Ex-Silliman president’s wife dies; 87

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Pearl Gamboa Doromal, wife of former Silliman University president and former Philippine Commission on Good Government Commissioner Quintin Doromal, died in her home at Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City early Sunday.

She was 87.

A mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, Pearl was a poet and book author. She was editor of “Sands and Corals,” the literary journal of Silliman University’s creative writing program.

She was also a member of the Concerned Women of the Philippines and Friends of PGH and performed in plays at Repertory Philippines.

Pearl was the daughter of the late Melquiades Gamboa—former Philippine ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, Washington and India—and Tina Jensen Gamboa.

Her husband Quintin died in a vehicular accident last year.

Melanie Grace “Meg” Doromal said her mother got up past 5 a.m. Sunday morning and had great difficulty breathing. Meg said her mother passed away in her arms.

“I knew deep in my heart that she had gone to the Lord,” Meg said. But she still waited for a medical team to try to revive her mother who was officially declared dead at 5:50 a.m.

“She was not ill prior to that (her death). It was so sudden,” Meg said. In fact, Meg said she and her mother went out to dinner with friends on Saturday night.

She said her mother appeared to be short of breath so they went to a medical clinic in Alabang where, after a checkup, she was cleared to go home.

She said her mother watched the news, read the Bible and her Daily Bread inspirational readings, and said her prayers before going to bed.

A little past 5 a.m. on Sunday, she woke up and had difficulty breathing.

“Hard as it may be to lose my mom, I submit to the Lord’s plan,” Meg said.

Her body lies at the Cosmopolitan Church on Taft Avenue, Manila.

Her son David said his mother would be cremated later this week and would be buried at Manila Memorial Park on Saturday.

She is also survived by her two other children Quintin Jr. and Norman.