Goodbye, Fr. Bel San Luis

 

By the Manila Bulletin Team

Published Feb 1, 2026 12:05 am

Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD, Manila Bulletin and Tempo columnist for many decades, who believed in the power of media to reach people beyond the walls of the church, devoted many years of his life to serving the media ministry.

Fr. Bel was the founder of the Mission Communication Foundation Inc., which helped promote the SVD’s missionary work, spiritual outreach, and evangelization efforts. Through the years, his work reflected a consistent commitment to using communication as a form of public service, especially to audiences who encountered faith through radio, television, and print.

He used his talent for writing to reach many people, writing the weekly “Word Alive” column in the Manila Bulletin and Tempo. In his writings, Fr. Bel did not forget one of his favorite advocacies – education for seminarians. At the end of each column, he would remind readers of the need to support seminarians because from these groups will come future priests, bishops and the Pope.

Writing in an entertaining style with a sprinkle of humor, Fr. Bel would preach the lessons of the Sunday gospel, leading readers to relate Biblical situations to their own lives.

Word Alive, his regular column, won Best Opinion Column at the 46th Catholic Mass Media Awards.

Perhaps what he is most known for is the radio program on Holy Week – The Seven Last Words. Without fail, and despite his busy schedule, Fr. Bel would invite guests and sponsors to support the program through his weekly columns.

He contributed much to the Society of the Divine Word’s missionary work through the Mission Communication Foundation Inc., which helped promote its spiritual outreach, and evangelization efforts. Through the years, his work reflected a consistent commitment to using communication as a form of public service, especially to audiences who encountered faith through radio, television, and print.

Beyond print media, Fr. Bel established the Family Mass television apostolate and produced the annual “Seven Last Words” program. He also hosted the television show Salitang Buhay, which extended his pastoral presence to viewers across the country.

Colleagues and readers remember Fr. Bel for his steady voice and gentle approach. Rather than offering grand declarations, he preferred explanation and conversation, inviting readers and viewers to reflect with him.

Fr. Bel, who was born on Nov. 19, 1944 in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, passed away on Jan. 28, 2026. He was 81. (With a report from Jay Ferson Comitan)

Bye bye Marco Polo Hotel Davao City

Thank you so much Marco Polo Hotel MarcoPolo Davao, GenMan Colin Owen Healy, Ma'am Ariane Cabrera, Ma-am Pearl Peralta-Maclang and the whole staff. I experienced wonderful and unique moments here. Praying for meeting you all again very soon. God bless you more ☺️🙏

Best wishes and goodbye

My column in MINDANAO DAILY

When letters were the only form of written correspondence, signing off was obvious. Actually I am still  adopting that old tradition. No matter, if it comes to letters or emails. It's just a matter of respect and education.

If addressing a sir or madam, it was unambiguous. You concluded "yours faithfully". When writing to a specific person – for example, a Mr or (hey, ladies first!) – it was simple, your letter would always be signed off "yours sincerely". Only missives to family or close friends would ever finish with a "love from" or "with much love, yours".

For many people, there's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails. I'm asking myself, why? An email is just a letter - an online one ... .

Sad to say,  the arrival of email has disrupted this etiquette, making the rules far less obvious. Indeed, for many of us there are no rules. A whole subculture of personalized email sign-offs has emerged everything from "TTFN" to "peace out". And of course, it’s not just what we say but why we say it. Neither in English nor in any other language. I get the same stuff in German written emails and even letters or text messages.

"Emails have become the medium of business, leisure, family, love and everything,” says children’s author Michael Rosen. When we sign off emails, we try to give off the "right vibe", he adds. He says it’s all about how we want to come across to the recipient. "Thoughtful, grateful or just very, very busy?" Oh sure, we are all so very, very busy... .

Some of the most successful business people are notoriously blunt in email communication – if they even bother with a sign-off at all.

"There's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails, the more you can be (blunt) because you're senior in the company," says author Emma Gannon, recalling the editor of a famous newspaper whose response to pitches was often just a curt "yep" or "nope".

Although being succinct can convey a certain authority and status, it also communicates a dose of self-importance or arrogance. And we’ve all dealt with bosses who fire off email edicts of "is this done?" or "update me on that".

Even if they are not so direct, many emailers like to convey a sense of being busy by using or adapting abbreviations. So "kind regards" becomes "KR", or "yours" may do away with pesky vowels to leave "yrs". Heaven forbid!

"When someone signed off 'BR' for 'best regards', I just thought they were cold, brrr," says Gannon. And, in my opinion, sorry to say, I even don't reply anymore after receiving such correspondence. Oh sure, we are all busy, but there should be just a minimum of respect, if I communicate with someone. In business or personal. By letter, email or text message. 

Many times, there are those who pare it down to the absolute minimum, signing off with simply their name or even just the initial letter of their forename. Others might omit a sign off altogether. While this may come across as peremptory or rude, at least it avoids misinterpretation.

Nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'. 

Some people swing the other way and end their emails with an altogether friendlier tone. While most would consider that kisses have no place in a business environment, they often creep into emails – and sometimes from people the recipient has never even met. For some, an "x" at the end of an email is a friendly endnote; for others it is totally inappropriate.

Even just calling someone by first name, is not the way how it should be in business.

What’s clear is that some British terms used to end emails just do not translate well. A casual "cheers" is frequently used as a sign off on UK emails, but can be utterly perplexing for other nationalities. Not surprising when a hearty "cheers" also can be used for clinking glasses at the pub, or to thank a checkout person at the supermarket. Here we have to deal with British and American English.

For author Michael Rosen, emails now occupy a halfway house between texts and letters.

"The key thing is that emails aren't the same as letters. I position them in my mind as a sort of halfway place between texts and hard copy letters: nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'," says Rosen. I strongly agree with him.

And, he adds given their place in this ambiguous no-man’s land of communication, it follows that there will continue to be a whole raft of ways to say "goodbye".

Best wishes and goodbye.