It was my brother-in-law, Bong, who first messaged me to ask if I had seen the announcement of Engr. Florente Cueva’s passing. Bong lives in San Francisco——- nauna pa nyang nalaman after seeing it on Facebook.
I did not expect Tante to pass away so suddenly. His wife, Madeline, had just hosted a grand birthday celebration for him on January 1, attended by close friends and relatives. Their daughter, Jackie and her husband, flew in from California to attend Tante’s party. In the days that followed, her posts were about their pasyal in Cagayan—happy moments, ordinary joys.
Tante’s dementia began when he was only 60 years old. For many years, it slowly took pieces of him away. Yet in the past two months, Madeline noticed a marked improvement in his memory. He would look for her and ask, “Nasaan si Madeline? Umakyat na ba? Bumaba na ba si Madeline?” There was a renewed clarity in him that gave her hope. She was even planning to visit their daughter, Jackie, in the U.S. next month, believing that Tante was getting better.
Madeline shared that during their visit to a church in Cagayan, she prayed fervently for his complete healing—that he would no longer suffer.
Hayun — God healed him in His own way, by taking him to heaven to rest in peace.
It has been many long years of struggle for both Madeline and Tante. Now, perhaps, there is comfort in knowing that his suffering has ended. I commend Madeline for her unwavering devotion in caring for him and for ensuring that all his needs were lovingly attended to.
She even purchased an expensive machine for alkaline water. Every day, she carefully prepared fresh fruit and vegetable juices for Tante’s nourishment. She did everything within her power to nurture and help strengthen his body.
Edmund and I drove to Cuenca, Batangas today, where Tante’s remains were brought to his ancestral home for prayers and viewing. Lehitimong tiga Cuenca ang angkan ng mga Cuevas kaya dyan sya ibunurol at ililibing. Many of his relatives still live along the same street, which made the gathering even more meaningful. We met his eldest brother, Nelson, an architect by profession but became a baker by passion, and some of Tante’s cousins, nephews and nieces who are doctors.
Tante will be laid to rest in a cemetery in Cuenca. A 50-square-meter plot is now being prepared for his mausoleum. Mas buti pa sa probinsya ilibing. You can have a mausoleum without breaking the bank. Sa Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig eh para kang bumili ng three-bedroom condominium pero sa liit ng lote, dapat nakatayo na lang yung patay.
Since Madeline’s farm is only eight minutes away from Tante’s burol, Lyn took us there after our visit. Her sprawling two-hectare property has become her sanctuary. Since retiring from Kaiser in Oakland,
tending to the farm has kept her meaningfully occupied. It is, in many ways, her refuge and her happy place.
We dropped Madeline off at Tante’s wake before heading out to look for a place to eat in Cuenca. We wanted to have lunch before driving back to Manila kasi baka ma-traffic kami.
We spotted Butch Grill along the main road and decided to give it a try. The facilities were nice and the place looked decent enough. Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel relaxed during our stay.
The constant sound of cars and trucks passing by the restaurant was quite loud. On top of that, the employees’ kwentuhan and tawanan were distracting, and the music playing in the background felt obtrusive. Parang ang daming maingay. Talagang old na ako — I just want a quiet place where I can enjoy my meal in peace.
To make matters worse, the cleaner started mopping the floor very near our table, almost beside my feet. I could smell the strong scent of Zonrox or Chlorox — or whatever cleaning solution was mixed with the water. I’m very sensitive to those kinds of smells; talagang they trigger my migraines.
The food was okay, but overall, the experience wasn’t as relaxing as I had hoped.
Edmund’s friend Gilbert Chua recently built a large hospital in Lipa, Batangas. Nadaanan lang namin siya along J.P. Laurel Street, Banay-Banay, Lipa City, so we decided to drive by and check it out. It’s a massive project — the kind that only someone like Gilbert could take on.
The hospital had its soft opening last Tuesday, just a few days before we saw it. It looked impressive even from the outside, clearly a major investment in healthcare for the area.
Small world, because at Tante’s wake, we happened to meet some of Tante’s’s doctor relatives. His first cousin told us that she and her colleagues were originally supposed to be Gilbert’s partners in the project. However, something apparently became unclear along the way, so Gilbert returned their money.
We told her that Gilbert is super bait.
The drive back to Manila was smooth and easy, with light to moderate traffic — probably because it was a Sunday.
Life continues to evolve— for you, for me, for Madeline, for all of us. The seasons are quietly changing. Our circle of friends, and many of the people we know and love, are gently entering their senior years. And some are already gone.
Time feels different now — more fragile, more sacred.
There is a quiet urgency in our days, a whisper reminding us to be present—
to sit longer at the table,
to linger in conversation,
to hold those we love a little tighter.
To spend meaningful time with our loved ones,
with the people we care about,
and with the person who is far too important to neglect—— —ourselves.
#life #death
