Visitacion Beltran Baquiran

July 2, 1923 - September 7, 2016

Visitacion Beltran Baquiran (also known as Tia/ Lola Sitang to her nephews/nieces and grandchildren/great-grandchildren, respectively) passed away on September 7, 2016. She was born in Dingras, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, daughter of the late Ramon Beltran and Nieves Antonio Beltran and sister of the late Josefa B. Fonacier. Visitacion attended high school at the Ilocos Norte High School in Laoag City and was awarded Miss Academics during her senior year. She represented the town of Dingras in the Miss Ilocos Norte Pageant and was crowned the 2nd Princess during the competition. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in the Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. During the outbreak of World War II, she met and fell in love with the late Dr. Tomas S. Baquiran (also known as Tomasing); they were married shortly after. They were blessed with 9 children and their spouses, namely Virginia, the late Reynaldo (and Jorie), Nelson (and Nitz), the late Louella, Eduardo (and Polly), Marilyn (and Sonny), Albert (and Chona), George, and Nieves (and Alex) and their 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. While raising a big family, Visitacion supported her husband’s medical practice in their home clinic that took in patients at any given hour. She was loving, caring, compassionate, and kind-hearted. Her maternal instinct extended beyond her children and their families as she touched many people’s hearts through her generosity, not only to the people of Dingras, but to many others as well. She was a strong and devout Catholic and embraced challenges in a calm manner. Having raised her children who became successful in their own ways, Sitang, along with her husband Tomasing, were awarded as Parents of the Year in the Ilocos Norte province in the late 1980s. She immigrated to the United States, later joined by Tomasing, to spend time with their children’s families and happily took care of their grandchildren. While residing in the US, she helped in the restoration of the historic St. Joseph Catholic Church in her hometown. On September 10, she will finally reunite with her late husband in their eternal resting place.