RICO YAN:
A Funeral Fit for a President
for the Boy who Wanted to be One
"Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
He was not the president of the republic, but Rico Yan was accorded a funeral fit for one. In an unprecedented gesture of fond farewell, Yan's home studio, ABS-CBN, pre-empted six hours of regular programming to air on free tv live, minute-by-minute coverage of the funeral rites from La Salle Greenhills to Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque.
When another well-loved movie star, Nida Blanca, died last November, ABS-CBN aired the funeral coverage only on its ANC cable channel.
But then the fans of the 27-year old actor could not have enough of what remained behind. Thousands of people lined the funeral route. Work in some offices stopped. Traffic along parts of Edsa and South Luzon Expressway ground to a halt. From somewhere, confetti rained on the funeral car. At the cemetery alone, a crowd of about 10,000 waited patiently to send off their idol.
As early as 6 am., fans started to arrive at the Manila Memorial Park. Some come all the way from Isabela, Iligan,Leyte, Iloilo, Pangasinan and Laguna. This was inspite of numerous newspaper reports that the fans are banned to attened the interment.
The night before, thousands kept vigil outside of the La Salle Greenhills chapel so they could attend the burial. There were those who came in buses and jeeps from the provinces and endured the heat, hunger, thirst and a sleepless night.
"When i first heard of the news my first question was, "Why Lord?" Then I asked, "Why Rico?" Yan's mother, Teresita Castro-Yan, said in an eloquent response at the end of the funeral mass at the La Salle gymnasium.
"Now it makes sense. Having given joy to so many people, I could not believe that he will leave us sad, distraught or grief-stricken. But with all of you who came here today, I am covinced that he was chosen by God for such a time as this."
Yan's mother and immediate family members - dad Robby, brother Bobby and sisters Geraldine and Tina - wore black. Everyone else came in white, as requested by the actor when he used to joke with friends.
In his moving homily during the funeral mass. Fr. Tito Caluag, Yan's spiritual adviser, disclosed that Rico wanted to become president.
"Rico wanted to be a leader but never mentioned leadership because he only wanted to serve," said Caluag. "He wanted to be like JFK who gave America a sense of pride and class, and inspired his people," said the Jesuit, who concelebrated the mass with four other priest.
"Rico will never become president of this nation," Caluag said. "He found a better place. In death, Rico served his hopes and dreams."
Caluag ended his homily with a line from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"-- "Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
After the mass, Gary Valenciano moved everyone to tears when he sang "The Warrior is a Child," Rico's favorite song.
NOT A DRY EYE
At the Manila Memorial Park, there wasn't a dry eye when Yan was laid to rest at noon yesterday. Ten huge tents had been set up in front of the Yan mausoleum. Yan was buried beside his grandmother, Amelia Yan, in the niche originally meant for his grandfather, former AFP chief of staff and ambassador Manuel Yan, who also served as political adviser on the peace process during the term of President Estrada.
Yan's grandfather was also the chair of the government panel that negotiated peace with the Moro National Liberation Front from 1993 to 1996 during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos.
Yan's maternal grandfather retired Colonel Isabelo Castro, was one of the pallbearers who carried the casket into the funeral car.
FRIENDS
Others at the funeral were ABS-CBN executives Malou Santos, Linggit Tan, Pat-P Daza, Lawrence Tan, Rikka Dylim and contract stars Agot Isidro, Diether Ocampo, Pops Fernandez, Piolo Pascual, Janna Victoria, Onemig Bondoc, Vhong Navarro, Leandro Munoz and Angel Velez.
TV director Edgar Mortiz of the daily noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan, where Rico was a mainstay, led the host of the program -- Randy Santiago, John Estrada, Vannessa del Bianco, Ai-ai de las Alas, Amy Perez, Bayani Agbayani, Bentong and Gary Lim - in taking a last look at the actor before the mass.
Yan's "Whattamen" co-stars Marvin Agustin and Dominic Ochoa served as scripture readers. Pallbearers included Bukidnon Rep. Miguel Zubiri and Yan's elder brother Bobby.
"I will miss his pangungulit," said Zubiri, who places his scapular inside Yan's coffin. "Rico was very down to earth and carinoso. He called everybody sweetheart."
The cortege started at the west bound portion of Ortigas and proceeded to Connecticut Street toward Edsa and onto the Skyway. It exited at the Sucat Interchange on the way to the cemetery.
Nearly a hundred vehicles joined the motorcade, causing heavy traffic along Edsa and the South Luzon Expressway. From the Sucat Interchange to the gate of the memorial park, hundreds clogged the streets. Some carried flowers and posters of Yan. Others shouted "I love you, Rico," as the funeral car passed.
The Manila Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed more than 200 police officers and traffic enforcers at key areas from La Salle to the Manila Memorial Park. Yan's uncle, Gen. Edgardo Aglipay, is the National Capital Region Police Office chief.
Paranaque mayor Joey Marquez also assigned local police to facilitate traffic and secure the Manila Memorial Park. The National Red Cross (PNRC) sent an ambulance with a first-aid crew.
CROWD OF 10,000
An estimated crowd of more than 10,000 had gathered inside the cemetery alone by the time the funeral car arrived.
Two boxes were placed on both sides the mausoleum for those who wanted to make a donation to the newly formed Rico Yan Youth Foundation, led by Bobby Yan.
ABS-CBN chair Eugenio Lopez III pledged to send three scholars to college. Yan's fellow stars at ABS-CBN were appointed honorary members.
From 8 am. to 2 pm., ABS-CBN aired Yan's funeral live. Anchors were assigned at strategic points, giving live feeds to studio host Boy Abunda and Tintin Bersola.
The remote anchors were Karen Davila, Ryan Agoncillo, Catherine de Casto and Maricar Bautista in Greenhills; Julius Babao, Cheri Mercado and Gigi Grande at the Manila Memorial Park, and Pia Guanio on board the ABS-CBN chopper "Sky Patrol."
Yan was found dead on his bed on March 29, Good Friday, in a cottage at the Dos Palmas resort in Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan. An autopsy showed he died of hemorrhagic pancreatitis resulting in cardiac arrest.
Yan's death sparked nationwide interest and eclipsed other news stories like the fire in the Baseco compound in Tondo, which displaced more than 3,000 families.
It also overshadowed the deaths of 16 Filipinos in Dubai, of National Artist Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio, of Britain's Queen Mother, of Hollywood actor Dudley Moore and of director Billy Wilder!
Revised article from the
Philippine Daily Inqirer
April 5, 2002
Originally writen by
Leah Salterio
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