Happy Birthday to Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol’s Most Illustrious Son

Today, we mark what would have been the 122^nd birthday of Bohol’s Most Illustrious Son whose long and brilliant political career was punctuated with his ascendancy to the presidency of the country.  November 4 is celebrated every year as Bohol Day to honor Pres. Garcia.

Carlos Polestico Garcia was born the second of five children to Policronio "Manoy Coni" Garcia and Ambrosia "Mending" Butay- Polistico in Talibon, Bohol on November 4, 1896.

A lot has been said and written about the long and brilliant political career of Bohol's most illustrious son, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, but only a few really knew his private persona especially as a husband, as father and as grandfather. Who is Pres. Garcia when he is far from the glare of the spotlight and from the scrutiny of media and critics? 

Pres. CPG with daughter Linda Garcia-Campos, son-in-law Fernando Campos

and his wife Leonila cradling their first grandchild, Maria Carla G. Campos.

His marital union with Leonila "Inday" Dimataga of Opon, Cebu (now Lapu-Lapu City) bore an only child that they named Linda Garcia. 

Campos describes his grandparents as an “inseparable” couple.

Linda was a grounded and level- headed First Daughter who was close to the Malacanang staff and was accommodating to the Boholanos who always dropped by Malacanang. The only child of President CPG & First Lady Leonila eventually married Fernando Campos who later on became Undersecretary of Commerce. 

Linda Garcia & Reynald Gatal show some dance moves 

while the First Couple looks on approvingly

They have three children: Maria Carla, Rosa Isabel and Jose Carlos.  

Here are some of reminiscences on Pres. Garcia as shared by his only grandson, Jose Carlos Garcia Campos:

Did you know that the country's former leader was fond of gardening? When CPG was already out of politics, he would often garden and take care of his wild dogs and pigs.

CPG was a typical Filipino who believed that the best conversations happen over lunch or dinner. 

 Playing chess was President Garcia's favorite leisure activity.

CPG loved the Yamaha grand piano given as a gift by the Embassy of Japan. He didn’t play the piano but he would always request ‘Matud Nila’ from guests who knew how to play,”  

CPG was “calm and reserved” who did yoga, breathing and stretching as early as 5 a.m. while his wife Leonila was the chikadora who ran all the events and parties in the house. 

CPG became famous for his poetry in Bohol, where he earned the distinction, “Prince of Visayan Poets” and the “Bard from Bohol.” His masterpiece, “Ang Babayeng Pilipinhon” (The Filipino Woman) was even framed for display.

CPG loved to write spiritual and sensual poems in Visayan,” Campos says. “Whenever he would attend a public event, he was always asked to recite a poem before his speech.”

At home, CPG insisted the first language the young people should learn was Visayan. “He would always say, ‘You’ll learn Tagalog and English in school but no one will teach you Visayan so I’ll teach you that,” Campos says.

CPG was also fluent in Spanish and Latin. Every night, CPG and daughter Linda would read lines from Spanish books or poems. Garcia’s favorite was the Chilean writer and politician Pablo Neruda.