Nick Joaquin's birth centennial celebration: his life, works, and love for beer

One notable thing during Nick Joaquin's 100th birthday celebration: Beer was served.

Renowned poet Jose "Pete" Lacaba stepped up to explain the importance of booze on the auspicious occasion. The answer is simple — Joaquin was quite fond of the drink. He loved it almost as much as he loved the written word.

"He usually wrote at home, in the morning. Kahit na ganong lasing niyan at night, he woke up very early in the morning, go to mass, then go back home and start writing his article, in pencil on paper," Lacaba recalled. "He would write in longhand at home and then he would go to Free Press after lunch, after the siesta and type out what he have written."

After his work was proofread, Joaquin would then asked his co-writers to drink, Lacaba shared.

To honor this tradition, a toast was made instead of a ribbon-cutting during the opening of the Aparador ni Quijano de Manila exhibit, led by Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) president Raul Sunico.

"Aparador ni Quijano de Manila" is a showcase of Joaquin's works, personal belongings and documents about him.

Read more: IN PHOTOS: Writers, artists raise a glass for Nick Joaquin's 100th birth anniversary.

CCP vice president Chris Millado further shared with the attendees how Joaquin had valued three specific things: religion, words and, again, beer.

"It was only Nick who was allowed to bring a bottle of beer into our venues while watching plays, ballet, orchestra. He'd always occupy the center seat of the first row with beer in hand," Millado said.

Unveiling of Commemorative Stamp

Aside from a short performance of pieces inspired by his work, part of the celebration was the unveiling of Joaquin's commemorative stamp.

A representative of the Joaquin family at the unveiling ceremony expressed gratitude to all who made the tribute for the National Artist possible.

"This is indeed a celebration of his life and work. If he is here with us today, he would probably be sitting uneasily, but with a cold San Miguel beer in hand," Cecile Joaquin-Yasay said, noting that her uncle was never comfortable with attention from the public.

Joaquin-Yasay also shared how they were not aware of their uncle's career as a writer. She noted that Nick Joaquin was so simple, humble, and unassuming.

"He never wanted to share the meaning and substance of his works. He wanted you to discover it yourself," she added.

Birthday book launch

More people will soon discover Joaquin's work as the day also doubled as the official launch of the Penguin Classics edition of "The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic."

"This is the effort that I believe everyone of us is hoping for. Earlier, F. Sionil Jose said that the world Nick Joaquin lived is long gone and yes, it might be gone but his stories remain and the readers old and new are still here," said Honey de Peralta, sales manager of Southeast Asia Penguin Random House.

"Joaquin deserves new readers and new readers deserve him," she added.

Read more: Nick Joaquin and Filipino writers as enchanting reads, not tedious textbooks.

Joaquin in April officially joined Jose Rizal and Jose Garcia Villa as the third Filipino writer to be published by the world renowned Penguin Classics.

Nick Joaquin is one of the most distinguished writers in the Philippines. Among his finest works include "The Woman Who Had Two Navels", "A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino", "Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young", "The Ballad of the Five Battles", "Rizal in Saga", and "Almanac for Manileños."

As a journalist, he used the pen name Quijano de Manila. He passed away on April 29, 2004. — AT, GMA News