Nilo

Colleagues of friends of Leonilo “Nilo” Arado would often joke that he was born to organize farmers.

He was called the “The Plow” because his family name “Arado” is the Hiligaynon (dialect) term for this basic farming tool.

But like many activists, Nilo did not live up to his name overnight.

Born on Jan 8, 1968 in San Francisco town in Agusan del Sur, he is the second of six children of Reynaldo and Gloria Abao-Arado.

As a worker in their parish church, Reynaldo raised a very religious family and developed among his children compassion for others especially for the poor and powerless.

Nilo grew up in their town where we finished his elementary and high school education at the town’s public elementary and high school.

Since he was a small boy, Nilo was friendly, good-natured and helpful to others.

So it was not a surprise when he decided to enter the seminary in the hope of becoming a priest one day.

He took up Theology at the Carmelite Seminary in Negros Oriental. It was in the seminary that Nilo became more aware of the harsh realities of the poor especially the farmers and fisherfolk.

His frequent visits to communities firmed up his resolve to dedicate his life to help the marginalized sectors uplift their living conditions and fight for their rights.

In 1990, he have up his dream of becoming a priest and decided to work for the Fisherfolk Development Education Center (FIDEC), a Cebu-based non-government organization focusing on organizing and training of fisherfolk communities in the Visayas. He stayed with FIDEC for three years becoming the center’s education officer.

In 1994, Nilo asked to be assigned to Panay Island to help organize farmers and fishersfolks.

He became an organizer of various farmers groups in Iloilo and other provinces until he became the secretary general of the Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras (Pamanggas), an alliance of farmers and fisherfolk organizations in Panay and Guimaras.

He spent days and weeks in farming villages patiently explaining to farmers issues on land reform, high prices of pesticides and fertilizers, impact of importation of agricultural products on the lives of farmers and the need to organize themselves.

But at the same time, he also learned from them, changing his ways and outlook until he became one of them and for them.

Nilo met his wife Rosemarie while organizing farmers. Rosemarie was also organizing women farmer’s groups.

Despite the limited time together because of different areas of assignment, their relationship blossomed.

The couple got married on April 28, 1998. Two years later, on December 22, 2000, Rosemarie gave birth to their son Daniel Marshal.

Nilo later became the chairperson of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Panay. He was also the regional coordinator and the sixth nominee of the party-list group Anakpawis.

Despite his responsibilities and work load, Nilo had a ready smile on his face that lightened the mood of those around him. He rarely got angry but at time that he does, he would quickly smile.

Two days before they were abducted, his colleagues teased Nilo while he was watching a video on political killings and abductions posted on YouTube.

“Maybe, you’d be next,” they joked and as usual, Nilo just smiled and threw the joke back at them.

To this day, his loved ones and colleagues hope they will see Nilo again, and his smile.