A Father’s Day Special

CEBU, Philippines - Think of any need in childhood that is as strong as the need for a father’s protection.

Though Danilo “Danny” Ybañez might not have relished this Freudian notion in a scholarly manner, having to work for most of his life, he knew instinctively that the only way to keep his family intact and connected strongly is to never leave home in exchange for work out of the country.

At 15 years old, he started as the most hardworking newsboy of The FREEMAN, and has stayed loyal since. He earned the moniker “Danny Taya” in his early adulthood and in fact, according to his wife Rosenda, Danny’s mother would want to put up a fight against the thugs who came up with such an annoying name.

But according to Sir Danny, he took it as a term of endearment among colleagues who grew up with him at The FREEMAN. After all, a rusty bike which carried the newspaper load he would deliver around the city witnessed how the “taya” (rust) tag has inspired him to survive the excruciating newspaper dealership business, send all his children to school, establish a second outlet in Banilad after the newsstand and store he opened on Sanciangko Street, and even diversified business interests via a lotto betting outlet.

“Lisod ang akong naagian. Wala ko kahuman og high school. But this determination nga di nako ibaylo akong pamilya og high-paying job outside of the country, diha ko nikuha og kusog nga mapalambo ra nako ang pag-deal og newspaper,” Danny shared.

He mentioned that at about the same time he won the trust of the newspaper firms in Cebu, a number of his friends sought work opportunities outside of the country. Those were mostly construction-related jobs in Saudi Arabia.

According to him, it would have been tempting to leave. “Pero unsa may mabuhat sa kwarta if inig uli nako bungkag na akong pamilya? Daghan pag utang?” (Of what good would that be if I lose my family in the process? And I would be buried in debt?)

So, it was resolved that he forget about the bigger projects rippling in his head and just focus on where he has already started a fine career as a newspaper and magazine trader.

Today, at 52, he is proud to have watched his children grow to be the persons they want to be. “Of course, di man ta kabuot sa atong mga anak, as they have a path to follow. Nalipay lang ko nga wala mausik akong gipuhunan nila because two of three already finished school. As parents, simple ra man atong pangandoy. Makahuman sila. Bonus na gani na nako nga ni-help na sila namo sa ilang mama sa tindahan. And now they have come to understand unsa kalisod sa among naagian to put up the business and watch it grow.”

His children Rodil, 28, finished Information Technology at the University of San Jose-Recoletos. Sharismei, 23, took up Finance also at the USJ-R; while 20-year-old Junrey is a Computer Engineering student at the Cebu Institute of Technology University.

Junrey described his father to be a strict person. “Pero he has never gone to the point of hitting us just to emphasize his side. He would open up his heart to us and tell us how much he wants us to grow to become good persons. Masuko na siya labi na kadtong naa koy barkada, nag-wear kog earrings, and then moinom ko. He would share to us the pros and cons of our actions. In-ana ra iyang style sa pagdisiplina.” (FREEMAN)