Josefino " Penn" Tulabing Larena Jr. Cultural & Heritage Advocate and Artist

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

DATE OF BIRTH: July 9

PROMINENCE: Arts & Culture, Civic Affairs and Consumerism 

 BIRTH PLACE: Camanjac ,Dumaguete City ,Negros Oriental 

 Hometown ADDRESS: Prado de  Tavera St.Barangay Dos Bais City

 BIOGRAPHY

Josefino Tulabing Larena Jr. (born 1979) Nickname Penn is a Historian,cultural worker, travel and lifestyle writer, educator, civic leader, Poet, Knights of Rizal, farmer, tour guide, cultural worker, consumer leader, and Heritage advocate. He is known in Dumaguete City for his community involvement as a member of the Dumaguete City Tourism Council from 2001 to 2016. Consumerism activities with CAI –Consumers Advocate Inc & currently the Vice President with the partnership of the Department of Trade and Industry. One of the Founding members of the Dumaguete City Festival & Arts Society Inc. and Order of the Knights of Rizal Negros Oriental Chapter

National Jamboree in Zambales in Dec 2019

Order of the Knights of Rizal Negros Oriental Chapter

Culutral Mapping Team of Dumaguete City 2020

Dumaguete Festival & Arts Society Members 

Family Background

 Larena Jr. the youngest son of Josefino Villanueva Larena Sr. a Sugar Planter, Softdrink Sales Man, and Punong Barangay of Barangay Sra. Acion,San Jose Negros Oriental ( 20 years ) and Leonaga Hermoso Tulabing a registered nurse, government school nurse ( 28 years), and after her retirement she was into farming sugar cane, coconut, and rental spaces. The mother is a Poet, he experienced a diverse religious upbringing came from an Ecumenism family the father is Protestant and the Mother is Roman Catholic.

Parents : Ganda Hermoso Tulabing Larena AND Pino Villanueva Larena

  Family Heritage

David Rubio Larena Sr. his grandfather was a famous Vice Mayor and town councilor of Sibulan Negros Oriental youngest son of the first civil Governor of Negros Oriental Demetrio Larena,Godson of David and Laura Hibbard Founders of Silliman University and Josefina Villacampa Rubio from landed Somoza, Pastrano & Rubio Clan of Bais City, His grandmother Florenda Baena Villanueva is the second daughter of the late Governor Enrique Teves Villanueva and Francisca Gomez Baena of Bais City and member of the biggest Clan of Dumaguete and Bais Pinili, Teves and Villamil Clan.

Mother side he is the grandson of Leoncio Burquiran Tulabing a Public school Teacher, School Principal, District Supervisor, and Social Sciences & Math Professor , a native of Sta. Cruz “Old Palanas “ Tanjay City. His grandfather is the son of Simplicio Tulabing of Palanas ,Ginatilan Cebu married to Chinese-Spanish mestizo Francisca Torres Burquiran a budbud maker a town popular native delicacy they called it ” budbud de Tanjay”. His grandmother Agapita J. Hermoso Tulabing of Puan in the historic town of Vallehermoso and descendants of famous Negrense Heroes Don Deigo de la Viña, Pantaleon ” Leon Kilat” Villegas, and Don Ciriaco Ollades .

        Family Historian  Penn T. Larena  with cousins,apo, relatives  Villanueva Clan of Bais City

                                                       Larena fAMILY in Dumaguete City

                                                          Pinili Clan in Negros Oriental

        Fellow Educators and Fellow Baisanons Dr. Myrna Singco Aldeon,Dr. Tichie Ann E. Baena 

        and Prof. Camilo Pangan Jr.

Educational Background 

 Larena studied Elementary education ( Laboratory School)at Negros Oriental State University former CVPC ( 1986-1992 ), secondary education at Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria ( COSCA) Batch 1996.Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science 2000-2001 in Silliman University (Dumaguete City, Philippines) where he graduated with a Certificate in Philippine Studies. Masters of Arts in History 30 unites earned from Negros Oriental State University and Master in Public Administration degree in 2011 from St. Paul University in Dumaguete and Certificate in Professional Education 2015 at the same University. Post Graduate studies in Public Administration ongoing

Arts and Culture Larena was part of so many endeavors in the field of Arts and Culture such as the Historical Marker committee with Jessica Layumas and Imelda Jaybee Flores Aquino Campañario ,City Hall and Jose Rizal Boulevard. One of the few delegates to the Instituto Cervantes de Manila in 2005 summer school. As a cultural Worker, he was chairman of the first-ever Handumanan sa Dumaguete photo exhibit to launch the celebration of the National Heritage Month in 2012. According to Penn Larena, chairperson of the Heritage Exhibit Committee, it is hoped that through the photos on exhibit until next week, people will learn to appreciate the glories of the past, as well as emulate the historical figures and personages who have helped develop Dumaguete to become what it is today, making a mark in public service, arts and culture, good governance, civic involvement, religiosity, academe, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, business, and community endeavors. Adapted from the Visayan word handumanan which means sweet remembrance, the vintage photos in the exhibit also include a commemoration of 25 years of the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco who run the St. Louis School-Don Bosco in Dumaguete, the Negros Revolution of 1898, past mayors of Dumaguete, and the centennial anniversary of the History and Political Science Department of Silliman University this year.

Arts and Culture Achievements Heritage Exhibit LGU Booth Committee Buglasan Festival 2006 to 2014 Reception Committee 2nd International Rondalla Festival Delegate to the 2017 West Visayas Regional Museum Congress Delegate to the 10th International Conference on Philippine Studies in 2016 Delegate to the CCP Regional Dance Worshop in 2003 Dumaguete & Bacolod in 2005 Provincial Coordinator for Negros Oriental National Indigenous People Month 2005 Lifetime member of Cebu Stamp Club Inc. Delegate to the Festival Management Training and Workshop 2011 & 2014 Organizing Committee and Lecture to the Second History of Dumaguete Seminar 2015 Assistant Treasurer Dumaguete Festival & Arts Festival Inc 2017 to the Present Organizing Committee National Heritage Month Celebration in Dumaguete in 2011 to 2015 Heritage Clean Up drive for Monument,Historical sites and Public Plaza a projects with DUFAS, St. Paul University Dumaguete & History Class Sir Penn Larena since 2014 to the Present. Cultural Mapping of Bais City in 2017 CAB Centennial Committee 2017-2018 SPUD High School Centennial Celebration in 2017 History & Political Science Department Centennial Executive Committee in 2012 Delegate to the National Heritage Summit 2016 Coordinator for SPUD Lutas X- Binisaya Negros Oriental Film Festival Aug 16,2018 Delegrate to the NCCA Cultural Awareness Oct 2018

Penn T. Larena and Writer Jessica D. Layumas

Family Heritage Achievement 

 Secretary of the Pinili Clan & Pinili Cultural Educational Heritage Society 2014 to the Present Pinili Clan Family Tree Committee 2009 to the Present Youth Representative of the Villanueva Clan Bais City from 1999 to 2005 Teves Clan Family Tree Book contributor Coordinator of the Larena Clan of Bais City & San Jose16th Larena Clan Reunion Negros Oriental 2018.

Boy Scouting Life Boy Scout History of Mr. Penn T.Larena Jr. started as Kab and Junior Scout @ C.V.P.C now Negros Oriental State University 1987-1992 ,Senior Scout @ Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria 1992-1996 with venturer rank , Rover Scout of Silliman University Batch 1999, full member from 1999- 2001.Merit Badge Counsellor in 2018 ,he wrote several article about Boy Scout events,activities and first person to write a short History of Boy Scouts in Negros Oriental from 1920s to 2014. BSP member for the fiscal year 2018 to 2020. Delegate to 2019 National Scouting Jamboree in Botolan Zambales

Literature A Baisanon Poet some of his works influenced by family ,relatives and friends.Some of his works including Everlasting love in 2001 Hacienda in 2013, Hometown 2015,Rizal 2016, The space between us 2018 Spanish Bread of Jose Rafael 2018 , Pretty Girl 2018 and The room in 2020. He is a nephew of Literary icons in the Philippines like Fr. Rudy Villanueva aka in literature Renato Madrid, Dr. Elsa Martinez – Coscolluela,Atty .David C. Martinez, Lilius Pinili,Dr. Tichie Saycon E. Baena ,Atty Arturo Valencia Umbac, and Simon Anton Niño Diego Galera Baena .