Requiem in Vigan

She was a complex woman: an amalgam of old-world conventions and a modern feminist. Candid and plainspoken, she boosted her own blood pressure as often as she raised that of others.

When Carmeling Crisologo, the first woman governor of Ilocos Sur (1964–1971), passed away recently at the age of 94, friends and followers affectionately recalled episodes that made her so unforgettable.

In office, she fought corruption on a daily basis. One day, a barrio official asked for a favor — to supply all the gravel for a feeder road scheduled for construction.

That is a public works project, she explained. There is a bidding process involved.

Yes, ma’am, the barrio leader said, promising to return with the necessary papers accomplished.

The following morning the barrio leader reappeared, no documents in hand. Instead he was pulling a cow behind him. Grinning, he offered the cow to the governor in exchange for the contract. Shocked, Carmeling gave the cocky fellow a tongue-lashing and sent him away with the cow.

To her consternation, he was back the next day. Apologizing profusely for his poor judgment, he now offered two cows. Carmeling exploded. “I’ll have you arrested if you come back again, cows or no cows!”

Learning about low teaching standards in public schools, the governor called the attention of the then Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). When officials dragged their feet on the issue, she devised a simple written examination to determine the competence of teachers.

Naturally, the teachers filed a complaint with Carlos P. Romulo, the then education secretary, and Malacañang. Then President Ferdinand Marcos ordered Romulo to investigate. At the confrontation, the teachers boiled down the issue to the governor’s lack of discretion over DECS operations.

The feisty Carmeling came out with guns blazing. Many teachers, she argued, could not add fractions, others didn’t know how to determine the circumference of a circle, and few could conjugate simple verbs.

Romulo studied a bundle of test papers presented as evidence. True enough, the exam was very basic but the results were downright ludicrous. Romulo recommended to Marcos that a similar exam for public school teachers be given nationwide.

One of Carmeling’s more enduring outbursts reversed a decision by the powerful Commission on Appointments in 1967. Informed that the commission had confirmed the promotion of a certain judge suspected by Carmeling of promoting a romantic liaison between his niece and her husband, Rep. Floro Crisologo, she screamed from the gallery: “Mr. Chairman, I object! I object!”

Realizing that the woman was Governor Crisologo, the then chair of the commission, Sen. Gil Puyat, gave Floro Crisologo a “What the hell is this?” glare. Amid the suppressed chuckles and headshaking, Puyat adjourned the session. The poor judge’s confirmation was quietly withdrawn.

Carmeling’s kindness was legendary. She tirelessly served the University of Northern Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and other worthy causes to strengthen her community and inspire others to serve. Her greatest passion, however, was keeping the past alive. In her last decades, she focused on the Crisologo Museum, expanding its collection of heirlooms, Chinese ceramics, and religious antiques.

But it was her sense of piety that made her a class act. At the requiem Mass last month, Archbishop Mario Peralta amusedly recalled that one of the governor’s first acts was to publicly deplore the worldliness of the priests in Ilocos Sur. Her comments provoked a backlash. Priests boycotted her requests to celebrate Mass, forcing her to “import” priests from Cagayan.

Laughter rolled across the packed aisles of St. Paul’s Cathedral. That, indeed, reflected the spunky spirit of Carmeling Crisologo.

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Rex D. Lores served as a consultant to the Ilocos Sur provincial government during Gov. Carmeling Crisologo’s last term.