A tribute to my mentor

TODAY, an icon in my life is celebrating his 65th birthday. To most of us, it is the age of retirement, a chance to finally enjoy the rest of your life worry-free. To this guy, however, 65 is simply another chapter in his colorful life, another year to thank the Lord for all the blessings he received and yet to receive, another page to fill with adventure.

Leonito Dacles Lopue, Tito Diotay to me, has been like my second father, especially when my own father passed away several years ago.

Whatever I am today was mostly due to what Tito Diotay has taught me. He has been my mentor, sometimes my tormentor, but more than that, he has been my inspiration.

In our community, Tito Diotay has created a name for himself, not because he was born with it, but through sheer hard work. Yes, the Lopue family had been privileged from the start owing to the success of their own parents that established one of the first department stores in Bacolod when very few dared then.

But ultimately, Tito Diotay had to go out and carve a name for himself, not only for his own personal gain but for the entire Chinese community he continues to hold dear in his heart.

He is a true-blue green archer, pardon the pun, having been a La Sallista from elementary all the way to graduate school. He has done so much for his alma mater, and the La Sallian community acknowledged it by giving him the St. La Salle Award in 1984, the USLS Outstanding Alumni Award for Entrepreneur in 2003 and the USLS Honoris Causa in 2005, one of the highest awards bestowed by the university.

Right after finishing his degree in Business Administration at the De La Salle University, Tito Diotay came home to work as general manager of Lopue’s Mercantile Co. for a decade before branching out to Lopue’s San Sebastian where he has been president since 1983 up to the present.

That company grew, and two decades later it branched out to Lopue's Value Store - Sagay, Lopue's Value Store - Hinigaran and Lopue’s Value Store - 888. Far from being a simple business expansion, Tito Diotay’s motivation to bring their store to the countryside is to bring their service closer to the community.

One might think that it was all work for this man. But Tito Diotay had other passions – where he got the energy to indulge in his other hobbies is always a wonder.

Aside from his affiliation in various business groups, including being one of the founding members of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he is also actively involved in various civic organizations like the Sugarlandia Lions Club, the Negros Kaisa, the Bacolaodiat Foundation and the Society of Ang Banwahanon Awardees having been an awardee himself in 2008.

His interest spans far and wide, from the religious to sports to cause-oriented groups and again where he gets all his energy from, has always baffled me.

He mentioned one time that he lives by the “5-10 principle,” that is, five minutes walk and ten minutes rest until you reach your destination. It may take longer but the objective is to finish the journey and in between those rests, never fail to admire your surroundings.

He always finds time to indulge in his passion for table tennis, badminton, shooting and hunting, caving, tennis, photography, chess and bowling. In fact, Tito Diotay holds the perfect 300 game in bowling under the Sugarlandia Ten Pin Association which he bagged in 2000, a record that he still holds today.

But he goes beyond perfecting his craft, he makes sure others improve theirs and through the years, Tito Diotay has been responsible in producing several table tennis national champs.

When he goes caving, it too is beyond the sport itself. He lugs along his cameras to capture the beauty underneath and shares it with the public so they may see “the beauty of God’s creation” not just around us but beneath us.

If you ask his secret to all this success, Tito Diotay sums it up in the Chinese way. He was born in the Year of the Tiger under the Chinese Zodiac, the year of the Ram under the Western Zodiac, his name means “Little Lion” while his Chinese name means “Beautiful Dragon.” You add it all up and it personifies all of him – an adventurous nature lover who seeks deeper meaning in everything and continues to search and explore the unknown. Above all the little lion is simply courageous.

Perhaps, that courage is the one I admire most. Tito Diotay has never made secret his illness. He has been afflicted with prostate cancer for quite some time now and recently, it has come back that he needs to seek treatment for it abroad. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, he used his illness to inspire others, never failing to tell people that there is more to life than allowing your sickness to take over your dreams, take hold of your passions.

In his own words, he has given up everything to God believing that “God gives us trials that we can carry and with a purpose. If pain is present, that is because we are joined to Christ’s suffering to save the world.”

Sixty-five wonderful years with each day an adventure, each day a memory and perhaps, given his resolve, more pages to fill, more passion to indulge, more people to inspire.

Eternally grateful for all your help, for being an inspiration, for being a father to me – Happy birthday, and may you have more of God’s blessings to enjoy and to share.

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