For Dr. F.G. David...

Fredegusto David, Ph.D.

"What's a measure of a man as a social being? The measure of a man is how many doors he's opened especially those who refused to open the doors for themselves and those who cannot open the door for themselves." - F.G. David

I never knew F.G. David, but then when I came across another persons' blog it flooded my memories on almost about everything, everything about this great man.

Weird as one may call it but this person permeates most of my lifetime in awe.

I only heard bits of stories about him, but I never knew him personally.

I always thought about intelligent people to be most of all snub, I mean not all but then coming from their era I learned not to traverse the untrodden path of being able to have a conversation with them. Intelligent people have this way of being too ahead of you that even if you ask them something you'd feel stupid afterwards (or is it just me?) either way I also learned that once they made an impression of you they eventually take away the probability that perhaps there's something more to you than that moment he/she talked to you. But anyway that just almost about it coming from a deliquent student.

Anyway I just learned today that he was also a lawyer, aside from being a good mathematician, poet, writer, english lit major, prolific chemist, all his sons and daughters studying in Pisay, and that he loved his wife so much.

I learned of him from my second year in college when I foolishly took Math 11 (and eventually failed it) not knowing that i can take up another subject rather (isipin mo ganun ako ka engots di ko alam yun) I took it in UP diliman. At that time my bestfriend Julien just recently shifted to psychology after being summarily disheartened from taking up computer science while I in an infinitesimal being took up the cudgels of Mass communications opting to shift to psychology afterwards being rebuked because of the onslaught of "5" on my records.

"Floyd di ka pwedeng mag shift ng psych masyadong mababa grades mo muntik ka na ngang ma-dismiss eh" talk about being a freshmen in a place where you dont know their culture and language and that is cebu couple it with teachers who honestly and openly dislikes manilenos but that is another loooong story.


Anyway going back to F.G. David I also learned that he lost his first born son. It drowned on a fountain in the school where he was teaching. He talked about it at length in Juliens class. When I heard it I felt sorry or him but then perhaps it is also one of the reasons why he had 8 children afterwards. His brilliance and the thought of a genius having suffered such made me think that perhaps he wanted to bring back that child he lost thats why he loved and nurtured the other nine afterwards.

Without knowing I was immersed in a series of questions about him but I dare not approach him. Whenever I get to encounter a Psych major in Diliman I always ask about him "Terror daw siya pero mabait and if makapasa ka sa klase nya ibig sabihin may utak ka."

Julien got a 1.5 or 1.75 which earned him the respect in the psychology department of U.P. Cebu heralded by Ms. Generalao and eventually made him to be able to shift to psychology "Pare ubod ng hirap ng klase nya buti nga binigyan ako ng mataas na grade." Julien said.

Even Ms. Generalao was said to have taken some classes under him as I heard and he remarked "She (Ms. G) Knows her craft well"

At the back of my mind it made me ask what would he think of me if I get to meet him or be his student?

This curiosity amongst others led me to drift more to psychology than my course. It made me more want to be brilliant like him (I have this certain affinity to brilliant people, I collect books about them and try to learn about their stories.) Perhaps I thought then that it would rub some to somebody like me, as of the moment I don't know if that theory really does work hehe)

Eventually I get to be friends with more psych students, teachers, even my thesis was also rooted in psychology.

Afterwards I get to take my masters in Social Psych in USC but wasn't able to finish it. I was asked by my professor Ms. Edna Lee to discuss about Sikolohiyang Pilipino by Virgilio Enriquez and gain I was so happy to read some things about him.

Nonetheless when I got back to manila I thought of continuing it and becoming his student.
But alas my best friend named poverty and the call of "Serving the people" came and I was again back to just hoping about it.

By the way there was supposed to be a chance na dapat makikilala ko siya but then I was working kasi at that time in Cebu.

F.G. David went to Cebu to talk about statistics, he was escorted by my Kuya Mike and Ate Wensy (both psychology professors in UP Cebu, the two are now married by the way) and before F.G. David left for Manila he hugged Sir Mike. Ate said he (F.G.) liked him (Kuya Mike). That form of endearment for me is just so humbling. How much more can you thank somebody who just toured you around Cebu and ate with you in its restaurants and put up with you all the time, yes hug them ^_^

"Such a sweet man." I said to myself.

It was only yesterday when I learned about his allergy to the divine but its the irony of it that made me laugh, he's more humane than all the things I read about people in history being closer to the divine yet killing thousands in the process.

All he did throughout his life is to share and love knowledge.

"Its a massive first time stroke, last month... sayang noh?" Ate Wensy texted me.

At that moment I felt a sense of loss. I wasn't able to reply back. I just stood silently afterwards I told Julien about it.

"Tsk, Tsk, sayang..." He said

I also said sayang but at the back of my mind I'm thinking maybe it's not.

He lived his life at its fullest and loved as much as he could perhaps that is his last greatest lesson we should all learn from.

Perhaps it is the real lesson I should learn from him.

Have a sweet rest my Dear Professor.

p.s.
I just learned last night that all his children were home-schooled in elementary afterwards enrolling them in pisay... he apparently used his psych skills to teach all of them WOW!

F.G. Davids' daughter write up click here
for F.G. David Quotes click here
other students and admirers here here, here, here and here