DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/31 May) — The Davao Writers Guild is organizing a tribute at the wake of former Guild President Satur Apoyon on Thursday, June 2 at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor at 5 p.m.
This, as Task Force Apoyon was set up to investigate the circumstances behind the death of Apoyon, who was reported missing on May 19 while doing his daily walking routine from his residence in SM Village in Bangkal, this city, and was found dead along the shoreline of Tibanban, Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental on May 24.
He was 75.
DWG members Flor Ranido, Macario Tiu, Don Pagusara, Ricky de Ungria will be among those who will pay tribute to Apoyon.
Aside from being a poet, short-story writer, playwright, scriptwriter, writer of fiction and non-fiction mostly in Cebuano, Apoyon also served as Davao Bureau Chief of the Philippine News Agency from March 16, 1980 to June 24, 2001.
The DWG press statement said that part of the tribute would be a reading of an excerpt of a story written by Apoyon, a reading of a poem written by him, a reading of the elegy written by Don Pagusara in Bisaya, a reading of the elegy in English, and a reading of Apoyon’s introduction to his published book, “Ang Gakit ni Noebong ug ubang mga sugilanon,” published in 2008 by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.
According to his website, http://saturpapoyon.webs.com, Apoyon was a writer, playwright, and illustrator since he was a young boy, even serving as a “ghost writer” to mothers in his neighborhood who wanted to communicate with their children working outside town.
In his first play, Silot sa Langit (Heaven’s Retribution), performed in his sitio, Apoyon was director, actor and producer. He later wrote the script for Maria Aurora, performed in neighboring Cortes and later in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur.
In 1955, the 20-year old Apoyon’s career as a national writer, began, with the publication of his works in three issues of Bisaya Magasin – Sama Sa Gapnud, Ang Adlawng Mosalop and Pagbuklad sa Bulak.
He wrote more articles and poems for other Cebuano and Pilipino magazines as well as the English-language Philippines Free Press, Weekly Graphic and Philippine Focus. He also wrote for stories for “Tinagalog nga komiks.”
In 1974, Apoyon also tried scriptwriting for the Cebuano film, “Bol-anon ko, Nyor.”
Apoyon worked at the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare in Davao City from 1968 to 1980.
His newspaper stints included writing for Bohol Chronicle and later as correspondent for the PNA in Davao City from 1960 to 2006. Within that period, he served as Davao Bureau chief from 1980 to 2001.
In 1967, Apoyon published a newspaper in Digos, Davao del Sur, the Southern Observer. After 1986, he published the magazine, Mindanao Life and later published a tabloid titled “Lumad” from November 1991 to 1995.
Apoyon served as chair of the Davao Writers Guild and was a member of the NCCA’s Committee on Literary Arts from 2001 to 2004.
Apoyon is survived by his wife Annie and only child Aniza. (MindaNews)