Johnny M. Taylor - a precious friend and human being

My meeting Johnny was quite by accident. In the early fifties as a college student at the Ateneo de Manila, I enjoyed doing volunteer radio work as a freelancer and often volunteer actor, crooner even with no pay.

His older brother Dick at the time was one of the most popular radio personality (disc jockey) in the fifties. For Dick spoke English without any local accent, much less Cebuano and possessed a well modulated voice as he managed his daily request program where fans would write or phone in to ask that Dick play their favorite songs and dedicated to special friends. On the other hand eldest brother Edward, Jr nicknamed Danding, was a good looking man about town and cut a fine campus figure at the University of the Philippines.

I also knew Johnny's older sister Tessie even before I met Johnny because Tessie was the classmate of my sister Nenita's at Holy Ghost College. Betty, his sister who enjoys writing essays and loves to champion causes was also my youngest sister Josefina's classmate.
During the early days of Filipino maids in Hongkong, Betty was first to expose injustices on the maids and was hailed for her fearless expose.

Because of this fact, and closeness to his brothers and sisters, I became a regular guest at the Taylor residence often having dinner with the family.

What fascinated me about Johnny was quiet but profound personality and view of life. He was soft spoken but when he does open his mouth, his wit truly arrests me as it did others.

Johnny was not a clothes horse at all. In fact, he did not mind if he wore faded T shirts and Jeans and loafers if only he could do it all the time. But could not, so he had to be careful with what he wore whenever he attended socials and going on dates - a few times with me on a double date.

Johnny was the first to introduce me to MAD COMICS which, to me was great for I truly revered this good quality satirical magazine. I thought it represented the best in
American humor. Still, what I admired with Johnny's persona is his simplicity in relationships and showed not even one iota of snobbishness as some middle class son to develop. Sometimes, Johnny's easy going gait and pleasant nature misleads new acquaintances to conclude that this chap has nothing between his ears. So, terribly wrong and unfair I might say.

His first job after graduation was at Mara Farms in Cebu City, producer of Chickens.
When the farm closed, Johnny took on consultancy projects and jobs for foreign aid agencies while still based in Cebu where he and wife Conchita decided to raise their children.

Fortunately for Johnny, he did well as a consultant for he was his own boss and had time for a few rounds of golf a week at the Cebu Country Club. A little later when Dick acquired the contract for airport mural ads in the country, he readily asked Johnny to manage the clients in Cebu airport. And he did very well indeed.

Johnny was raised with his siblings in Cebu City because where his father held the position of General Manager of Cebu Portland Cement at the time the biggest cement firm in the country.. Together with his brothers, he attended public grade school followed by high school at the Colegio de San Carlos in Cebu City.

As I reflect on the moments we spent together and the quality of friend Johnny was, I am dumbfounded to realize how he had to undergo such pain and suffering leading to his death.