He was a prayerful and a loving person. His religiosity was anchored on the strong faith exemplified by his elders. So that when he had his own family, he taught them to love God first.
For his widow, Dr. Marilyn, seven children and grandchildren, former Gov. Alfredo Galicia Maranon, Jr., who passed away on Oct. 1, 2020, had shown equal degree of commitment to the Church as with his pursuit for public service and as a family man.
He was 84.
Maraňon was buried on Oct. 4 at the family cemetery, just a few meters across the new St. Joseph Parish Church which he helped build. It coincided with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the peacemaker. He died on the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, the same day that he, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos and other church leaders, laid the very first cornerstone five years ago for the bigger St. Joseph Parish Church.
The outpouring of support through the social media and public statements from people from all walks, associates, NGO community and other agencies, was overwhelming, mostly paying tribute to his zeal as a public servant and thanking him for his countless contributions to development work after 55 years of serving government under various capacities–from being councilor, vice mayor, many- time mayor up to his ascension as assemblyman, Second District congressman and governor of Negros Occidental from 2010 until 2019.
At the “family-only” burial rites (due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic), Maranon was honored by the Special Action Forces with a 21-gun salute. Also in attendance were Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer.
HOW THEY DESCRIBE 02
The children and some “apos” of Maranon shared their thoughts about the late governor.
For eldest child, Anna Marie McConchie, his father was a “visionary”. Her husband, Todd, called him “adventurous”, while their daughter Kaela said her grandpa was a “lovely person”.
“Indefatigable” was how second child, Aileen Lontoc, described her papa, apparently referring to Maranon’s work ethic when called upon to serve his constituents. “He was a gentleman,” Marga, Aileen’s daughter, said of her Lolo Freddie.
Asked how she would describe her late father, Agnes Iida replied: “He was like an alarm clock. He would call and ask for my milling report as early as 5:30 in the morning. Then, he starts with the question and answer”.
Make no mistake, Iida continued, because he would easily know whether you have read the report or you just passed it on to him without understanding its content.
“Mirthful. Happy person” was how Maika, Agnes’ daughter, remembered about her grandfather.
He was always on the go. Lagawan, said another son, Anthony, a medical doctor.
Papa was a very principled man and generous, too, Arthur Christopher “Atoy” Maraňon, a city councilor of Sagay and the youngest among the siblings, said. His brother-in-law, Patrick Valderrama, shared Atoy’s views, saying that the former governor had a big heart for the poor.
Atoy’s wife, Charisse, said the governor was unfailingly kind and charming.
LOVE OF GOD FIRST
He was a God-fearing person, says daughter, Carmela “Iday” Valderrama.
“Love of God came first on his list. Love of country, second, and love of family, third,” Maranon’s fifth child said, recalling what her father told her when she was an elementary grader.
It was actually our assignment, she continued, and our teacher told us we had to ask our parents what they love most.
“Honestly, Papa’s answer got me confused. Thinking aloud then, at a very young age, I tried to figure out why love of family came in third only. But growing up, and seeing Papa at work, serving the Church and the community, I began to realize this,” Carmela confided.
Atoy’s children, Christopher Luis (Choi) and Mikaela Marie (Ellie), said their Lolo was very kind. Added Choi: “He was devoted to his family and public service”. “He was prayerful and generous as well,” Ellie continued.
We read and heard the outpouring of love and admiration of so many, and they warmed our hearts in our moments of grief, Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Maraňon III said in a statement.
With the countless inspiring stories about him told and re-told by those he had met in his lifetime, Papa’s legacy, certainly, will live on, he added.
“My fondest moments with Papa brought me back to my younger days. He was a disciplinarian and saw to it that we put priority to our education to ensure a better future for us all, his children. He also taught us to value hard work, and to serve God and country,” Maraňon said.
He left behind a big shoe to fill, he continued, adding that “while the family grieves on his departure, we are comforted at the thought that Papa is now home with the Lord”.
Freddie was a prayerful person. He was usually up by 5 a.m., would make the sign of the cross, sat on the bed and prayed in silence before getting up. He would do the same before bedtime, said Dr. Marilyn.
After a cup of coffee in the morning, he would reach out for his Companion, a book of prayers and made reflections alone. He sought refuge in his “quiet time” before the family altar with the Sacred Heart, Mama Mary and St. Joseph, the patron of Sagay City. Reading the Companion was a daily routine even in his final hours at the hospital, where he brought his prayer book and rosary. He actually brought them with him wherever he went when he was still in office, she continued.
“I cannot overemphasize his concern for the poor, the reason why many of his flagship programs were directed towards the uplift of the marginalized, for the small farmers, agriculture workers and others who live in the fringes of our society. He loved spending time with them and interacting with them to find out how government would be able to improve their lot in life,” Mrs. Maranon added.
It is in the same manner that he always showed concern for our family, our children and our apos. He cherished every moment with them and made sure he was ever present in all family gatherings, weekend lunches and dinners, birthdays. He tagged the kids along with him, if opportunities allowed, to his adventures and outdoor activities, even diving as well as during his travels here and abroad. And he had this penchant for food adventure, although he ate a little of everything. When at home on week days, he was content with “laswa” (vegetable soup) and “pinamalhan”. But his all-time favorite was “bagungon” cooked in coconut milk with curioso (bisol).
Freddie, she said, enjoyed listening to music, too. “He preferred the standards and classics. Frank Sinatra, Matt Monro, Louis Armstrong to name a few. He was a cultural person. He brought me to musicales and concerts. He attended even the piano recitals of our apos. He also loves to watch the performnces of Dutch violinist Andre Rieu on YouTube,” she revealed.
For his wife, “Freddie was a natural leader, a farmer, an aquaculturist, an engineer, a champion of the environment and most importantly a thoughtful husband, a loving father to our seven children and a doting lolo to our 15 grandchildren”.*
