Seven months since the passing of Jesse Robredo on August 18, 2012, numerous pieces of literature have been published about the life of the former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary.
There is a memorial book available worldwide through e-publication; and a virtual scrapbook or festschrift, which is a selection of essays, poems and other literary forms about an honorable person by those who knew him and loved him.
Add to that the many honors bestowed upon him by netizens through comments on articles written about him; writers sharing their two-cents worth of platitudes on the Secretary; and politicians, government officials, and agencies praising the life of public service exemplified by Jesse Robredo.
All that is aside from television shows that have featured his life story.
On March 15, 2013, a new book joined the ranks of this treasure trove of materials appreciating and honoring Jesse Robredo.
This time, it is in a much unexpected format: an illustrated children's book written by Yvette Fernandez, through the eyes of Robredo’s youngest daughter Jillian.
Released by Summit Media’s Dream Big, Simply Jesse features many stories provided by Jillian, with the help of her mom, Leni Robredo, and sisters Aika and Tricia; plus interviews, speeches and writings of the Robredo family.
SIMPLY JESSE. Simply Jesse is no small deal, showing the former secretary in his roles as a father, husband, political figure, and role model.
It also tackles his dedication to hard work, his passion for public service, and his unwavering hope that the Philippines will turn around and progress.
Simply Jesse also manages to celebrate how honest and trustworthy Jesse was in his day-to-day dealings with everyone.
The author, Fernandez, who has penned all of the Dream Big Books thus far, enjoyed writing this fourth book.
"I've always loved writing for children. I used to be a pre-school teacher once upon a time, so I've always loved working with children and writing for children.
“That's actually the best part of my job, the children's book writing..." says the current Town and Country Philippines magazine Editor-in-Chief.
How did they end up featuring Jesse Robredo? Was it easy to convince his widow, Leni, to do the project?
"It was actually so easy, when, after Jesse died… well, my mother was the one who’s so affected, following the whole search and then the funeral.
“After that, we basically decided to do it and my mom convinced... persuaded Lisa [Gokongwei-Cheng, president of Summit Media] to do it and Lisa said, 'Of course, it's such an inspiring story,'" she reveals.
The only initial snag was not having Leni Robredo's number, Yvette recalls, so she turned to social media.
"I literally wrote on Facebook and she replied within minutes, and this was a week after the funeral, and we met a few days later."
Yvette, who is so used to featuring the “who's who of society” on the covers of Town & Country admits that, "I was so star-struck! More than anybody I've ever met through my work, I was star struck by Leni.
“About a month earlier, I was telling Lisa's cousin, Tracy Go, when she asked, 'Have you ever been star-struck by anybody you've interviewed?'
“I said, ‘Nobody at all, yet, so I had to text her a month later, ‘Na-star-struck na ako kay Leni.’"
JILLIAN ROBREDO NARRATES. To have Jesse's daughter Jillian narrate— unlike in other Dream Big books when the subject's point of view would be highlighted— was decided by Yvette, who found a blog written by Jillian while researching on the family.
"I was so moved by it, so some of the words [in Simply Jesse] are actually taken from Jillian's blog.
“What sets this book apart— and what makes it such an important contribution to Philippine literature, culture, and history— is that it provides a personal point of view from Jillian, basically focusing on his being a good father, as well as a good leader.
“The more on Jesse, the better. The more people learn about him and get inspired by him, the better talaga for our country."
Yvette mentions the values of "good governance and good leadership— which is something we want to instill in children— love for country, love for family…” as among the many things that readers can learn from this book.
“And Jesse Robredo was a very good example," she adds.
Her personal takeaway from the story? "I wanted to be a better Filipino— to live a simple, good life and do something that will make a difference in society."
The message that Jesse Robredo leaves behind through this book is something every Filipino going into the May 2013 elections should remember: "He basically lived a life of honesty and integrity; and, hopefully, when people vote for leaders, they think of that," Yvette remarks.
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Simply Jesse was launched at the National Book Store in Glorietta 1, Makati, in the presence of the Robredo family, relatives and friends, and other previous subjects of Dream Big— an imprint of Summit Media’s Summit Books that grows a collection of stories seeking to inspire children.
Among its former subjects were Socorro Ramos, founder of National Book Store, who was featured in Nanay Coring; John Gokongwei Jr., business mogul and star of the book Big John; and The Aquino family, whose stories were told in the book Ninoy, Cory and Noynoy.