Photo Remembrances of Tito, UPD'63

...by Norman Bituin, UPD'65

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These are some of my recent photos of Tito starting from Dec. ‘03, actually the time when I switched from SLR to digital camera.  Like most high tech holdouts, now I realize I should have done it sooner.

But before I lay out my pics, let me say first that no brother could be as hardworking and focused as Tito when he got his mind on a task, a project, a cause.  His friendship was genuine and steadfast.  His humanity and compassion were as natural and free-flowing as his character and demeanor.  We were all touched by him and he will continue to have a deep, affectionate and lasting influence in our lives.  Everybody misses him dearly.

Once, thousands of full moons ago, we Betans were very young, brash, carefree, sometimes a little wild and crazy, full of zest and bravado.  Every now and then, when Tito and us brods would gather to reminisce on our distant, maybe irreverent but never-forgotten past (like challenging other frat men to a fight when we were drinking at Blue Eagle’s – btw, nobody took on Tito), we recount a few of these “Natatandaan mo ba nong...?” escapades, have a good laugh, then ask ourselves almost in disbelief – “Nagawa ba natin ‘yon?”

One incident that Tito and I always got a kick out of was when we tried to burn the billboard of Brod Jimmy Yambao’s opponent to the chairmanship of the UP Student Council. (You would have approved, right Jimmy? Okay, maybe not).  After some rounds of beer or gin late one night during the height of the election campaign Tito, Danny Galoso and I hailed a cab; filled a good-size cooking oil can with petrol at a gas station near Ateneo; told the cab driver to take us to the Diliman campus.  We jumped out and began splashing the gasoline at the enemy’s billboard by the College of Arts and Sciences parking near the Betan tambayan. We were about to start the fiery night show when out of the College of BA bushes came UP policeman Batolbatol, who obviously had been watching for some time and ready to pounce on us.  He commanded us to stop and started running after us with his police baton.  The poor taxi driver sped away not the least feeling sorry for us but understandably unnerved for the mess we had gotten him into.  Danny and I scampered towards the Home Economics building in Area 11, while Tito took the other direction straight to the Engineering Beta (Epsilon) Way and the lagoon.  To our delight the “divide” strategy confused Batolbatol who had tired and gave up the chase.  After making sure that Batol had left, Danny and I cautiously returned to the intended crime scene, waited and wondered what had happened to Tito.  Slowly, out of the dark woods emerged a smiling Tito calmly walking with his shoes and the bottom of of his pants soaked from running and hiding in the wet talahiban.  To this day, I think our only regret was that Jimmy lost! 

After my batchmate Teddy Fabella and I got into a brawl beating up two rival frat men (one became a congressman in Negros) and later me alone roughing it out with some more, I was so relieved to see Brods Tito and Eding Hizon arrive quickly in Eding’s red Dodge Kingsway to whisk me out of the UP police station.  Tito escorted me to the tambayan amid the loud claps and cheers of the brods.  The dean of Student Affairs hotly scolded GP Eddie Soliman saying, “Look at your brods, Mr. Soliman.  They are barbarians!”  I must have missed something here (or maybe the dean did), as I had been told that the only “barbarians” in UP were the non-frat men.  Oh well…

Finally, I want to share portions of a letter that Tito sent me after our induction as the incoming officers of the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity Southern California Chapter.  Dated Sept. 9, 1992 from his personal stationery with address at 8011 Hemet Place, Los Angeles, California 90046, I have kept this note all these years not only because he took the time to write and wish me well (and this was before writing with emails became so conveniently easy), but also as a reminder of what our family means to us and what our priorities should be.  I voiced exactly the same feelings in my acceptance.  I’m very sure that Tito’s family - Viching, Tanya and Noel - could not agree more.

Brod Tito wrote:

Dear Brod Norman,

Congratulations!  I’m sure your induction was great and I’m sorry I missed it. 

I work nights and weekends that’s why I couldn’t attend the induction ball.  I’m  trying to arrange my sched to be able to lead a more normal life.  With a daughter in college now, we have to make sure we can keep her there.

I miss the brods and the camaraderie but we all have our priorities.  Again, congratulations and more power to you, the rest of the officers and the fine ladies.

Brotherly,

Tito ’63

Many of us have sweet and loving memories and tales of Tito.  As I wrote when I notified the brods in the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity International mailing list, Brod Tito you’ll always be in our hearts and in our spirit!!  We will never forget.

And now the pictures...

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(More Pictures)