One beloved and great political figure of Negros Oriental has passed on.
Herminio Guivelondo Teves, born to Margarito Teves and Francesca Guivelondo on April 25, 1920, was born in Valencia, Negros Oriental. Meniong studied to be a seafarer, and obtained a degree in maritime transportation in 1941. He worked for a shipping company before venturing into the world of business, while his brother Lorenzo was into politics.
Meniong entered politics, becoming a congressman of the 1st District of Negros Oriental in 1969, a term cut short with the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. He went back to business, setting up the Tolong Sugar Milling Corp. in Sta. Catalina, and a host of other businesses.
He, however, continued to be in the background of Negros Oriental’s political scene, and in the years of the Marcos presidency, headed the opposition in the Province.
When Cory Aquino became President, Meniong was appointed OIC Governor of Negros Oriental until 1988. He succeeded his son Gary as congressman of the 3rd District in 1998, and served as Representative for three consecutive terms until 2007.
He never ran out of practical and out-of-the-box insights. In an effort to help government collect taxes from motels, he suggested counting bed sheets and towels in the laundry area. He also suggested that before one can buy a car, he must show his income tax statement.
Meniong touched the lives of many individuals. In the years that we covered him as one of Negros Oriental’s most powerful figures, we never heard him lift his voice in anger. He dealt with rough situations with his soft-spoken and mild-mannered ways, always ready with a smile and a hearty laugh, although he was equally as quick with his oftentimes humorous wit and sarcasm when the situation demanded it.
To many others, “Tito Meniong” was someone they could run to for advice or help. He helped a lot of of today’s politicians jump-start their political careers, and many of them would not be around today without him.
He would be happy to know that people would smile when they recall anecdotes about his life, as we are thankful that a man named Herminio G. Teves shared his life with us.
Thank you, Sir, for your service.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});