Economist, writer Hilarion Henares Jr.; 100

Longtime Inquirer columnist Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr. —Inquirer photo

MANILA, Philippines — A Renaissance man who was a cold “kilabot (terror) to crazy politicos and abusive bureaucrats” but known to his comrades for his warmth, insight, and sharp humor was how friends and colleagues remember longtime Inquirer columnist Hilarion Henares Jr., fondly called “Larry,” who died on Dec. 14 at the age of 100.

Henares wrote a regular column called “Make My Day,” which was later compiled into a two-volume book of the same name. He also had a TV and radio show of the same name.

Esteemed public figures paid homage to Henares on Saturday, the final night of his wake at the Heritage Park in Taguig City.

Among them was former Inquirer columnist Belinda Olivares-Cunanan, who was dubbed his “frenemy” and had conflicting opinions with Henares on political issues.

In a handwritten note sent to the Henares family, Cunanan said: “It is tough to think of Larry Henares for he is truly larger than life. He dominated any gathering where he was invited, and pretty soon, his hellish laughter would be heard reverberating everywhere.”

The veteran journalist continued, “It is hard to think of Larry gone but beyond the hellish [laughter] was an encyclopedic mind that could tackle any subject at all times. He had a profound mind that would leave his readers awed. The combination of wit and humor left his readers in awe.”

Cunanan, who could not attend the necrological tribute, also shared parts of her Facebook post in 2022, when she bumped into Henares at a restaurant: “It’s been a few years since I last saw Larry Henares, but the sense of humor and irony hasn’t dulled at all.”

“He still dishes out that devilish laugh that used to scare politicos whom he makes merciless fun of as only he could with his sardonic wit and fantastic command of the Queen’s English,” she went on.

Larry’s wish

According to one of Henares’ daughters, Rosanna, it was her father’s wish to “find Cunanan and ask her to give a eulogy when [my] time came up.”

Recalling her conversation with his father, Rosanna shared: “He had that long smile, and he said, ‘I wish I could hear it—Bel being forced to say something nice about me. Woohoo! I get the last laugh!’ And he laughed so hard and he was slapping his knee.”

Rosanna also noted how his father and Cunanan—who were contemporaries in the Inquirer—would often debate in their respective columns “to the sheer entertainment of their readers.”

“My father loved a good debate. He would never back out of one because it was an opportunity to sharpen his wit,” she said.

For Philippine Red Cross chair and former Sen. Richard Gordon, Henares was “sui generis,” or a class of his own, and was a “formidable” man who had a great command of the language as shown by his fiery opinion pieces.

“I think we should be proud that during our time, we were exposed to a man who was lofty,” Gordon said in his tribute speech.

He deemed Henares as a “firebrand” and who was “fiery and direct” when he spoke his mind.

Gordon fondly remembered a banter where Henares called him a “machine gun mouth” for “talking too fast.” To this, the former senator retorted, “Larry, no. I don’t talk too fast; you just think too slow.”

He also lauded Henares for being a “different kind of politician who stood his ground.” The economist who often espoused nationalism pushed for a “Filipino first” policy.

Henares wanted local businesses to “stand up on their own and get the job done,” Gordon said.

Economic council chief

Henares served as chair of the National Economic Council (the forerunner of the National Economic and Development Authority) under President Diosdado Macapagal. Decades later, he became a special economic adviser to Presidents Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Former Sen. Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III called Henares “hilariously funny,” who even in his twilight years was “still sharp, with his sense of humor intact.”

He said Henares once threw a pie in his face, which soured their relationship, but “you can’t stay mad at Larry for long. [He’s] an amiable guy.”

But juxtaposed with this comical side of Henares was his being a true Renaissance man with his long list of achievements, Osmeña said, noting that at the young age of 25, he was already a dean of two graduate schools—the Lyceum of the Philippines University and Feati University.

“He had taught me so much in his lifetime. And we all know he loved his country. And for all that, he should be called a statesman,” Osmeña said. “He will really be remembered for bringing life and laughter into our lives.

Henares is survived by his six children, Ronnie, Atom, Elvira, Danby, Juno, and Rosanna.