10 things you didn’t know about Carlos P. Romulo

MANILA, Philippines – I had grown up very much aware of the many achievements my great grandfather, Carlos P. Romulo (CPR) had accomplished – too many to list down in a single article. He had enough careers to last him several lifetimes – from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, to educator, soldier, diplomat, public servant and president of the 4th General Assembly of the United Nations.

In commemoration of his 28^th death anniversary this Dec 15, 2013, I put together a list of 10 facts about my great grandfather (with the help of interviews with various family members) that may surprise readers and add a more personal touch to the persona covered so well in the pages of history.

1. He had a special fondness for dogs.

One of the things that may amuse people about my great grandfather is that he was a great dog lover, particularly of Cocker Spaniels. When he was still living in Washington my great uncle Roberto Romulo had a spaniel named Butch, which CPR took a great liking to. At home, Butch would sing – or howl, rather – to the tune of the piano whenever it was played. This greatly amused the general and he would often show off the dog’s singing skills to entertain dinner guests.

Back in Manila, he had two spaniels of his own named Champagne and Bubbles. Champagne was the gentler one of the two dogs, while Bubbles had a stronger character, which CPR liked to joke about.

His youngest granddaughter Maritina remembers that, “the dogs would be by his side and their energy and presence had a positive effect on him and vice versa.”

2. Popsy, as his grandchildren called him, was a thoughtful and devoted grandfather despite his busy schedule.

With his work in the UN often keeping him away from home because he was traveling the world, he still found the time to write all his grandchildren a letter or send them a postcard to let them know he was thinking of them. He would take the opportunity to give updates about his activities.

Many of these letters, according to his 2nd wife, Beth Day Romulo, were clandestinely written during UN proceedings. This, in turn, flattered speakers, as it appeared to them that he was feverishly taking down notes of their speeches.

Along with the letters, he would send his granddaughters, Maritina and Liana, dolls from every country he visited. He also made it a point to dine with the family whenever he could. A very punctilious man, he expected everyone to be on time and when formal attire was required, to dress appropriately.

3. He was a man who liked to stay fit.

He maintained a strict exercise regime all throughout his life: swimming laps in the pool, peddling on his stationary bike, and even practicing Tai Chi well into his early 70s.

“Lolo would swim every morning even if the weather was cold. It was a sight to see. He was not a fast swimmer but the trip across and back for a man his age was admirable,” recounts his grandson and my father, Mike.

He even had a karate board where he would do a karate chop and palm thrust in true Bruce Lee fashion. 

4. A nationalist in spirit but not in stomach.

Often criticized as being too pro-American, his son Roberto distinctly remembers his father lecturing them not to “forget you represent the Philippines and you should always be proud of that fact. Remember you are only a visitor here and you must go back and help your country in the future.”

But when it came down to food, his pallet was more suited to Continental and Spanish cuisine. He was very particular with his food and did not like eating leftovers or cold food – except for dessert, for he was a lover of lots and lots of ice cream. 

5. Of all his jobs, he found the role of educator and president of the University of Philippines the most fulfilling. 

He loved inspiring the youth and opening up the minds of anyone willing to learn. Coming from a journalistic background he was naturally curious about everything and everyone around him.

His years as UP president and professor of the UP debate team may not be perceived by others as the pinnacle of his professional life, especially in comparison to his work in the UN, but it was one he held very close to his heart.  

6. He liked to surround himself with young people.

Perhaps because of his love for education, the general genuinely enjoyed the company of the young.

My father Mike recounts that as a teenager living in their family compound, Kasiyahan, he would often throw parties with an interesting mix of characters including Pinoy rock legend, Pepe Smith. And rather than locking himself in his room or studying away from the noise, his lolo mingled with guests and took a genuine interest in conversing with the youngsters. 

Beth describes him as very “inclusive and friendly” and someone who never lost a certain boyish quality in the way he conversed and related to people.

7. He was fluent in Spanish but poorly versed in Filipino.

This was not uncommon to people of his generation because of the strong Spanish influence then. He, in fact, wrote speeches in old dignified Spanish.

But his lack of fluency in Filipino did not stop him from trying. One time, when he was trying to address a crowd in Filipino, a member of the audience spoke up and urged him, “English please, General!”

8. He was already privately married to Beth Day before it was publicly announce.

The courtship of Beth Day could be described as the “longest engagement in history” as she joked. She first met him when she was working as a freelance writer assigned by Reader’s Digest to interview him on the death of my grandfather, CPR’s eldest son Carlos Romulo Jr, who perished in a plane crash in 1957.

They continued a correspondence and built a friendship that lasted around 20 years before they were eventually privately married in 1978. The union was kept secret because the Philippines and US were negotiating a bases agreement then. Because CPR had to remain non-partisan on this issue, then President Marcos believed it was a wrong time to marry an American. CPR agreed and a public wedding ceremony commenced only after negotiations were completed.

9. He was the last resident commissioner of the Philippines in the US Congress as a representative of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. 

Not a well-known fact about his professional life, this meant that Romulo, who was considered a full-fledged member, had the right to speak but not to vote in the US Congress. This served him well when he became an ambassador as he was given the privilege to walk into the session hall and allowed to foster good relationships with many of the US congressmen.

According to his son Roberto, it can now be revealed that because of this privilege, when needing support for a Philippine-related bill, he was often tapped as “ghost writer” by some of the House leaders.

10. He broke down during his final address in the United Nations.

As an original signatory of the UN charter in 1945, he honestly believed, as he said, “We were forming an organization that was the culmination of all my dreams.”

However, during his last address to the UN General Assembly, he was unable to hold back tears, as he did not expect the world would get wrapped up in nuclear armaments.

In his speech, he lamented, “I do not think the world has much time. I do not think it had much time to escape the momentum toward self-destruction up which it seems set.”

What would Romy say?

During this process of rediscovering the man that was my great grandfather I couldn’t help but wonder how he would perceive the state of our country and the world today, as issues like war, corruption, and climate change threaten the peaceful world order he so fervently fought for.

I asked Lola Beth that same question and she replied, “There are so many times when I would see a headline or listen to the news and think, ‘Gee, what would Romy say?’ and try to resurrect his line of thinking because I would like his judgment on things, his acute intelligence, and knowledge of human behavior.”

She believes that if he were to give advice to today’s leaders he would simply tell them to listen to the people, and I think this says a lot about the man he was – a man of the people – be it in the international community, among his countrymen, or his family.

Years later his words still ring true: we don’t have much time.

Time may not be on our side but I remain hopeful that his dreams of a peaceful borderless world can still be turned into a reality if together as people we make our voices heard and turn our words into inspired action. – Rappler.com

Michaela Romulo is a writer and researcher for Move.PH and a great-granddaughter of Carlos P. Romulo.