Neal H. Cruz: Gentle giant of Philippine journalism

Last month marked the passing of an era in Philippine journalism.

In the midst of the media frenzy following President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) and his anointment of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as his administration’s presidential standard bearer in 2016, our friend, colleague and mentor, Neal H. Cruz, the last of the gentle giants in Philippine print journalism, quietly took his leave.

To his legion of followers who regularly read his column at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, many were surprised to learn that Mang Neal was already pushing 85. Such was the robust power and youthful exuberance of his prose. He wrote in a clear and simply style that made it look so easy.

He had the gift of expressing his thoughts in a clear and lucid manner that was envy of other writers. A favorite of the thinking class, he was much admired and respected for his opinions that somehow captured the zeitgeist or prevailing spirit of the times.

Powerful politicians and big corporate interests quaked in their boots whenever they were the subject of Mang Neal’s scathing commentaries. His clear and lucid way of presenting the facts toward a logical conclusion that skewered the high and mighty was a talent that few could match.

In sharp contrast to the ferocity with which he wielded his pen, Mang Neal was a softie at heart. It is only now that heartwarming stories of his affection for stray animals and his fruitful collaboration with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society have come out.

But Philippine journalism will always be grateful for Mang Neal for his leadership during the repressive Marcos regime. He was editor and columnist of several national dailies, including the Manila Chronicle, the Philippine Daily Globe and the Daily Tribune. He was managing editor and columnist of the Philippine Daily Express during Martial Law.

A two-term president of the National Press Club, he later organized the Plaridel (Association of Philippine Journalists) along with other respected veteran journalists.

He was also a founding member of the Kapihan sa Maynila at the Manila Hotel (later moved to the Manila Diamond Hotel), where key newsmakers and opinion leaders converged to engage in a no-holdsbarred discussion and dialogue, which later found its way into his columns.

A true Renaissance man, Mang Neal was likewise a patron of the arts. His house in Tandang Sora is a virtual repository of a treasure trove of fine art from the likes of Malang, who were his contemporaries in the editorial/art section of newspapers.

But Mang Neal will always be fondly remembered for his soft touch when it came to lending a helping hand to writers and reporters in the field. Mang Neal was a pillar of strength and refuge for members of the Fourth Estate who sought to practice responsible journalism and improve their craft.

He could always be relied upon by struggling journalists beset with financial difficulties who were looking for legitimate work to support their families. He was like a mentor and father to them. He will be greatly missed.

In his play Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare famously wrote, “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred in their bones.”

In the case of Mang Neal, no bitter and unpleasant words were spoken at his passing, only words of deep respect, affection and admiration for the man, as well as a collection of fond memories that, hopefully, will see us through our sadness now that he is gone. Godspeed, Mang Neal.