Bicol Mail at 72: A Legacy that endures

By Leon B. Aureus

It’s a somewhat daunting legacy of writers and community leaders to follow, especially if viewed in the context of their significant accomplishments in the Philippines and more specifically in Bicol and Naga City.

“I want to die in Naga! Naga is my home!” my Lolo declared in his final days in his battle with cancer. I never had the opportunity to meet him as he passed a few years before I was born, but his story loomed large over my life: the courageous guerilla leader who founded the Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit during World War II; Naga’s first post-war Mayor who led and helped uplift the city during those precarious years; and of course, the founder of the esteemed Bicol Mail.

By comparison, my time in Bicol has been very brief. Due to the socio-political unrest caused by martial law, my family, like many of that era, left the Philippines when I was only 5 years old. I have only been back to visit on two occasions, so in approximation, I have stood on the soil of my forefathers for a total of 3-4 weeks. 

In spite of this, my connection to the Philippines and to Bicol has endured thanks to the lessons of my Father. I suspect he never fully desired to leave the country but only did so in search of more stability and opportunity for his children. He worked hard to build a new home in Canada but never forgot the land of his birth. He would remind his children to never forget and always be proud of their roots.

This wasn’t always easy. As a young immigrant in Toronto in the early 80’s, there weren’t many people of colour, let alone Filipinos. So, I was often subject to a generous helping of racism and schoolyard taunts such as: “You’re a yellow Ching-Chong, Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, eyes like these (proceed to pull eyes back and slanted)!” 

In response to this, my Father’s message was simple and powerful: 

“You’re not, Yellow. You’re Golden!” 

Referring to the Latin translation of Aureus, before sharing the proud history of our family. These stories were never presented as empty, egotistical bravado but served to impress upon me that we come from a strong tradition that stood firm against injustice and always sought to serve the greater good of the community. To further educate me on the spirit of revolution and nationhood, he also introduced me to revolutionary heroes such as Rizal and Bonifacio. 

Like his father, he didn’t just talk about morals and principles, he exemplified them. In Canada, Leon J. Aureus helped found and held leadership positions in many Filipino-Canadian community groups whose shared feature was to help improve the conditions of Filipinos back home and abroad. Most notably and dearest to his heart, was the Ateneo Alumni Association Canada.  Inspired by Ateneo de Naga President, Father Raul Bonoan (who stayed with our family during his visit to Toronto), he co-founded this group to raise funds for underprivileged but deserving scholars attending the university. For almost two decades he helped organize AAAC scholarship fundraising campaigns and I was often recruited to design programmes, ghostwrite speeches and along with my two sisters Angelica and Vanessa, serve as de facto set-up, welcoming and clean-up volunteers. 

As a co-founder and enduring supporter of the Bicol Association in Toronto, he was always an eager participant in the group’s annual Peñafrancia fluvial procession – helping carry the revered statue onto the boat traveling along Lake Ontario in place of the Naga River. 

In their contribution to my formation, my Tita Leonor (Noree) and my Tito Carlos (Caloy) were always encouraging of my writing and creative efforts. Noree would often send me books on the craft of writing. During his stay with my family when I was just entering high school, I enjoyed many meaningful conversations on literature and Filipino culture with Caloy. We enjoyed playing the board game Trivial Pursuit and though I was proud at the time of always defeating him, I suspect that the wise and respected professor of Literature at UP Diliman, graciously let me win or I had the unfair advantage on the pop culture and sports categories. My Tito Manuel (Manny) has become the unofficial historian of the Aureus family and I always look to him to verify facts about their history. And though I only knew him briefly, Tito Nilo welcomed me as a true family member when I visited the Bicol Mail office, eagerly taking me on a tour of the facility and pointing out any commemorative pieces relating to my Lolo.

Ultimately, what this all means for me, is that in my own way, I hope I can continue the Aureus family’s legacy of writing and storytelling, of leadership and community service. 

To briefly share a little of my own story, I am an artist and community leader in Canada. While studying at the University of Toronto, I wrote for Erindale College’s medium II newspaper and also served two years on the student council. Following a brief stint at a small consulting firm, I quickly realized that the corporate life was not for me and decided to pursue my dreams of becoming an actor, a writer and a filmmaker. This dream was quickly faced with the reality that there were scant roles for Asian men in Western culture, that weren’t stereotypically servile, so I would have to forge my own path. 

After studying improv at the famed Second City, I co-founded Step-UP, an improv troupe that shook up and the predominantly white improv comedy scene in Toronto; I co-founded fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company, now one of the most respected producers of contemporary Asian-Canadian theatre in the country; I wrote the staged adaptation of the novel, Banana Boys, a play giving prominent representation for Asian men that was produced across the country and later taught in schools; I co-produced the first stage production of the play Kim’s Convenience which would go on to become a global success in theatre and on streaming television; I also became the Artistic Producer of Carlos Bulosan Theatre (CBT), one of the longest running independent theatres of colour in Canada, focused on producing progressive Filipino stories. While at CBT I co-wrote the plays People Power, inspired by the events of EDSA 1, and In the Shadow of Elephants, a play that spans the history of resistance against colonial powers in the Philippines. I also wrote the children’s play Kaldero based on folktales from my Lola, Angeles Aureus. As a short film and corporate video director/producer I’ve worked with large health and financial institutions but more important to me, I’ve worked on projects that documented the stories of people from all walks of life – especially the underrepresented voices in Canada.  

In recent years, I had been planning to step back from my role in arts administration and production and refocus on my own writing and filmmaking goals. After helping so many others tell their stories, I wanted to tell Filipino-Canadian stories, especially the immigration story of my family. I was preparing to interview my parents about their lives back home, about their journey to Canada, in my mind I was saving up for an additional camera with higher resolution, preparing budgets for a possible return trip to Naga so I could document their return. But last year, in early May, my father was hospitalized due to an infection he developed from a small scratch while doing work in the backyard. It was a little concerning given his age and pre-existing diabetic condition, but everyone expected him to recover in a week or two. He would tragically pass away due to unforeseen internal bleeding on May 14, 2024.

With his sudden passing, it might appear that I have lost my strongest tie to the Philippines, Bicol, and Naga. But because of his enduring pride in his family’s legacy, what isn’t lost to me is the importance of honouring these roots, building on these foundations and maintaining ties with Naga City and to the Bicol Mail. 

From my Lolo, Leon Sa Aureus - I learn from his example of serving the country with honesty and integrity, and the importance of Filipino independence and sovereignty.

From my uncles: Nilo Aureus, Carlos Ojeda Aureus (both of whom also passed away last year within weeks of my father), and Manuel Ojeda Aureus and my aunt, Leonor Aureus Briscoe - I remain inspired to seek truth in the written word and to support Filipino voices and stories.

From my beloved father, Leon J. Aureus and mother Adelle (née Brendia)  - I am moved to teach my own sons Leon Victor Palanca Aureus and Anders Noel Palanca Aureus about the land of their ancestry and look forward to bringing them back there one day. 

I am not daunted by the legacy of my family. Instead, I am inspired and galvanized by the path they have paved before me and I aim to honour them in my own work and action. 

Finally, I commend my cousins, Neil and Mel Aureus, for courageously taking up the banner of the Bicol Mail following in their father’s footsteps. 

Congratulations to the Bicol Mail on 60 years of journalism, community development and the continuation of the Aureus family’s legacy of service, courage and truth. Mabalos!

(Leon Brendia Aureus is the Grandson of Bicol Mail Founder, Leon Sa. Aureus; Son of Bicol Mail General Manager, Leon Javier Aureus; Nephew of Bicol Mail Editor, Leonor Aureus Briscoe, Bicol Mail publisher and revivalist Nilo Aureus, award-winning author, Carlos Ojeda Aureus and current Bicol Mail contributor, Manny Ojeda Aureus.)