Veteran journalist writes 30

LEGAZPI CITY --- Bernardo Aquende, one of Bicol’s veteran journalists, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 27. He was 97.

Aquende’s remains would be laid to rest at their residence in Chicago, Illinois. His body would be cremated on Saturday and his ashes to be brought home later to this city, according to his daughter Ann Aquende Hemady.

The Bicolano veteran writer is survived by his wife Roslyn and siblings Jackie, Albina, Maritessa, Ann, Frieda, Sandy, and Wendy.

He was fondly called “Nards” by relatives, friends and media colleagues in Bicol, before migrating to the US in 1984.

While here, he was assistant director of the Department of Public Information (DPI) in 1972 and concurrently the Bicol bureau chief of the Philippine News Service (PNS), now the Philippine News Agency (PNA). After his 5-year stint at DPI, he decided to join the Philippine National Railways (PNR) as Public Relations Officer.

Before joining the government service, Aquende was a known literary writer and became editor and consultant to several local weeklies in Bicol, particularly in Albay.