Reviving 'The Art of Living Well'

In 1965, I revived The FREEMAN. Reviving The FREE-MAN was a journey to the past, a reaffirmation of our family's commitment to a noble cause, making it survive the vicissitudes of time to become a multi-awarded newspaper was a challenge and its success, my legacy to history.

I'm sure our uncle, Paulino Gullas, who founded The FREEMAN in 1991 must be very happy now that The FREEMAN newspaper, after a long hibernation is back in circulation.

With so many behind me... Only God knows how many years are still ahead of me, I have finally decided to revive one of the many books of our father, Don Vicente Gullas. After thorough and careful checking with the university libraries, in the main building, from the Gullas Medical Center which includes our College of Medicine, College of Nursing, Dentistry and even in our six satellite schools I could not find any of the books of the university's founder, Don Vicente Gullas.

I think it is quite ironic and disappointing. Something should be done the soonest.

It is very important and very vital not only for our very own university community which includes our faculty, studentry, alumni and even our fellow Cebuanos, and more importantly the 3rd and future generations of the Gullases to know, to acquire knowledge and information of the founder Don Vicente Gullas, who founded the Visayan Institute in 1919 with only 37 students to become what it is today, a highly respected institution of higher learning. He was not only our father, we fondly call him Papa Inting he was also like a brother to us Inday Sering, Congressman Eddie Gullas, Teresing who died during infancy and yours truly. He never shouted at us, never spanked us but instead gave us words of wisdom if we did something wrong, for us to ponder at the end of the day.

He was a very simple and very humble man. But he stood 10 feet tall on a question of principle, on matter of conviction.

He was a strong advocate of ecumenism... long before Rome, long before it became the vogue of the day.

Don Vicente Gullas started many firsts.

First educator to open a night high school for the poor, the working, the deserving students to study.

First educator to encourage all our faculty not only in the tertiary, secondary but who also in the elementary levels to finish their masteral degrees, which policy was adopted by others only recently.

He was very helpful and unselfish. He was the one who gave all information and requirements to the former head of San Carlos College, Fr. Hoerdemann to help that school become a university.

A lawyer by profession and educator by obsession, for love of the youth, a prolific writer by inclination.

The book that we are launching today, "The Art of Living Well" is a must reading for everyone. It is a guide to a quality of life and to success in living; Of vision and perseverance to suffering.

Finally, the book is about telling a person that man by nature is a worker. If he does not work... he does not deserves to live.

It is my fervent hope and prayer that our guest of honor... Secretary of Education Hon. Jesli Lapus, I always call him my idol in our 12th Congress, that he will include "The Art of Living Well" as one of the required reading materials for our 4th year high school students in the public school. It is a character education book of good ethics, sound values and respect for the elders, for authority which sad to say are lacking from our many students nowadays.

The other books of Don Vicente Gullas are:

1. Cebuano-Spanish-English Dictionary

2. Lapu-Lapu

3. The Greatest Stories Ever Told

With Señor Sto. Niño, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mama Mary's intercession I hope to re-publish his other book "Lapu-Lapu" before the year ends. It is a book about heroism, courage, pride and the gallantry of the Cebuanos.

Finally, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Dr. Eladio Dioko our Vice-President for Administration, Atty. Dodong Baduel our Vice-President for External Affairs, Atty. Pat Acabodillo and Dr. Noeleen Borbajo for the help they have extended in the final touches in imparting my simple legacy to a man of wisdom, of vision, of humility, of great foresight, Don Vicente Gullas.

Today, we all live in the giant shadow that he cast. May we be worthy of the glory and honor of his name.