Boy Guingguing was a true genius.

They say that if you don't know Boy Guingguing, perhaps you are not from Tagbilaran or you are not a Bol-anon at all. There is truth to this statement. Before his death on July 17, 2014, BG was read by thousands online and offline through his BGLante column which he had painstakingly nurtured for more than 15 years. BG was also heard over the radio, as one of the anchormen of DYRD's Inyong Alagad. In fact he was the original anchorman of Inyong Alagad, with Fred Araneta as his co-anchor. That was in the 1970s. In those years people were largely dependent on the radio as source of information and perspective.

In all those years when he handled Inyong Alagad, BG must have penetrated into the consciousness of many of his legions of listeners. Growing up during those years could mean that you must have heard of his name. Then came the 80s. After EDSA I (People Power Revolution), BG separated from his mother employer, the Bohol Chronicle, and started his own paper, the Bohol Sunday Post. The rest is history. So if you've been reading newspapers in Bohol since the mid-80s, you must have encountered the name Boy Guingguing whose media/journalism career is best described by his unabashed declaration of “Lakas Loob” publishing outfit. No such thing actually. Only his name can be bound as registered owner of this media outfit. Lakas Loob was how he faced our daily problems.

It takes genuine brilliance to run and nurture a paper in a change-vulnerable world. And BG had done what many had failed to accomplish: running a newspaper for nearly three decades. He passed away barely four days after the Bohol Sunday Post celebrated its 28th year anniversary. For 28 years the Bohol Sunday Post never missed an issue, and this was due to the fact that the heart and mind of a genius, under the grace of God, was behind its success. More to come next week as we explore various facets of the colorful life of Boy Guingguing.