challenge, of course. In that exam we learned a new poem: we were not simply throwing back to the teacher what we already knew. Mr. Cecilio made us cry and made us laugh, but he did not terrorize or intimidate us. He only wanted to instill in us a love of learning that many a teacher these days cannot seem to impart with some success. The inevitable day came when Mr. Cecilio told us he was leaving the Xavier high school for another work other than teaching. Of course, we could not understand why he wanted to leave us. I could not figure it out myself: I felt he was aban- doning us, betraying us even. We were close to tears when he bade us farewell, because we were losing a dear and precious teacher who acquainted us with the beauty of words and the magic of reading.
Mr. Cecilio made us cry and made us laugh, but he did not terrorize or intimidate us. He only wanted to instill in us a love of learning.
The next time I saw him again was about three decades later, when he came to see me in the office of arts and sciences of the Xavier University, where I was dean. He did not remember me. I had to remind him I was his student in Xavier high school back in 1976. I further reminded him of the bright days I had with him as my teacher and how grateful and proud I was to be under his tutelage. He told me he was back to teaching, in the Corpus Christi School in Cagayan de Oro City, and with
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