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Philippines, 04 May 2024 |
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Veteran newspaper editor and a longtime supporter of Pacquiao, Max Alvarez, passes away By Granville Ampong PhilBoxing.com Sun, 21 Mar 2010 LOS ANGELES, California - Veteran newspaper editor and Pacquiao's long-forgotten supporter in the Filipino-American media, Max Gelera Alvarez, passed away on March 12. He was 68. As reported in the California Examiner, just before midnight on March 10, his wife Rosemarie found her husband slumped unconscious in the bathroom. When she nudged him, Max did not respond. He was rushed to the nearby hospital in North Hollywood and was comatose until he expired at 4:05 p.m. on Friday, March 12. I will never forget the last conversation I had with the same man, one of whom I deeply respect in the realm of excellence in journalism. Probably almost a year now, he inquired from me whether I were that close, as he thought of me, with our Pound -for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao. At such moment, I had no answer to his query. Well, as for now, I could have an answer for him. But, it's too late. I regret, thus far. I have known Max for almost two decades. But, I was not really that close to him contrary to what others thought. I knew him since I was working with Asian Journal Publications from 1994 through 2004, to which he had good relationship and even to everyone in the Filipino-American media in Los Angeles, and then onward when I started to establish my freelancing career. Yes…not really that close until one day, which was sometime last year, he called me, "my friend", the only phrase that haunts me of him, even now. Yes, even as I walked out from his funeral service at the Pierce Brothers Chapel in North Hollywood, California, along with my old-time friend and mentor, Romeo Borje, the first Editor-in-Chief of the oldest Filipino-American newspaper in the United States of America. I remember Max was one of the early supporters of Manny Pacquiao during the latter's earliest days of boxing journey in the United States of America. Pex Aves, another newsman now based in Los Angeles, California, can attest to that. Max supported Pacquiao's trail, as a distant observer, even before the birth of the so-called, "L.A. boys" and the Team Pacquiao, to which, of course, Pacquiao has forgotten. But, Max kept his distance as someone, an "now-iron man" of Team Pacquiao, had altercation with him on the ground of insecurity and contemptuousness of the latter. Max, I believe, never wanted to be the Public Ralations man for Pacquiao, contrary to that iron-man's impression but just an ardent supporter as a media man. Yes, Max had lots of deep thoughts and foresight about Pacquiao's trail of greatness, even in the corregidor of apathy as for some. Born in As-is, Buan, Batangas on November 18, 1941, Max, after graduating from elementary in his hometown, moved to Catbalogan, Samar with his parents. He graduated Valedictorian from Samar High School in 1957. Thereafter, he obtained his bachelor's degree in Philosophy & Letters from the University of Santo Tomas in 1961. In his junior year at UST, he was a contributing editor at Kislap Graphic. Thereafter, he was a correspondent and then a senior deskman of UPI News Service in Manila. For many years, he worked as Information Officer of the United States Information Service (USIS). He was given a special visa to immigrate to the United States in 1983. In California, he worked for several Filipino-American newspapers. In 1984, he became the Editor-in-Chief of California Examiner. This was followed by stints as editor of Los Angeles Monitor, Pinoy Star, and Bureau Chief of Philippine News. He was Editor-in-Chief of Tribune-USA when he died. One thing for sure, that I know, Max was simply a happy man knowing that his support to the Pound-for-Pound King, Manny Pacquiao, through his earnest energies as manifested in the pages of his writings, lingers in the memories of his avid readers and even to the entertainment to the minds of his fans in the media, especially to this writer. I, for one, was shocked to learn about his untimely demise. My attempt to fortify that bridge between our Mahalikan hero, Manny Pacquiao, and the Filipino-American media may have been futile. But, at least, I did my share of spreading the gospel of restitution and its supposed "empowerment" of the Fiipino-American media relative to the latter's role of supporting rising talents in the land of milk and honey and also in the international scene. But, the chasm is just too wide. Letters or any means to bridge such gap, though these were relegated to the back burner, still manifest good faith - our faith…yes the old faith of an adulterated journalism. And, maybe, someday, I'll have a good answer to Max's query. For more information, friends, and media colleagues of Max Alvarez, please call his wife, Rosemarie, at 818-892-4525. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Granville Ampong.  |
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