Goodbye Nilo

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Nilo Villanueva passed away last Sunday evening. Before that, he had been confined for about 2 weeks in Makati Medical Hospital for his respiratory ailment. He was getting better and about to be discharged when complications set in. Batch63’s Vince Misa was the first to hear about the tragic news - Nilo’s friend Boy Fernandez had informed him immediately. By Monday, Bert Saenz had sent out the news-text bulletin to the entire Batch63. The next day, Tuesday, Nilo’s one-day wake was held in Don Bosco. It was purposely made a brief wake since Nilo has very limited kin in the Philippines. In lieu of immediate family members however (most were in the States), Nilo had Batch63 who occupied a good size of the available space in the Hope Interment Chapel during the funeral mass.

Boy Tumpalan (aka Boy Roadside) was Nilo’s best buddy from grade school and who led the Batch63 condolers. Nilo’s few aunts and relatives at the wake knew Boy Tumpalan but they were not clear just who exactly were the noisy old men occupying the rear pews during the wake. After the mass, Cecille Gatchalian, Nilo’s cousin, called for speakers to deliver eulogies for Nilo and so the family finally got to meet the infamous Batch63 guys. Bert Saenz started it off by introducing Batch63 to Nilo’s family (that included his brother Gil ‘Toti’ Villanueva).










As we know, Bert was appointed ‘next of kin’ of Nilo in the absence of any family members when Nilo was first hospitalized. Bert narrated about the details of Nilo’s ailment and how Batch63 showed their support for him throughout his stay in the hospital. After Bert, Bambi Goco talked about Nilo’s escapades in his younger years when he was known as ‘peklat’ due to a head scar. Then Gary Salcedo took the cudgels for Nilo’s US buddies and described how generous and committed Nilo was to his Batch63 group and other La Salle friends there.



















Nilo’s younger brother Toti came all the way from California to take Nilo home when it was thought earlier that he was getting well. Now he had to deliver instead the family response to the eulogies made. In his speech, Toti concurred that his Kuya Nilo was indeed known as a generous soul who has helped many friends who were in need. Knowing about Batch63’s unsolicited effort to fill in for family (taking turns in the ICU) when Nilo was confined, Toti graciously thanked Batch63 for coming through when it was Nilo’s turn to need support.

After everything, it is clear that Nilo was a man of the world. Nilo was a frank man with a wry sense of humor. Nilo so loved his friends that they became a priority in his undertakings. But most of all, Nilo was a Batch63 La Sallite who was a competent professional (practicing auditor/accountant) with a vigorous zest for life! With Nilo’s helpful ways, positive outlook and following Vince’s Unichurch theory (your destiny is what you want it to be), we are certain that Nilo is in a good state today. Here’s a salute then to Batch63’s fallen mainstay wherever he is: A toast to you our DD friend – we will certainly miss you!