he started his fondness in writing. His teacher used to see him reading most of the time at the public library. At the age of 16, he had started writing at the University of the Philippines- Phil. Collegians. He has a favorite typewriter but most of his writings are written in long hand such as his novel, his autobiography and memories fiction. His favorite characters in his writings were people he knew in life. Everyday, be would ask for four newspapers: The Manila Standard, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Star. He would read it from cover to cover. The funny and amazing thing about him is after an hour, he had already finished reading all the four newspaper given to him. My father has an extraordinary love and talent for writing. He writes anytime and he can write poems in just one sitting.
Q: Can you give us a brief history of Mr. Bening before or during the World War II broke out and how he handles his life being away from his family?
A: He went to US for his master’s degree in English at Columbia State University. That was before the World War II broke out in 1940. At the time of Pearl Harbor in 1941, He became a Pensionado and in 1946, he came back home. All throughout the war, he used to write letter for us everyday but were never sent because of the war. Those letters were given to my mom. He didn’t fail to give birthday cards to us, his children. When he was in the country, he used to stay at La Salle since he was a member of La Salle Brothers. In 1958, he went back to us for scholarship. Most of the time he was in US but still he never failed to think about his family in the Philippines.
Q: How did those who love Bening showed how great person and writer he is while he’s living and when he passed away?
A: My mother, though she died in the year 1981, had kept everything he wrote – from his letters to cut outs or copies of his writings in publications. Our university used to keep his memorabillias but it was donated at La Salle University. Also in La Salle, they established a B.N. Creative Writing program.
Q: Can you recall any of his thoughts about writing?
A: For him. “Rewriting is writing, for as your rewrite, you improve your writing”.
It is grateful to know that we have her daughter here in our university. She will be our instrument to know Bienvenido Santos better. Therefore, we conducted an interview about him from a daughter’s memory of his late father
Mr. Bienvenido “Bening” Nuqui Santos was born in Tondo, Manila on March 22, 1911. He was married to Beatriz Nidea Santos of Albay, Bicol. Ben and Beatriz were blessed with four children: 3 daughters and a son who inherited his father’s expertise in writing and currently studying at Colorado State University.
Bening was an elementary classmate of the late Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal and he also became Dean of Arts and Sciences here in our university while his wife is Dean of Graduates Studies.
Their youngest daughter, were proud that she’s our Executive Vice President, Madam Lourdes S. Anonas, gladly she accepted our invitation for an interview about his late father, famous writer, Bienvenido Santos.
Q: How can you describe Mang Bening as a father, a friend and a husband?
A: My father is a very sentimental person. He is humorous, fun loving, funny and a very generous man. He is excellent in everything and a good lecturer to all his children. He was opposite to my mother’s attitude of being very serious considering that she is 6yrs older to him. My father possesses beautiful eyes. He is fond of embracing and he is a very good friend. He was very friendly and demonstrative. He used to say that,”when I love, I love…” Perhaps, I inherited that from him.
Q: When did he start writing? Does he have any ways and “rituals” in writing his pieces?
A: It was at the age of 12 when he started his fondness in writing. His teacher used to see him reading most of the time at the public library. At the age of 16, he had started writing at the University of the Philippines- Phil. Collegians. He has a favorite typewriter but most of his writings are written in long hand such as his novel, his autobiography and memories fiction. His favorite characters in his writings were people he knew in life. Everyday, be would ask for four newspapers: The Manila Standard, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin and The Philippine Star. He would read it from cover to cover. The funny and amazing thing about him is after an hour, he had already finished reading all the four newspaper given to him. My father has an extraordinary love and talent for writing. He writes anytime and he can write poems in just one sitting.
Q: Can you give us a brief history of Mr. Bening before or during the World War II broke out and how he handles his life being away from his family?
A: He went to US for his master’s degree in English at Columbia State University. That was before the World War II broke out in 1940. At the time of Pearl Harbor in 1941, He became a Pensionado and in 1946, he came back home. All throughout the war, he used to write letter for us everyday but were never sent because of the war. Those letters were given to my mom. He didn’t fail to give birthday cards to us, his children. When he was in the country, he used to stay at La Salle since he was a member of La Salle Brothers. In 1958, he went back to us for scholarship. Most of the time he was in US but still he never failed to think about his family in the Philippines.
Q: How did those who love Bening showed how great person and writer he is while he’s living and when he passed away?
A: My mother, though she died in the year 1981, had kept everything he wrote – from his letters to cut outs or copies of his writings in publications. Our university used to keep his memorabillias but it was donated at La Salle University. Also in La Salle, they established a B.N. Creative Writing program.
Q: Can you recall any of his thoughts about writing?
A: For him. “Rewriting is writing, for as your rewrite, you improve your writing”.
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