About
Rodrigo Belarmino Sevilla, fondly known as Rod was born on May 24, 1951 in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental where he spent his boyhood days and his first schooling at the Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA). He was a consistent honor student in his elementary years and graduated as Valedictorian. His father Luceno Torres Sevilla was a native of Tanjay while his mother Eutiquia Agravante-Belarmino came from Badian, Cebu.
When he was young he wanted to be a doctor but due to financial constraints after the failure of the family’s Rice and Corn Mill business, he traded his dream after another. He entered the seminary and studied high school at St. Joseph Seminary in Dumaguete City wher he finished his minor studies with the help of some benefactors.
Rod Sevilla transfered to Cebu City and took up his college or major studies at Seminario Mayor de San Carlos where he got his Bachelor of Philosophy degree. He went to another school for his Theology studies but didn’t finish it due to financial problems. He went out and “leaped over the wall” and taught Philosophy subjects for one year.
He migrated to Mindanao in 1974 and settled in Davao City. He was employed by STANFILCO on that year as Fruit Purchaser and promoted to Packaging Plan Foreman until 1976. In 1977 he got married to the former Maria Belpa Belleza Pañares whom he had three grown-up children namely, Rodel, Ma. Asuncion ‘Sony’ and Rod Michael.
For a time he was employed by different Office Equipment companies like Business Machines Corporation (Bismac), Remington and GPC Traders.
Rod switched to printing industry and was hired by Gima Printing Corporation to handle sales. Two years after, he was offered as Sales Manager of King Printers and stayed for two years. Then, he was hired by Charms Printing as Operations and Sales Manager.
Back in 70’s Rod used to contribute essays, poems and other articles to the Philippine Free Press. Thus he entered the media profession as a reporter and broadcaster of radio station DXRA, a former columnist of the Philippine Daily Fiscalizer and Oriental Examiner and the Editor-in-Chief of Mindanao Examiner now the Mindaxaminer News.
He was the Secretary General of Davao Radio, TV Reporters Association in 1989 and Media Mindanao, Inc. in 1993. He was elected as the Vice-President of the United Mediamen Development Cooperative in 1997.
In 1998, Rod was elected President of UMDC and for three consecutive terms, he served the cooperative as its President.
Rod is the author of two novels entitled “The Lademora Story and the Lost Command as Soldiers of Death” and “This Side of Destiny - A Life of a Teacher”.