Josefino Tulabing Larena Jr. (born 1979) Nickname Penn is a Historian, travel and lifestyle writer, educator, civic leader,artist, Poet, Knights of Rizal, farmer, tour guide, cultural worker, consumer leader,Red Cross Volunteer,Reading Advocate and Heritage advocate from Bais City Negros Oriental, Philippines. He is known in Dumaguete City for his community involvement as a member of the Dumaguete City Tourism Council from 2001 to 2018. Consumerism activities with CAI –Consumers Advocate Inc & Vice President with the partnership of the Department of Trade and Industry.Founding member of the Dumaguete City Festival & Arts Society Inc.and Negros Oriental Alliance of Arts & Culture Advocates
Biography
Josefino Tulabing Larena Jr. fondly called Penn the youngest son of Josefino Villanueva Larena Sr. a Sugar Planter, Softdrink Sales Man and Punong Barangay of Barangay Sra. Acion ,San Jose Negros Oriental ( 20 years ) and Leonaga Hermoso Tulabing ,a registered nurse, government school nurse ( 28 years) and after her retirement she was into farming sugar cane, coconut and rental spaces. The mother is a Poet and Reading Advocate , he experienced a diverse religious upbringing came from an Ecumenism family the father is Protestant and the Mother is Roman Catholic.
Family Heritage
David Rubio Larena Sr. his grandfather was a famous Vice Mayor and town councilor of Sibulan Negros Oriental youngest son of the first civil Governor of Negros Oriental and local Hero Demetrio Larena y de Sandes and Josefina Villacampa Rubio from landed Somoza, Pastrano & Rubio Clan of Bais City, His grandmother Florenda Baena Villanueva is the second daughter of the late Governor Enrique Teves Villanueva and Francisca Gomez Baena of Bais City and member of the biggest Clan of Dumaguete Pinili, Teves and Villamil Clan.
Mother side he is the grandson of Leoncio Buquiran Tulabing a Public school Teacher, School Principal, District Supervisor, and Social Sciences Professor after his retirement, a native of Sta. Cruz “Old Palanas “ Tanjay City .His grandfather is the son of Simplicio Tulabing of Palanas ,Ginatilan Cebu married to Chinese-Spanish mestizo Francisca Torres Buquiran a budbud maker a town popular native delicacy they called it ” budbud de Tanjay” .
His grandmother Agapita Jungoy. Hermoso -Tulabing of Puan in the historic town of Vallehermoso his grandmother is the daughter of Don Cirilo Geopano Hermoso from the Villegas, Vergara, Alquisola and de la Vina Clan of Northern Negros and descendants of famous Negrense Heroes Don Deigo de la Viña,Dr. Jose de la Viña, Pantaleon ” Leon Kilat” Villegas,Pelagio Vergara Villegas and Don Ciriaco Ollades .
Educational Background
Larena studied Elementary education at Negros Oriental State University former CVPC ( 1986-1992 ), secondary education at Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria ( COSCA) Batch 1996.Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science 2000-2001 in Silliman University (Dumaguete City,Philippines) where he graduated with a Certificate in Philippine Studies.
Masters of Arts in History 30 unites earned from Negros Oriental State University and Master in Public Administration degree in 2011 from St. Paul University in Dumaguete and Certificate in Professional Education 2015 in the same University. Post Graduate studies in Public Administration ongoing
Academic
Larena also does philatelic stamp collecting, and teaching Tourism, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, History, Entrepreneurship, Humanities, Rizal, Economics, Literature, Ethics, and Social Sciences at St. Paul University Dumaguete , where he was the founding Lecture coordinator of the Prof. Ambrosio Pinili Somoza Lecture Series in Social Sciences since 2015, and a member of the editorial of the Art, History and Heritage Committee for Confluence Journal is the official research publication of faculty researches which cater to all research-based scholarly works and articles of the teaching workforce. It contains a variety of themes and topics such as health, education, humanities, business, information technology, and spirituality. In 2017 he received the Service Award from SPUD. Appointed as External Affairs Director and Head of the Alumni Office School year 2019-2020.
Larena is 2022 Distinguished Service Awardee and 2024 Crystal Service Awardee from St. Paul University
Dumaguete.Elected to the Alumni Board for two years term at the Silliman University Alumni Association Inc ,Dumaguete City Chapter 2024 to 2026
Larena marked his journey in 2024 his 18 years in the academic started in 2005 as a part-time teacher with 21 unites subject load from the Social Sciences Negros Oriental State University, Guest Lecturer ,Foundation University and Full Time St. Paul University since 2008.
Research and Publication
In the Field of Research Larena did studies in the Agricultural technique of farmers in Negros Oriental as college research under the late Dr. Imelda Y. Flores in 1998 and The Political life of Gov. Demetrio Larena “ Man of Faith and Service “ in 2000.In 2006 Culinary traditions in Negros Oriental for the coffee table book “Buglas” ( unpublished),the History of Miss Dumaguete in 2007 with Jessica D. Layumas.St. Paul University Dumaguete gave Larena a landmark in Historical Research such The History of Streets in Dumaguete its development in 2009 a financial grant of 35,000 pesos from Sr.Ma. Nilda Masirag,SPC and the SPUD Research and Publication Office.Serafin Lajato Teves : Old Houses research in 2010 and part of 2017 Confluence Journal Vol. 8.issue. Political History of Vallehermoso a social sciences faculty research 2015-2017.
In 2017 Larena had prevailed to work with Central Azucarera de Bais on its 100 years as their official Historian for the CAB 100years 1917- 2018. Research adviser and winner in the Paper Presentation during the First University Research Fair 2018 paper title THE PERCEPTION OF GRADE TWELVE PIONEERING BATCH OF the ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018 OF SAINT PAUL UNIVERSITY DUMAGUETE IN HAVING THE K12 CURRICULUM.
In 2010 He met Miss Vilma Bravo the sister of the owner of Dayon Magazine Atty Ediberto Bravo after the time which he has begun to write an article for the magazine.
He also wrote the history of the Rizal Monument of Bais City, the life of Enrique Teves Villanueva political life ,Gov. Guillermo Zozimo Teves Villanueva and his war story and Post Office and Postal Stamp development of Dumaguete, Political History of Dumaguete it was presented in the Second Conference in the History of Dumaguete
Tourism
Larena is one of the first accredited Tour
Guide in Negros Island by the Department of Tourism 2001-2012, because of his
busy schedule 2013 to the present he is known as heritage and adventure Tour
guide .In 2015 he was one of the national finalist coming from Central Visayas for the Tourism Star
Philippines (TSP) in Tourism Education & Cultural Heritage.
Tourism Educator for 8 years in St. Paul
University Dumaguete and pioneering organizing committee in the First Annual
Provincial Tourism Month and Tourism Congress in 2008
Tourism Organization
Dumaguete City Tourism Council from 2001 to 2016.
Negros Island Tour Guide Association in the Philippines 2001 to
2006
Negros Oriental Tour Guide Association 2007 to the present
Negros Tour Guide Club 2008 to the Present
Tourism Achievement
Sandurot Festival King Winner -Nov 23,1993,Dumaguete Sandurot Festival
Miss Dumaguete Committee 2002 to 2009 Reception Committee &
Executive Committee
Dumaguete City Santa Cruzan Festival 2002 to 2006 Executive
Committee
Kabulakan Festival 2007 to 2011 Executive Committee
Charter Day Celebration Mass, Anniversary Dinner ,Arts & Crafts Bazaar Committee
2002 to 2015
Beautification Committee of the Jose Rizal Boulevard 2002 to
2015
Wow Philippines Dumaguete & Negros Oriental in Intramuros Manila Executive
Committee member 2003
Liason Officer of the Alameda- Dumaguete Sisterhood City Visited 2015
Bais-Pamilacan Dolphin & Whale Watching
Tour for boat operator & fishermen 2004-2005
Resource Person of the Basley Farmer Community
tour guiding Seminar June 2018 -DOT
Central Visayas
Resource Person of the Balanan & Twin Lakes
Sibulan Farmer Community tour guiding Seminar
Sept. 2017 -DOT Central Visayas
Resource Person :Community-Based Tour Guilding Training,LGU -Santa Catalina and the Province of Negros
Oriental thru Negros Oriental Tourism Office Dec 18-19,2024
Arts and Culture
Larena was part of so many endeavors in the field of Arts and Culture such as the Historical Marker committee with Jessica Layumas and Imelda Jaybee Flores Aquino Campañario ,City Hall and Jose Rizal Boulevard. One of the few delegates to the Instituto Cervantes de Manila in 2005 summer school. As a cultural Worker, he was chairman of the first-ever Handumanan sa Dumaguete photo exhibit to launch the celebration of the National Heritage Month in 2012. According to Penn Larena, chairperson of the Heritage Exhibit Committee, it is hoped that through the photos on exhibit until next week, people will learn to appreciate the glories of the past, as well as emulate the historical figures and personages who have helped develop Dumaguete to become what it is today, making a mark in public service, arts and culture,
good governance, civic involvement, religiosity, academe, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, business, and community endeavors.
Adapted from the Visayan word handumanan which means sweet remembrance, the vintage photos in the exhibit also include a commemoration of 25 years of the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco who run the St. Louis School-Don Bosco in Dumaguete, the Negros Revolution of 1898, past mayors of Dumaguete, and the centennial anniversary of the History and Political Science Department of Silliman University this year.
Arts and Culture Achievements
Heritage Exhibit LGU Booth Committee Buglasan Festival 2006 to 2014
Reception Committee 2nd International Rondalla
Festival
Delegate to the 2017 West Visayas Regional Museum Congress
Delegate to the 10th International Conference on Philippine
Studies in 2016
Delegate to the CCP Regional Dance Worshop in
2003 Dumaguete & Bacolod in 2005
Provincial Coordinator for Negros Oriental
National Indigenous People Month 2005
Lifetime member of Cebu Stamp Club Inc.
Delegate to the Festival Management Training
and Workshop 2011 & 2014
Organizing Committee and Lecture to the Second History of
Dumaguete Seminar 2015
Assistant Treasurer Dumaguete Festival &
Arts Festival Inc 2017 to the Present
Organizing Committee National Heritage Month
Celebration in Dumaguete in 2011 to 2015
Heritage Clean Up drive for Monument,Historical sites and Public
Plaza a projects with DUFAS, St. Paul University Dumaguete & History Class Sir Penn Larena since 2014 to
the Present.
Cultural Mapping of Bais City in 2017
CAB Centennial Committee 2017-2018
SPUD High School Centennial Celebration in 2017
History & Political Science Department
Centennial Executive Committee in 2012
Delegate to the National Heritage Summit 2016
Coordinator for SPUD Lutas X- Binisaya Negros Oriental Film Festival Aug 16,2018
Delegate to the NCCA Cultural Awareness Oct 2018
Coordinator of the cleanup and beautification of Dumaguete American Cemetery
Resource Speaker during the development of Bais City local Heritage Theme Matrix,Sept 30,2021
Coordinator of the Literary Night April 23,2022 partnership Negros Oriental Arts &Culture Office
Resource Speaker Heritage Forum Negros Oriental State University Nov 17,2023 ,NORSU Audio Video Room
Moderator of the Paulinian Arts Society since 2022 to the present
Moderator ,SPUD Paulinian Photographers Guild AY 2022-2023
Member of the 100 years Centennial Celebration of the Capitol building May 2024
Organizing Committee The Budbud Kabog Food Fair Reliving a Dumaguete Delicacy Sept 2024
Organizing Committee "Dulang Pinoy" DUFAS & Dumaguete Poblacion 4 Nov 9,2024
Regional Cultural Leadership Training /Workshop Dec 4-6,2024 Bohol
Family
Heritage Achievement
Secretary of the Pinili Clan & Pinili Cultural Educational Heritage Society 2014 to
the Present
Pinili Clan Family Tree Committee 2009 to the
Present
Youth Representative of the Villanueva Clan
Bais City from 1999 to 2005
Teves Clan Family Tree Book contributor
Coordinator of the Larena Clan of Bais City & San Jose16th Larena Clan Reunion Negros Oriental 2018.
Boy Scouting Life
Boy Scout History of Mr. Penn T.Larena Jr.
started as Kab and Junior Scout @ C.V.P.C now Negros Oriental State University
1987-1992 ,Senior Scout @ Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria 1992-1996, he was awarded a Presidential Merit Award for Scouting and Volunteerism in May 1996 from the COSCA President
Rover Scout of Silliman University Batch 1999, a full member from 1999 to 2001, and Paul Doltz Service Awardee in 1999. Merit
Badge Counsellor in 2018 ,he wrote several articles about Boy Scout
events, activities, and first person to write a short History of Boy Scouts in
Negros Oriental from 1920s to 2014. BSP member for the fiscal year 2018 to the present. Delegate to 2019 National Scouting Jamboree in Botolan Zambales .Rover Scout Larena also serves on the Board of Review for the BSP.
He is also the guest speaker of the 2020 and 2021 Philippine Independence Day celebration of the BSP Negros Oriental -Siquijor Council . Virtual Speaker of the National Scouting Kick-off of the local council .He is a recipient of the 2020 National Bronze Service Award and Silver Service Award in 2021 from the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
He was the former Outfit Adviser of the St. Paul University Scouting Troop for
the School Year 2022-2023
Literature
A Negrosanon Poet some of his works were influenced by family ,relatives and friends. Some of his works including Everlasting love 2001,Hacienda in 2013,Photograph 2014, Hometown 2015,Rizal 2016, The space between us 2018, Spanish
Bread of Jose Rafael 2018, Pretty Girl 2018 ,The lights 2019,The Room 2020 , Lockdown 2021, Memoir of Calle Tavera 2021 and Stranger of the midnight summer 2022.
2024 -French Kiss ,Passionate Sunset,Fellow Traveler ,Lalimar
He also wrote a short stories Hacienda de Monteclaro and The Fisherman
He is a nephew of Literary
icons in the Philippines like Msgr. Rudy Villanueva aka in literature Renato Madrid,
Dr. Elsa Martinez –
Coscolluela,Atty .David C. Martinez, Lilius Pinili,Dr. Tichie Saycon E. Baena ,Atty
Arturo Valencia Umbac, and Simon Anton Niño Diego Galera
Baena .
Vice chair Buglas Reading & Writers Club
Literature Review
Penn Larena's literary journey is a tapestry woven from personal
experiences, familial influences, and a deep connection to his community. As a
poet and storyteller, his works resonate with themes of love, heritage,
introspection, and the rich tapestry of life in Dumaguete and beyond.
Poetic Reflections on Life and Love
Penn's poetry reflects a profound sensitivity to human emotions and
relationships. Titles such as "Everlasting Love" (2001),
"Hometown" (2015), and "The Space Between Us" (2018) evoke
nostalgia and a sense of place, capturing the essence of belonging and longing.
These pieces often draw inspiration from his personal experiences and
connections with family, friends, and his community, resonating with readers
through their heartfelt sincerity and relatable themes.
Cultural and Historical Reverence
In "Rizal" (2016) and "Spanish Bread of Jose Rafael"
(2018), Penn pays homage to Philippine history and cultural heritage. These
poems celebrate figures and traditions that have shaped Filipino identity,
demonstrating his role not only as a poet but also as a custodian of cultural
memory. His ability to intertwine personal reflections with broader historical
narratives enriches his poetry, making it a poignant commentary on the
complexities of Filipino heritage and society.
Literary and Community Engagement
Beyond his poetic endeavors, Penn's influence extends to fostering literary
appreciation and community engagement. As Vice Chair of the Buglas Reading
& Writers Club and with publications such as "Diamond City" in
the Hutik Literary Journal (Bacolod City), he promotes local literary talent
and cultural dialogue. His role as a reading advocate underscores his
commitment to nurturing a vibrant literary community in Dumaguete and beyond,
bridging generations and genres through storytelling and creative expression.
|
Photo from St. Paul University |
Rizalian Life :A life of a Patriot and A knights of Rizal
In 2018
he has given a chance by St. Paul University Dumaguete to attend as a Delegate
to the National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute ( NRYLI) Date : Dec 8-13,2018 Venue : Teacher’s Camp Baguio
City.He was able to meet the knights of
Rizal like Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, Sir Mark Boado, Sir Lutz Garbo, Sir Ed Mesa,Prof.
Xiao Chua, Sir Jonathan Balsamo and Alexander Tabor Jordan from Laguna encouraged me to join the organization
of the brotherhood of the Knights of Rizal .
It was
the Visayas Regional Commander Farid L.
Baena,KCR calls him up to re-organized the knights of Rizal in Negros Oriental
to coordinate with Sir Charles Lelis Tuozo a medical student of Silliman
University and was an officer of the KOR Cebu City Chapter and Sir Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Crescencio C Tan Jr JAGS (RES) .The rest was
History.
Another
landmark of being a Rizalian educator he was sent to the CHED Faculty Training
for the Teaching of the new General
Education (GE) Rizal life ,and Works .from : Nov. 11,18,2017,Dec 2.9,2017, Jan
13,27,2018,Venue : University of San Jose-Recoletos. Sponsored: by the Commission
of Higher Education.
As
Rizaliana educator he was able to form a lecture series about the Patriotic
life of Jose Rizal at St. Paul University Dumaguete,Foundation University, La
Consolacion College Bais City, Demolay, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines .Since 2016 he was the moderator of community
activities in his Rizal Class feeding program, Storytelling among the children
in the barangay, Tree planting, school supply donations for public schools, coastal
clean-up, medical mission, value formation, and Heritage Clean Up Drive.
He was
elected to the position of the Knights of Rizal as Deputy Chapter Commander of
the Negros Oriental Chapter with the rank of Knights Officer of Rizal Medal due
to his service and dedication in 2020 he was recommended to exaltation to the
rank of Knights Commander of Rizal KCR .In the past two years and more than he
has been involved in the said organizations. He was active in the organization
activities such as the community pantry during the pandemic, National Heroes
Day ,Rizal Day,Rizal birthday Program and speaker during Rizal Forum in both
Public & Private Schools. He also supported the KOR Tanjay City Chapter in
all their endeavor like the pop art public exhibit ,Book donation, Leon Kilat
Day ,Art donation to camp Leon kilat, Freedom Breath program and Road Sign
program.
He
became the Chairperson of the Rizal Essay Writing Contest ( college students)
for the past 2 years in Negros Oriental by the Knight of Rizal .He produced two
Top Ten Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines Amzelle Diego Laspiñas (
2021) and Reynalene Ceynas ( 2018).
National Medal of Honor Awardee
Knight Grand Officer of Rizal (KGOR) 2024
Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR) 2022
Knight Officer of Rizal (KOR) 2021
Knight of Rizal (KR) 2021
Distinguished Service Medal 2023
Consumer Leader
Vice President CAI 2018-2025
Member 2011 to 2025
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