At 90, Raul Daza Shares Stories of Crisis and Hope

Last Thursday, Aug. 21, my mom, columnist and media personality Jullie Yap Daza, and I attended the launch of A Life: Years of Crisis (Volume 3) and A Life: Years of Hope (Volume 4) by Raul Daza.

- With Pat-P

Volume 3 covers the years 1974 to 1983, while Volume 4 continues from 1984 to 1987. Together, these books serve as memoirs of some of the most critical years in Philippine history. They follow the earlier volumes, which recount his childhood in Samar and Manila, as well as his formative years at UP High, UP College and UP Law.

Raul — whom I call "Tito Raul" — is a distant relative, a lawyer, CPA and a long-time public servant. He served as representative of Northern Samar's First District for a total of 20 years (1987 to 1998, 2010 to 2013 and 2016 to 2019) and was governor of the province from 2001 to 2010. His son, Paul Daza — a good friend of mine — has followed in his footsteps, having served as both representative and governor of the same district. Paul's son, Nico, is the current representative of Northern Samar.