The Upsilon Sigma Phi remembers the fellows who passed away in 2013:
Luciano E. Lactao ’41, Executive Secretary, Agricultural Cooperative League of the Philippines
Ramon T. Batungbacal ’45, an ophthalmologist practicing for 44 years, he finished his medical course (internship & residency) at UP PGH. He took his fellowship at the Harvard Medical School, USA. He was a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology and Professor-Emeritus at the UE Medical School. He was also connected with the Makati Medical Center. He owned the Batungbacal EENT Clinic, also in Makati City.
Jose E. Suarez ’46, the last of the pioneering antibases stalwarts in Central Luzon, called Tata Sensing, he belonged to the nationalist bloc of the 1972 Constitutional Convention and 1986 Constitutional Commission. Although his family was landed, he led the convening of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Central Luzon in 1981 and had supported the Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya since 1997. He was also a Liberal Party member. Suarez was the personal choice of former President Corazon Aquino as secretary of either the justice or agrarian reform departments or as justice of the Court of Appeals. He declined, preferring private practice and civic involvement over government service.
Onofre D. Corpuz ’47, former Education Minister and National Scientist, an academic, economist, and historian, he served as Secretary of Education from 1968 to 1971. He was elected to the Batasang Pambansa and served again as Minister of Education from 1979 to 1984. He was founding president of the Development Academy of the Philippines in 1972 and served as the 13th President of the University of the Philippines from 1975 to 1979. He was named National Scientist in 2004. Dr. Corpuz was Professor Emeritus of Economic History at the UP School of Economics from 1993 until his death. He also wrote several books, among them An Economic History of the Philippines and The Roots of the Filipino Nation.
Manuel “Mart” Martell ’47, one of the fraternity’s iconic figures and lyricist extraordinaire of many Upsilon songs, most notably, the Upsilon March Song, When You’re Away, and Time Will Tell. He wrote several Upsilon musicals in the 1950s, including Aloyan, Hanako and Linda. The summer tour of some of these musicals in selected Philippine cities helped raise funds for the construction of the Catholic chapel in UP Diliman in the early 1950s.
Vicente C. Valenciano ’48, a professional photographer, was two-time president (1976 & 1978) of the Camera Club of the Philippines. Vic took interest in photography while he was pursuing his mechanical and civil engineering degree in UP Diliman. Since 1977, he has been teaching, lecturing, and conducting seminars on photography.
Jaime M. Alfonso ’49, a brigadier general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he was Senior Assistant Secretary of National Defence before he retired. After retirement, he founded the Alfonso and Associates Law Firm.
Carlos C. Aguilar ’50, a brigadier general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he served for thirty-four years, including ten years in Mindanao.
Ismael A. Mathay, Jr. ’50, former Quezon City mayor, he was assemblyman for Quezon City at the Batasan Pambansa from 1984 to 1986, Quezon City’s fourth district representative from 1987 to 1992, and after that, served as Quezon City mayor from 1992 to 2001. Previously, he served as vice mayor from 1968 to 1971. He also served as vice governor of the Marcos government’s Metro Manila Commission, the forerunner of what is now the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), from 1979 to 1986, director of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System from 1979 to 1987, and chairman of the Metro Manila Authority from 1993 to 1994.
Raul R. Ingles ’51, journalism professor and later professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, he was also assistant private secretary to Presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos P. Garcia; confidential secretary to Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas; assistant secretary of UP Diliman under presidents Carlos P. Romulo and Salvador P. Lopez ’31, among other positions in the academe and literary circle.
Maximo Aglibut, Jr. ’53 graduated from UPLB in 1956 with an agriculture degree. He served the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture.
Rogelio O. Juliano ’53, a professor of the College of Fisheries from 1963 until his retirement in 1989, he was the first Dean of the College of Fisheries, UP Visayas to have been appointed twice from 1970 to 1980, and from 1986 to 1987, and Chancellor of UP Visayas from 1987 to 1989. He received his Zoology degree from UP in 1955 and immediately after that was a Stanford University Gold Star Scholar for his Master of Arts (Biology) degree. He was a fellow of Rackman School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan for his second masteral degree, Master of Science (Fisheries). UNESCO awarded Dr. Juliano a fellowship in 1964 in Advanced Marine Biology Training at University of Copenhagen and Institute of Fisheries Research, Copenhagen, Denmark. He conducted numerous researches on fisheries and published several articles on fisheries in various journals and magazines here and abroad, and authored or co-authored more than 50 scientific papers.
Federico T. Herrera ’54, a graduate of Veterinary Medicine in UP Diliman, he joined the US Army and retired with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Rodulfo Antonio ’57 graduated in 1959 with a degree of Agriculture at UPLB. In his younger years, he was a wrestler. After graduation, he became a corporate executive who served as board chairman of King Traders Marketing & Services Inc. which is based in Davao del Sur.
Benjamin H. Cervantes ’58, a prolific theater director with works ranging from a Broadway repertoire to the protest theater movement during the Martial Law era, he established the UP Repertory Company in 1974 “to combat the censorship that was in place during Martial Law.” Among Behn’s outstanding and memorable theater plays were Pagsamabang Bayan and Sigaw ng Bayan. He taught at the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts of the College of Arts and Letters for 22 years, starting as Instructor in 1967 until his early retirement as Associate Professor in 1989. He was named Artist-in-residence in UPD from 1974 to 1976 and at the University of Hawaii in 1991. He was also critically acclaimed in Philippine cinema. He took pride in his 1976 film, Sakada, which counts among the great social-realist and allegorical films at the time. In 1981, Sakada won a Dekada Award for Best Film of the Decade. His other films include Masikip, Masakit, Mahapdi & Bawal na Pag-ibig. Among the most visible and vociferous opponents of the Marcos regime, He fought dictatorship in the streets, on stage, and on the big screen. Behn received a Life Achievement Award from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, and an Aliw award for Life Achievement in Theater.
Rodolfo C. Rocamora ’62
Jose N. Bibal ’70, appointed to the Hercules Planning Commission (Hercules City, California) in 2007, he served three total terms as commissioner. Under his tenure, the planning commission undertook the review and approval of the Sycamore Crossing Initial Plan Development, the Waterfront District Master Plan update and development agreement, the Town Centrale project among various other projects. He graduated from the UP Los Banos in 1973, with a degree in Forestry, served as instructor in the College of Forestry, and completed his MS in Forestry, with a major in wood science and technology in 1976. Bibal came to the United States in 1980 to pursue a doctoral degree at University of California Berkeley, under a fellowship granted by the World Bank.
Romeo B. Dorado ’71, Executive Director of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, he completed his Agricultural Economics degree at UP Los Banos in 1977. Twenty years later, he completed subjects/units leading to the Masteral Degree in Public Administration at the Colegio De Los Banos. He started his career as Agricultural Economist of the then Palawan Integrated Area Development Project Office. He also served as Director of the USPLBAA Board.
Teofilo C. Esguerra ’73, professor of the Spanish Language, he taught in UP Diliman and later transferred in UP Tarlac campus. When the Tarlac campus was closed, he went on to teach in UP Los Banos where he joined the fraternity in 1973. He received his M.A. Spanish from the Central Universidad de Madrid in 1967 and studied Anthropology in UP DIliman.
Edgar M. Sandalo ’73, project manager at the Social Security System and actor, he finished his BS Agriculture, major in Animal Science degree in 1978. In 1996, he earned his MBA degree from Ateneo de Manila University. He is known as the “the actor” who has shown his acting skills in various ABS-CBN soap opera such as May Bukas Pa (2009), Green Rose (2010) and Kolorete (2008). He served as director for USPLBAA and USPAA Boards.
Moises E. Maramba, Jr. ’78 (JohnMark L. Marrald), Catholic priest at the Archdiocese of San Francisco, he received his AB Classical major in Philosophy, Bachelor in Sacred Theology (STB) & Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) degrees from the University of Santo Tomas. After his ordination, he took up Law at UP Diliman where he joined the fraternity in 1978.
