October 16 - 31 , 2016 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY IMMIGRATION CORNER A17
Ceres Alabado was born on October 26 , 1923 in Manila , Philippines to Dr . Gervacio Santos Cuyugan and Jacinta Belza . She is a sister of Fides Asencio , and brothers Ruben Santos Cuyugan and the late Mario Santos-Cuyugan , and wife to the late Corban K . Alabado .
During her youth , she and her family lived in Lucena , of the Quezon province , where her father was the personal physician of the President of the Philippines at the time , President Manuel Quezon . Her mother always played the piano around her and her siblings , which eventually led Ceres to become a star pupil of Maestra Marcela Agoncillo .
She went on to college at the prestigious University of the Philippines , where she pioneered the study of children ’ s literature and most importantly , met the love of her life , Corban Alabado . She had a prolific career in teaching and education - she was an English teacher at Ateneo de Manila University and obtained her Master of Arts degree in Education with distinction at the Philippine Women ’ s University , where she eventually taught English . For 20 years , she taught education and literature in the universities in the Philippines . She wrote poetry , fiction , and non-fiction , both in English and Tagalog , published in the Philippines , Canada , and US , and stories for children and teenagers , for adult writers and for mothers . She authored , Beautiful Dreamer , which was once approved by the California Department of Education literature for 8th graders . She wrote a column for Rey Fortaleza ’ s “ The Philippine News Today ”.
She spread her passions across the Philippines , US , and Canada where she had her children , grandchildren , and great grandchildren . As she once said , “ Where the children are , I am ” she said not only for her children , but for helping others as well . She founded and was involved with various civic and advocacy organizations . She was the first awardee of the Philippine Board of Books for the Young and the Cultural Center of the Philippines , for pioneering in the promotion and development of a national children ’ s literature . She wrote a column “ For the Youth ” in the Philippine Canadian Times . She established a scholarship award called GAWAD for outstanding children ’ s literature . In the US , she was involved with PAWWA , or Philippine American Women Writers and Artists , and many more non-profit organizations . She also wrote a column in “ The Philippine News Today ”, a Filipino newspaper in British Columbia , Canada .
Being a Catholic was also an important aspect of her life . She lived a life of prayer and attended mass regularly wherever she happened to be .
Ceres passed away on October 2 , 2016 in South San Francisco , California at the age of 92 .
Ceres is survived by her 5 children Arion and daughter-in-law Dulce , Alan and daughter in law Mildred , Ariel and daughter-in-law Carol , Ana and son-in-law Tom Segovia , and Arrigo and daughter-in-law Maria Theresa ; grandchildren – Jibin , Francis , Larissa , Carminia , Jerome , Luke , Cristina , Iona , Vincent , Katrina and Christopher ; great grandchildren – Mia , Jonovan , Lance , Haley , Leia , Hannah , Brandon , Mason , Julia , Ashley , Bianca , and Harrison ; sibling Fides Asencio and Ruben Santos-Cuyugan ; and many family and friends in the US , Canada , and Philippines .
In Loving Memory of Ceres Alabado
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