As of this writing Feb. 21, 2025 I am 79 years old. Being at this age there are many people who have died ahead of me. Here are some of these people.
Dr. Primo Orijola
In high school at MLQ, there were always five of us who see each other often. These guys were my gang mates. There is Primo (Primo Orijola), Constant (Constantino Arellano), Jaime (Jaime Sicat), Sergio (Sergio Carreon), Tony (Tony Manalaysay) and myself. Every weekend we managed to see each other. We don't do much just hang around, have a little drink of Tanduay rum and shoot the breeze. Even when I was in college we still meet each other. The usual procedure is Constant will show up at our house in Manuguit, we then walked to Jaime's house in Barrio Obrero which is about 3 miles away. We then either go to Sergio's house in Felix Huertas, about 4 miles away or to Primo's house in Blumentritt at Anacleto St. Sergio is always working in their place as a mechanic. So we wait for him while he gets done for the day. If he is too busy, we go to Primo's house without Sergio. What do we do when we get together? Hang around and shoot the breeze. Nothing constructive, nothing michievous, just hanging around. Sometimes we drink beer at a nearby joint or buy Tanduay, the local popular rum drink. We might be imbibing at Primo's house or our house in Manuguit.
Primo Orijola's family is well-to-do. They have an automotive parts store at Anacleto called Generous Auto Supply. He went to Santo Thomas University and became a doctor of medicine. Primo practiced medicine in Nagcarlan, Laguna which is his hometown. Jaime Sicat graduated as a mechanical engineer at Mapua Institute of Technology. He got a job in the Northern province and settle there. We lost contact with Jaime when he moved to Isabela. Constant finished as an accountant and worked as a detailman for a pharmaceutical company. Sergio did not go to college. He immigrated to the United States with his wife Lita and settle in Nyack, New York. Tony Manalaysay had a restaurant in Valenzuela, Bulacan. The place is unique as it serves dog meat exclusively.
Primo's family had a history of strokes. His father, his older brother and even his younger brother all died of strokes. And his siblings were very young when they passed. Primo had a stroke when he was around 50 years old. He died in Nagcarlan and was buried there. I was not able to attend the funeral as I was already in the US. Besides I did not know his passing but afterwards. From all of the friends growing up, Primo was the closest to me. Prime as I usually call him died very young.
Dr. Jose Cruz
Joe was my brother-in-law married to Nicki's sister, Ate Cora. I met him briefly in the Philippines and then he and wife Ate Cora immigrated to the US. They settled in Chicago. I befriended him after getting married to Nicki in 1969. They moved to a house in Schaumburg and we moved to Bolingbrook. We get together almost every weekend doing bbq, eating, drinking, playing poker and hanging around. Joe became a best friend. Joe was a jolly happy fellow, great home entertainer and like to have friends come over his house. We did a lot of things together mostly partying and visiting other friends. Our families grew and expanded. He had his first born Dennis while in Chicago and we had Omar born in Chicago too. When Nicki and I were married at a judge in Oct. 18, 1969 we lived briefly at Joe's apartment in Clarendon. After a week or so we moved to our own place in North Point. We have friends there in Chicago who sadly have died already. Mario, which I called Pareng Maria, died early with diabetes. And so did his wife. One friend was Ruben Saldana who recently (Nov. 2020) died of Covid-19.
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| Joe and Pol |
Jerry Kobos
We lived in Texas for some 35 years. In Sugar Land, Tx I worked with Jerry at SAE, a engineering software development company. There is where I met Jerry. His future wife Debbie worked in the company too as a secretary and later on became a vice-president. Even after I left the company after 12 years, we kept friendship with Jerry and Debbie. At first their house is in the same subdivision at Sugarwood. Later they moved. Their house in Sugar Land was about a mile from us. We meet a lot on weekends with those wonderful dinner parties surfeit with wines, whisky and sometimes beer.
I was godfather to his son Bryan. Even after Jerry and I left SAE, we meet a lot. Annually Nicki and I would attend the Michulka reunion get together. Michulka is Debbie's maiden name. This clan is huge, descendants of Joseph, Debbie's grandfather who fathered 14 children. Phew. Perhaps some of them thought I was member of the clan too. Nicki and I left Sugar Land and moved to Reno, NV to be closer to our children. Then we again moved to Rio Vista, CA to be even closer to Omar and Ray. Jerry and Debbie visited us in Reno. And then in March we met in Las Vegas for the March Madness college basketball fest with Steve and Nancy Wong. That was the last time I saw Jerry in person. Debbie told us that Jerry had a growth in his back. Tests showed it is cancer. Jerry then was receiving treatment e.g. chemotherapy. After the second treatment and waiting for the final third one, Jerry one morning complain that he can not moved. He was rushed to the hospital to the ER and ICU. He suffered cardiac arrest and died. That was Oct. 30, 2020. It was sudden although Jerry was 80 years old. We were shocked at the news. We know each other for 35 years and now the end is here.
Those three guys Primo, Joe, and Jerry were my closest friends through out the years. I don't think they met each other. And of course their wives were close to us too. And the children of Jerry and Joe. I can not think of another person as close to me as these three guys. As luck would have it they died way ahead of me. Am I lucky or not?
Texas
We have a small group in Texas who meet for dinner often. Cesar and Pearlie lives nearby in Sugarland, Boy and Vicky Paguio lives north, Jerry and Debbie Kobos who also lives in Sugarland, Butch and Susan Garaygay lives in Clear Lake City. Cesar is a mechanical engineer, Boy is civil, Jerry is a co-worker at SAE and was a math and computer programmer, Butch is a doctor. Pearlie, Susan and Nicki are nurses. As of this writing Pearlie, Susan and Jerry passed. This all happened after we left Texas for Nevada.
Wee stayed 35 years in Houston, Texas and invariably many friends passed during that time. We have a small group of avid Filipino tennis players and we played tennis every Sunday and sometimes during weekdays. Friends from that tennis group who passed were Leo Cachola, Edgar Caeg and Mar Lumabas. They certainly died young. Leo Cachola we called Manong retired and decided to build a house in Hawaii where most of his relatives lived. After about three months moving there we just heard that he suddenly died. The cause is not very clear although heard the word 'visculatis'. He was just sitting on the beach drinking beer and complained he could not breath. They rushed him to the hospital and on that night he passed. His wife requested an autopsy but his liver was fine.
Edgar Caeg is a happy-go-lucky guy. He used to show up on Sunday tennis with a new car. He likes to keep on trading different cars all the time to the delight of his car salesman. He had a heart attack and was in the hospital when he just walk the aisle to get sometime to drink. Edgar collapsed and died in the hospital.
Mar Lumabas is a colorful guy full of adventurous escapades. He moved from Houston to California. Mar divorced his wife and married a much younger girl from the Philippines. He was enjoying his life there telling us his new found hobby which is playing golf and new friends he has gotten. Mar then had prostate cancer and died from it.
After playing tennis we will all congregate in somebody's house to cook and eat lunch. We contributed about $5 each, buy some fish and cook sinigang mostly at our house or at Mar's house. After eating we just parted, no drinking in this party.
These is a dedicated group of some ten players that meet every Sunday. These are Cesar Suguitan, Dan Tecson, Galvin Anciano, Manny Medina, Edgar Caeg, Mar Lumabas, Leo Cachola. Loy, Boy Paguio.
Chicago
There were other friends that have gone although they are not that close to me. Ruben Saldana just recently died in Chicago. He was a victim of Covid-19. I've known Ruben in our Chicago days. He was 80 years old. We used to play poker all night long imbibing and getting loud thru the night. We really don't care much about the money but because of the camaraderie. We played with Ruben and his brother-in-law Dr. Joe Mutya and Joe Cruz.
MLQ Classmates Who Passed
There are several classmates who passed in high school from MLQ.
Patricio Aguirre was my seatmate. He was a very intelligent student and good nature person. He was openly gay. He immigrated to the US and was a beloved professor in college. Living in Marine County near San Francisco we visited Patricio. That was good because he died soon afterward. George the guy he was living with is a nice person, caring. George called me after Pat died asking what should he do with Pat's stuff.
Antonio Navarette was our class valedictorian. He became a doctor. He died quite early. I already mentioned Primo Orijola. Coincidentally these three guys were sitting around me in our senior class at MLQ. Pat is to my left, Primo behind me and Tony seated next to Primo. Nicki is in front of me next to Corazon de Jesus. Cora passed too early. Cora was a manager at a Manila bank and she was Nicki's best friend in high school. Cora lived close to our house in Hermosa.
Mario Padua and Consuelo Arceo, both classmates married each other. They are both doctors. They went to Fiji Island to work there. Mario died of heart attack in Fiji. Arthur Sison, our resident orator, died early too. He was a wild kid. Some notable classmates who died early were Annie Solis, Corazon de Jesus, Lourdes Hernandez, Carolina Vicente. There must be others who passed that I do not know.
Mapua Classmates Who Passed
Most recently Greg Nidoy passed. His wife said they are in financial distress. I collected and got $2500 among classmates and gave it to Connie his wife. Greg did worked but spent his pension and even the proceeds from his house. Mike Bernardino passed. He was a real nice guy, my brod in our fraternity. We spent a night in his big house in Las Vegas. Mike invited the Mapua group many times to his house for a party. Joe Ladones is from Zamboanga in the south of the Philippines. He was a professor at La Salle in Zamboanga. A small group consisting of Mael Ifurung and Cely, Rudy Jose, Rene Rivera and myself flew to Zamboanga and visited his grave. His wife suffereing from cancer died not too long ago. Joe had a beautiful but blind daughter. I am sure there are more but those are the ones close to me.
My Parents Generation Are Gone
Feb. 22, 2025. I can not think of anybody in my mother or father's generation who are still alive. They are all gone. My mother's siblings Tiyong Ser and Tiyong Celia, gone including their wives Tiyang Purding and Tiyong Carding. Lola Menay my grandmother's sister lola Abe's children are all gone. Tiyong Nico, Tiyong Entoy and Tiyang Petang. These folks lived in Dinalupihan. Their next generation I do not know much except some for their names. The clan of lola Ige who is half-brother to lola Menay are all gone too. They were Tiyong Monet, Tiyong Miglon, Tiyong Tito and Tiyang Myrna. On my father's side his siblings Agre, Lope, Banoy, Carding and Iking are all gone. Tiyang Agre's daugher Linda Garcia is still alive and liviing in Balanga, Bataan. Only Banoy and my father have a family. Tiyong Banoy has Rey who died recently.
These are people I knew as I grow up. The Hipolito clan based in Dinalupihan (lola Abe, lolo Ipe, t. Nico, t. Entoy, t. Petang) all live in their house there and we always stay in their house when we vacation. It was happy times for me. I would frolick around their house and large backyard enjoying the company of fruit trees, the sandy ground. I love to take a bath on the ground floor where they have their water well going up the house. The water is very cold but I like it.
This is sad. As you grow older the relatives and friends that you have in your life are slowly disappearing. That is the price of longevity. Being alone with less and less friends around you. And the time will come, sooner than expected, that our generation will go the way of the doodoo bird- become extinct. But we have started a generation based on Nicki and my DNA. The bloodline will continue hopefull without a break. Knowing how stingy Calimbases on offspring that might be wistful thinking.
Oh Nicki and I still have our two boys Omar and Ray. And Omar and Lanie have twins Gabe and Zoe. They will provide us with happy and joyful moments in our remaining years.
