my grandfather, Jess Vestil, died last month from pneumonia. i just knew it yesterday when i had a chat with my cousin. he will be missed.. and he will be here forever in my heart..

taken from Sunstar Superbalita online Cebu:

Jess Vestil, a prominent broadcast and print journalist in Cebu, died of pneumonia Friday at 9:15 p.m. in his hometown in Makasandig, Cagayan de Oro City. He was 76.

His wife Pacita and children came to Cebu with his casket yesterday morning so his body could be cremated at the Cebu Rolling Hills in Mandaue City at 9 a.m. today, as Vestil had wished before his passing.

Remie Mondigo, 49, the third of nine children, said his father had pneumonia, which ended his long years of suffering form Parkinson’s disease.

“We will remember him as a just and honest person who never cheated even in his income tax and for instilling love among us his children,” Mondigo said.

‘Yutang Tabonon’

Vestil can also be remembered as the father of “Yutang Tabonon,” the Cebuano version of Lupang Hinirang he drafted when the Provincial Government of then governor Lito Osmeña sought for a translation of the country’s national anthem.

Vestil was with media for 52 years, starting as an editor of the Carolinian, the college paper of the University of San Carlos, and at the same time as a radio announcer and disc jockey of the defunct radio dyRC in 1949. It was with dyRC that his skills in broadcasting developed, until he became drama producer, drama talent and chief announcer for radio of J. Walter Thompson.

He moved to Cotabato as production manager of dxMS, and then to Dumaguete City to manage dyRM, a station he started.

Track record

In the 60’s Vestil was into public relations work for a public official and was assistant director of the publications office of Siliman University, editing the magazine, The Banner. He was also into advertising with Philasia Advertising Associates and television as newscaster and news bureau chief for Southern Philippines of Channel 3. In the early days of Martial Law, he was media consultant of the Philippine Constabulary in Region 7.

From 1973 to 1991, he was public affairs specialist of the US Information Service in Cebu. It was at this time that he started to teach in St. Theresa’s College, University of the Philippines Cebu and Cebu State College. Deeply religious, he launched “Prayer at Six” in 1990 with Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

On Wednesday, his family will bring his ashes back to Cagayan de Oro. (AIV)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb...signs.off.html