IN MEMORIAM
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Our Prayers and Cheers for Brods Joe'63 and Nap'82
** Dr. Jose "Kuyang Pepe" Agulto, UP Diliman '63
When I think of Brod Joe Agulto by Pogs Gaspay'68
When I think of Brod Joe Agulto, I can not help but remember another brod, his younger brother Mon. Mon was a batch ahead of me in the frat and it was through Mon that I viewed Joe, Kuyang Pepe to all us younger brods. Joe Agulto was a young faculty at Vet Med and was the frat adviser, either at the time I was initiated or shortly after.
Joe was a classic epitome of the ideal Beta Sigman. Taller than the average, tanned, charming and soft-spoken, he was a scholarly-looking brod who moved with grace. But he was a very approachable older brod who tended to amusingly smile, not sneer, at our youthful shenanigans. That’s the Joe Agulto I remember as a resident.
Just after my graduation Mon died and we of his generation of brods were left pondering the fragility of life. Mon was not the scholarly intellectual unlike Joe. Mon did not take much value to attending classes and listening to stale lectures. He read a lot and wanted to experience life a lot. One day he took to the ocean, to literally see the world, and one day he left us permanently. I guess to see better things beyond our lifetime. Ah, yes, existentialism, that was one of our favorite points of discussion with gin on one hand.
Mon’s death must have taken away something from Joe. They were close as blood brothers could be and more, for it was clear that Mon idolized Joe and that Joe loved him. Many years later, I heard that Joe went on to Fatima College to be part of the first Vet Med faculty there. Then, later he was operating a pub near Timog. That became a favorite hangout for us younger alumni brods and a spin-off point for mobilizing the alumni brods when Teddy Rey led a move to revitalize the alumni with regular sessions at another brod-owned pub, Wally Mariano’s Boots and Saddle at Timog. By that time, I sensed a change in Joe, or was it my perception that changed. After all, the image and lifestyle of pubs do not easily reconcile with academic halls. Joe remained, though, one of the elder brods whose advice was sought when it came to frat affairs and relations.
Coming home for the 60th in 2006, I did not have a chance to meet Joe. I has happy to see the other younger Agulto brothers, all Beta Sigmans – Abe, Dante and Caloy – all grown-up now and leading productive lives of their own. Joe must have made quite an impression on his younger siblings. For another Agulto, a younger sister, had two sons who too became Beta Sigmans. But I missed seeing Joe then, Kuyang Pepe to most of us, and that was a lost opportunity to say hello to a man who in a way was part of our nurturing as resident brods. Now, like Mon, he has gone ahead of us. And, once again, we are left to ponder the existential koans of life. In “Who me Malmon?”, lives a deeper question beyond the caricature.
Farewell Joe, you were a good brother!
A multitude of Betans and friends pay their last respects to Brod Joe Agulto
Former Dean of College of Veterinary Medicine Brod Dr. Ted Topacio extols his former student, later an instructor himself
Batchmate Dr. Constancio "Jun" Advincula delivers a heartfelt goodbye
"Old soldiers never die". Neither does a Beta Sigman.
L-R: Bobby Manansala, Ruben Sto. Domingo, Oca Mamangon, Joe's "Brother x 2" Dante Agulto
L-R: Walter Navarro, Gerard Alo, Eliboi Ongtangco, Bobby Manansala, Mel de Santos, Perry Callanta, Buddy Curameng, Chax Baldoria, Jelly Nacino, Iking Agana
L-R: Joe's "Brother x 2" Caloy Agulto, Sonny Pagador, Bernie Bantegui, Ben Abon, Gerard Alo, Gene Puente, Willie Nepomuceno, Bobby Manansala, Walter Navarro
[All photos above sent by: Bobby Manansala]
Joe "Kuyang Pepe" Agulto'63 (2nd left) with UP Vet Med Society of Men - taken 11-24-08, sent by Dr. Carling Taguinod'57 DVM
Remembrances *****************************************************************************************************************
Another sad news is the passing of our Brod
Pepe Agulto, DVM. I became acquainted with him in the early 90's when I
became active with the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Alum. Assoc. We organized
the QC chapter with Brod Edgardo Niones, DVM as GP and Pepe was the
secretary. We used to hold our monthly meeting at Max's on Quezon Blvd and
our tambayan was the bar owned by a Beta Sigman, beside Maalikaya Health
Complex. The mezzanine place of the bar was full of Beta Sigma
memorabilias. I don't know what happened - the last time I looked it was
no longer there. Brod Pepe even accompanied and introduced me to a Brod
who was the director of the aqua culture at Central Luzon Agricultural
University in Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Dr Brod Tayamen. We spent some time
visiting his parents in San Jose, Nueva Ecija, who were Pampanguenos. He
used to live in an apartment above the poultry supply store of his
brother Caloy, who was also a Betan, on Quezon Blvd. Around a year ago I
received a text from the GP, Brod Joel Clemente, of the resident BS in
FEU that he was out at a restaurant in Kalayaan Ave with Kuya Pepe. He
wanted to see me, so I obliged. They wanted to bs and buy them some
drinks. We had a good time and I even brought Brod Pepe where to
catch a ride in QC Circle. That was my last time in his company. RIP my
brother! He is a true Beta Sigman in heart and soul.
MD, UPD'53
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Let me share my indebtedness to a brod who had cared so much:
He was the man behind the founding of the UP Society for the Advancement of Veterinary Education and Research (Saver). It is now a national organization of veterinarians.
In 1971, as Grand Counselor of the fraternity together with Grand Princep Brod Gami Manikan awarded the UP Beta Sigma School of Martial Arts an Award of Merit. This officially recognized for the first time the role of the School in character building and discipline in the fraternity.
The Black Secrets School of Martial Arts was his co-concept for the continuance of martial arts and preserves the legacy of Master Johnny Chiuten.
He was a support and lean to brod for all brothers at the Vet Med College when he was one of the youngest instructors.
He was my veil sponsor during my wedding.
Two weeks ago, he had written in his Facebook his last statement (parting words?) with a sense of longing in Life.
"I am on the last leg of my journey and would still want to enjoy the rest of the way with people and things I care about including those I shall encounter here in Facebook. Is that too much to ask?"
I answered him and expressed my concern but with all the encouragement in Life that I could muster. I had extended my sincerest gratitude for his being supportive in almost all my endeavors.
With my family and all the brothers and sisters of the Black Secrets School of Martial Arts our deepest condolence.
God will always make a good place for you my brother!
Noli H. Nolasco UP Beta Sigma'62B BSSOMA'65 Saver’71
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Went to the wake
of Brod Kuyang Pepe Agulto at the Church of the Risen Lord yesterday and
saw on the logbook that around 50-60 brods visited already. I found out
from wife Rose that after his 3-day hospitalization at Capitol Medical
Center in QC, he was brought home to rest. However, he could not resist
the invitation of brods to speak at Aklan State University so he went
there telling Rose not to worry coz he'll be well taken cared of by the
brods - a remarkable trait of a true Beta Sigman who considers brods as
family. However, while he was answering a crossword puzzle in a table with
brods (I heard this was a favorite pastime of Brod Joe), he just succumbed
somewhat helplessly then was taken to Aklan Hospital by the brods. The
brods paid respects for him for one night and facilitated/accompanied the
transfer of his body to Manila. Hope I answered some queries by concerned
brods. *****************************************************************************************************************
DR. PEPE AGULTO, D.V.M. is known to most as
"Kuyang Pepe", being that he is the eldest among five(5) Betans in the
family. The other UP Betans are Mon (whom we fondly called "George";
deceased in 1973), Abe, Dante, and Caloy (aka Totoy). What better service
and loyalty can ever surpass your ability to bring in all your younger
brothers into the fold of UP Beta Sigma Fraternity!
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Here are more photos of "Tito Peps" sent by Aleth Agulto on 3-10-09:
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** Atty. Napoleon "Nap" Gatmaytan, UP Diliman '82
[Web note: we will update this section for Brod Nap as we receive new report and photos. Betan last rites March 9 at Funeraria Paz.]
From Raffy Hidalgo 86, 3-05-09: this was taken a couple of years ago in Q.C.
R-L: Nap Gatmaytan 82, Joe Diaz 78, Buds Colet 83, Bitoy Sison 80, Jason Justo 92, Renzi del Rosario 84, Pete Danao 92, Philip Marfil 81, Rafael Hidalgo 86, Walter Navarro 68, Richie Agbulos 78 and Manny Casaclang 84.
Remembrances *****************************************************************************************************************
I consider Nap as a close brod. He was one of the stalwarts of the early 80s and UPLB brods came to know him during the UPBSF's dual meets and tri-meet of the 80s. I remember the basketball events that were close games up until the 1st Quarter, before the vaunted fastbreak game of Diliman took over and LB would lose by as much as 30 pts. Hehe. Imagine a close to 6ft Nap playing the guard position and orchestrating the fastbreak, well..
Diliman and LB brods then got closer thru the SOMA and that camaraderie will never be forgotten, so much so that during the late 90s it was no surprise to see Nap coming to see me in our home in Cavite City with his then med student girlfriend and soon to be wife, Gigi. Maybe it was also a way of telling Gigi that he had brods in Cavite. (Gigi is from Kawit, Cavite while Nap was from QC). Furthermore, Nap's cousin Mark Gatmaytan Nubla'79d is my batchmate in the fraternity.
Fast forward to 2003 when Atty. Nap became the Registrar of Deeds in lower Cavite Province with offices in the Provincial Capitol of Trece Martires City. In the six years hence, he took on the land grabbing syndicates as well as cleaned Cavite of spurious titles with double, triple and even quadruple ownerships and claims. According to one of his office vault keepers who was also his best friend, there are now no fake land titles in the Register of Deeds vault in Trece Martires.
Also, thru the single-mindedness and efforts of Nap, the cramped Office of the Register of Deeds was transferred to a newly built and modern building in December of 2008.
This is the Legacy of Brod Nap Gatmaytan.
I last called Nap on Feb 20 from UP Min during the Davao Medical Mission to tell him that Alex 'Parm' Reyes '84 UP Dil (visiting brod after 22 years in the U.S.) was with me and wanted to meet up. True to Nap's thoughtfulness, they met immediately after that on Feb 22 and engaged in a drinking session with other brods near Diliman.
Nap then attended the farewell rites for Kuyang Pepe 63 (March 2) and that was the last the brods would see of him as he was ambushed the following day .
Nap leaves behind two young sons and pediatrician wife Gigi.
Another true Betan bids goodbye.
Jojo Alejar 79d UPLB
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It is with great sorrow that another loyal brod has left us. Just received a text message today that Brod Nap Gatmaytan, Registrar of Deeds of Cavite, was assassinated in the late afternoon as he left the bank. His driver was also killed, according to the story of another brod. Details regarding the event are still sketchy.
Brod Nap was a loyal and generous brod, silently supporting brods that are in financial distress. Please pray for the eternal repose of his soul. Kindly post the sad news on our website.
Jun Valenzuela, 3-03-09
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Here is what Brod Ruben Pascual told me about brod Nap Gatmaytan who was gunned down the other day.
"By the way, we lost another brod yesterday - Atty Nap Gatmaytan Batch 82 UP Diliman. He and his father (Nap Sr.) were both present during the farewell rites for Koyang. Nap's family hails from San Jose, Nueva Ecija too. Our brod was gunned down around 5 pm the following day (yesterday). He is the provincial register of deeds in Cavite. His two predecessors of the same position were also killed earlier. You know how land disputes are in that province. He was 44 years old. He is a big loss to us. He is among the young brods who have helped so many brods already. About 40 brods were present during the wake earlier this evening."
It's indeed a big loss to us. Another stalwart gone, and this time it is a younger one, that makes it hurt even more.
Pogs Gaspay, 3-04-09
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>>> Click here for GMA News Video on Brod Nap's ambush 3-03-09
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