F. Sionil Jose turns 90

Today the National Transformation Council convenes its fourth assembly in the former Clark Air Base in Pampanga, after having gone to Lipa, Cebu and Butuan, in its effort to mobilize support for peaceful regime and systems change. As in the first three assemblies, I have been asked to facilitate the proceedings. This is always a welcome assignment.

However, this coincides with a once-in-a-lifetime cultural event. The Cultural Center of the Philippines is celebrating the 90th birthday of our most senior living national artist for literature, Francisco Sionil Jose. It would be unforgivable to miss either event, so if I failed to make it at the appointed time at the CCP, I hope my good friend Frankie would not think I had stood him up for the NTC; it’s just that the traffic from Clark to Manila is usually heavy.