Fidel A. Reyes would continue on his crusade after his editorial, “Aves de Rapiña” brought an end to El Renacimiento. He became the director of La Vanguardia, a revolutionary daily that rose from the ashes of his previous paper.
Fidel made another daring move four years after he wrote his infamous editorial, when he decided to run for public office. Several Filipino nationalists including his former Editor Kalaw, were working towards their country’s independence as elected members of the Philippine Assembly, the lower house of the legislature. Fidel ran for a seat representing the Third District of Batangas. It was a hard-fought campaign against a powerful politician from his hometown of Lipa, Dr. Sixto P. Roxas. According to a biographical sketch by his brother Carmelo, entitled “Kuya Fidel”, his chances for victory against Dr. Roxas were slim:
“the odds were overwhelming against him, his adversary being a giant in local political circles, Dr. S.R.L., who was considered to defeat him from the start.”
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| La Vanguardia in Batangas, 1911. Fidel A. Reyes (standing second from left) |
Fidel made another daring move four years after he wrote his infamous editorial, when he decided to run for public office. Several Filipino nationalists including his former Editor Kalaw, were working towards their country’s independence as elected members of the Philippine Assembly, the lower house of the legislature. Fidel ran for a seat representing the Third District of Batangas. It was a hard-fought campaign against a powerful politician from his hometown of Lipa, Dr. Sixto P. Roxas. According to a biographical sketch by his brother Carmelo, entitled “Kuya Fidel”, his chances for victory against Dr. Roxas were slim:
“the odds were overwhelming against him, his adversary being a giant in local political circles, Dr. S.R.L., who was considered to defeat him from the start.”
Dr. Roxas had previously held office as gobernadorcillo of Lipa and was the town doctor. According to my grandmother, Josefa Reyes-Luz, the campaign party of Dr. Roxas had already prepared a fiesta and victory parade in their town. Her father’s family in Lipa, and his in-laws started to feel sorry for him, especially his wife, Josefa M. Katigbak whom he had wed just months before. When he told his father-in-law Don Mariano S. Katigbak, that he wanted a roasted cow served at his victory feast, his father-in-law famously replied, "There would be no one around to eat it!".
Fidel stayed calm and optimistic throughout the campaign, despite being surrounded by so much doubt. My grandmother wrote about the final hours of her father's the election:
“No one but no one could believe it was going to result with Tatay as the winner. During the counting, Tatay went to sleep. He felt confident. He won in every town by a landslide. It was only in Lipa, where Dr. Roxas, the family doctor of everyone in town, won.”
Fidel stayed calm and optimistic throughout the campaign, despite being surrounded by so much doubt. My grandmother wrote about the final hours of her father's the election:
“No one but no one could believe it was going to result with Tatay as the winner. During the counting, Tatay went to sleep. He felt confident. He won in every town by a landslide. It was only in Lipa, where Dr. Roxas, the family doctor of everyone in town, won.”
Fidel was victorious thanks to the help of old loyal friends who had joined his campaign, among them were the Laurels, a political family from the town of Tanauan, Batangas. In remarks delivered by former Speaker J. B. Laurel, during the unveiling ceremony of the Fidel A. Reyes historical marker, he shared how the close relationship of Fidel to the Laurel family began early on:
“One day, while on their way to school in Manila from their hometown in Lipa, Fidel and some of his classmates were waylaid by tulisanes (bandits) and found themselves drifting penniless into the town of Tanauan. Here by God’s design they were met and welcomed by my grandfather’s sister, Doña Marcela Laurel, who, I am told, was quite a hellcat in her time. It was she who nursed their wounds, so to speak, fed them and later sent them on their way with a few pesos baon (provision). And since then, the grateful Fidel never missed the opportunity of visiting Nanay Silay and the rest of her family, who eventually became devoted friends of his own family in Lipa. When Fidel A. Reyes later ran for the Philippine Assembly, the entire Laurel family supported him wholeheartedly”
“One day, while on their way to school in Manila from their hometown in Lipa, Fidel and some of his classmates were waylaid by tulisanes (bandits) and found themselves drifting penniless into the town of Tanauan. Here by God’s design they were met and welcomed by my grandfather’s sister, Doña Marcela Laurel, who, I am told, was quite a hellcat in her time. It was she who nursed their wounds, so to speak, fed them and later sent them on their way with a few pesos baon (provision). And since then, the grateful Fidel never missed the opportunity of visiting Nanay Silay and the rest of her family, who eventually became devoted friends of his own family in Lipa. When Fidel A. Reyes later ran for the Philippine Assembly, the entire Laurel family supported him wholeheartedly”
Many people had shown the same devotion to Fidel, casting their votes for him when even if from the very beginning he was expected to lose the election. It can be said that the real triumph in his being elected was the people’s resolve to use their votes for a man who had shown the same courage, loyalty and faith. Fidel officially entered national politics as a member of the Third Philippine Legislature (1912-1916), successfully reinventing himself once again for love of his country. He had previously made the transition from pharmacist to journalist, and now with the help of his countrymen, made another transition from journalist to politician.
Fidel took on his new role in government with tireless dedication. He focused primarily on the economic welfare of his country and its people, as chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Industry. His contributions to agriculture and banking in the country were several including the development and promotion of the sugar and coconut industries, allowing the Philippines to better compete in the world market. He was instrumental in establishing Cooperative Sugar Factories, the Sugar Centrals, as well as the Coconut Production Board, and a Central Experimental Station to address problems affecting agricultural production. He was a member of the Committee on Banks and Corporations which established the Philippine National Bank (PNB), a government-funded vehicle to increase the supply of capital and credit in the country and supported the growth of small Filipino businesses.
When I think about how Fidel A. Reyes made his entry into public office and how much he was able to contribute, it fills me with hope. His story reminds me that there are dedicated people in government and it is possible for good people to make it when they receive the support they deserve. There are men and women who genuinely want to see the country progress and will not succumb to corruption or abuse of power. It is important to stand strong with them, because it is through our support that they will succeed and in the end we all win. Elections are not only about seeking out the best candidates but having the courage to actively support them and join as they campaign for their cause. It is possible to see positive changes in government by first making sure that the right people are in it.
