25 things people should know about Max Soliven

As one of the founders of The Philippine STAR, my father, the late Maximo V. Soliven, is remembered with fondness and love on its 25th-year anniversary.

Everyone knows everything about Max. His profession and his personal life were an open book, but here are 25 things people don’t know about Maximo Villaflor Soliven.

1. His grandfather, Don Isabelo Soliven from Vigan, Ilocos Sur, was the most honest mayor our country ever had. After taking his oath in office, he rested in his veranda and died a peaceful death.

2. His father, Benito Tagorda Soliven, was the first lawyer of Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur who served three terms in Congress (1928-1941). He presented 145 bills and passed 25 measures. He served in Bataan, surviving the Death March. He died on Jan. 10, 1943, the same day my dad was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2006.

3. His mother, Pelagia Villaflor Soliven, was a high school graduate and married Benito when she was 18 while he was 30. They had 10 children. Max was the eldest.

4. Max was very asthmatic as a child. His siblings would often hear the loud wheezing from his bedroom. They called him “the guy who never sleeps, but talks at night.”

5. From a very young age Max showed quick-thinking awareness of what went on around him. When he was side-swept by a car, he suffered a broken arm. During the court inquest, the errant driver’s lawyers tried to confuse him by stating that he was crossing the street but Max quickly countered, “But, Sir, I wasn’t crossing. I was sitting on the bangketa, waiting for the cars to pass!”  Max won the case.

6. After his father died, his mother became the sole breadwinner. Max worked as a messenger/errand boy for the Jesuits. At 13, he learned how to appreciate and value honest work. He also worked as a cigarette vendor and a shoeshine boy. He was a very brilliant student but sacrificed academic recognition for the sake of family.

7. Max started writing poems from age 13 to 21. He inherited his love for writing poetry from his father. His timeless poems were published in a book, Ave Triumphator.

8. As a journalist, he interviewed the likes of Pope John Paul II, John F. Kennedy, Indonesian President Sukarno, India Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, China’s premier Zhou En-Lai, Argentina President Carlos Saul Menem, Cuban President Fidel Castro and Vietnam’s hero General Vo Nguyen Giap. He had close encounters with the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and US President George Bush.

9. Max is loyal to his family, friends and country. His motto was “Last man standing”... but he was a “pusong mamon” when it came to helping the oppressed. He could not say no to them.

10. He may never have turned down anyone in need of his help but there was one huge exception. He made it a point to keep his siblings out of the loop. He taught them not to ask him for any favors. They had to understand and accept. He would remind them that they all had reached the acme of success in their own chosen careers. They were now in control of their own destinies, and he could add nothing more.

11. Max was a generous person, almost to a fault. He would buy little gifts for people who worked for him, just to show that he remembered it was their birthday or anniversary.

12. He was a great friend of hotel porters, newspaper boys, mall security and drivers. They loved him because he conversed with them, gave them friendly smiles and tipped them all the time.  

13. Max loved to read comic books — Asterix and Beetle Bailey were his favorites.

14. He enjoyed watching cartoons like Toy Story and Shrek. He had a complete collection of Disney’s animated movies.

15. He did not eat rice. He only ate sandwiches — a habit he acquired while doing his graduate studies in America.

16. He enjoyed eating pancit palabok from Jollibee, the chicken sandwich from Tropical Hut and empanada from Red Ribbon. He also loved siopao and Sabret hotdogs!

17. I called him a “chocolate monster” because he would sneak and eat his favorite chocolates every night. He loved chocolates and ice cream.

18. He jogged every morning until he had a quadruple bypass and a kidney transplant. After these operations, he used the treadmill at home.

19. He had insomnia. Movies and books about war and detective stories put him to sleep.

20. He used to smoke a pipe. He was even tagged as the “man with the pipe.” He had a collection of 700 pipes and a variety of tobacco flavors.

21. He was fascinated by the art of war and the military. His collection of miniature and hand-painted toy soldiers made of lead includes ancient armies of Japan, Egypt, China, British and French soldiers of the Waterloo Battle and an impressive section representing World War II.

22. His collection of 12 huge model warships include the US aircraft carrier Enterprise, the Japanese battleship Akagi, Victory, the Swedish warship Vasa, the USS Missouri, San Felipe, USS Constitution, Sta. Maria, Manila Galleon, Arabian Dhows and HMS Bounty.

23. He had the virtue of being child-like. He loved the company of friends and was eager to share whatever knowledge he acquired from his personal experiences or from being so well read, well traveled and informed.

24. He called my mom Precious — “Ifu” (whom he married when she was 19 and he was 28) and would tell his male friends, “When the ‘Commander’ speaks, you obey!”

25. When I was a tot, he called me “Kabuchi” or sometimes “Buchi.” When I turned 16, while eating “buchi” in a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong, he realized that his term of endearment for me sounded like the food, “buchi.” So he said, “From this day onward, I will call you “Gucci” since you have been a very good daughter to me.”

Remembering my dad and his quirks makes me sad. I so dearly miss him but I know he is up there watching over us. Whenever I look up to the heavens I think of him and I know that the brightest shimmering and shining “star” is my papa saying, “You are okay, my dear Gucci.”