Razed By A Blaze

While surfing the Web this evening, I checked out the Manila Times website and this headline—“Literary giant’s legacy survives fire”—quickly captured my interest; I promptly clicked on it. Not only did I feel terrible for the widow, but also for all the memorabilia that got burned. OUCH!

I hope the UP—especially the ICW—and the local literocracy will take appropriate action on this incident, and soon. Something should be done.

UPDATE (Tuesday, November 22, 2005):

I went to UP this afternoon to borrow a Mojares book from the Main Library, and before I went home I dropped by the Gonzalez house—or what was left of it. Garbage men were hauling some of its, um, remains (“trash” seems so inappropriate to use in this situation) and tossing them into their truck when I arrived. I didn’t see Mrs. Gonzalez. It was very bad. The roof and walls are totally gone. What remained of the house is, for lack of a better term, its charred “skeleton.” So sad, so sad.

UPDATE (Saturday, November 26, 2005):

The picture above, which I took last Tuesday, is what remained of the Gonzalez house. Chitty Cortes, one of NVM's granddaughters, gave me permission to upload it here. Those interested to help may send donations, in cash or kind, to the UP Institute of Creative Writing or bring these at the UP Faculty Center's Hardin ng mga Diwata on Writers' Night, to be held on December 7.