Tiago or Santi as he was called later in life, was born in Dauis, Bohol and graduated high school in 1941 at the eve of World War II. He volunteered for active service at the age of 18 and deployed with the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE). Despite the order to surrender in 1942, he left the army camp and joined the resistance in Bohol. At the end of the war, he joined the Philippine Navy but in 1951, after marrying Basilisa (Bess) and starting a family, he resigned to avoid extended deployments away from the family. He then became a revenue officer. In 1975, he was appointed Revenue Attaché to the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles, CA. Later, rather than return to the Philippines, he became a U.S. Naturalized citizen arising from his war service. He died peacefully surrounded by loving famiy. He is survived by five sons: Jaime, Edgardo, Manuel, Santiago, Ferdinand; three daughters: Josephine, Caroline, Evangeline; 18 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.