The silent greatness of Sir Dodong Gullas

Of the two sons of Nyor Inting, the late Don Vicente Gullas and Inday Pining, Lady Josefina Rivera Gullas, it has always been Sir Eddie, the elder, who had all the glory and the limelight. Sir Dodong, who loves and respects his brother so much, did not mind it. Most people know the congressman, Eddiegul. Sir Dodong has always been in the background. He is the wind beneath the wings of Sir Eddie.

I have always kept my decent distance from the brothers. I did not wish people to see that I am buttering up to the Gullases. It was Sir Dodong who called me twice and instructed me to resume writing my column daily. I told him that I respect my editors and I submitted to their decision driven by the pandemic. But Sir Dodong insisted that I should write daily. And so, I follow. I have always followed the Gullases. They are the last among the decent and respectable people in Cebu. They value loyalty, integrity, and hard work. They live a life of simplicity, humility and dignity. Sir Dodong has done so much for UV and this paper. But he never even mentions it. He is the patron of arts and letters, and he never brags about his great achievements.

Sir Dodong revived this great newspaper, The FREEMAN, as a tribute to his late uncle, Don Paulino Gullas, the first Bar topnotcher from Cebu who got a grade higher than Ferdinand Marcos. Sir Dodong worked very hard, sacrificed so much and spent many sleepless nights and restless days just to make this paper surmount the many travails and challenges along the years. There was a time when a group of writers including the editors left it for another paper. Sir Dodong suffered the pains of being abandoned by people he trusted so much and men that he loved like his sons and brothers. But he never held grudges and just went on nursing his pains alone and continued to publish this great paper with a few remaining loyal followers. He has forgiven but he never forgets.

There was a time when Sir Eddie could not run for Congress anymore due to term limits, and Sir Dodong had to carry the banner upon the insistence of the mayors and the ward leaders in the first district. They would not settle for anybody else but a Gullas. Sir Dodong obediently followed his brother. And he left a lasting legacy in Congress with perfect attendance and landmark laws that he authored and supported. My parents were teachers and it was very difficult for them to have to wait for their salaries coming all the way from Manila. It was Sir Dodong who authored the law that decentralized the public schools payroll system. Today, hundreds of thousands of teachers are benefitting from the law that Sir Dodong authored. And nobody even remembers him.

While Sir Eddie, as UV president, could not really attend to the daily tasks and responsibilities in managing a very large and complex UV university system, with a number of branches all over the province, it was Sir Dodong who did all the hard work, and the nitty-gritty. Officials and faculty had to be appointed, some employees had to be disciplined, and decisions had to be made on movement of personnel from hiring to retiring. Sir Dodong had to do all the work, he had to make all the decisions. But he never forgot to consult his brother and his much-respected elder sister, Inday Sering Gullas Lucero. Sir Dodong never complained. He is truly the son of Nyor Inting and Inday Pining, hardworking, honest, and humble.

It was Sir Dodong who supported me, as president of the alumni association, in leading UV's centennial celebration last year. He was very happy with GAHOM, or Grand Alumni Homecoming. During the culmination night, I saw how Sir Eddie loves Sir Dodong and how the latter respects the congressman. I am lucky to know these two gentlemen. I am proud to be Sir Eddie's wedding godson. I am blessed to be Sir Dodong's trusted disciple. I hope they will live longer and continue to inspire us all. Nyor Inting and Inday Pining's sons are God's gifts to us all.