It was a shock to hear the news when I was told that Tita Ninfa Leonardia, the founder of the Visayan Daily Star, a Negros media icon, a pillar of society and our clan’s matriarch, had passed away due to a heart attack just hours after being brought to the hospital for what we thought was just a minor issue with the tremors that Parkinson’s Disease could bring upon a relatively healthy 89-year-old.
Her death was a surprise because when she would overhear us talking about maintenance meds, which is part of growing old these days, Tita Ninfa used to make it a point to rib us that despite being among the oldest in our group, she never needed such meds. Also, despite working in an industry that required mucho reading, her eyesight held up extraordinarily well as she didn’t even need to use reading glasses. So, even if her health had noticeably declined as the pandemic progressed, making it difficult for her to continue doing her job which she performed for as long as she could, most of us assumed that our Tita Ninfa was going to be with us for much longer.
The isolation and loneliness of the COVID pandemic must’ve affected her general health more than we thought, as she is one of the most social people I know. Being cooped up must’ve been tough for someone like her, who along with her sister Perla who was often mistaken as her twin, seemed to be always out at some dinner or social event. Aside from that, they made it a point to always be there whenever they could. Aside from always being present at birthdays, baptisms, anniversaries, weddings and all the other happy moments, they were also among the first to visit whenever anyone in the family got hospitalized. They shared their time with everyone they could, and they were welcomed with open arms because they were just so lovable and sincere. Tita Ninfa lost her “twin” before the pandemic, but being the strong, independent woman that she is, she coped. However, when everybody had to lock down because of COVID for more than 2 years, her physical and mental health must’ve been affected.
Losing her sends a painful reminder that we need to exert more effort to check on our loved ones, especially our aging titas and titos who have been deprived of our company over these past two years. They could be deteriorating and aging more quickly because of the loneliness wrought by the pandemic.
Tita Ninfa was one of the most caring and passionate people I was fortunate to have known. The tributes from her former reporters and editors at the DAILY STAR that all spoke of how she was the mother hen who took them under her wing while at the same time pushing them to excel with integrity speaks volumes of how she was as a boss, friend and mentor. Her integrity and dedication to her chosen vocation was unmatched, earning the respect and admiration of those she worked with and the community she served. Those values allowed her to build a Negrense institution in the Visayan Daily Star, her legacy to the community she loved dearly. Whoever will attempt to continue or replicate what she painstakingly created out of the force of her will and goodness will have giant shoes to fill.
Tita Ninfa Leonardia was a giant presence in many lives. For many, she was an enigmatic editor-in-chief who ran a newspaper that became the island’s biggest and most reputable. For others, she was Twinkling, who shared her thoughts in a daily column, enriching public discourse in her own special way. She was also a warm mentor, boss, friend and mother figure to her wildly loyal staff. To a lucky few like me, she was all that, aside from also being that tita who insisted on being there at every significant life event, whether it be high or low, whether you asked for her or not.
Her special brand of caring and passion for everyone and everything that came her way is one of a kind and that is why she will be sorely missed. I can’t speak for all of us, but in my case, my world is certainly dimmer with the loss of that ever-twinkling star.
As much as I tried to stay within the safe confines of her shadow, the time has come for her to relinquish the post that no one ever tried to take from her because any contender knew deep down inside they were unworthy. But now that the duty of acting editor-in-chief of the Visayan Daily Star has fallen upon my lap, I can only hope and pray that what I learned from her through observation and osmosis will allow me, or whoever continues her beloved project, to be its steward that can make her proud as she continues to twinkle and guide from afar.*
