Excellence Awards for Cesar ‘Yay’ Topacio ‘77
By Willie “Tatang” Vergara

Yay Topacio, the author of the article “Father and Son” (see below) that was recently published at “The UP Betan”, UP North’s Special Edition in celebration of its 30th Anniversary praises his two UP Betan family members – his father National Scientist Ted and his eldest son, Luigi, who graduated Cum Laude at the University of San Francisco and just got admitted to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue his dream of becoming like his grandpa – as a Veterinary Doctor.

And yet like his dad and son, he too has always been an achiever. As a student, Yay took up Tourism at UP-AIT and was the first Representative of the College after Martial Law. Yay declares, "Cris Michelena, who was then the Grand Princep, encouraged us residents to have a strong presence in UP organizations, and I was in the party of SAMASA. Two other brods won university-wide seats under this party during that time - then law students Raffy Tomeldan and Louie Corral."
 
NOW READ THIS: Again upon the encouragement of Cris Michelena, Yay did two movies with Ismael Bernal and was nominated for the AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR!
 
Right after graduation, he went to Minnesota State University at Moorehead for his MBA and briefly took up residence in Los Angeles from 1992-1994. He returned to the Philippines and was Senior Lecturer at the Asian Institute of Tourism. Later, he worked as an executive in various capacities - as Director of Marketing Communications at Shangri-la Hotel, Makati and as Deputy General Manager of the Philippines International Convention Center.
 
When he returned to the US in early 2003, he decided on settling in Folsom, one of the suburbs of Sacramento. In a hurry to become immediately productive, he accepted the job as sales rep of a large car sales company in Sacramento. On the week prior to starting with this job, he was offered a job as Operations Manager at the Folsom Premium Outlet where worked for 5 years. An excellent and hard worker that he has always been, he was promoted in 2009 to General Manager at the Waikele Premium Outlets in Waipahu, a suburb of Honolulu county. Having stabilized in this “new” job, he relocated his family to Hawaii– Jin (his wife, who was then managing one of the stores at the Folsom outlet; his daughter Alyssa and son Sergei; but he had to leave USF student Luigi behind).

But that is just the tip of Brod Yay's successful journey in his career. For the past two consecutive years, he has bested all the other 64 Premium Outlets centers in the US mainland. Following are the awards he received last year and this year:

•2011 Achievement in Budget Management Award (Premium Outlets Platform) in recognition of excellence in planning and management of controllable expense during the year

•2012 Achievement in Sales Growth Award (Premium Outlets Platform) in recognition of the greatest percentage growth in sales during the year

More power and more awards to you, Brother!

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Father and Son

by Yay Topacio

"It is not flesh and blood, but heart which makes us fathers and sons.”

– Johann C. Friedrich von Schille

This is not a synopsis of Turgenev’s novel on conservatives and nihilists nor is it a frustrated writer's critique on Hemmingway’s alter ego, Nick Adams. This is nothing but a short, personal narrative—a simple tribute to a most esteemed father and brod, Ted and a humble accolade to a brilliant son and brod, Luigi. Born more than 3 scores apart, I am amazed with the parallels of these two specimens and their quite engaging "personas." I cheerfully share with you some of these striking similarities.

Luigi, like Ted was a consistent honor student from elementary to college and both graduated Cum Laude. Both are good looking, dapper, gentle, cool and mild-mannered. Both are voracious readers, smart and intellectuals in their own right. Both love dogs, pure-bred or mongrels. Both are health conscious enough to shun other sinful delights and have the discipline to burn the bad cholesterol and other impurities by running or jogging.

Both were born on the month of November, Ted (30th) and Luigi (25th). According to the Universal Psychic Guild, "Sagittarians possess a natural exuberance, sense of adventure and love of life that makes them one of the most optimistic zodiac signs of all." Ergo, they believe that anything is possible. Such a fitting description for these two! Ted at his "young" age of 88, is still doing community projects. Some of his colleagues dismissed one of these projects, the One Health Approach On The Elimination Of Rabies In The U.P. Campus as "cannot be done." With the help of brods, Ted proved the naysayers wrong as the program kicked off with a bang and will soon proceed to another "high risk" baranggay in U.P.

As for Luigi, I could not count anymore how many people tried to persuade him to pursue Medicine in lieu of the "more difficult to get in" VetMed. This strong willed Sagitarrean did not succumb to the well meaning advice. He studied harder and became more focused in pursuit of his dream to be a Veterinarian. Like Ted, Luigi proved anything is possible when he was recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He will soon move to West Philadelphia and start this Fall semester.

The most significant similarity is that both Ted and Luigi are dedicated Beta Sigmans. Both were initiated in U.P. Diliman, Ted in 1949 and Luigi more than sixty years later in 2010. Both of them were recruited by two distinguished members of UP North. It was Narcing Lapus, then a VetMed Senior who recruited Ted, a Junior and college scholar. It was Luigi's benefactor and ardent supporter-mentor, Willie "Tatang" Vergara who "recruited" him. It was funny how Luigi learned that dropping the name of Brod Tatang did not help at all in easing his initiation. I should have told him that such a declaration of affiliation to so called "respected" alumni brods is considered an "aggravating circumstance," and even perilous.

Let me end with a most profound similitude between these two: Both of them will always be adored and loved by this proud U.P. Beta Sigman, called Yay, son and Brod of Ted and father and Brod of Luigi.

Click above to open and read the complete Special Issue

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Topacio Family Pictures

2001 - Dean Ted Topacio speaks and receives award at founding of UP Beta Sigma USA (International) in San Francisco

2001 - Yay and kids Luigi, Alyssa and Sergei enjoy lake outing and picnic in Folsom, CA

2003 - Dean Ted Topacio and wife Nora with Sacramento and Vet Med brods

2004 - Yay & Jin with Cris Lagasca and RP Usec Ding Navarro

2005 - Yay, Rey Rivera and Ed Baldoria at UP Beta Sigma Frat Ball at Wack Wack CC

2005 - Willie Vergara, Ding Navarro, Yay, Ferdie Echiverri and Ross Fernando at Wack Wack CC

2005 - Yay & Jin host Johnny Chiuten and wife Leony (standing and seated leftmost) at their home in Folsom, CA

2006 - The Topacios attend Willie's birthday celebration in Rocklin, CA

2008 - Yay & Jin with Rotsen Lawas, Allan Torneros, Ike & Tanya Araneta in Granite Bay, CA

2008 - Yay with Kiko Delmendo, Rotsen Lawas and Malmon

2009 - Sacramento sendoff for Yay's promotion to new GM position in Hawaii

2011 - Rey Juan, Caloy Agulto, Pepe Abueva, Ted Topacio and Willie Vergara

at UP Beta Sigma "Astig @ 65" Frat Ball at Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas Center

2011 - Luigi & Kimberly at UP North Frat Ball and Induction as Jin & Yay look on

 on

Luigi & Kimberly

2013 - Yay & Jin get together for lunch at Vietnamese restaurant with Willie & Tess Vergara in Rocklin, CA