64. FELICISIMO ‘Mighty Mite’ H. AMPON: Tennis Giant, by Dr. Rey E. De La Cruz

(This original article is reposted here with permission from the author, Dr. Rey E. De La Cruz, via "Positively Filipino". Originally published in Filipinas Magazine, Oct. 2000. Photos courtesy of Lito Ampon)

Tennis, as we know it today, was developed from lawn tennis by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield of Wales in 1873., The sport is played outdoor on any of three surfaces: concrete, clay, and grass. Because it slows the speed and makes the ball bounce higher, the clay court is considered the most difficult surface on which to exercise power and control.

In the late 1930s, tennis seemed out of place in the Philippines. At the time, the country was still under American occupation. With its all-white color scheme, tennis was considered a colonial sport. It was also viewed as an elite sport; only the wealthy had the leisure time and money to indulge in the expensive game.

The social, racial, physical, and political barriers that surrounded the sport were broken by Felicisimo H. Ampon, who placed the Philippines on the world map of tennis and is thought of as the greatest Filipino tennis player, if not athlete, of all time. He is included in tennis literature, including Bud Collins’ Tennis Encyclopedia, the bible of the tennis world.

Who would have thought that a Filipino, standing just a shade above five feet tall and coming from the working class, would bring the tallest and strongest tennis players of the world to their knees and on clay courts at that?

Ampon’s height and build did not matter because he was difficult to vanquish on the tennis court. Sportswriters dubbed him “Mighty Atom,” “Brown Doll,” and “Giant Killer.” But he was more popularly known as “Mighty Mite,” a moniker given by Jimmy Lacsamana, sports editor of Manila Daily Bulletin during Ampon’s heyday.

Early Lessons

Ampon’s metamorphosis into a great tennis player did not happen by a miracle.

When he picked up a racket at age 12, he realized that tennis was not just a game, but an art that had to be constantly perfected.

His father, Felix, who was a self-taught tennis player and a national singles champion in the Philippines in 1931, encouraged him to play tennis primarily because it is an individualized sport. Ampon eventually fared better by himself, rather than on a team. Also, his father taught him how to turn his weaknesses into strengths.

In a 1979 interview with Go, a sports and leisure magazine in the Philippines, Ampon recounted how he learned to compensate for his small size: “My father taught me to use the power of my opponent. He knew as well as I did that I could not drive as hard and powerfully as many players. Thus, he told me to perfect my return shots and wear my opponent down.”

Tennis was a family affair. Ampon’s sister, Desideria, was a national tennis champion in her day.

Conquests and Challenges

The Manila-born-and-bred Ampon first garnered victory at 18 when he won the national tennis singles championship title in 1938.

During the period in Asia, the Japanese had the upper hand in tennis. But in 1940, at the Far Eastern Athletic Games in Tokyo, Ampon beat Fumiteru Nakano, the Japanese master of the clay court.

Except for a few times, Ampon was the winner of the national singles championship title in the Philippines for nearly three decades between 1938 to 1968.

Traveling extensively and participating in numerous competitions, Ampon played against the tennis aces of the world, including Pancho Gonzales, Jack Kramer, Bob Lutz, Bobby Riggs, Vic Seixas, and Tony Trabert of the United States; Rod Laver, Frank Sedgman, and Ken Rosewall of Australia; Jaroslav Drobny of Czechoslovakia; Lennart Bergelin of Sweden; and Manuel Santana of Spain.

 Ampon was a member of the Philippines’ Davis Cup team from 1939 to 1968. In 1948, he triumphed over Heraldo Weiss of Argentina in the All-England Plate of Wimbledon.

 His crowning glory came in 1950 at the Pan American Tennis Championship in Mexico, where 64 highly rated tennis players, including the top 10 tennis players in the world, competed. At the end of the tournament, when Ampon and six-foot Tom Brown of the United States were the only players left, the match turned into a veritable drama of a diminutive David fighting the giant Goliath.

 Victory Cup

Throughout the memorable match, which he won, Ampon controlled the clay court with remarkable agility. The championship established him as a world-class tennis player, “pound-for-pound or inch-for-inch” as described by the media at the time. Ampon came home to a hero’s welcome; immediately, he became a household name in the Philippines. Up to this day, the surname Ampon is synonymous with tennis.

Skills and Charm

What made Ampon a powerhouse on the tennis court?

 In Philippine Sports Greats, Henry Diy attributed Ampon’s genius to his “tricky placements, accurate anticipation of his opponent’s shots, and unsurpassed stamina.” On the way to the top of the game, Ampon had to hurdle major drawbacks. Richard Evans, author of The Davis Cup, described him as “a tiny master of his craft who stood little over five foot tall and weighed no more than a bamboo shoot.”

What was his allure on the tennis court, especially in the United States?

In the autography of Pancho Gonzales, entitled Man with a Racket, and as told to Cy Rice, it was pointed out that the generally fair-minded American audiences tended to root for pint-sized and underdog players like Ampon.

Although he accumulated at least 200 trophies in his lifetime, playing good tennis was Ampon’s only focus throughout his career.

“I couldn’t keep track of my father’s archives,” according to Lito, one of Ampon’s sons. “He competed with famous people, but he forgot many of them. He didn’t care about celebrities. All that mattered was his performance on the court.”

Royal Encounters

In 1948, while playing in Sweden, an elderly gentleman seated near the court repeatedly cheered for Ampon, shouting in English: “Nice going, young man! Keep it up!” Ampon felt glad that somebody spoke in a language that he understood. He acknowledged the gentleman’s cheers by smiling at him.

Later at a cocktail party given by the Swedish tennis committee, the gentleman shook hands with Ampon and said: “I congratulate you on your victory. I hope I shall be able to play tennis with you someday.”

“Thank you, sir. It will be a pleasure to play with you,” Ampon replied.

 They spoke briefly, and the gentleman excused himself.

 Ampon asked a member of the Swedish committee who the gentleman was. He was 88-year-old King Gustav V of Sweden!

 Also in 1948, Ampon’s Plate championship trophy at the Wimbledon was handed to him at the center court by no less than Queen Mary of England.

 Private Side

Ampon led a quiet life outside the tennis court. He coached tennis enthusiasts on the side. The Far Eastern University accounting graduate worked for Philippine National Bank as an officer. He was also sports director at one time. His last position was assistant manager of the bank’s branch in Chicago until 1985.

Ampon married Angeles Arceo of Batangas City, Batangas. They raised one daughter, Pet Mallari, who resides in the Philippines, and three sons, who are all in the United States.

 Family Man:

Tennis is clearly in the genes. In 1971, Ampon’s three sons swept all age categories at a competition sponsored by the Philippine Lawn Tennis Association: Felix II won in the 18-year-old-and-under group; Mel, 15-year-old-and-under; and Lito, 13-year-old-and-under.

Educated by Benedictines at San Beda University in Manila, the three sons excelled in tennis in grade school and high school. They graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, on tennis scholarships. Felix II works as an engineer in the Detroit area. Mel and Lito are tennis instructors at tennis clubs in the Chicago suburbs.

The senior Ampon spent his retirement years in Highland Park, Illinois. He is included in Estrella Ravelo Alamar and Willi Red Buhay’s book: Filipinos in Chicago. When not on the tennis court, he traveled and doted on his grandchildren.

Ampon died at 76. In an obituary on October 12, 1997, the Chicago Tribune described him as “a world-class tennis player whose short stature earned him the nickname ‘Mighty Mite’ … an ambassador for Philippine sports nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1968.”

His wife, Angeles, said, “He never forgot his beginnings.” Ampon was buried in the Philippines, the country that he elevated in the world of sports through his tennis prowess.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association cited Ampon as one of the greatest Filipino athletes of the 20th century in a ceremony held in January 2000.

 Because of his unsurpassed international triumphs, there is a campaign to have Ampon appear on a Philippine postage stamp. In a letter supporting the campaign, The Boston Globe columnist Bob Collins wrote: “Ampon was highly regarded by his peers on the circuit and correspondents covering the game as an unflinching competitor and exemplary sportsman.”

The author wishes to thank Dexjordi Lyle Sison for his assistance in the photos. Originally published in Filipinas Magazine in October 2000.

(POSTSCRIPT: Alex D.R. Castro extends his thanks to Dr. Rey de la Cruz for granting permission to re-post his article in this blog which aims to consolidate features and photos of our sports greats of yesteryears. His contribution is much appreciated)

46. Grappling for Glory: Judoka GERONIMO S. DYOGI, 1972 PH Olympian, Asian Judo Medalist

The Philippines sent its first judokas to compete in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and it took 8 years to send another contingent of 3, this time to the 1972 summer games in Munich. Of the three, GERONIMO Samonte DYOGI, was the most seasoned at age 23, and was also the best performing after their judo events, landing 12^th among over 20 judokas.

Nicknamed Ronnie, he was born on 20 July 1949 in Manila to Ramon Dyogi Sr. and the former Aurora Samonte. His father was a Philippine consular accountant, which allowed the family to travel. From age 6 to 12, he lived in Japan. Back then, the young Ronnie showed his athleticism, and took up the Japanese martial sports of judo. He trained at the famed trained Kodokan Institute in Tokyo, by judo founder Jigoro Kano in 1882. At age 15, he got  his first dan (first degree) black belt in Japan—and never looked back.

Returning to the Philippines as a young adult, he attended the Mapúa Institute of Technology, and continued to pursue the sport. He won third place in three Asian Judo Championships held in the Philippines (1966), Kaohsiung, Taiwan (1970), and Seoul,  South Korea (1974)

In 1969, Dyogi was the lone representative to the World Championships held in Mexico (5^th place), and also saw action at the 6^th World Championship in Ludwigshafen, West Germany  in 1971 (7^th place). The Summer Games of the 20^th Olympiad, scheduled on 5 Sep. 1972, opened up an opportunity for a token Philippine representation to the Judo events.

Geronimo, then already with Far Eastern University, along with Renato Repuyan of Meralco (Iighweight),  and Navy’s Fernando Garcia (light heavyweight). Welterweight Oscar Bautista was left out by the National Olympic Committee for lack of funds. Coach Peter Calibo, who frankly assessed that their chances of podium finishes were “slim”,  handled the overall training of the trio.

In April 1972, the judo team went to Los Baños to undergo a “special 8-days concentrated training” under the tutelage of Suzumi Oikawa, a member of the Japanese Peace Corps and a 3^rd dan. He was replaced by another Peace Corps member Toyoji Aoki, a 4^th dan, after he competed his stint in the country.

The Judo Team of Dyogi, Repuyan and Garcia joined the compact Philippine delegation of 53 athletes (48 men, 5 women) to Munich, West Germany in September 1972 for the biggest fights of their lives.

Competing in the welterweight division (now half-middleweight), Dyogi’s Olympic profile sheet describes him as 167 cm tall (5’6”) and weighing 70 kg. (154 pounds). He defeated Hong Kong’s Mok Cheuk Wing by “yuseigachi” (win by decision), but in his next match, he lost by a half-point (“ouchigari”, a foot technique throw) to Austria’s Gerold Jungwirth. He stood in joint 12^th place with 5 other judokas in a field of 28 athletes.

With the Olympics over, Ronnie put his competitive years behind to join his family who had immigrated to the United States. It was in San Francisco, California that he met his future wife, Evelyn. They got married in 1977, and put up his own car repair business to support their 2 daughters. He moved his family to Texas after he secured a job in the Public Works Division of the City of West University Place.

Geronimo Dyogi retired after 15 years of service and was accorded with many awards—including a recognition from the city for having an Olympian in its midst. The judo master passed away just 3 days after his 67^th birthday on 23 Jul. 2016 in Sugarland, Texas, bringing to a close the life of an athlete who so ably represented the country on the world’s major sporting stages.

It would take another 16 years before the Philippines would send again Filipino judokas to another Olympics—that held in Seoul in 1988. The three—Jerry Dino, John Baylon, and Benjamin McMurray were not expected to “slay” the competition in Korea, but their presence alone—much like their Munich predecessors Garcia, Repuyan and Dyogi-- embodies the credo of the Olympics: that even if victory is not achieved, it is the value of participation, of taking part in the pursuit of excellence that matters most.

SOURCES:

“The Philippine Performance”, The Filipino Athlete. Vol. XXV, Sep.-Oct. 1972,

“Judo”, The Sunday Times Magazine, 27 Aug. 1972

Judo in the Philippines, https://www.usadojo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/FMA-Special-Edition_Judo-Philippines.pdf

Obituary, Mr. Geronimo Ronnie Samonte Dyogi, Dignity Memorial,

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/stafford-tx/geronimo-dyogi-7023226

Asian Judo Championship Results 1966-2011, https://web.archive.org/web/20131023103335/http://www2.bbweb-arena.com/cozytoys/media/asia_judo_champions_eng.htm

Geronimo Dyogi, olympedia, https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/33687

22. Hurdler-Hero: MIGUEL S. WHITE: Lone Philippine Medalist,1936 Berlin Olympics

The Olympic Games in Berlin unfolded in Germany from Aug. 1-16, 1936. “Hitler’s Olympics” was used by the Nazi leader as a stage to prove the supremacy of the Aryan race. But this quickly unraveled when sprint sensation Jesse Owens, won 4 gold medals in quick succession, and Cornelius Johnson and David Albritton achieved a 1-2 finish in the high jump—all black Americans. Add to this, the extraordinary Bronze achievement of a Filipino-black American MIGUEL S. WHITE in the 400 m. hurdles; modest it may seem, his win was a statement of defiance against racism, from a small country in the Far East.

Of his beginnings, little is known about the Philippines’ greatest hurdler, MIGUEL SOLANO WHITE (b. 9 Oct. 1909/d. 20 Aug. 1942). Born to a black American father and a mother from Legazpi, Albay, Miguel may have filial ties with the political Solanos of Camalig. He was also believed to have spent his growing up years in Sagmin town.

White’s earliest recorded participation in a major meet was at the 1930 Far East Games in Shanghai. He may have already been a Philippine Scout under the U.S. Army at this point, as the army is known for its excellent sports program that has produced many Filipino athletes of international calibre.  At age 23, White won a Bronze Medal in the 400 m. flat race.

White began specializing in the Hurdles event, doing both 110 m. and 400 m. hurdles. On 21 May 1932, the qualifying trials for a slot in the Philippine Olympic team were held, and he was one of those shortlisted to compete. But, of the only 8 spots available, only one was reserved for a track and field athlete, which went to high jumper Simeon Toribio. This did not deter White at all, continuing his  focus on training for the next best thing—the so-called Oriental Olympics—the 1934 Far East Games of Manila.

Under the tutelage of coach Pedro Ablan, he competed in the preliminary rounds held in early April 1934, against the country’s best hurdlers at that era: Constantino Alhambra, Eliseo Dumaliang, Filomeno Lagasca, Carlos Atud and Jesus Roa. White topped the heat and, along with Alhambra, made it to the Far East team.

In the 400 m. finals held in the second week of May, White proved his superiority by winning Gold, registering a blistering time of 53 seconds, outrunning his teammate Constantino Alhambra (Silver) and Masao Ichihara of Japan (Bronze). He extended his winning streak in a June 1935 dual athletic meet held at the Meiji Shrine in Japan when he won the 400 m. Hurdles, the only Filipino to win top honors in an individual event.

By the time the 1936 Philippine trials for the 1936 Olympics came around in April, White was at his peak. He came out as the fastest qualifier of the 400 m. Hurdles event, with a time of 53.8 seconds.

Miguel Solano White was one of 31-man contingent from the Philippines when the 1936 Berlin Olympics opened on 1 Aug. 1936 under the watchful eyes of Chancellor Adolph Hitler. Three days later, White was in the Olympic stadium for the heats of the 400 m. Hurdles. He heralded his presence when he topped his heat in a very fast 53.4 seconds, with American W. Schofield in 2nd. White advanced to the finals

In the finals, the next day—6 finalists reported to the field: two Americans, Glenn Hardin and Joseph Patterson, John Loaring (Canada), Sylvio de Magalhaes Padilha (Brazil), Christos Mantikas (Greece) and Miguel White (Philippines). At the sound of the starting gun, Patterson led the runners, with Hardin, Loaring and White in hot pursuit.

Hardin caught the fading Patterson in the stretch and won by 4 yards at 52.4 secs., with Loaring just a breath away at 52.7 secs., pipping White who came in 3^rd at 52.8 secs.—just .1 from a Silver medal. The unprecedented Bronze was just the 2^nd athletic medal for the Philippines, and the number still stands to this day.

White had another chance to win a medal the next day, August 6, as he was also entered in the shorter 110 m. Hurdles. Running in the last heat, White had a bad start and fell while negotiating the second to the last hurdle. He was painfully injured, and withdrew from the race. It really didn’t matter, as by then, White had made history, and was recognized as an outstanding Olympic performer—the only Filipino to bring home a medal for the Philippines.

White came home a hero, and when things settled, the self-effacing corporal resumed his military duties at Fort McKinley. Other than invitations to run in some tournaments in the country, White seemed to have hung up his running shoes after the 1936 Olympiad, as not much was heard about him until the outbreak of World War II in the Philippines.

It will be recalled that the Philippine Scouts played a crucial role in defending the country from the entry of the Japanese into the country. The young lieutenant was called to service to hold the fort during the first wave of the Japanese invasion of  the Philippines. White went missing in action, but was later ruled to have been killed in action on 20 Aug. 1942. Just like Teofilo Yldefonso, Miguel White was another one of our Olympians to become another tragic casualty of a war.  He was yet to turn 33. 

SOURCES:

Abdon M. Balde Jr. ,“AN ALBAYANO WON A MEDAL IN HITLER’S 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS”.

David Wallechinsky, The Complete Book of the Olympics, “400-M. Hurdles”, Penguin Books, ©1988, p. 62

The Tribune Newspaper, various issues, 1932-1936: 30 May 1932 (Las Pruebas Olimpicas de Pista Mañana);  4 Apr. 1934 p.13: 16 June 1935, p.30 (“White Wins 400 M. Hurdles”); 21 Apr.1936, p. 7 (“Olympic Tryouts”; 4 Aug. 1936, p.1 “:White Placed 1^st in Heat”); 5 Aug. 1936, p. 6 (“Outstanding Olympic Performer”); 6 Aug. 1936,p. 6 (“White Painfully Injured”).

Graphic Magazine, 10 May 1934, 10th Far Eastern Games, pp. 28-36

Miguel S. White, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_White

 Official Program of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, vol. 1, LA Digital Collection

17. JOHNNY CIPRIANO AND BEN NAÑASCA: THE 1st FILIPINO WINTER OLYMPIANS

The mere idea of a warm weather nation like the Philippines sending a representative to the Winter Olympics seems unthinkable—no, make that impossible. But in 1972, the tropical country sent not one, but two Filipino skiers to compete in the Sapporo Games in Japan, a first for a snow-less, Southeast Asian country.

The distinction of being the first Filipino athletes to compete in Olympic winter sports belong to two teens and cousins JUAN “Johnny” CIPRIANO (b. 18 May 1952)  and JOSELITO BIEVENIDO “Ben” NAÑASCA (b. 29 Aug. 1954)  originally from a large family in Paco, Manila.

To alleviate their condition, their mothers agreed to an offer by a New Zealand family to adopt them in 1963. The boys tagged along with the couple who ended up living for a time in Europe, beginning in Andorra, where they learned to ski in the Pyrenees. 

They continued to ski even as they led peripatetic lives in Spain, France and Switzerland. By then, their skiing skills caught the attention of the Swiss government, which had started a program to promote their alpine skiing sports. Swiss officials saw their potential and offered to pay for their further training. It was suggested that the boys could qualify for the Olympics, representing the Philippines.

After 5 short years, that’s what the 2 boys actually accomplished—they got good enough to earn slots for the Philippines in the 1972 Winter Olympics. The country was thrilled at their representation that huge billboards of them were put up during their short visit en route to Japan, surprising even the two. They created quite a sensation in the international media when the pair arrived in Sapporo.The New Zealand Herald noted that, “to be a Filipino skier is something rare in a country which keenly follows basketball and boxing.”

The Sapporo Games opened on 3 Feb. 1972. 17 year old Nañasca and 19-going-20  Cipriano strode into the snow-covered auditorium behind an unlikely flag bearer, actor Luis Gonzales, who, at that time, was shooting a Nora Aunor-Tirso Cruz II film set in Japan. Since there was no other delegate and no Philippine winter sports association, Gonzales was asked to carry the flag’s colors.

The young Filipinos were entered in the alpine events (downhill, slalom and giant slalom). Nañasca placed 42^nd among 48 finishers in the giant slalom, timing in after 2 runs in 4:06.20. The top 3 medals were won by European standouts, the gold going to world champion Gustavo Thoeni. However, he did not finish in the slalom event.  

Cipriano, still nursing a broken kneecap sustained in an accident in St. Moritz shortly before the Olympiad, saw action in the alpine events (slalom, giant slalom) but did not finish. Though their Olympic campaign was not productive, they made news worldwide, and continued to pursue their skiing passion.

After the Olympics, Nañasca had a brief homecoming to the Philippines before returning to New Zealand. The two were the toast of the country, and the movie “Winter Holiday”--where they appeared in cameo roles was released, boosting their sudden national fame.

They made news again just a few months after the Olympics, when they joined the Ruapehu Regional Championships where Nañasca ruled the giant slalom, besting a formidable field of European and Japanese skiers. Johnny Cipriano, on the other hand, finished second in the event.

They would go on to rock the skiing circle “down under”, by competing in eight races in Australia, consistently placing in the first 25 places. After funding problems put an end to their Philippine representation, Nañasca joined the New Zealand ski team when he became a citizen.

He hanged up his ski boots to begin training as a teacher. After a year of teaching, he found a job opening at Youthtown, a non-profit Kiwi organization founded in 1932, that helps support and develop young people through outdoor sports and activities. He joined Youthtown in 1985 where he organized outdoor camps and designed events and sports programs. He has been connected with Youthtown as an Outdoor Instructor for over 40 years, inspiring young people to be the best they can be.

Nañasca is a father of  two talented athletes of the artistic kind. His 2 daughters with his Dumaguete-born wife Florence-- Karen and Alana—are accomplished ballet dancers.  Karen is a member of the Melbourne-based Australian Ballet Company. On the other hand, his cousin Johnny Cipriano has shunned the limelight, and has pretty much disappeared from the sport scene.

The two Olympians who pre-dated the “Cool Runnings” bobsled team of Jamaica by 16 years, are largely unknown today in the Philippines. But their historic participation in the Winter Olympics blazed the trail for others to follow—like luger Raymond Ocampo, figure skater Michael Martinez, alpine skier Asa Miller-- who dared to engage in a sport most unexpected for Filipinos, performing it to the level of Olympic excellence for all the world to see. #philippineathletes  #philippinealpine sports #philippineolympians #1972sapporowinterolympics #philippinesportsallstars

SOURCES:

The Filipino Athlete., Summing Up the 1972 Munich Olympics,

Healy, Catherine (16 August 2012). "Olympian part of Youthtown history". Fairfax New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 3 October 2017.

 LAD84 Digital Collection, Official Report of the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, publihsed 1973

Former Olympic skier on 40 years helping Kiwi youth thrive, 26 May 2023, https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/05/26/former-olympic-skier-on-40-years-helping-kiwi-youth-thrive/

14. THE FIRST MR. PHILIPPINES 1926: JOSE MARIA BARREDO

In the 1926 edition of the Manila Carnival, it was announced that aside from the regular search for the Manila Carnival Queen, another beauty will be chosen with the first ever title of “Miss Philippines”. To complement the crowning of the first Miss Philippines won by Anita Noble of Batangas, a contest was  held by Carnival authorities to look for “the most perfect Filipino”, that is, “Mr. Philippines”, via a Physical Development Contest.

“The Most Perfect Filipino”.

An unprecedented number of contestants came forward—all 45 of them, and in the end, a 19-year old engineering student of the University of the Philippines was elected as the 1^st Mr. Philippines—JOSE MARIA BARREDO of Manila. Jose’s  muscled and toned body impressed the judges, for he was largely self-taught, learning from physical culture magazines, reading barbell instruction manuals, and engaging in all kinds of sports.

The son of Don Fausto Alonso Barredo of Manila and Carmen Seoane Fargas of Zamboanga, Jose Maria Barredo (b. ca. 1907) was to wealth and privilege born. His father was a successful business magnate who operated Malate Garage and Auto Repair Shop, the largest institution of its kind in the Philippines, and owned a taxi and car rental company that serviced the Manila insular government. It was said that Mr. Barredo owned half of Malate, with his real estate property consisting of 25 buildings in that district alone. These allowed the Barredo siblings, Manuel, Eduardo, Jose Maria and Carmen, to enroll in the country’s best schools.

A Sports Jock Rocks the School!

The young Jose had always loved sports and the great outdoors. His first love was Tennis,  but in La Salle College, he took up football in his intermediate grades. When he transferred to the University High School in 1920, he became a member of the prize-winning basketball team.

At age 17, he started reading about he lives and works of great athletes like the late Eugene Sandow, Liederman and Strongfort. This inspired him to study physical culture, by following the regimen shared by these strong men  and even reading the manuals of the Milo Barbells company.

In 6 months, his bodybuilding yielded great results merely from barbell exercises. He could lift and jerk 120 pounds overhead with one hand and snatch 85 with one hand-- more that the average Filipino can do.

At the University, Barredo developed his all-around athletic prowess even more. In 1921, Barredo became the Junior Singles National Champion in tennis, which he held for 3 straight years. He joined UP’s Unit One swimming squad that emerged as intramural champions.  While there, he dabbled in wrestling and boxing. He also joined the football, basketball, and the university’s gymnastic team, these, while pursuing bodybuilding—which had become his more regular interest.

In his case, Barredo avers that he finds it more healthful to exercise early in the morning before breakfast. Except when he has burnt the midnight oil on account of a quiz the following morning, he exercised every day.

Beefcakes at the Carnival

Known to friends as a bashful young man not given to boasting, it was a surprise that Barredo agreed to participate in the Physical Development Contest at the 1926 Manila Carnival. The physique contest required him to show off his well-sculpted body, along with other muscled beefcakes from every part of the archipelago. In the final judging, it was Barredo who stood out and named Mr. Philippines, and the tale of the tape told it all.

Tipping the scales at 140 pounds, Barredo was all muscles—from his pecs and chest that could expand out to a girth of 41 ½ inches, biceps of almost 15 inches, rock-hard abdominals, 22 inch thighs, a waist of just 27 ½ inches, all packed in his 5’5 ½ feet frame.

It also helped that Barredo, with his mestizo features, was an audience favorite. Within the last few days of his proclamation as “Mr. Philippines”, he received hundreds of congratulatory letters, many coming from young ladies, known and unknown to the “famous strong man”. Although not altogether displeased, Barredo said “he was not that strong for that kind of stuff”. But he added:  “Of course, every great undertaking is inspired by an outside force”.

Beauty and Brawn, Muscle and Music

Barredo earned a Civil Engineering degree from the U.P. and became a contractor. One of his first projects was the Jesuit novitiate in Novaliches. He was also named Assistant Manager of his father’s many enterprises.

At another Carnival edition, he met Isabel delos Reyes, daughter of Isabelo delos Reyes, nationalist, politician, writer, and labor activist. She had been a princess (“dama de honor”) in the court of the 1929 Carnival Queen, Pacita delos Reyes, but resigned her title over the objections of St. Therese's College nuns.   The two would eventually get married on 7 June 1930. They made  their home on Dakota St., in Malate, with their 2 sons.

Barredo forayed into classical music in his mid 20s, drawn to musical theater and the operas. With his fine yet forceful tenor voice, he was cast as the captain of the guards in Giuseppe Verdi’s opus , “Aida”, that was locally staged  in 1933 at the Manila Grand Opera House, and presented by the Manila Chamber Music Society. The opera was a big hit and would be restaged in 1938 with the same cast.

The Manila Musical Guild, of which he was a founding member, often hosted monthly concerts at the Barredo home. Up until the coming of the war, Barredo sang in charity events, radio shows and performed in operas like “Cavalleria Rusticana” (1935) and “Il Trovatore” (1939).

Barredo resided much of his life in Malate and became an active member of the Rotary Club in the 1970s, where he would lead sing-alongs with the the members and the community.  His niece, Carmen Johnson Barredo, popularly known as Baby Barredo, is the co-founder of Repertory Philippines, producer of stage luminaries like Monique Wilson and Lea Salonga.

SOURCES:

Jose P. Bautista, “Introducing Mr. Philippines”, The  Sunday Tribune, 14 Feb. 1926, p. 7

“Malate Garage, Taxicab Company, Keeps Pace with Times” The Tribune, 9 Feb. 1933, p. 9

“Aida” 1933 Playbill and Program, by the Manila Music Chamber Music Society,

Familysearch.org