Roll of remembrance: Bells toll for 20 Filipinos

Of the nearly 3,000 people who died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 20 were Filipinos, showing how the worst act of terrorism on American soil blasted across nations and races.

American planes were hijacked, but so were the lifelong flights of dauntless Filipino immigrants. The Twin Towers burned and crumbled to dust, but so did the dreams of families with roots in Manila, Quezon, Pangasinan, Aklan, Laoag City…

Ten years later, their memories are kept alive: the way they worked, laughed, and loved; their big plans and simple pleasures; their last kisses, their last phone calls, their last good-byes—before tragedy struck in New York City, southern Pennsylvania and in Washington, DC, on that clear-skied Tuesday morning.

Killed at the World Trade Center (WTC)

1. Grace Alegre-Cua, 40

Accountant, Chuo Mitsui Trust and Banking Co.

Grace Alegre-Cua worked at this bank for 14 years. She met her husband Ildefons Cua in 1986 when she applied as an accountant at Metropolitan Bank and Trust. Cua, the accounting manager, interviewed her. They married shortly after the interview and had two children, Nicole and Patrick.

In a profile published by The New York Times (NYT) in 2001, Ildefons Cua said she didn’t get the job because the position had just been filled, and that the interview with her was conducted as a favor to the general manager.

In the profile, he was quoted to have described his wife as “very smart.”

“I don’t know if we were in love right away, but I was interested because of her beauty and sweetness,” he told The New York Times.

She was a native of Infanta, Quezon.

2. Cesar A. Alviar, 60

Accountant, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

Cesar Alviar worked as an accountant at Marsh & McLennan on the 94th floor of the WTC. He met his wife Grace in the Philippines. She described him as “quiet and modest, but very handsome.” They married after three years of courtship, and renewed their vows three years before the 9/11 attacks.

On the day of the attacks, Grace drove her husband to the bus station in Bloomfield, New Jersey. “He always kissed me before he got out,” she told The New York Times in a profile published in 2001, adding that on Sept. 11, 2001, he hesitated after the kiss. “It was like he wanted to say something, but because I was rushing, I just said good-bye.”

3. Marlyn C. Bautista, 46

Accounts Payable Department, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

Marlyn Bautista worked at the accounts payable department of Marsh & McLennan. She met her husband Rameses at a town festival in Dagupan, Pangasinan. They had been married for more than 10 years when the Sept. 11 attacks happened.

In a 2001 profile published by the NYT, Rameses described his wife as a “born organizer” and added that the cleaning crew at Marsh & McLennan loved her because she kept her cubicle neat. He also said that his wife enjoyed nature walks, and was “always amazed by what God could do.”

In another profile published by the Chicago Tribune, her father-in-law Adan Bautista described her as “a woman full of joy.”

“She always laughed. She always was very happy,” her father-in-law said.

4. Cecile M. Caguicla, 55

Assistant vice president of finance, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

Cecile M. Caguicla was in her office at Marsh & McLennan when the first hijacked plane struck her office on 9/11, killing her along with 20 other colleagues.

A graduate of St. Paul’s College in Manila, Caguicla moved from the Philippines to the United States in 1975. She bought a house in Boonton, New Jersey, with her best friend Maria Luciano in 1989.

In a profile published by The Star Ledger, Luciano said Caguicla relaxed by playing classical music while working in her garden. Luciano added that Caguicla also tried her hand at cooking and flower arranging when she was still alive.

On the day of the attacks, Luciano recalled: “We separated at 9:10 and she was paying for a blueberry muffin. She always bought pastries for her office mates. It was a happy morning,” she told the Times.

5. Jayceryll M. deChavez, 24

Assistant to the portfolio manager, Fiduciary Trust International

In a profile by the NYT, Jayceryll deChavez was described as a “smart but soft-spoken” man who once told his mother that he did not only dream of working in the Twin Towers—he also wanted to build a tower of his own.

At the time of the attacks, DeChavez had just passed the first level of a test to become a financial analyst, and was eager to take a review class for the next level scheduled the following month. His father described him as “a very ambitious guy” who had been at the top of his class since his elementary years. He studied finance and economics at Rutgers.

6. Benilda Pascua Domingo, 37

Utility worker, ABM Industries

Benilda Domingo, a utility worker at ABM Industries, hailed from Barangay Sta. Maria in Laoag City. While she already had children with Cesar Gabriel, a bus driver, she had kept postponing their wedding for 14 years, in hopes of speeding up a petition to immigrate to the US filed by her parents, who lived in Hawaii.

A spouse would have slowed down the process, said her sister-in-law Dorothy Gabriel, in a profile for the NYT. Domingo’s visa finally came through a year before the attacks. She had planned to return to Laoag to marry Gabriel and to bring him over as well.

“She was so proud that she was hired at the WTC.,” her sister-in-law told the paper.

In an interview with the Inquirer after the attacks, Gabriel said Domingo had gone to the US the previous year to support their children. He added that he watched the collapse of the building on television but had no inkling that it was the WTC because of the thick smoke. “I don’t want to go to the US to work anymore,” he said.

7. Ramon Grijalvo, 58

Computer programmer, Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield

An employee of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Ramon Grijalvo was brought to the New York Presbyterian Hospital and died days after the attack. In an Inquirer article in October 2001, Grijalvo’s family related how he had spent his last hours with a different family due to a body mix-up.

According to Grijalvo’s family, the hospital had turned over his body to another family. The mix-up was cleared sometime after the third week of September, when his family identified him through his dental records.

A native of Arevalo, Iloilo City, Grijalvo was a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of San Agustin. He first arrived in the US in 1963 after being petitioned by his sister, according to a profile by the Philippine News Service. He practiced his profession as a mechanical engineer before joining Blue Cross as a programmer.

In a memorial for 9/11 victims, his daughter Rachel described him as a “devoted husband” and “the most amazing father.”

“No matter how much time has passed, it is still so hard to see his picture here. I wish he was still here with us, but now I only have the wonderful memories he has left me,” said Rachel, who was 16 at the time of the attacks.

8. Frederick Kuo Jr., 53

Mechanical Engineer, Washington Group International

Born to a Filipino mother and a Chinese father, Frederick Kuo Jr. was active at the Community Church of Great Neck. Fred Kuo, his eldest son, told the NYT: “He poured a lot of everything he has into the church. So many people were dependent on him for everything.”

Kuo Jr. helped set up services, gave occasional readings, and even arranged for members to get to the church—even driving them there himself. “I’ve often thought to myself, that church wouldn’t run without him,” added his son Fred.

Kuo Jr., who had specialized knowledge of power plants, was supposed to travel to Saudi Arabia days before the attacks, but that trip had been postponed, according to a profile published on Newsday.com. His wife Teresita said she was on the phone with her husband when the plane hit the tower. She said she heard glass shattering in the background before the phone call was disconnected.

“I have known him for 31 and a half years, and I consider myself the luckiest person with having such a man for my companion and my husband and father of my kids,” she said.

9. Arnold A. Lim, 28

Analyst, Fiduciary Trust International

Arnold Lim, an analyst for Fiduciary Trust International, was set to marry his girlfriend of seven years, Michelle Leung, the following year. In fact, her family threw an engagement party for the couple two weeks before the attacks.

In a 2002 profile, his mother Amparo Lim told the NYT: “He was so happy. He told me, ‘I’ll buy a big house, and you will live there, too.’ And I told him, ‘No, you will live your own life.’”

Lim had earlier promised his mother that he would be married by the time he turned 30. The youngest in a brood of three, Lim lived with his mother in an apartment in Stuyvesant Town.

Jorge Lim, his eldest brother, recalled that because of their 10-year age gap, people often thought he was Arnold’s parent. “I remember changing his diaper, cleaning up after him,” Jorge said, adding:

“I remember the first time that he went to kindergarten, everyone had fun because I was the one who used to go on a lot of school field trips with him. One of his classmates remembered recently that there was always an older person going to these trips with Arnold. They used to think I was a parent.”

10. Manuel L. Lopez, 54

Corporate tax manager, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

Manuel Lopez was a corporate tax manager for Marsh & McLennan. A profile in the NYT described him as a person who was “crazy about gadgets and electronics” like DVD players, laser discs and cameras.

“Everything that came out, he had to be the first to get it,” his daughter Minnie Morison told the Times. “We have five or six televisions and there’s only three bedrooms in this house.” Apart from gadgets, he also tended a garden, where he grew beans, tomatoes and mustard greens, an important ingredient in the Filipino dish, sinigang.

According to a profile published by The Star Ledger, Lopez moved to New Jersey from the Philippines with his wife when he was in his mid-20s. At the time of the attacks he’d been with Marsh & McLennan for 15 years. He was vice president of the federal tax department.

He was on the phone with his wife Rosalia discussing the remodeling of their family’s duplex 10 minutes before the first plane struck the WTC. Hearing the news on the radio, his wife tried to call back, but to no avail. His remains were positively identified more than two months after the tragedy.

11. Carl Allen Peralta, 37

Broker, Cantor Fitzgerald

In an article commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks on Digitaljournal.com, Carl’s mother Cielita described her son as a “conscientious employee” and a diligent worker. He was working at the 104th floor of the WTC’s North Tower when the plane hit the building.

The Peralta family came from Quezon City before moving to New York’s Staten Island. Carl had three other siblings—Cielo, Oskar and Judy.

12. Rufino Conrado F. Santos III, 37

Computer consultant, Accenture

An NYT profile published in November 2001 described him as a “perpetual tourist” who continued to “relish” New York City despite having lived in it for nearly six years.

His mother Aurora described him as a “Broadway addict” who loved “The Producers” and “The Lion King.” He even took his brother Ronald and his wife Rosemary to watch “Cabaret” when they came to visit during the Christmas before the attacks.

His memorial page, set up by his friends, also featured photos of him against the New York skyline, the Statue of Liberty and the WTC.

13. David Marc Sullins, 30

Paramedic, Cabrini Hospital

A paramedic for Cabrini Hospital, David Marc Sullins rushed to respond to the emergency at the WTC on 9/11. His colleagues told the NYT that he was able to take some of the injured people to local hospitals, before he reentered the South Tower moments before its collapse.

In an NYT profile, his wife Evelyn said Sullins began his life as a paramedic at the age of 24. He was previously a used car salesman who was fond of motorcycles. Evelyn recalled that Sullins used to work double shifts so he could spend more time with his sons.

14. Hilario Soriano (Larry) Sumaya Jr., 42

Technology manager, Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

In an NYT profile, his colleagues described him as a good-natured man who took jokes in stride. His sister Charito LeBlanc said he was “always smiling” and “very outgoing.”

He also liked to talk about politics and “was tough to argue with,” another friend, Tom Todaro, told the Times. He knew how to press home a point, but was slow to anger. Sumaya was also fond of skiing, and friends said he always put newcomers to his skiing club at ease.

Sumaya often spent his Sundays with his sister and her husband Joseph at their home watching sports, smoking cigars and firing up the barbecue.

15. Hector Tamayo, 51

Project manager, Vanderbilt Group Inc.

A native of Aklan province, Tamayo, at the time of the attacks, had been living in New York for 20 years.

In a profile by the NYT, Tamayo was said to have been fond of singing and was a fan of singers like Engelbert Humperdinck and Elton John. His sister-in-law Sylvia Mercene said: “He had a lot of friends, most of them relatives, and on Friday nights and Saturday nights and sometimes weeknights they would drink together and sing together.” His home in Holliswood, Queens, had a karaoke machine.

A civil engineer, Tamayo was married to Evelyn and had two children, Ian and Pamela.

16. Maria Theresa Santillan, 27

Customer service representative, eSpeed

“Maritess” was described in a NYT profile as a “meticulous, well-organized type.” At the time of the attacks, she had been busy with preparations for her wedding, which was scheduled for May the following year.  Everything except for the invitations was set, according to her mother Ester Santillan.

Santillan was to wed Darren Sasso, a civil engineer. He had been her boyfriend since high school. The wedding was to have taken place at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

A biology major from Rutgers University, Santillan welcomed the opportunity to work at the WTC, where her cousin Judy Fernandez worked. Fernandez, who also perished in the 9/11 attacks, was the one who informed her of the vacancy at eSpeed.

Santillan’s father recalled that his daughter called him after the building was hit. “She had a frantic, high-pitched voice and was crying that the building was hit by a plane. I thought that it was a small plane, and I told her to get out of there, to keep cool and not panic,” he said. That was their last conversation.

17. Judy Hazel Fernandez, 27

Benefits specialist, Cantor Fitzgerald

On 9/11, she was supposed to leave for a business trip later in the day and could have afforded to take the morning off, but she didn’t.

Her profile published by the NYT described her as a “conscientious” and “organized” person. “She knew what she wanted in life, and she was going to do what she had to do to get it,” her sister Emma said.

Her mother Corazon said her daughter was someone who “wanted to be on the go all the time” and that she “loved anything exciting,” recalling that time Judy learned how to snowboard and taught everyone she knew.

Fernandez started working at Cantor Fitzgerald three years before the attacks, and was the one who helped her cousin Maritess Santillan land a job at eSpeed. Fernandez was supposed to be the maid of honor in her cousin’s wedding.

18. Cynthia Motus-Wilson, 52

Head receptionist, International Office Centers Corp.

An NYT profile published in December 2001 described Cynthia Wilson as a “people person.” Her husband William said she was “a small woman” with “a heart bigger than Alaska.”

Born in Iloilo, Cynthia Wilson migrated to the US, settling there in 1986 and subsequently becoming an American citizen. In a 2004 article published in the Inquirer, Wilson’s youngest sister, former Inquirer editor Cookie Micaller, recounted Wilson’s last few phone calls to her loved ones on the day of the attack.

Wilson’s daughter Trixie still kept the tape which contained her mother’s voice, saying, “I’m in the office, something terrible happened here.” Wilson was on the 79th floor when the plane hit the tower. She was trying to reach Trixie but got her answering machine instead.

Wilson also called her husband, telling him that a plane had hit and shaken her building, and that her floor was starting to fill with smoke. “I told her to look for a piece of cloth, soak it with water and cover her face,” her husband recounted to Micaller. He said Wilson had replied with, “Honey, I love you. I’ll see you when this is over.”

Wilson also called her uncle, Rex Betita, who was living in Queens, New York, at the time. “Please pray for us,” she told her uncle. And with that her line went dead.

Killed in the planes

19. Ruben Ornedo, 39

Propulsion engineer, Boeing Co.

Newly married Ruben Ornedo was aboard American Airlines Flight No. 77 bound for Los Angeles from Washington’s Dulles airport when it was hijacked and crashed into The Pentagon.

Philippine-born Ornedo came to the US with his family when he was in grade school. He graduated from Fairfax High in LA and obtained his computer engineering degree from UCLA. The Los Angeles Times described Ornedo as “widely traveled, athletic, fond of hiking and mountain climbing.”

At the time of the crash, he was renovating the house that he had just bought with his wife Sheila, who was pregnant at the time.

“He thought it was worth the trip just to see her,” his brother Eduardo told the Los Angeles Times.

20. Ronald Gamboa, 33

Store Manager, Gap

Ronald Gamboa was aboard United Airlines Flight 175 with his partner Daniel Brandhorst and their son David when the Boeing 767 flight bound for Los Angeles from Boston hit the south tower of the World Trade Center. Gamboa was a store manager for Gap, while Brandhorst was a lawyer. The three died in the crash.

In an article on Digitaljournal.com, Gamboa’s mother Renee said the event was a “grim reminder” of her son’s unfulfilled promise—that he would be back just in time for his parents’ 38th wedding anniversary. Compiled by Inquirer Research

Sources: The New York Times, Inquirer Archives, Chicago Tribune, The Star Ledger, Newstoday.info, Philippinestoday.net, Philippine News Service, Longisland.newsday.com, Digitaljournal.com, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, CNN, https://www.whowas.com/tribute _to_911/main.html, Legacy.com

First posted 1:29 am | Sunday, September 11th, 2011