Tribute to Brod TITO DE SANTOS UPD'63.

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by Norman Bituin, UPD'65

President, UP Beta Sigma Fraternity International, Inc.

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Dear Brods,

It was truly a great shock (an understatement) reading about the demise of my batchmate Tito de Santos.  After 37 years of not having seen our brod, in a way I am glad I was not denied the opportunity of having the chance to rub elbows with a great brod again during the 60th anniversary of our great Fraternity.

I will always treasure the few hours I had the chance to spend with brod Tito.

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Brod Norm,

Like you, we are shocked!  Pls tell Viching (and extend to her our love & prayers) I had a long talk and bonding w/ Tito on our trip to & from Pepot's farm in Tagaytay only last week.  Still very much in shock, Brod.  Pls send other details of this tragic news, ok?  We will surely keep him in our prayers.  And thanks again for the message.  We have plenty of photos w/ him in Tagaytay.

-Sluggo

(Sluggo Rigor, UPD'60)

P.S. It was great seeing you again at the Jubilee.

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Dear Brods,

It's a shock and great sorrow on my part that Brod Tito has passed away.  He picked me and my family (in US holiday last year) up from our hotel in Anaheim, LA, and took us to Brod Norman for a Betan welcome dinner.  He also gave me a 'black' Beta Sigma t-shirt.  Brod Tito and I come a long way.  We graduated from the same college in UP, College of Architecture & Fine Arts, where earlier he was one of the masters who gave me preliminary initiation before the formal presentation to the fraternity.  Iyan ang mahirap pag pumasok ka sa frat na nasa chosen college ka na.  I didn't regret it though, kasi our bond in the college is very strong.  We also teamed up in the college team (UP Basketball Intramurals), both playing forward position.  We won the first ever championship of the college in '68, knocking out the College of Medicine.  Brod Tito was also one of the karate instructors in our frat who gave weekly training at Area 11, which gave me much confidence in dealing with rumbles.  Many more can be said about Brod Tito, but his vibrant & accommodating personality will always be embedded in me.

Brod Tito, goodbye, may the Lord embrace you with His unconditional love and receive you warmly in His kingdom.

Eternal rest grant unto Brod Tito, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

Rene Padilla, UPD'65

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from Brod Vic Ramos, UPD'62

President, U.P. Beta Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association, Inc.

Brods:

I just got home from the wake of Brod Tito at the Christ The King Church in Green Meadows.  The chapel was full of brods and Tito's classmates from UP Prep.  We will honor Brod Tito with the fraternity's final rites on Saturday, July 29 at 9PM, after the nightly mass and novena.  Cremation is planned for Sunday.  Tito's family is expected to arrive in Manila on Friday.

If you have messages for Brod Tito's family, you may email them to me.  We may be able to read some of them during the ceremony.

Brod Tito's untimely death is indeed a sad and shocking news for all of us.  It feels like he came home to say goodbye.  During the Jubilee Ball, he was moving around to every table to greet brods, sometimes hugging them.  It is moments like this when we stand tall as a fraternity.  Just when we feel a grave loss and the pain is most acute, we realize that we are not alone.  We have welcomed him home.

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Dear Dear Brods!

At this stage of my emotional upset caused by the untimely demise of Brod Tito, I am still grasping for words to share my thoughts with you!  Yesterday morning was a busy day attending to some activities here in Davao; a text came in from Sis Fe Tansiansu advising me of the shock News! I don't even know how to react but to rush home!  My wife Tessie was surprised to see me coming home unexpectedly!  I told her that Brod Tito is dead!  She just looked at me, stunned.  How could that be that two weeks ago he was our house guest with so many wonderful chit-chats we had.  He was full of Life!  I share the same feeling now with Brod Vic Ramos that he came home to say Good Bye!

Last June, while communicating thru emails concerning the final plans of the  Medical Mission to Davao, I offer the guest room of my house which can accommodate two persons to Missionary Brods who would like to stay with me.  Brod Frank Mamaril said that it would be more convenient if the group stayed at Marco Polo Hotel so all of them can be picked up in one stop to the Free Medical service site. One after another, Brods coming emailed me the type of room to reserve.  But here is the  email of Brod Tito to me:

"Brod Anggie, I hope you won't mind that I prefer to stay at your house so we can chitchat about the good olds days when both of us were active in the Jaycee movement. These are the few precious times of our life to be together again!"

I emailed back: "Of course not! I am very happy and I welcome you to stay in my place."

As you can see the message exchanged have became priceless moments we shared!  From July 6 to 8, Brod Tito had a roommate, Brod Ely Udarbe, UPLB'56, who came all the way from Butuan City. We indeed have a nice time reminiscing the good Old days. Brod Tito even gave his Betan Pin to Brod Ely to remember him even though that was the  first time they met. During the one and a half day of the Medical service he was very helpful and befriended a lot of newly met Brods and Siss.  He was very much concerned about the medicines brought by the group.  The Brod Doctor told him that the indigent patients never had it so good with branded expensive medicines.  I can go on and on of what transpired here but my emotion won't allow it! 

Here is something what my wife, Tessie said of him!  He is one of the rare breed of a Gentleman!  Thoughtful, Kind and Compassionate! He saw Tessie was busy preparing the dinner we were then hosting and offered to help. Finally came the day, July 8 when he left our house, Tessie discovered the  bed where he slept was neatly made up.  On top of the pillow was a Thank You Card printed with a U.P. Beta Sigma logo and below was a carton bag containing a U.P. Beta Sigma T-shirt for me and two packs of Coffee Candies. Here are the hand written words:

"Dear Brod Anggie & Tess,

My Davao Experience was enhanced By Your Hospitality. A Week I'LL Never Forget, Specially, These Last 2 days. Thank You For Opening Your Hearts And Home To Me.

Fraternally,

Tito de Santos"

My dear Brod Tito,
My shedding tears is just a mortal way of outburst that I shall miss your presence in the remaining years of my Life. But somewhere, somehow we shall meet again!  You depart from this Mortal World with God's Blessing. He saw your compassionate way of caring for those who need help thru the Medical Mission.  You have reached your Life's Journey with full accountability on the purpose of your Mortal Being!  God loves you! The scripture has testified----The righteous pass away; the Godly often die before their time.  And no one seems to care or wonder why.  No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come.  For the Godly who die will rest in Peace!  I am still striving to reap God's blessing so that one day  we all will have a happy reunion in the heavenly Place!!!  Farewell for Now!!

Fraternally,
 

Anggie Angliongto

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Brods,

I like to share some great moments with you.  I have shared these intimate moments with Tito and his wife the last time he was with us in San Francisco Frat Ball.  I remember that we talk about our fun playing golf together in Los Osos San Luis Obispo.  During the fratball night, he and his wife gave us an "orchid flower" souvenir that he wants me to take care of.  He said something like this, "Brod Basbas, paki-alagaan mo nga ang orchid na 'to at pag dumami at nagkaanak marami tayong bibigyan na brods!"  This lovely rare orchid has multiplied now with lots of flowers.

That night, he won that orchid during our parlor games and he unselfishly gave them to me to remember him.  He knew I had a lung tumor/cancer at that time, and he knew that I would take care of that flower for him.  I survived the lung tumor and I took care of the orchid for him.  He did not see the fruits of our friendship together but I want him to know thru his wife that it gave us a lifetime "souvenir" to remember him by.  His brotherly friendship and unselfish thoughts gave us thoughts to remember him.  The "Orchid" he gave me immortalizes his brotherly love for me.

He knew we will play golf again and we will see each other again.  This time to play golf with our brothers who love this game and who have gone ahead of us.  Pls. kindly read this letter to his wife.  I love you Tito.  We will tee off together Brod and see you in our golf Tambayan!

Gilbert Basbas, '73C

UP Beta Sigma, DIliman

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Dear Brod Norman,

I am really saddened to hear about Brod Tito's passing.

I feel privileged to meet and share some happy moments with Brod Tito during the Folkways and the Jubilee Ball in Manila.  He was so happy meeting the Brods in Manila.  We compared notes about our children and apos.  Brod Tito was convincing me to time my U.S. visit this September to be able to attend the South California Frat Ball.

We'll be praying for Brod Tito and his family.

Kind regards and God bless.

Bernie Bantegue, UPD'68

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At times like this, you get closer to the Man upstairs.  A reminder to everyone, who the Boss is.  Your time, is His time to make.

I heard heaven is much more colorful nowadays ever since Banz, Ely, Clem, Ding, and Papu arrived!  And now you...

Our loss, God's gain.

Wally Rodriguez, UPD'63

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Dear Brod Norman,

Though it is indeed a very sad news, thank you for letting me know of Brod Tito's sudden death.  I will miss him, too.

Long before we even thought of becoming Frat men, we were good friends as neighbors in Loyola Heights.  Tito, Dolf Dela Rosa, Pete Roa, I & a few other Loyolans used to belong to Loyola Youth Organization.  We had a basketball team, a combo group, a political team and most of all, a drinking team!  This was during those times that Katipunan Rd. was so empty that the Blue Eagle was the only place to drink if you have the money, otherwise, we stay at home in my uncle's (Congressman Kintanar) place or at Sen. Dela Rosa's, and drink their more expensive bottled alcohol!  That's why he was always very protective of my sister, Ione & my cousin, Lorna, when they were in U.P.

My consolation is that Tito & I had a happy "chance reunion" in L.A. last year when I went down there for the Fiesta of my hometown, Argao, and it so happened that the hotel I was in was also the hotel where the Western Betan had a reunion!  Little did I suspect that that would be the last time I'll see him alive.  We had a great time!

And so it is proven true again that we all will die, it's just a matter of where & when.  I just hope that when it will be my time some of you Brods will remember me and smile!

Darius Munoz, UPD'64

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Our heartfelt condolences and we'll pray for his peaceful rest... we will miss him a lot... he was a truly diehard Betan and that's a fact... again our prayers!!!

from the Fabian Family

Vir

(Virgilio Fabian, UPCF'72A)

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At dawn today, Brod Tito de Santos '63 passed away.  Let us offer a prayer for Brod Tito.  We shared fun and emotional moments at Folkways and our Frat Ball; we were so happy to be reunited after several years.  At the Ball, I gathered the three Tito's together for a chat: Tito Garcia '57, Tito de Santos '63, and Tito Garcia '65.

He really had a good good visit.

Wake is at Christ The King, Green Meadows.

Fraternally,

Pol Moral, UPD'65

UP Beta Sigma, Diliman, Black Saints

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Dear Brods and Family,

I regret to inform you that our brod, Tito de Santos, died today in Manila.  It is a great loss to everyone... his family, friends, and our fraternity.  Let us all take a moment to say a prayer for the repose of his soul and send our condolences to his family.

I will always hold fond memories of him, most recently during our recent UP Beta Sigma Diamond Jubilee celebration.  See photos taken of us at the Frat Ball (More Pictures).

It is during times like this that we are reminded that life is short and death is certain.  So, let us build memories with family, friends, and community, for these memories will sustain our loved ones when we pass on.

Fraternally,

Boy

(Dominador Ramos, UPD'57)

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Brod Norman,

I will keep Tito in my prayers.

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Dear Brods,

Like you, I am shocked and sad at the news that our much-loved brod, Tito de Santos, passed away.  I had just spent time with him celebrating the frat's 60th anniversary in Manila.  We had much fun observing the nude model painting activity held by the frat at the UP Executive House last July 13.  Tito, as you know is a Fine Arts grad. I also saw him at the July 14 frat ball at the Wack Wack Country Club, where he was in great spirits.  I did miss him when the Makati brods held a well-attended despedida party for those brods who were 
going back to the US, Australia and Canada.  I was told that Tito had to go to Baguio to attend to some family business.  We never had an inkling that Tito was going to leave us so suddenly.

I fist met Tito as a neophyte applying to the UP Beta Sigma.  He was one of the "barkadng Tisoy" brods who made the hearts of girls on campus flutter.  He was also part of the very creative and much fun Fine Arts group of brods.  I don';t recall Tito as one of those brods that we, as neophytes, dreaded.  He was probably more mature by then, unlike the younger brods who were bent on making our life as neophytes hell. Tito, being five batch years ahead of me, did not share as much campus life with my generation of brods then as his  younger blood brother Mel did. But we often saw and talked to him as we used their home at Katipunan to do a lot of things -- silkscreening of T-shirts and campus politics materials, plannng of rumbles, and lots and lots of drinking. We enjoyed their home, drinking with Mel and even with their sister Kalen and another brother of theirs, and being spoiled by their mom. Tito was definitely the much cooler elder brod who would only share a few glass of beers with us and laugh at our stories and escapades.  I never saw him as drunk as Mel or the other brods.  He definitely had moved on by then beyond the resident brods life of booze and rumbles.

It was after several years that I saw him again, this time in America.  But he remembered me as one of those brods who frequented their home and warmed up fast to me.  He became more active and emerged as one of the stalwart brods of the South Cal chapter, finally being its GP since 2004 and to last year. I remember him as one of those who was with the late Flor Pagador's last hours. He, like so many brods,  also regularly called and e-mailed me since learning of my cancer diagnosis.  Even in Manila, during the 60th celebrations, he asked me how my health was and if I had fully recovered from my disease.  He truly was a caring brod and it saddens me that I did not even sense anything was wrong with his health.  I just took it for granted that he would be there for us - always. Now he is gone.

Tito's passing reminds us once more of the fragility of life and its preciousness. Brods, we have lost a fraternity treasure, but I prefer to dwell on the gift of having known and spent time with him. We should cherish every day that we continue to breathe and celebrate our deep friendships, instead of being bothered by petty differences. Tito was one of those brods who looked on the positive side, all the time. This was how he led the UP Beta Sigma South Cal and how I will remember him always.

Sincerely,

Pogs Gaspay, UPD'68B

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Dear Brods,

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To fellow Brothers:

I am at a loss for words in describing the feeling of shock that I am experiencing at the moment.

Brod Tito is a good brother, a serious martial arts devotee and a good friend.

He was impressive as a core member with the UP Vanguard Rifle and Pistol Team in the 60’s, a loyal and meticulous student of Master and Brod Johnny F. Chiuten, an artist in his own league, a devoted family man, and a die hard Betan.

He visited me last February, 2005 during my short holiday at Lawrence Welk Resort in San Diego. We have not had this much time together for years. He enjoyed watching me cook barbeque in the rain and with a flashlight. The exchanged of cooking techniques as a “House husbands” during his visit was very interesting. I was touched and honored by his gift of a pair of Betan Shirt.

The most memorable part of his visit was when we discussed and exchanged martial arts techniques until late in the evening. This was just like “old times” as in the UP Beta Sigma Kungfu Karate Klan heydays. This feeling of kinship in the martial arts is beyond words between us.

I have invited him for a short golf holiday in Alberta last May, 2006 but his commitment to the 60^th UP Beta Sigma Fraternity was a priority.

I accepted the invitation by Brod Flor Pagador for the September, 2006 at the UPBeta SoCal affair and was looking forward to meeting with him again and maybe have a chance for a golf game.

My family and members and families of The Black Secrets School of Martial Arts share the grief with his bereaved loved ones.

With love and prayers for Brod Tito’s eternal peace.

Brotherly,

Noli H. Nolasco, UP62’B

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