Dippon passed away early morning of 12 May 2024, a Sunday, due to acute respiratory problem that even a ventilator can not help him anymore to breath. He was cremated in the morning of that day, afterwhich transferred to a chapel in the afternoon. Viewing of Dippon’s Urn was done in the afternoon of May 17th until the 20th when his Urn was brought to a Columbarium in Cubao, Quezon City, for his final resting place.

Dippon had been living alone for most part of his life when he and his wife separated. He had a son, now with the US Marines but had not been in contact with him ever since. So his relatives particularly his first cousin August with wife Ana Marie took care of Dippon until to the last. Mistahs conveyed their condolences thru his cousin, August and Ana Marie at +63 917 526 9771.

My memories of Dippon. I know him to be street-smart, daring and ready to challenge anybody in arguments, with one eyebrow raised up. He usually end up winning, not that he won and has the best reason, but usually, his opponent resigns from arguing because they wanted to end the discussion … Dippon laughs with his pointing finger stretched out downward, sideview, with his brand of laughter that you can easily distinguish from the rest.

His message, he wrote in our graduation book, “Sword”, says: “My desire to strive for higher goals was not achieved, but has only started; it must not be stifled. Though there have been moments in my life that I ached to the bottom of my being, still I was able to stand up and survive. For always, after the bitterness of suffering, there is the sweetness of success!”

That was his own words saying, after the rain, there is sunshine! You can feel what he meant; but the word “Stifled” struck me. I looked it up in the dictionary and it says, “to withhold from circulation or expression”. He is, therefore, breaking away, after graduation, from the many things holding him back.

Dippon is a survivor and a fighter!

There is a description of him at the back pages of the “Sword”, telling us:

“There’s a very strange personality that can be seen behind this man’s dispositional facade which other unwary individuals can’t readily observe. This is his innate fortitude to do things that other gutsy fellows dare not do. He’s regarded with a feeling of ambivalence because with the kind of upbringing and regimentations he’s in, it seems that he’s simply unmindfully daring. He’s a lively, animated type, full of zest. And if you ask him, he’ll stay with you, whoever!”

Who wrote this? But the last sentence really describes him well, “Walang iwanan, kahit sino ka man!”

Dippon is a group-mate during the medical exam at V-Luna, in Group Juliet. I consider him an Alpha male, who is the loudest in the group. He is knowledgeable of the process and had connections. Yes, connections. Even when we became plebes of Bessang Company, precursor of Alfa, he can always establish connections. For instance, he was relaxed in front of magan yearlings while us bracing up like the dickens; and we learned the reason later, Dippon was the producer and supplier of scags to that particular uppie, whom we plebes feared hehe

“But if you ask him, he’ll stay with you, whoever!” So, at our early stage of our careers, as newly minted second lieutenants, he was a constant host, as PC, to the Army group coming from different battlegrounds in the South. You know what I mean and I do not need to expound further what kind of hospitality … from phase one to the next phase.

“Hindi mo sya maisahan!” There is no exact translation in English for this Tagalog idiom on what I exactly meant; because in English interpretation, the phrase is “You cannot one him!”

As an example, one time, he called one Mistah, I know, from the lobby of the building that he is around and going to see the high-ranking mistah. However, that mistah didn’t want to see Dippon. He hid in his backroom and instructed his secretary to tell Dippon that he is out of the office. Dippon, however, went straight to the said office, ignoring the secretary, opened the door of the backroom and Dippon said, “Huli ka!” haha

Let me continue to describe Dippon, according to his zodiac sign, Pisces. He was sensitive and concerned with others’ welfare, he was not afraid to be different. In fact, he felt a “calling” early in life, he felt unique or different. This led him on an unusual path, but always a very expressive one. His ideas were unique and creative, and he felt compelled to share them with others! He could be very persuasive and intriguing. Many of the choices he made in life were altruistic. Anything routine did not hold his attention for too long, but he preferred to spend his time on meaningful, purposeful activity. He turned his hobbies into work; for example, in electronics, he acquired a red lineman’s handset phone with a dial at the back and two small terminal wire clippers. He calls Manila frequently, perhaps, girls. I do not know. He was, however, accommodating to let a mistah go next and even assist in going through the operators of Tarlac Zone or Manila Zone …

Once, or is it many times, plebes have mistakenly called Dippon “Cadet Palaroan!” and instead of trifling his anger (there, I now know how to use the word trifle), people around add fire by laughing hard…

We will miss you Dippon! We pray that a squad of angels fly you directly to paradise; and may the Good Lord grant you eternal rest in peace!

“The only way to get over a death is by seeing it as a life completed, instead of a life interrupted.”― Anonymous