#KwentongSevs: With aching hearts, we bid Sev’s Cafe goodbye

For many fans, the closure of Sev's Cafe, haven for poetry and music enthusiasts, at 2 a.m. on December 30 is one of the saddest hugot stories of the year.

The cafe at the basement of Legaspi Towers 300 on Roxas Boulevard in Manila is owned by renowned journalist and TV documentarist (and former GMA News Online editor-in-chief) Howie Severino and his wife, environment lawyer Ipat Luna.

Sev's Cafe has become THE place to gather for poetry slams, open mic, comedy gigs, cinema nights, and performances by artists such as Joey Ayala, Tres Marias, Musicgear Manila Woodwind Quartet, Sanghabi, and more.

If they had a choice, Howie and Ipat would have kept Sev's Cafe open. However, on December 16, the building management informed them that they had to vacate the place within a month.

Ipat explained that the building admin lost a case against the owners of the adjoining lot holding Legaspi Towers' generator sets and sump pumps. “The court issued a writ of execution and there is no other place where the equipment can be placed as they need to be on the ground. We had exactly one month to leave,” she told GMA News Online.

Ipat said they intend to open a cafe again. “Exploring options, we want something close by, something that evokes heritage and the same homey underground but safe vibe of the current location. We are in talks with public institutions but so far, there is nothing that comes close to what we have now,” she said.

In the meantime, Sev's Cafe is going out in style. About 50 people will be participating in its last open mic for #KwentongSevs. A silent auction for some of the furniture and kitchen equipment will also be held all day Tuesday, and the winners will be announced at midnight.

Hugot

“Sev's Cafe is now a hugot story too, saying farewell with the heartache of the countless love-torn words that have been performed, written and felt within its subterranean walls in the last three years,” a message on Sev's Facebook page read.

The cafe also asked people to share their stories about Sev's using the hashtag #KwentongSevs.

Hope San Pedro said, “Sev's is the first cafe I truly felt at home in. It was where I truly feel welcome. Whenever I feel sad, about life or love, I go back to the nights I spend in Sev's.”

For Blesc Calugay, Sev's Cafe is "a 'love story' that has gotten into a tragic plot twist." "But [it's] a story everyone shall continue to love and remember. Just like a first love. Gone but never forgotten. Will be waiting for its rebirth."

Janjan Dumaual said that being raised in a strict household, her first visit to Sev's was also her first "takas." "[D]amn was I so lucky to have watched that many astounding performances in one night. That night my world was opened to the different colors of life through the poems and songs that every performer shared," she said.

“I'm not that much of a regular...but I've always dreamed of performing in Sevs and sharing my stories with other people. That's what Sev's has done for us poets; the place made us dream, inspired us and devirginized us—in a poem way."

In turn, Howie and Ipat posted a note of gratitude to Sev's patrons. “It thrilled its middle-aged owners no end for Sev's to be listed among the top hipster places in the metropolis and number one for spoken word,” it read.

“This is a hugot story with a bittersweet ending, for while our hearts are not broken, our wallets are much lighter. But gosh, it was worth it. All of you who have been part of this wonderful journey made our hearts full, overflowing with gratitude and a love that was never betrayed or unrequited.

"Not everything can last long, but we can all burn bright. Thank you from every aching corner of our hearts.”

Serendipity

Ipat explained to GMA News Online why two professionals with no entrepreneurship experience jumped in the restaurant business.

“It was serendipity,” she said, recounting how the owner of the restaurant previously located there, Rendevous Cafe, had told her that she was closing the place and selling everything. Ipat had just come from Italy, where she had attended a conference on slow food—an international movement that promotes environment-friendly practices and prevents the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions.

The rest is history.

“We feel really blessed to have helped a few people who claimed Sev's saved their lives as they came here and communed with like spirits at a very low point in their lives," Ipat said, adding that with Sev's location in the building's basement, it was as if it told its guests that there was "nowhere to go but up."

“I loved everything. All the Words Anonymous poets [whose output]—to the surprise of the ones who only heard the hugot poems—are quite diverse and relevant; the plays of Chris Aronson; the shows of Deus Sex Machina; the wonderful bands; The Artidope; benefit concerts like Piso Para kay Toto; comedy and original songs, too many to mention,” she added.

Howie, for his part, remembered that “soon after Yolanda, we had a large gathering to remember one of the victims, the musician and artist Agit Sustento, who died in Tacloban with family members, including his young son. It was organized by his friends, an emotional celebration of his life with many musicians performing.”

He added that Sev's “was really a space for everyone. One beautiful thing is we never had trouble, no fights, none of our stuff was ever stolen, never even heard anyone argue. It was a safe place, thank God!”

Sev's, we are saying goodbye for now, but we are anticipating the opening of another Sev's. Yes, we believe, “may forever.” — BM, GMA News