Father Tino, Rene and Genny Nieva, Bing Carrion, Me and Macrine Three weeks ago, prior to our return to US, we visited Macrine's uncle, Reverend Father Constantino Nieva( Retired) in Metro Manila. Tito Tino ( that is the name that Macrine and I call him) is now under the care of Macrine's first cousin Bing Carrion. Tito Tino is afflicted with expressive amnesia or Alzheimer's disease. This affliction started about 4 years ago after his retirement as a parish priest in Long Island, New York.
Father Nieva's career parallels mine. I first knew of him at the University of the Philippines in Diliman in 1952. He was then President of the UP Student Catholic Action(UPSCA) and in Law school while I was also president of UPSCA, Iloilo Chapter. In 1953 when I transferred to Diliman, our friendship grew and he introduced me to his niece, Macrine Nieva Jambalos, and the rest is history. Fr. Tino finished Law school, but decided he wanted to be priest, after one year of practicing corporate law in Manila. He finished seminary school and decided to go to Rome ( Vatican), Italy for his Ph.D in Theology. After his Ph. D graduation, the Nieva Clan in Boac, Marinduque wanted him to return to the Philippines. But Tito Tino had other plans. He wanted to stay in US . During this time, he would visit us during his vacation from his parish duties in the State of New York. He was happy of being a parish priest until he retired about 5 years ago. We visited him in his parish house in Long Island two years before his retirement, when he was hospitalized for prostrate surgery. At that time, we were still residing in Maryland.
He retired in the Philippines in 2006. His Alzheimer's affliction started about 4 years ago. When we visited him about 3 years ago, his memory was not that bad and he could still talk. In our last visit three weeks ago, he could not talk, but would gave you a stare and a half smile as if he remembers. Fr. Tino is having good care at the Bing's Carrion residence. Bing informed us that her only regret is that two of Fr. Tino older sisters who are still alive and residing in Manila and Marinduque had never visited him. We will continue to pray for Fr. Tino's health. We also gave our thanks to Bing Carrion for taking care of our uncle, the Rev Fr. Constantino Nieva (Retired) of Boac, Marinduque. The photo above was taken three weeks ago.
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