Sunday, May 11, 2008

A friend of CERV's passes away


CERV’s logo designer, Nestor Jacinto, died of lung cancer last May 6 at Manila’s University of Santo Tomas Hospital. He was 63 years old.

Nes, as friends and colleagues fondly called him, designed the simple yet striking CERV logo for free. He was Raymund’s colleague at Kodao Productions, a multi-media group that produces video documentaries and radio programs.

Nes led a very colorful life. Born just after second World War his family suffered untold difficulties, often only eating root crops instead of proper food. He was born with a blind right eye.

Despite his disability, he developed an eye for photography. He qualified to study architecture at the University of the Philippines.

When UP students rebelled against the Marcos dictatorship in the early 70s in what is known as the “Diliman Commune,” Nes captured the historic event on video. Intense persecution of activists forced him to align himself with rebels waging a guerilla war against the dictatorship. Due to failing eyesight, Nes later went “aboveground” and started working as a film editor.

In the last two decades, Nes became a top-notch digital graphics designer and lay-out artist. He produced an impressive number of designs for various advocacies and political movements, as well as commercial works. He also served as creative consultant to all of Kodao Productions' video projects.

Nes was also tapped to produce designs for local and international campaigns. These included “Stop the Killings in the Philippines!”, “Permanent People’s Tribunal Second Session on the Philippines”, “Junk WTO!”, “International Observers’ Mission” (for the 2007 national elections), “White Ribbon Movement”, and “Purple Rose Campaign” (against women and children trafficking), among many others.

All these he accomplished while being legally-blind. He often had to work with the computer monitor barely an inch away from his thick glasses. His condition also did not deter him from being a bookworm, building himself an impressive collection of books on graphic design and photography.

A widower, Nes is survived by his two sons, Mark and Sancho.

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