What Some Friends Tell About Elvi

By: Letlet Simpol

Good Afternoon everyone. For those who do not know me. I am Letlet Simpol, a faculty member of the Chemistry Department of this University.

I have been tasked to give an introduction or a glimpse of the person of the day.

Who is Manong Elvi as a person and an artist?

I know that I am in for a TOUGH JOB!

How does one describe a person who has been an enigma for decades? Tough job indeed. However, my soul feels privileged and  still jumps with joy doing this. Imagine revealing in public things and thoughts I know about this mysterious man.

I guess the reasons why the gang chose me to do this is that I got to live, breathe and witness his journey  in the past 3-4 years; kung baga with a magnifying glass. I promised him that I would really deliver a good one - something that  will make him  happy enough to reward me with a kiss and a hug later.

So let me start now.

At the time when he was doing graduate work in Theology, I could remember how he would labor so hard in doing a required article. Literally burning candles to beat a deadline. What I noticed most with him is that he would read around 6 to 10 references at a time just to make that one important requirement. So just imagine his energy input if there are 5 or 10 requirements. But I know all those papers got straight A's with praises to the  high heavens from his teachers. I would always tease him as the consistent class valedictorian.

So, in Manong Elvi's tradition of doing a paper I have to search for great references to fulfill my task today. Lucky for me, the people I requested gladly obliged and sent their write-ups through e-mail and text. (Would you believe, one person has to text me 5 times so she could deliver her piece because she can't access her e-mail). So, Manong Elvi, my references are primary and therefore reliable.

I never told them what to write about. I just told them to write their impressions of the person. After browsing through what they sent I found out that these could be divided into three categories: 1. The Person, 2 The Artist and His Present Journey and 3. Reflections on His Artworks.

The Person: Two friends who have journeyed with him have these to say: Manong Elvi is a teacher, healer, friend. He has a quiet smile - mischievous yet charming, a gentle breeze that cools and soothes your cares away. A rainbow of creativity. A mentor who encourages but never imposes. A generous spirit sharing his gifts, wisdom and love. A treasure indeed. I believe we experienced what Stel and Arve said about him. Maybe some of us can add more and make the above list longer to give a better resolution to the picture of Manong Elvi as a person.

The Artist and His Present Journey: This is quite difficult and sensitive but luckily two other friends sent their write-ups that fitted this category. Allow me to quote them verbally. First is from Orett - his facilitator when he underwent his summer PSI. I quote" Manong? Malaki and nabago sa pagkakakilala ko ke Manong. Simula noong nakilala ko siya sa PSI. Sa totoo lang nagkasabay kami sa Ateneo noong College, pero magka-iba ang mundo namin kaya kahit hindi sinasadya, "dedmahan" lang. Sa PSI, nasa grupo ko pa siya. Tahimik siya noon, tahimik pa rin ngayon. Malumanay siya noon, malumanay pa rin naman ngayon. "Man of few words" siya noon, "man of few words" pa rin naman ngayon. Noon, pag ayaw niya sagutin ang tanong mo, ngingiti lang siya. Ngayon, ganoon pa rin. Teka, teka, "ganito siya noon, ganito pa rin siya ngayon, ano nga pala ang nagbago? Hehe! Mas nakilala ko ang pagiging maalagain niya, ang pagiging mabuting tao. Kayat kapag tinatawag namin siyang "Manong", bagay na bagay sa kanya. Oooops, di dahil sa edad (pero pwede na rin siguro?) pero dahil ganyan siya... .gusto niyang OK ka. Gusto niyang nasa mabuti kang kalagayan. Hindi siya nagbibigay ng payo, pero mararamdaman mong meron siyang ibinabahagi sa iyo kapag me kailangan ka. At ano ang sigurado ke Manong ngayon? Ang kagustuhan niyang makilala ang tunay niyang sarili...... ang kanyang pagbubukas...... and kanyang paglalakbay...... At eto

naman ang katunayan...... ang nalikha niyamula sa kanyang loob. Si Manong.....isang banayad na presensiya sa buhay ng Paruparo!

Another great friend, who is a storyteller and epic chanter and had journeyed with him for the last four years, has this to say about this artist and his present journey. I am sure if he is here in person he will be chanting what he wants to say, but so sorry for that, I cannot chant. So I would just read on, and Tom has this to say," When I met this friend, our encounter made me realize that the truth of a person lies in a paradox. For he is both one and another. Generously gifted but reserved. He is one who is not comfortable with loud announcements. Ah, for some time now he is giving birth to his colorful creations, but these moments are so private that only he and his Creator partake of this communion. There was nary a shout of joy nor a howl of pain following acts of creations. We, his friends and curious on-lookers should not ask him about them. Let us all settle with the fact that a saint like him grants no interviews. BULALAKAW"

Reflections on his artworks: I am sure each of us who would look at his artworks would be curious as to what is it that he is expressing. And as to where he gets his inspiration. For some time now, I realized that he is actually telling us a very important message and that is to follow Mary, our Blessed Mother as the best example to live a Christian life. Ryan, our fellow artist and friend who has also witnessed the birth and progress of more than 50% of his works, would like to express that Manong Elvi has captured in his paintings the refrain and coda of the song that he (Ryan) wrote. It goes this way

Finally, to save the best for last! Who else could give the best reflection about a philosopher and artist but a fellow philosopher and artist himself. An added bonus is that he was a teacher of Manong Elvi in College. Bro. Francis Castro of the Little Brothers of Jesus has this to say, "What can I say about Elvi? That he was my former student? That was "centuries ago, and the details escaped me. Yet the quality of those memories remains and they retain their "flavor". Hence the "quality" and the "flavor" allow me to enjoy the company of Elvi each time I visit Davao. Elvi is a man of discretion.... a humble man.

He has guarded his artistic talents... ..as if seeds waiting to be planted and give new life. Yes our times have become arid... and I speak of cultural aridity. Culture is to give light and direction, teaching us humans the value of deliberation and acceptance about our basic realities. Culture is to help us know why there is pain. Any attempt at bringing real culture to expression is, in itself, a divine spark. The aesthetic seeds of Elvi show signs of cultural birth and rebirth occurring discretely, silently yet purposely.

Elvi is giving new light to real purposes. I will not forget the evenings he would timidly unravel his works telling me of how unsure he was if they were worth being "exposed" to a larger public. And as I stared at and contemplated his pieces, one by one, I could not help but exclaim, "They are beautiful!" They came from a certain depth within the man himself... ..a depth that was giving itself shapes and forms and even speech. A depth of memories about his past and even about his ancestral archetypes that existed long before he was even conceived. I will never forget the colors of mother, of child, of solid grounding yet celestial searching, the shapes of nostalgia and expectations. And in one phrase Elvi said that his works were very close to his understanding of his own incarnation.

There you are, the philosopher speaking about his aesthetic works. It is time that this man be given the opportunity to make his message to the spirit of our society. Bravo Elvi! May the gracious Lord of your inner depth find his path of saying what must be said. "With this, I would like to end by saying - thank you very much Manong Elvi for allowing us to be part of your life and journey. Let us all savor this experience and enjoy each moment.

By: Fred Alpas

My dear colleagues, administrators, honored guests, fellow Ateneans and students, relatives of Elvi and friends, good afternoon

The Philosophy Division gave me the very challenging task to talk about Elvi.  Being an obedient servant this leaves me no choice but to face the challenge with honor and pride.

Until this morning, Sept. 25, 2002, honestly, I still cannot figure out what am I going to say to you about a man who seemed to be elusive and mysterious for some.  My anxiety heightens when I learn that so much had already been said about Elvi by Dr. Simpol during  the opening  of the 1^st exhibit. Some friends tell me to focus my attention to Elvi as an artist. But like anyone else, there’s not much we can say about it because we rarely had the occasions in the past to journey with him in this area.

I would rather follow the dictates of my gut-feeling and begin by looking at Elvi in a TRIADIC MOVEMENT.  You may call it the three phases in the life of Elvi, or the three mysteries in Elvi’s life, or the Drama of Elvi:

1)     The first movement is the Birth (seed)

2)      The second is the Apprentice (Tree)

3)      And the third is the MASTER (FRUIT).

THE BIRTH: (THE SEED)

Elvi was raised and grew up in a culture that we call Typical Filipino.  Behind his childhood are the shadows and images of his mother, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.

At the age of 4, Elvi was noticed by her mother to have done some art work.But no one took that seriously.  While in his mother’s care, he was exposed to his mother’s devotion, the Blessed Mother of Perpetual Help.

In some rare moments with Elvi, he admitted that he did  some art work in the grade school and high school.

This phase in the life of Elvi is marked with some important breakthroughs:

First College, and , Elvi has to go to school, that is from grade school to therefore face and interact with other people.private and  From a more   wider social reality.protective atmosphere, Elvi began to open himself to a shell.  You see in here the image of the seed breaking its

econd, in a rarely and uniquely dramatic moment, Elvi had to face for the first  time an intimate person of his life.  It is an experience so existential that at his boyhood he had already a foretaste of what he will become twenty years later, a philosopher.

Third, the transition from high school to college is characterized with some turning points.  Elvi is going to venture into an unknown world of the city, with all those things so different from his parochial world.

Like theEmpiricist David Hume, Elvi at the outset took up   British business course only to discover that his heart is in philosophy.  The love of his life is really SOPHIA (wisdom).

In his third year stay in Ateneo, he found himself among the ranks of the chosen few studying philosophy.

THE APPRENTICE: (THE TREE)

From that time on, a lot of things had been opened in the life of Elvi.  In philosophy, he grew a lot, and became more mature. Philosophy serves as a door to him to enter into the whole network of door of opportunities and possibilities in life.

He pursued part of his studies at Xavier University in Cagayan where he took up some units in the graduate school in the summer of 1983.  Then he came back to Tagum and continued his teaching career in a Seminary (QUACS)

Sometime 1983-1984, Elvi found an opportunity to teach in Ateneo de Davao.  Many things had happened  from that time on.  Like any other human being, Elvi had gone through moments of disillusionment, confusion, desolation, and consolation.  Moments of certainty in his life are balanced with moments of doubt.

At one point he tried going into the business world only to realize that he is not meant to be in that world but in the Academe.

THE MASTER: ( THE FRUIT )

This movement is also colored with some turning points in his life:

1. He decided, once-and-for-all to leave behind the promising world of business, and to go back to teaching. A silent yet diligent and hardworking, Elvi drew the attention of his colleagues, and administrators. His views and work performance earned the admiration and respect of these people.

2. In 1992, He began to occupy an administrative post, being the chair of the philosophy division.

3.Subsequently after his term, he was appointed Director for Admissions, and was given other key roles in various college committees.  In these various key roles he assumed in the university, he found some opportunities to undergo trainings in many areas, such as counseling, gender, sexuality, spirituality, and the Emmaeus retreats, seminars, and the like.

During this time, Elvi emerged to many as a seasoned administrator,counselor, resource person, and mentor.

Sometime March 2000, Elvi made a remarkable discovery of his life.  In all these yearsthe fact that his life has   he now acknowledges been caught up in a journeyspiritual.  —a journey that is His inmost being manifests a soul constantly unfolding, revealing, and searching for the Absolute (God).that goes into   There’s the being an inward movement, getting in touch with the intimate self, and later    The art of on goes outward, expressing itself in a work of art.the master reveals an authenticof the self   and unique intimacy with the spiritual.

Finally, the life of Elvi is both a drama and enigma. To describe it using the very words of the artist, “It is a spiritual art.”  The whole panorama of his life discloses a divine craftsmanship, the artistic hands of the creator leading the soul to where it  finds depth, tranquility, and fulfillment.