Autobiography Of The Ilocano Wonder Boy From Central Luzon, Now 82+ – Frank A Hilario

He is from Asingan, Pangasinan, which is next to Carlos Bulosan’s hometown of Binalonan, which is next to Jaime C Laya’s native town of San Manuel, which is close to F Sionil Jose’s beloved town Rosales. Wonder: What is in Eastern Pangasinan that breeds writers?

He was born on 17 Sept 1940 to simple folks: Dionisio Hilario (farmer) and Sixta Agapito (housewife).

And now, the wonders of it all:

Before Grade 1 – He wondered if he could teach himself to read the Ilocano magazine Bannawag – and he could.

High School – He wondered what the Reader’s Digest could teach him – and he learned how to be creative in American English.

College – He wondered at UP Los Baños if he could become the Editor In Chief of the student newspaper Aggie Green & Gold (AGG). Nestor Maniebo Pestelos became Editor and made him AGG Tagalog Editor. So, he became the first Ilocano who became the Tagalog Editor of a student paper!

Before college graduation – He wondered if he could pass PH’s very first Teacher’s Exam, and he could, 80.6%.

After college – He wondered if he could teach at the Asingan High School, and he could.

1966 – He wondered if he could handle at UPLB the lab class Horticulture 1 (not his major), and he could.

1967 – He wondered what would happen if he distributed copies of the open letter from his would-be daughter, “What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?” This was questioning the “Loyalty Day” celebration of UP Los Baños. It is no wonder that he was kicked out of UPLB!

1968 – He wondered if 1,270 km away from Laguna, Xavier University College of Agriculture (XUCA) would accept him as a teacher, and XUCA did. At XUCA, he wondered  how the students would respond to his lectures on Organic Agriculture, a historical first, and they welcomed it. One of his students, Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas became a Right Livelihood Award recipient years later.

1969-1973 – He just wondered about the world not paying attention to the Ilocano Wonder Boy From Asingan.

1974-1975 – He wondered if he could create excellent copy for advertisers as a copywriter of the Pacifica Publicity Bureau, and he could.

1975-1980 – He wondered if he could be the typewriter-based simultaneous founder, writer, editor & publisher of the 3 publications of the Forest Research Institute: monthly Canopy, quarterly technical journal Sylvatrop, and quarterly color magazine Habitat – and he could.

1985-1988 – He wondered if he could learn to use the personal computer for his writing and editing – and he could.

2003-2008 – He wondered if he could be The Digital Editor In Chief of the 3-years late Philippine Journal of Crop Science and bring it up to international standards in quality and quantity – and he could.

2011 – He wondered what surprises UP Los Baños had in store for him and, in 2011, he received the award “Outstanding Alumnus For Creative Writing” from the alumni association. So far the one and only in the entire UP System.

Thank God, Frank A Hilario has continued to wonder…@