Public service, poetry mix

The strain of public service in my blood goes a long way back, even before my ABS-CBN engagement.

Budding legislator Kimpo is also a prize-winning poet.

Phillip Y. Kimpo is a young legislator, prized poet, book author, resort entrepreneur and Rotarian, but that is not telling enough of this versatile second-term councilor of his hometown, Kalibo Aklan.

A former ABS-CBN child actor, he became president of Linangan ng Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA Inc.) for nine years. Together with his fellow poets, he traveled to various parts of the Philippines to conduct workshops on Filipino poetry for public school teachers. It was an award-winning project that would lead to ABS-CBN offering him the post of editor of Choose Philippines, the network’s online travel magazine.

Phillip recently visited the Daily Tribune for a guesting appearance at Tribune Now’s Spotlight, an online magazine show, where he shared with co-hosts Jojo G. Silvestre and Kat Llemit his journey in serving the Filipino people which he attributes initially to his education at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

“SHARE with the people your platform, your principles and your heart.”

Daily Tribune (DT): Before you became a councilor, you were with ABS-CBN. What were you doing there?

Phillip Yerro Kimpo (PYK): I was the editor of the ABS-CBN online property on tourism, Choose Philippines. You would know it better through its theme song, “Piliin mo ang Pilipinas.” I served there for almost two years. But the strain of public service in my blood goes a long way back, even before my ABS-CBN engagement.

DT: Oh, why? But really, I was wondering. You had a good job at the ABS-CBN but you resigned, and then, you ran for councilor. Why did you run for public office?

PYK: Yes, that was also the same reaction that I got when I went home to Aklan and ran for my first term; I am on my second term now. People were incredulous. They were asking me, “What will you get from having a career here? Why would you resign from a good job at ABS-CBN? You had fun traveling all over the country. You were just attending festivals, and suddenly, you are abandoning a promising career.” To explain my reason, I need to do a flashback and this goes back to several years.

PYK: I graduated from college in 2006 at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. I took up Computer Science. It’s quite far from what I eventually would do in life (laughs). But, of course, at the University of the Philippines, one of the things taught to us students is we first have to serve our country before we enjoy our lives, before we earn money. It was a common thing to hear, “Serve your country first.” So, when I graduated from UP, to the consternation and irritation of some of my relatives, I didn’t look for a permanent job. I consciously avoided taking an eight-to-five good-paying permanent job. I also received job offers from big companies. On the other hand, with my course, Computer Science, I could easily get consultancy jobs whether it had to do with programming or what not. And they paid well.

DT: Tell me about your travels to teach poetry.

PYK: First I became a part-time writer at the Department of National Defense, a book author. But that was for my life’s sustenance, because what really kept me busy was I was the president for nine years of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo or LIRA, the oldest organization of poets in Filipino, The founder is Virgilio S. Almario, a National Artist in Literature.

So we had an outreach program. We didn’t like the image of a poet who kept to himself in a room writing poetry. We wanted to reach out to society and share our knowledge of poetry and communication skills. We wanted to share what we knew about how to speak and use Filipino, our national language. This project, Pambansang Edukasyong Pampanitikan (National Education for Literature), was started by the president before me, Ms. Beverly Sy (shout-out to Ms. Bebang), the famous author. We continued it when I took over from her. In six years we were able to teach more than 3,000 teachers and students, mostly from the public schools, across 35 towns all over the Philippines.

So, while we were conducting our outreach program, someone from the ABS-CBN called me up and asked me if I could be editor in chief of Choose Philippines. So, I asked, “But why me?” And they said “the reason is you travel not because you have money, not because you just want to do it, not because you are a mountaineer or an athlete, but because you want to render service to communities around the Philippines.” And that is the essence of that ABS-CBN property, Choose Philippines. They like it when people change and transform lives while they are traveling.

DT: Service then became your career direction.

PYK: That’s how it all started. I did not aim for a regular job. I became a freelance writer, an NGO worker and then NGO President, which led to ABS-CBN offering me that post of editor-in-chief of Choose Philippines. Two years after, people were asking why I resigned from ABS-CBN.

I resigned 2015. The election was in 2016. According to the law, you need a one-year residency. That should start in May 2015. I think I resigned March or April 2015. It started as a joke. In December 2014, I went home to Kalibo to assist in the chess program which our family has organized and supported through the years. Now the head of that program, Sir Wilfredo Neri, the sports officer of the province of Aklan, jokingly asked the people, “Is it okay if we ask this boy to come home to Kalibo because we need him? We will ask him to run for the position of Kagawad.” The question surprised me because politics was not on my mind at all. I was then more inclined to serving our people by writing and by conducting workshops for free. But then the clamor became stronger and soon, supporters talked to the head of the party to ask him if there was a slot for me, and he said yes.

PYK: Prior to the campaign, I was speaking exclusively in Tagalog in my speeches. But as months went by, I began to learn how to speak Aklanon. Of course, one easily picks up the language just by listening to everyone speak it every day.

DT: How did you deal with that situation?

PYK: Well you should abide by the 3 P’s. First is prinsipyo (principle). Then, plataporma (platform) and puso (heart). You make those three known to the people, and you practice “no vote buying.” Even if it helps one to win the election, he, at the start of his career, should be firm about not engaging in vote-buying. So, you either win or lose but you know it in your heart you did it the right way. Fortunately, I ran for councilor, and eight were going to be chosen, so I decided that of the eight, at least three would come out as a result of conscience vote of the people who realize that this candidate is principled, he has a platform, he has good plans for Kalibo, he has projects and he wants to do something good for Kalibo, so let’s vote for him. I was aiming for the youth constituency,

DT: I couldn’t resist this question, but are your good looks an advantage to your career in public service? (laughter)

PYK: Well, let me answer that one. You know, and this is hashtag real talk. Of course, you really share with the people your platform, your principles, your heart, but kaylangan mo pa ring magpapogi (you still have to earn your good looks points).

“you either win or lose but you know it in your heart you did it the right way.”

DT: Let’s shift gears, Phillip. Do you still have time for poetry?

PYK: Actually I am now finishing my first book of poetry. I have written five books since I joined politics but these are commissioned works, including coffee table books about Aklan and Malay, and not a single one that is truly my own literary output. I am working on a book of Filipino poetry and a book of personal essays in English.

DT: What is your advice to leaders of organizations who want their organizations to be recognized for their excellence, like yours?

PYK: In a nutshell, don’t look for the award. On the other hand, you can work on a project with the hope it gets a particular award. That’s also possible. You can pull it off, but what if you do not get the award? Would you consider your project then as meaningless or hollow? When I was that immersed in the literary circles, I never won a Palanca award. That hurt, supposedly. So, at a certain point in time, I stopped yearning for an award. And then I learned that there was a Maningning Miclat Poetry Award, which is one of the major prizes in the Philippines. So, I decided I would write for this, not because I was aiming for an award, but if I get an award, that would be good. If I don’t get an award, at least I was able to write poetry. My goal was to be able to finish a number of poems. So I wrote 12 poems in 5 or ten days. And my entry got the grand prize. When I was no longer looking for an award, I finally got one.

DT: What is your message to other young public servants? To be like you?

PYK: No, I want to be like them. It should not be about who is better. If I come from one place and you, another, I want to learn from your success in your municipality. I will be open-minded and humble enough to approach you and ask if we could replicate your project. If you’re a young leader and someone needs your help, please be generous with the know-how. In the end, you will end up helping one another. The tough part is to avoid falling into the traditional politician’s mindset.

Politicians come and go. A politician is not forever. So if you want to do something in your hometown, you should institutionalize your projects through legislation. Turn it into an ordinance. So that if you have moved on to other pursuits, the spirit of your advocacy will continue to live for other public servants to pursue for the good of the people and the community.