A Child of World War II Writes

Lourdes J. Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph. D calls herself a child of World War II

as soon as she saw how it announced itself in her native Philippines. She was

a fi rst-semester public high school sophomore of Baguio City High School,

Northern Luzon. War announced itself on December 8, 1941 through what was

later identifi ed as carpet bombing. Likewise known as Ludy, her dad's nickname

for her, that name has identifi ed her offi cially: a journalist, educator and author.

In her 6th grade English class, her teacher submitted an essay written in class,

"My Hometown," which he submitted to a nationwide competition. It won the

fi rst prize of P50.00 pesos. She proceeded, on to further schooling: receiving

honors not just through her writing, but likewise through her academic and

oratorical skills. Liberation arrived in early 1945: the country would return to

normalcy. Ludy's parents

decided to enroll her in Manila, the nation's capital, central site of the University of the Philippines. In

eight semesters, she completed all requirements for her bachelor of science and arts degrees earned as

a college scholar. That early university accomplishment led to her acceptance as a reporter on beat at the

Manla Daily Bulletin in 1949; too, she contributed to other metropolitan publications.

Even as a very young writer, Ludy considered the signifi cance of Valentine's Day were she to

think of a life partner. On February 14, 1952, Ludy exchanged marriage vows with Hermie T. Ongkeko,

class '51, the fi rst postwar class of the Philippine Military Academy whom she heard from in 1948. As

an editor, he asked her to contribute to the cadet publication without ever meeting him. Writing has

kept Ludy alive despite her widowhood. She lost her husband after a little over a six-decade marriage.

Writing has remained her universe. She has been a columnist of the Philippine News, an almost 60-

year old coast-to-coast weekly of which she has rendered a more than fi ve-decade affi liation; she is a

regular contributor to TheFilAm, a New York monthly. Her late husband, was also a writer who, while in

his homeland's active service's armed forces, authored several pieces on national renown. Ludy speaks

six foreign languages, aside from eight Filipino homeland dialects, all different as night from day. As a

mother of three, grandmother of six, and great grandmother of seven, Ludy has remained thankful that

writing has remained a virtual plus of her life. She calls writing as a main challenge.