By Rizal Raoul Reyes / Photos by Nonoy Lacza
On December 8 Romarico G. Vitug celebrated a magnificent milestone in his life as he marked his 100th birthday. Aside from being a landmark event, it also enabled the second, third and even fourth generation of the family to learn and be inspired by the accomplishments of their patron.
As far as Romarico is concerned, one of his nephews noted the Lord showered a lot of blessings to the man known as “Yaya” to his younger siblings. The “Yaya” tag did not come from his being his siblings’ nanny, but was coined by younger sister, the late Justina Vitug-Montemayor, who, as a toddler, was too young to properly pronounce the honorific “Kuya” or “Coya” to her older brother.
Aside from being a member of the exclusive centenarian club today, Romarico became a successful businessman in his younger years. A descendant of a Chinese immigrant who settled and flourished in Lubao, Pampanga after adapting the surname Vitug in the late1800s, Romarico established and managed the predecessor of Foremost Farms of Filipino-Chinese businessman Lucio Tan Sr. in Antipolo. He also operated a Manila-based travel agency, a number of logging concessions here and there, and a law firm. He had enough to invest his earnings in prime real estate, stocks and an array of other blue-chip investments.
Violeta Vitug-Catacutan, the eldest daughter of Romarico’s youngest brother, the late Jesus G. Vitug, said her uncle was generous to his nephews and nieces. He’s a modest and frugal gentleman who, despite his fortune, was always watchful of his spending.
But whenever someone in the family needs moral and financial assistance, Romarico has been there to provide help.
“He was the patriarch of the family, and a true gentleman of the old school in his ways and manners. Gifted with good looks, he’s prim and proper, stands tall and proud in any crowd with his own brand of dry humor,” she said.
Romarico served as an inspiration to the Garcia-Vitug clan. He was raised in a middle-class family and as a young student, he strove consistently hard in his studies. After graduating class valedictorian from a public school in Lubao, Pampanga, the Lubao Elementary School, the same school where former President Diosdado P. Macapagal studied, Romarico pursued his studies in Manila to become a certified public accountant. He later added a law degree and passed the Bar the same year he graduated from the University of Santo Tomas law school.
There was no stopping Romarico, or Ricong to his town mates, to become one of the most successful and affluent citizens of Lubao, Pampanga during his salad days. Aside from his God-given knowledge, charm and an imposing presence, perhaps good karma played a major role in his successes in life.
According to a family story, Violeta learned from elder members of the Garcia-Vitug family that Romarico made a vow to his dying mother, the late Antonia Garcia-Vitug, he would take care of the family, especially the youngest in the brood, the late Jesus G. Vitug, Violeta’s father.
Romarico was generous in sharing his wisdom to the younger Vitugs.
“He told us to be like a bamboo tree, bending wherever the wind blows, when we grow up so we can be flexible in facing challenges in life. He would also call our attention when he thinks we are off the track in our life direction,” Violeta recalled. “He pursued bigger dreams by studying hard and working diligently to reach the top.”
As the “Big Brother,” Violeta recalls Romarico had a strong bond with Jesus, nicknamed Susing or Song. Being the ever-responsible brother, he made sure all siblings are well taken care of in their financial and personal needs.
“Being the eldest and the wealthiest in the Vitug clan, he was the go-to-guy in the family,” Violeta said.
Romarico ensured the family ties remain strong. He loved to receive visitors especially during special occasions like Christmas and New Year holidays when nephews and nieces received crisp P5 paper bills from him, a fortune for young lads and lasses during that time. He also gives regular treats to his siblings either at his home in Bel-Air Village, Makati City or in some of the fanciest restaurants in the city.
Len, Tel and Eugene Jacinto, children of Romarico’s sister Cristeta Vitug- Jacinto, flew all the way from the United States to greet the celebrator and join the dinner celebration.
Daughter Charina Vitug-Villegas, a doctor, said she is very proud of her father’s achievement. “I am very, very happy for my father because very few people are given the privilege to achieve his numerous feats not only in his career, but in his blessed and diamond-studded life as a whole.”
Asked about the formula for her father’s longevity, Charina noted her father’s being a stickler to clean and proper living as a major factor.
Romarico does not smoke nor drink.“He’s also very religious in his checkup and medicines,” Charina said. Having a sweet tooth, Romarico eats a bar of his favorite dark chocolate daily.
“My father does not have diabetes in his DNA. Cholesterol is low although he loves to eat sisig and lechon,” she said.
Under Charina’s watchful eyes, Romarico undergoes his laboratory tests every two months.
He is still mentally sharp since he does the computation of taxes of the family members. As a form of mental exercise, he does the crossword puzzle daily of a major broadsheet newspaper and reads the newspapers he subscribes to.
Another secret of Romarico is he maintains a cool demeanor even in the most stressful situations. Such an inherently calm and composed demeanor, Violeta noted, may have been his uncle’s “secret” for his long life.
Although the Vitugs have been blessed with good fortune, Charina and her brother Paolo have been honed by their father of the values of simple living and hard work.
“Our parents are traditional and conservative. They have encouraged us to practice modest means in living,” Charina said. Perhaps, travelling every summer was the only luxury Romarico provided his children.
“Having a travel-agency business, we were able to see various places that gave us another form of exposure,” Charina said. Travel was one of Romarico’s passions in life during his younger days as he was one of the few Capampangans in the old days who toured the world. Charina smilingly recalled that her father was the “force” who inspired and guided her to a medical career.
“Actually, he played a very large part in my decision to go to medical school. My father told me he could have done better if he became an accountant, a lawyer and a doctor all rolled into one,” she said.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza