“ I have seen the value of helping others. I believe that the most rewarding part of my job as a broadcaster is not exposing the wrongdoings of others, but the smile and acknowledgment we get from people whose lives we have touched and changed in some wonderful way.” − REYSTER LANGIT

excerpt from KERYGMA

Reyster’s Star Continues to Shine By Rey Langit, as told to Tess V. Atienza

My son desired to save lives through media and became his own sacrificial lamb.

“Dad, next year, it’s going to be my turn.”

Reyster told me that when I received awards from the four major award-giving bodies for television in 2004: the Golden Dove, Anak TV, Rotary Club of Manila, and the Catholic Mass Media Awards. These achievements were due to Reyster’s passionate self-giving to his work as director of “Biyaheng-Langit” and “Kasangga Mo ang Langit.” The following year, true to his self-prophecy, Reyster received his awards from the same award-giving bodies, albeit posthumously. Ironically, what won for him the awards was the news feature that led to his death. In his desire to help save lives through the power of media, he became his own sacrificial lamb. What he did with his life was not only commitment to his profession but bravery and heroism.

My Son, My Buddy, My Director

Reyster, our firstborn, grew up very close to me. Exposed early to my media career, he became naturally inclined to pursue the same career. While taking up Journalism (major in television) in college, he already had the passion to achieve more and to help people. He turned his bedroom into an editing room, working night and day on school projects and part-time jobs, as if always in a hurry to finish things. Reyster convinced me to do television through “Biyaheng Langit” and “Kasangga Mo ang Langit”his babies in a short-lived media career. He was my “Direk.”Our father-and-son relationship grew stronger because we worked in the same shows. We often ate together, communicated a lot, and knew each other’s problems. He was not only my son and my director, he was also my best buddy.

The Fateful Mountain Trip

Journalism runs in his blood. He was always on the go to investigate anything unusual. When he learned that many kids in Barangay Singnapan in Rizal, Palawan were dying of an unknown disease, he immediately coordinated with Christian Macadaeg, our correspondent there, and a local group in Palawan. Five of them went – Reyster, Christian, Arnold, the cameraman, another crew, and a lady writer – accompanied by a number of locals.

When he came back three days later, he went straight to my house in Alabang. He woke us up and related, “It was very tiring. We climbed mountains because there was no road. The locals walked ahead and created passage for us.” He planned to coordinate with different organizations and call the attention of the government about his discoveries. “Dad, next time we go there, I will bring you along, but we won’t be passing through the same route because it’s too dangerous. Maybe we will request for a chopper and bring medicines to the locals because they really need it. And, Dad, I think I’m positive – the disease that’s killing them is malaria.”

A few days later, he was still on the go. We had a scheduled trip to the USA to get stories of overseas Filipino workers for our program “Biyaheng Langit.“ He went ahead of me, planning to touch-base with our friends abroad and show them the Palawan video. He said, “Who knows, we might be able to get support when they see it.” His itineraries included San Francisco and Chicago, then Los Angeles where he was to meet up with his wife Marikit and 5-year-old son, Francis, and bring them to Disneyland.

In Chicago, my sister-in-law later related, Reyster was a bit down, unlike his usual self. Another friend, a police officer who toured him in Chicago, told me later that Reyster had colds when they were together. On the second day of Reyster’s Disneyland date with Marikit and Francis, he became weak and symptoms of an unknown disease started manifesting. The following day, Marikit decided to bring him to a nearby community hospital. She texted me about it. I thought it was just ordinary colds or flu.

However, I began to panic when my Supervising Producer Myrna texted me that Arnold Tanare, the cameraman who joined Reyster in Palawan, was rushed to San Lazaro Hospital and was suspected of having malaria. I passed on the text to Marikit so she could pass the information to Reyster’s doctors. I was then on a flight to Cebu for an event for our radio program (“To Saudi with Love”). As soon as the plane landed, I turned on my cellphone and my wife, Ester, was on the line, crying, telling me, “You fly immediately to L.A. and check on Reyster.” I just turned around the airport, requested for a space in the return flight to Manila, and flew back. Before I flew to L.A., I received confirmation from Myrna that Arnold indeed had malaria. I again forwarded the information to Marikit, hoping that it would help Reyster’s doctors.

I went straight to St. Vincent Hospital in L.A., where Reyster was transferred. By then, he was jaundiced and weak. His attending physicians, among whom was a very kind Filipino doctor who knew malaria very well, discussed with me their treatment plans: a blood exchange transfusion (flushing out Reyster’s blood and replacing it with new one) because the parasites in the red blood cells multiply by the millions. “Go ahead, if that would cure Reyster,” I said. After the procedure, I saw good signs -- his jaundice subsided and he had some movements, although he was sedated most of the time.

The first blood exchange transfusion cleared all his organs of the parasites, except his kidneys. They wanted to make another one to ensure Reyster’s system was clear of parasites. I agreed, but I wondered to myself if Reyster could endure the procedure again.

By that time, my wife already arrived in L.A. We prayed unceasingly for Reyster in the chapel. In a moment of utter helplessness, I offered my life to God in exchange of Reyster’s. “ He still has so much to do and he can help so many more people, Lord.” I didn’t know that my wife did the same.

One time, while we were both deep in prayer at the chapel, Reyster became critical. The doctors performed emergency and survival procedures on him. We were spared the anxiety and learned about it only when we went back to the ICU later. Sadly, though, Reyster didn’t survive it. Five days was all it took. For two of Reyster’s companions in that Palawan trip, it was only three days.

Marikit and Francis went back to the Philippines ahead of us to arrange Reyster’s wake and funeral. My wife and I brought home his body a few days later. The Funeraria Paz Chapel in Paranaque, where his wake was held, stood witness to the testimonies of people whom Reyster has helped in his short life. We were overwhelmed.

Continuing What He Has Started

Years ago, Reyster formed Kasangga Mo ang Langit Foundation. Its purpose wasn’t very clear to me then. When he died, I realized it was meant to continue his advocacies – the Kalinga & Kanlungan Orphanage in Marikina, the children with terminal illnesses at the UST Pediatrics Department, the inmates at the New Bilibid Prison who need justice, and many others. Since his death in June 2005, we had been holding an annual golf memorial cup in his name to raise some amount to support his advocacies.

While I admit that I am still grieving and sometimes question God why it had to happen to him, I am consoled by the fact that he is watching over me, especially when I am in a difficult or dangerous situation – like when I had an accident at the Skyway two months after his death. I could have died, but his intercession enabled me to witness about his life.

Coming out of that experience made me realize that I still have a mission to do — to continue the advocacies that Reyster started. His brother, JR, stepped into his shoes as host/producer of our shows. JR still dreams of Reyster, mostly about work. JR quips, “Si Kuya talaga, director pa rin!”

The Star

One day, my wife called my attention to Reyster’s photo, the one that we displayed during his wake. “Can you look at that? There seems to be a scratch.” I looked closely, and yes, there was a scratch. It looked like a star — Reyster’s signature. Who did it? Only God knows.

When our grandson came over one day, we showed him the photo and asked if he saw anything else there. He quickly replied, “That’s the signature of Dad!”

As Reyster said while he was still alive, “ I have seen the value of helping others. I believe that the most rewarding part of my job as a broadcaster is not exposing the wrongdoings of others, but the smile and acknowledgment we get from people whose lives we have touched and changed in some wonderful way.” His life’s signature, the star, continues to shine.