Memories of Serge
By Fr. Edgar S. Saguinsin
Could I be one of them? As I watched Serge laid in his grace, I have to say, I felt a level of pride. It was I who recruited him to join the labor union! Serge stood head the shoulder over the crowd of union members and officers as the most inspiring of them all! His story hints that this man might be a saint even though a controversial one.
Looking back I recall my conversation with Serge in 1973 at the Catholic Church rectory of La Carlota City where I was the parish priest. We talked about the plight of the sugar workers. It was not hard to convince Serge that one of the most effective ways of helping to improve the economic and social conditions of the sugar workers in Negros was to organize even under Martial Law. But we needed qualified labor union organizers, I told him, “I wonder if I could be one” Serge said. That remark started the history of Serge’s involvement with the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW). We agreed that he would apply as an organizers and I would sponsor him.