Tribute to Edades

Tio Toriong, Uncle Vic, Professor, Sir:

There are still countless others, your countless other friends in Davao who would want to express their love and gratitude to you today. But we know there are countless other ways to express this love and gratitude. As we bring to a close this humble offering this tribute to you, may I speak for all of them.

Edades Sir: The words of wisdom which you unselfishly shared with us, words which gave us strength to overcome the difficulties we artists very often face, words which sharpened our perspective in life: we shall always remember them. We shall impart them to others and we shall teach them the meaning of your life and your works. Your life and your work are the testament of your great strength in spirit to survive critical times. We hope it strengthens them as it has strengthened ours so that the art of our country will continue to flourish and not diminish because of the hardships of our times.

We are very fortunate indeed to have known you personally and the highest compliment we can offer you is: you were and are a friend.

Like the rest who have gone before you - Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Luna, Hidalgo, Manansala are our friends. You and they were there to help us mold our lives as artists.

We pray now for the young ones, our future generation, that they too shall find you and know you and learn from you. That they too shall call you their everlasting friend.

Edades, dearest friend, we bid you farewell and may you journey into eternity in the minds of men.