I have blogged about him before here, though I only mentioned him briefly. I also posted a picture of him, along with my other siblings here, when I shared about a “family-reunion-of-sorts” earlier this year.


Yep, you guessed it right! 


This blog post is dedicated to my Kuya (older brother), Joam (or Jose Amado).

Kuya with Ate, circa 1979 (he looks a bit like me when I was that age!)

Kuya and I were born four years apart. I don’t remember anymore if we were close when we were growing up in Brunei, but I do remember feeling sad when he (and my older sister) had to leave for the Philippines to study. At that time, my parents thought that it would be difficult for them to take up high school in Brunei, so they went home and stayed with relatives while they were in high school (and college).

The four Santiago siblings – that’s Kuya with his arm around me. Can you see the resemblance? Well, aside from the “Beatles-style” haircuts! LOL! Mama was our official haircutter then! 🙂 He he!

As a kid, I remember how Kuya‘s funny antics would leave me and our youngest brother, Jay, laughing till our sides ached. I remember how he’d “practice” his WWF wrestling moves on us (Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Jake the Snake Roberts were among our favorites, LOL!).

Remember him, Kuya? LOL! 🙂

I remember how we, including Ate, would dance and sing along to whatever music would be playing on the stereo when we’d wake up on Friday mornings (which is part of the “weekend” in Brunei, where people working in the government, like our parents used to, have no work, aside from Sunday. Students also have no class on Fridays. Papa would usually play music from his CD collection on those days). The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Madonna, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Nat King Cole – just some of the performers who’d “accompany” us while we moved and grooved! (Oh yes, all of us were “bitten” by the performing bug early on – though it’s only Kuya and Jay who officially are in “showbiz”! Naks!)

Kuya, in the top row, before one of his onstage performances as a Happy Kindergarten student (we LOVED that school! hehe!) – it was an unforgettable night for us all! It was raining hard, and the stage collapsed!

My brother, the voice talent, dubber, and scriptwriter 🙂

According to my brother: His first (and last!) attempt at modeling. LOL!

In fairness, doesn’t he look like a total celebrity hunk here? 😉 (Ok, I’m biased!)

I remember, too, all our ups and downs (and even “sideways” and “all-arounds”) of living together here in the Philippines. While taking up my university studies, I lived with Kuya and his family for quite some time – from our teeny-tiny apartment behind PWU, to our apartment in Singalong, to our rented house in Dao, to another apartment in San Roque, Marikina – I’ve been blessed to be part of his life in a lot of ways. Though on hindsight, I sometimes wish I had BEEN THERE more often for him and his family, since, as a fulltime missionary to the youth back then, I was usually not at home a lot! (Sorry, Kuya!)

But anyway, like I said in the title of this post, this is a birthday tribute for Kuya. So, here goes:

Dear Kuya,


I thank God for the gift you are to our family, to YOUR family, and yes, to the world! (And not just the dubbing/scripting world, ha!)

Thank you for being a living reminder of how God gives us second chances every day. Ya know what I mean! (Hey, we both caused Papa and Mama a lot of pain! Ya ain’t the only one! Haha!)

Thank you for being a great dad to your kids. You are one of my IDOLS! (Well, in some aspects! Heehee! Loveyah!)

Kuya with his kids 🙂

My 11 yr old niece, Bianca, wrote this about my brother a couple of weeks ago.

The Santiagos of Bicol call ourselves “Agoys.” Kuya stayed in Bicol during most of his high school and college days. Among the four of us siblings, he is the closest to our Santiago cousins. 🙂

Thank you, too, for entrusting me to be Bia’s godmother. I know I haven’t been a good one most of these years, but I’m vowing to change that starting now. *winks* Thanks, too, for being a great Tito to our kids. 🙂 Especially for taking them along with you to family trips every now and then. For bringing them (us) home when it’s late at night and we’re at Barcelona. 🙂 


You know, there is a lot to be thankful for.. and there’s a lot more I could say – but I’m speechless right now. (Plus, I need to get ready for work! LOL!)


So, I hope this song says it all:

Remember, everdearest Kuya, YOU ain’t heavy, YOU’RE my brother! And I thank GOD for you, and your family, every single day! Happy, happy, happy birthday! We love yah! 🙂