Monchito Bacani’65

Monchito V. Bacani '65

He attributes “his fierce determination to succeed” in achieving his lifelong goals, in UP, and in Tau Alpha.

By Joel Tarnate ‘65

It's a lovely, crisp morning in the mile-high city of Parker, just outside Denver, Colorado. Chito lives here alone in a house he bought 15 years ago. All his adult children moved out many years ago. It's been five years since he retired, four years since his much-loved wife Tita passed away. He fondly recalls that when Tita was alive, his place was a "party house" frequented by her co-workers, contributing pot-luck meals and warbling on their karaoke machine. Not anymore. It's now just Chito and his trusty dog Zichah, reclined in his comfy couch, soaking in his favorite sports events on TV. He occasionally gets up and gazes at the rustling trees outside, reminiscing those memorable, pleasant days of past. And recalling the rich, long journey in life he has been through before he finally settled here. Musical Beginnings. Chito was born on December 13, 1945 in Paco, Manila. He grew up in Kamuning, Quezon City where he spent his elementary and secondary school years. In senior high school, Chito played one of the major roles, a pirate chief, in a musical operetta titled "Love Pirates of Hawaii". He proudly recalls that the female lead, Conchita Penaloza later became grand champion of the popular talent search "Tawag ng Tanghalan." Chito's singing role in that production also served him well when he enrolled in U.P. It emboldened him to join the U.P. male glee club, as 2nd tenor under Prof. Eliseo Pajaro. The group was later renamed when female singers joined, this time with Dr. Ramon Tapales as its director. Singing in both groups entitled Chito to free tuition benefits for most of his college life. He quit the choir during his senior year. In 1965, Chito and a few other college classmates were recruited by Vic Castillo’63 to join Tau Alpha. We all know our frat initiation is a hell of an experience. The rigorous physical and mental challenges molded his character with a determination to work hard to overcome hardships. He credits this hardy process with Tau Alpha to his success in later years, which started when he earned an engineering degree from U.P. He quit the chorus to serve in Council of Alphas. It was a tenuous time then for Greek-letter organizations in U.P. The Alpha Phi Omega had just been suspended for hazing activities, and Chito wanted to do his share to ensure Tau Alpha would not meet the same fate. After graduation, Chito was hired by Erectors Inc. Jr. as junior structural engineer. A few years later he transferred to FR Estuar & Associates and served as structural design engineer from 1971 to 1974. He had two more short job stints at the U.S. Subic Naval Base and Makati Commercial Center (OICC) before he migrated to Ontario, Canada in December, 1975.

Better Opportunities in America. Like most new immigrants in North America, Chito was determined to find a job quickly and not depend financially on his relatives there. Working on tips from some friends, he readily found a job as draftsman with the London Monenco Consulting Ltd. in Niagara Falls. At the same time, he worked hard to review for the professional engineering exam in Canada. He got promoted to structural engineer after he passed the exam in 1978. Always driven by an intense drive for better opportunities, Chito moved with his family to Vancouver in 1979. He was hired as structural engineer by Wright Engineers/H.A. Simons. After a 17-year tenure with this company, he migrated to the U.S. to accept a job offer with StearnsRogers/CH2M-Hill in Denver, Colorado. This was his final job; he retired in 2015. Chito married the late Pacita Aquino in September 1973. Their three children are Carmina, Cheryl Marie and Cyril Anthony. Before the pandemic struck, he used to regularly visit all his children and only grandson Brayden, who reside in different cities in western U.S. Chito credits his major achievements in life to his fierce determination to achieve his lifelong goals. He traces this trait all the way back to his roots in U.P. when he entered Tau Alpha. And he claims he has consistently applied this determination to his tasks throughout his life and career. It's all encapsulated in his favorite quote - "the most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity", by Amelia Earhart.τα