The Storyteller of Central Luzon
Richard Daenos
DOT Director for Region 3 Richard Daenos has a thousand and one stories to tell. Like Scheherazade, he weaves one tale after another, leaving just a little bit of twist that sparks the listener’s interest to want more.
He’s collected these stories through his years in academe and local government, through his travels and research—on dusty rural roads no one knows about, in thriving cities, inside historic churches, heritage houses, and unknown places.
He is, after all, the Department of Tourism’s chief storyteller for Central Luzon, a region that literally sits in the middle of the country’s biggest island, covering seven provinces and two special economic zones, and 12.5 million people as of the last census.
Central Luzon encompasses the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. It has only three provinces sitting on the coastline of the Philippine Sea—unlike Western Visayas or Region 6, which covers six provinces on two main islands divided by the Iloilo Strait and Guimaras Strait. With a population two-thirds of Luzon and not much smaller, Western Visayas is home to some of the most famous destinations in the Philippines like Boracay, Iloilo and Bacolod.
Where endless stories begin
To say that Daenos has his work cut out for him is an understatement. Many cities in Central Luzon are a blurred image glimpsed from a car speeding its way to destinations farther north. The highways—NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX—that shrink travel time by hours also render the cities and towns mere gasoline station stops to the uncurious traveler.
This is where Daenos made the bold decision to anchor the region’s branding on its soft power—culture, heritage, cuisine, traditions—and turn the uncurious traveler into a curious one.
“Central Luzon: Where Endless Stories Begin” is a branding that suits the diverse landscapes and peoples of the region. It can even work long after his term is over.
Daenos notes that this slogan invites you to explore the region's rich history and vibrant modern culture—or to test your taste buds with exotic dishes like camaru (crickets) and betute (frogs). The region offers a wealth of experiences: heirloom cuisine in Pampanga, the Culinary Capital of the Philippines; historical sites in Bataan; yacht cruising in Subic; eco-tourism in Tarlac where Hann Reserve is set to rise; ancestral churches in Bulacan; nature adventures in Zambales; surfing beaches in Aurora; island-style partying in La Union; gigantic lantern traditions in Pampanga; relaxed farm life in Nueva Ecija; and Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark.
Grooves of academe
Richard Daenos grew up in San Fernando, Pampanga. His Ilocano father was an agriculturist and his Kapampangan mother was a teacher. He was, as he put it, exposed to centers of excellence from a young age. He was sent to a Benedictine school and was invited to be a scholar at Pampanga High School which specializes in the sciences. He got his BS Education degree from Angeles University in 1994 and finished his MA in English in 1999.
“At the time I was given the task to head the department. We noticed that one of the lucrative courses was Special Education but we could not offer it because our degrees were not aligned. So I enrolled together with other deans and shelved my PhD , continuing my dissertation only after I finished my SpEd.”
At one graduation ceremony Daenos graduated twice—for his PhD and SpEd. He was bold, he was ambitious and he “always believed that things happen for a purpose.”
“One of the boldest decisions I’ve made in my life was to transfer from private to public school as a teacher because it brought me out of my comfort zone. Another is taking the risk of moving from the local government (where he headed Angeles City’s tourism section) to the national government (DOT), which is very different,” he says.
Daenos (third form left) with his students during a lecture.
