At around 7:20 in the morning of February 7, comedian Arvin Jimenez, popularly known as Tado, was among the 14 passengers killed when a Bontoc-bound bus carrying 45 passengers fell off a 120-meter deep ravine. Tado went to Bontoc with a group of friends, artists, photographers, and musicians to attend a mountaineering project called “Project: Life begins at the Mountains.”
A psychology graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Tado was a lot of things to a lot of people. He was an active member of Scouts Royale Brotherhood (SRB). He was engaged in social issues as a student organizer of Sanlakas. He studied filmmaking at Mowelfund Film Institute. He was among the founders of the group Dakila, an advocacy group that uses culture, from films to music, to inspire awareness and change, along with Lourd de Veyra, singer Noel Cabangon, rock guitarist Buhawi Meneses, and actor Ronnie Lazaro,
He acted in several movies, and was also a part of the unique cast of TV’s Strangebrew, and BrewRATs on radio with co-cast members Angel Rivero and Ramon Bautista. Strangebrew and Tado became a cult hit until the show was canceled a year later, with him enshrined as a pop culture icon. He also owns an apparel and toy collectible shop called LimiTado in Marikina, where he once ran for city councilor.
Tado loved Marikina, where you can see him organizing community bike rides, writing for the Marikina newspaper, hosting radio shows in the city hall and doing all sorts of crazy promos for his LimiTado shop. He and his wife Leiz had boundless energy, working in film, TV, art, music, and the community, according to his friend and colleague, musician Raymund Marasigan.
He was fondly remembered by the staff Juan City Market when he hosted the Takbo Mo, Gamit Ko! in May 2012, a project to raise fund for the school supplies that will benefit the less fortunate grade school students of Marikina.
Tado was really different and offbeat. His lanky frame, long hair, big glasses, quick wit and quotable quotes endeared him to the hearts of his friends and the common Filipinos.
The wake is being held at the Paket Santiago Funeral Homes at V. Gomez corner E. Dela Paz, San Roque, Marikina from Feb. 9 to 11.
gogdbye brother…