A REUNION of beautiful souls in heaven can be suitable for describing the passing of a well-loved and valued couple Dr. Gil Nava Octaviano, Jr., 84, and his wife Eufemia "Femy" Faciolan Octaviano, 82.
Mrs. Octaviano died on August 16, 2021, while Dr. Octaviano died on October 25, 2021, or a 70-day gap.
Their family, relatives, circle of friends, and colleagues mourn for the couple's passing.
Dr. Octaviano was known as the Father of Nephrology, a physician who deals with the physiology and diseases of the kidneys, in Western Visayas.
His wife Femy was a registered nurse and both have made significant contributions in their respective fields.
In 2014, the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) recognized Dr. Octaviano Jr. as the lone recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Nephrologist award and an A1 award.
Dr. Octaviano was among the pioneer physicians of the Riverside Medical Center and was instrumental in opening Riverside's Dialysis Center and other ventures, such as Dialysis Plus.
He also became the medical director of the L.N. Agustin Memorial Mission Hospital (now Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital).
While he was performing best as a physician, Dr. Octaviano complemented it with excellent physical fitness by engaging himself in running almost every day. Thus he earned a moniker as the "Running Doctor," who loved running as a form of physical exercise. He started running every morning in the 1970s, and at the age of 76, he was still spotted exercising through running. He participated in marathons in Manila, Cebu, and Bacolod.
Dr. Octaviano was born and went to school in Iloilo City. He finished his elementary at the Iloilo Central School, secondary education at the Central Philippine University, and his pre-med degree at the University of the Philippines-Iloilo (now UP Visayas).
He enrolled in his medicine proper at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.
He had his post-graduate internship at the now-defunct St. Joseph Hospital in Manapla, where he met his wife, Eufemia, a nurse at the said hospital.
While an intern there, he was also admitted to the hospital because of chickenpox, and "Femy," his nurse, took care of him and eventually became his wife.
Dr. Octaviano was trained in the United States for his residency, first in New York, then Wisconsin. He married "Femmy" in New York.
They were blessed with three children. Their first son, Gil Joseph III, was born in Schenectady, New York, and is now a dentist. Their second child, Florence Joy, was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and followed the footstep of her Mom by becoming a Nurse too.
After five years of training in the US, the family went home to the Philippines. Dr. Octaviano came back and worked as a consultant of St. Joseph Hospital in Manapla, Negros Occidental.
Their third child, Rose Jessica, a peace and mental health advocate and a former Sunstar columnist, was born in Manapla.
Eventually, Dr. Octaviano became one of the first physicians in Riverside Medical Center. At the same time, his wife, Dr. Eufemia Octaviano, served as the college dean of Riverside College for 25 years before becoming a member. Eventually, the chairperson of the Board of Nursing, as appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Upon retirement, she franchised the Carl Balita Review Center (CBRC), where she talks as a reviewer for Nursing board examinees.
At his age, Dr. Octaviano is still an active member of many organizations, namely, the Rotary Club of Bacolod, Bacolod Square and Compass Toastmasters Club, Free and Accepted Masons, and the Christian Family Movement.
As Bacolod's known nephrology father, he considers other nephrologists as his colleagues, not competitors. That must be the reason they are all close to one another, helping each other as a family.
Dr. Octaviano is a true family man – he is a loving husband to his wife and a loving father to their children, daughter-in-law Maricar and grandchildren, Mico Jerrico, Gio Lorenzo, and Franz Luis Juliano.
He is a great teacher and mentor, an accomplished toastmaster, an alumni award, a good friend, and an obedient son of God. He is indeed an "A1 Awardee."
Furthermore, their family expressed their sincerest gratitude to those who joined them in their grief.
They also prayed for Dr. Gil, Jr. and his wife Femy for their eternal repose.