Segundo Matias Jr., Master Storyteller
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Segundo Matias, Jr.'s boundless energy and creativity can't be locked down. (Photo courtesy of Segundo Matias, Jr.)
In Lubao, Pampanga, where he grew up, he and his playmates ran wild, ran free. “I can still smell the earth, breathe the fresh air, and touch the clear water of the river,” he recalls. He showed his leadership skills early on. Pretending to be a movie director, he would assign roles to his playmates, and they would make a story together.
Oral stories abound in Lubao. Matias’s father, who was a World War II veteran, recalled the hardships and tragedies that people endured under the Japanese. And outdoors when the moon was shining and the stars were twinkling, Matias would be mesmerized by elders’ gamut of stories, from town gossip to folklore.
And it is folklore that Matias explores and updates in his novel, Moymoy Lulumboy. Fantastically illustrated by Jomike Tejido, it has become a series. In the Philippines, mythical creatures include beasts, monsters, and enchanted beings. Aswang is an evil character that can assume different forms, usually victimizing pregnant women during the night. In Matias’ creation, Moymoy Lulumboy is an aswang, but a good one. He still assumes different forms, but Matias has humanized him, for example, by making him an asthmatic, cry, and fall in love. He is considered a hero by other mythical creatures, who are also good natured.
Moymoy Lulumboy is a friendly Pinoy monster. (Illustrations by Jomike Tejido)
Freeing Mythical Creatures
Why change a folklore? “Philippine mythical creatures are basically considered evil,” he replies. “It’s about time that they were emancipated, so they could be portrayed positively.”
Matias took a chance and has succeeded. Moymoy Lulumboy has been through the stages of life. He is born in Book 1; he is now16 years old in Book 6. Young adults ages 12 to 18 can’t get enough of Moymoy Lulumboy. When Matias makes public appearances, students ask him when will he write the next book. They also ask details about certain characters.
Matias continues to strive for literary excellence. He has won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, the Philippines’ most prestigious literary award, three times for teleplay, children’s story, and essay, respectively.
Not resting on his laurels, Matias wrote another young-adult novel, which served as his master’s thesis in creative writing at the University of the Philippines: Mga Batang Poz. The term poz is short for a person who is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive.
In the novel, four teenagers who are HIV positive search for a missing friend, who is also HIV positive. It takes a genius like Matias to capture teenage language and its rhythm, as well as teenage feelings, concerns, and confusion in the face of a lethal virus.
In researching for the novel, Matias found that the Philippines has the highest number of HIV cases in Southeast Asia. (As of this writing, the Philippines has the most HIV cases in Asia.) “Most cases involve males having sex with other males,” he explains. “And social media is a contributing factor because it facilitates communication and connection.” Accordingly, there was an urgency for him to finish and publish the novel.
Segundo Matias Jr.'s author visits make him popular among teachers and students. (Photo courtesy of Segundo Matias, Jr.)
Instant Hit
Mga Batang Poz was an instant hit! It has become a digital series for streaming. Matias is donating his entire royalty rights to a nongovernment organization for HIV-AIDs awareness.
A broadcast graduate of Centro Escolar University, Matias started as a scriptwriter for films and television. For scripts to be salable, especially in films, he learned that they must have the formulaic elements of action, drama, and sex. That knowledge of popular tastes led him to the world of publishing. In 1991, he established Precious Pages Corporation, which focuses on Tagalog and Taglish romance novels. The imprint Precious Hearts Romances is so successful that 50 titles are published monthly, and it has its own bookstores. The fans are nationwide, and they are involved in contests, workshops, and conferences.
In 2000, Matias established Lampara Publishing House, Inc., which specializes in story books, coloring book, and other activity books. The imprint Lampara is for children’s books, which are usually in Tagalog and English for a wider market. When Rene Villanueva, who was a major author of children’s literature, passed away, Matias stepped in and wrote countless number of children’s books. What is his favorite? “None, I love all of them!” he answers. “Each children’s book I wrote has its own identity and message.”
Children’s books opened a wider door for Matias: He is the storyteller on the television show, Kuwento ni Kuya Jun, on the Knowledge Channel. He reads aloud stories. With the help of graphics and animation, his storytelling is seemingly individualized, that is, directly addressed to one child.
Because reading and writing go hand in hand, Segundo Matias, Jr.’s advocacy is literacy. To be a good writer, one needs to be compassionate to have a true message. He is also well aware of his responsibility to change the world. As such, every word, every letter, every punctuation mark he writes is important to him!
Lockdown
Right after the lockdown, Segundo Matias, Jr. moved quickly. To help keep people busy at home, he offered e-Books of Precious Hearts Romances for downloading gratis. He announced an online writing contest and workshop. And to check on what other artists are doing during the stay-at-home order, he established a livestreaming show: Lock ‘n Roll. And it has since become viral!
Watching the show is pure delight! At the beginning, Matias wears a black face mask. He then takes it off with bravura, reminding people to wear face masks for their safety. Lively and spontaneous, his bubbly personality comes out when he talks to his guests, who are mostly writers. Being a writer himself, he asks intelligent questions, like on the process of writing, which is useful especially for people who want to be writers or better writers. The atmosphere is jolly. People are smiling and laughing. And the chat box is busy with viewers’ comments. Other topics that have been covered include LGBTQ, how to encourage reading, and mothers who are authors of children’s books.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer praised the show for sharing important information with the public. By popular demand, Matias has increased the frequency of the show.
Thumbs-up to Segundo Matias, Jr.! What next? A TV talk show when times get better? Knowing him, he’ll take one show at a time. But you can rest assured that it will the best show ever.
To watch Lock ‘n Roll:
https://www.facebook.com/segundo.matias.3
Segundo Matias, Jr. can be reached at segundo_matias2@yahoo.com.
***Videos follow
Book Trailer:
Moymoy Lulumboy Interview:
Mga Batang Poz Introduction:
Rey E. da la Cruz
Rey E. de la Cruz, Ed.D., Positively Filipino correspondent, writes from Chicagoland when he is not loving the arts and traveling in seven continents. He is the author of the children’s book, Ballesteros on My Mind: My Hometown in the Philippines, which also has Ilocano, Spanish, and Tagalog editions, four songs, and a film. His baby book and fourth-grade Tagalog diary are in the collection of The Newberry, an independent research library for the humanities in Chicago.
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