Dr. Cristeta Balili-Tirol died last Tuesday in Singapore while joining a cultural tour in Bali, Indonesia.
Her sudden demise came at the time when she had her hands full for accomplishing things in business and in the world of academe. She was with a group of Boholanos on tour led by Gardy Labad who was the tour organizer.
The 73-year old Tirol is the co-founder of the Victoriano D. Tirol (VDT) Advanced Learning and Cristel-E College in Panglao town and presently the vice president for finance of the University of Bohol.
Her remains lie in state at the Tirol’s residence in Cainggit Beach, this city.
Interment is slated at the Victoria Memorial Park, 3pm tomorrow after church services.
GOVERNOR SAYS: TIROL A GREAT LOSS
Gov. Edgar Chatto led the Boholanos in mourning the death of the educator.
“Mam Baby was one of Bohol’s well-loved academicians, a civic leader, a patron of the arts, and an active supporter of provincial government programs and partnerships in various fields of human development, notably education,” the governor said.
The provincial government conferred Tirol the Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Award for Education during the 120th CPG Day on November 4 last year.
In the same year, Tirol was awarded as an “outstanding Carolinian alumnus, under the category of “virtus (leadership),” by her alma mater, the University of San Carlos, in Cebu City.
The governor was “so shocked to hear the sad news” as he recalled that they were just together the other week, enjoying their chat while waiting for their Tagbilaran City-bound PAL flight.
They met by chance at the Manila airport after Chatto presented in an ASEAN side-event roundtable discussion Bohol’s open government initiatives and Tirol attended an education conference.
“She was alone when she sat beside me in the boarding area,” the governor further recounted what would turn out a week later to be his last time seeing her alive.
They talked a lot about the businesses left by her late husband, former UB President Victoriano “Will” Tirol, Jr., school plans, family, etcetera.
She told the governor of her trip days after their conversation to Bali, Indonesia, but where she instead suddenly suffered from aneurysm, a condition that could lead to a fatal stroke, on Sunday.
Tirol was still flown on a chartered air ambulance to the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where she ultimately passed away AT 3:30pm on Tuesday, August 22.
Her remains now lie in state at the ancestral home of the Tirols in Tagbilaran City.
Chatto was attending a workshop on aligning the national and regional priorities to attain the sustainable development goals in Cebu City on Wednesday when he learned of Tirol’s death.
Through a text message, the governor immediately extended his condolences to her family while recalling their last meeting and conversation at the Manila airport.
“Her passing away is a big loss to all of us in Bohol. Our most sincere sympathies and prayers,” the governor said in his text to Ryan, son of the late lady educator. (with report from Ven rebo Arigo)