By Cyrus A. Natividad

Ma’am Lucy de la Fuente will surely be missed by Centralians and friends.

In remembering Lucy Lahaylahay de la Fuente, a beloved member of the CPU family, one of our best teachers in English, is to evoke the essence of a mother, a mentor, and a friend. Ma’am Lucy was like a mother to us. She was kind and patient as she conducts our class. We seem not to want to end our class with her. She loved to share with us examples and principles on how to live life to the fullest; how to enjoy life by sharing and serving others.

We cannot forget the valuable lessons that would always end up with a punchline. She would convey it to us with a sense of humor. She really cared for her students; feeding and providing us with tools on how to improve and move up.

She was also a loving mother to her nephews and nieces. Together with her husband, Mr. Johnny de la Fuente, they served Central Philippine University and the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches in various capacities. She was generous and sympathetic to a cause especially on the issue of peace and justice. She shared to us the pains of a mother with what happened to her sons, John and Edward — victims of atrocities during the Martial Law years.

At the time of the revival of the CPU Student Republic after the Martial Law, we saw a smile on her face because her son, Manuel “Mawe” de la Fuente became the President of the newly revived CPU Republic. She supported the return of all campus organizations. The campus had a different kind of buzz during those times.

We will also remember Ma’am Lucy as a great mentor, particularly in the subject of English. Apart from the valuable lessons we learned in writing, she also taught us about art appreciation and on how to transform the visual art into literary art. Many of us who have attended classes with her were fortunate to have developed the fundamentals of the art of journalism.

Ma’am Lucy was also friendly. She would stop and chat with anyone in the campus. The friendship that she had established brought a positive influence in the life of her friends. She would chat and exchange ideas on any topic under the sun.

She had involvements in the academe, church, and media among others. Ma’am Lucy was long – time adviser of the Centralite and the Central Echo. As a journalist, she wrote for other publications. She also hosted a radio program, and for some years before she retired, she was a co-host in the CPU TV program Eco-Forum with Engr. Aurora Lim and Engr. Jeriel Militar. She would sometimes join the late Rev. Edwin Lariza in the weekly show “Angtanay sa Katin-aran.”

Atty. Peter Irving C. Corvera, Chairman of the CPU Board of Trustees, described her in the following words,
“She was a well-loved professor of several generations of CPU students. She also served as a passionate and committed member of the CPU Corporation from 1993 to 2013, one among her numerous contributions to the institution that she so loved.

We will always remember her life and legacy which will continue to live on through her posterity and her students whose lives she had touched.”

In 1966, she finished her Bachelor of Theology at Central Philippine University. A year later, she graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in English also at CPU. Later, she finished her Master of Arts in English (Mass Communication) still at CPU. She started teaching at CPU in 1968, and at the same time worked as the Information Officer of the CPU Office of the Public Relations. She officially retired on August 1996. After that, she still helped CPU as a part-time teacher until 2002.

It may take so long to mention all her involvements and achievements, but Lucy de la Fuente is forever etched in our hearts and minds as a mother, a mentor, and a friend.

See you in the morning, Ma’am Lucy.