MANILA, Philippines — Longtime editorial cartoonist of The Philippine STAR and mentor to countless illustrators in campus publications, Rene Aranda died early yesterday in his home in Pasay City. He was 66.
Aranda was rushed to hospital on July 8 and during his two-week confinement was diagnosed with lung cancer, which doctors said had spread to his colon and adrenal gland. In hospital the cartoonist continued to draw for the editorial and send in his strips, Prof in The STAR, Sports Manny for Pilipino Star Ngayon, Tanong Tanod for PM, as well as Pinong Sipag Newsboy for the Sunday cover of PSN. It was only in the last month when the disease progressed so rapidly that he could no longer grasp a cell phone, according to his partner Lorena, let alone a pen for drawing.
Born May 16, 1956, Aranda was raised in Manila and early on divided his time between drawing and playing basketball, his other love. He once recalled how his mother used to look for him in the neighborhood basketball courts of Caloocan to call him home for supper.
During martial law years he made it to the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where among his teachers were Roberto Chabet and National Artist Jose Joya. Aranda was a product of the old school and had little use for conceptual art, as he believed that the primary task of any artist was to be able to draw.
Early marriage forced him to drop out of school to earn a living, eventually landing a job in the Middle East where he delved in advertising and commercial illustration. Back in Manila in the late ‘80s and into the 1990s, he found his way into illustrating for the publications post-EDSA revolution, both for the Antonio Cabangon magazine Philippine Graphic where he teamed up with Benjo Laygo, and for Philippine STAR where, along with Dengcoy Miel, formed the one-two punch of Port Area street cartoonists.
He also became an active member of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas, comprised of editorial cartoonists of major broadsheets and tabloids of the day, including Neil Doloricon, Romy Buen and Tonton Young, in whose My Little Pupung lugawan on Vito Cruz some of the group’s meetings were held.
It was in Port Area where Aranda found his niche and site for his most prolific drawing years, and perhaps unconsciously put the conceptual lectures in his college years to good use, particularly in illustrating the editorials. His adeptness in doing visual commentary on current and other events via spot cartoon made him a much sought after speaker, resource person and judge in Department of Education newspaper competitions and seminars, recruiting his fellow newspaper workers and driving himself to the events from Manila to any point in Luzon and back, at times rushing to make it to the regular Thursday night hardcourt scrimmages at the Knights of Columbus gym in Intramuros through hell or high water.
At the same time, he was able to finish his journalism degree at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, long sidetracked by the daily grind.
On Thursday nights at K of C he was the taskmaster who herded the STAR employees in their weekly workouts, himself never losing his touch in the undergoal stabs that would earn him the moniker “Florencio,” after the acrobatic sharpshooter in the PBA’s fledgling years.
Before the pandemic, Aranda was slowly easing into retirement, although still regularly sending his strips and illustrations. COVID neither made a dent on his production, and only the other Big C was able to silence his wildly imaginative pen and good humor.
He expressed his wish to spend his last days in his partner’s hometown in Quezon, but for failing health had to pass on it due to rigors of the journey. He is survived by Lorena de Luna, their children Kathryn and Keith. And children from previous marriage, Kristoffer, Kristine and Karl.
Cremation will be on Friday. Wake will be from Friday to Monday at St. Peter NAIA-3 Chapel, inside the St. Therese Columbarium on Newport Blvd. in Villamor, Pasay City. Inurnment will be at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.