Teddy
My cousin Teodoro Quevedo Peña, was born in Aborlan, Palawan, but like several of us, we trace our roots all the way to the Ilocos region, in particular to Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, the hometown of our parents. At the time of his birth in 1932, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the US governor general of the Philippines, was on a hunting trip in Palawan, and so he was named Teodoro.
After attending UP High in 1949, Teddy took up law at the University of the Philippines and finished the academic requirements for graduation in 1955. However, the death of an Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity applicant during initiation rites led to the suspension of four frat officers, including Teddy, for the rest of the school year. The four were not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremonies, but they were authorized to take the bar exams along with their classmates. And so on the rolls of the university, Teddy officially belongs to UP Law class 1956 but in the words of Teddy, “My heart and soul and body are part of class 1955.” Incidentally, my father Modesto Farolan was a member of the UP Board of Regents at that time.
Teddy’s high school yearbook predicted that he would end up at Harvard. Instead, it was Yale Law School that took him in for its master’s program. And it was at Yale that he met the lady of his life, Edda Ferry, who happened to be a staff dietician at the Yale Medical Center. With his good looks and smooth manners, he was a ladies’ man . . . . . until he met Edda. They were married three years after their initial meeting. There was stiff competition for Edda. One suitor came visiting in a Mercedes-Benz, flashing a wad of bills. Teddy had to move around by public transport; he had nothing to offer but a good education and lots of drive and ambition. It was a birthday gift of three yellow roses on top of a box of chocolates that won Edda’s heart.
Teddy’s first foray into Palawan politics was unsuccessful. But his earlier work at the Program Implementation Agency, a think tank of President Diosdado Macapagal, brought him to the attention of the national leadership. In 1969, President Ferdinand Marcos selected him to set up the Export Processing Zone Authority (Epza), forerunner of today’s Peza. He was the pioneer and trailblazer for
export zones that today provide employment for hundreds of thousands of our people. After my assignment at the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, I took over Epza
and continued the work started by Teddy.
After Epza, Teddy was appointed minister of natural resources. At that time, the environment was not part of the ministry, but even then he worked to strike the right
balance between conservation and protection of natural resources, on the one hand, and development efforts in support of the economy, on the other. He faced down loggers, exploiters and various pressure groups, often winning over some of his detractors.
Another loss at the polls ended his stint as a Cabinet member. But while Palaweños may have chosen others to represent the province, Teddy never lost his affection for Palawan and its people. He continued his love affair with the province in terms of pushing for development projects that would benefit his provincemates. In the field of education, he opened the College of Law of the Palawan State College, serving as its dean. As a member of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, he laid the groundwork for the establishment of tourist facilities in the province.
In the midst of all these activities and challenges, the centerpiece of his life was always the family. He credits wife Edda with keeping the family together and tending to all eight children—Gay Perez, Joy Schallenberg, Roy Peña, Bunny Gerochi, Pia Lacson, Lisa Sulay, Liane Alampay, and Nissy Sabat. They represent the crown jewels of the Peña family. Going through their biodata, it would be difficult for any family of similar size to equal their accomplishments. They form the most important part of Teddy’s legacy.
How was Teddy as a father? The youngest in the family,
Nissy, says : “Over and over again, I was told what an extraordinary person my father is. Most times, not finding better words, they would just tell me that he is a good man. And maybe that is exactly the best word to describe Dad. A good man.”
And now I shall give Teddy the last word:
“Measured by my track record, it is obvious that I am a better administrator than politician. But I really have no regrets.
Running for public office, while expensive, has its own rewards in new and exciting discoveries and friendships developed.
“The day I lost the 1995 elections in Palawan, the young lawyers who joined my last hurrah gave me a card. . . . It conveyed the message that neither fame nor fortune are really that important; that what really matters is our capacity to make a difference in the lives of people we touch. That if we are able to lighten the burden, ease the pain or
improve the quality of life of our neighbors, then we can truly claim success, accomplishments and fulfillment.
“Reflecting on this message, I look back and find satisfaction that the work opportunities I have created, the security of tenure over land which I have arranged, and the improvements in public service which I initiated, have made a positive impact and difference in the lives of countless fellowmen. And Edda and I have brought up a family of responsible, conscientious, and sensitive souls who will doubtless make their own contributions to humanity and country. Measured by these deeds, I feel that my life has been worthwhile and fulfilled.”
Teddy passed away last Friday, a few days short of his 85th birthday. On Wednesday, Orlando Cardinal Quevedo presides over the funeral Mass at Christ the King, Green Meadows.
