One Family’s Three-Generation Call to Serve
Left photo: An undated photo of United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa.
Upper right photo: A photograph taken on September 27, 2026, showing Mrs. Engracia Busa, widow of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa, receiving the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of her husband. To her right is Consul General Adelio Cruz, Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, California, and to her left is retired U.S. Navy Captain Chris Olaes.
Lower right photo: A copy of the program for the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony held aboard the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro, California, on September 27, 2026.
In a particularly poignant moment, his widow, Engracia Busa, was there to receive the medal on his behalf. The occasion was made even more meaningful as the family celebrated Lola Grace’s 102nd birthday—a remarkable milestone for the woman who stood alongside him through the years of his service.
Left photo: A photograph taken on September 27, 2026, aboard the Battleship USS Iowa, showing Mrs. Engracia Busa, widow of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa, holding the Congressional Gold Medal she received on behalf of her husband.
Upper right photo: Mr. Santiago Busa, Jr., retired U.S. Army officer and senior American diplomat, addressing the crowd on behalf of the Busa family during the Congressional Gold Medal Award ceremony held aboard the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro, California, on September 27, 2026.
Lower right photo: A photograph of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the honorees and recipients, including U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa, during the Congressional Gold Medal Award ceremony held aboard the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro, California, on September 27, 2026.
During World War II, Lolo Santi enlisted at the U.S. Naval station in Guinan, Samar—in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. Prior to that, he had been active in the local resistance against the Japanese occupiers of his beloved island of Samar. During the Korean War, his ship was part of the task force that evacuated U.S. Marines and Korean civilians from the besieged port of Hungnam. His dedication and abilities saw him rise rapidly through the ranks, earning a promotion to Chief Petty Officer ahead of his peers—a significant distinction for Filipino sailors at the time. Lolo Santi served as the senior non-commissioned officer in charge of several important billets at duty stations in Pearl Harbor, San Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco.
While the recognition celebrates a lifetime of military service and sacrifice, it also offers a fitting moment to reflect on a legacy that has continued across generations—not only through service in uniform, but through a commitment to representing and serving one’s country abroad. From the decks of warships and military duty stations to the U.S. Army and the diplomatic service, and now to the generation of American and Philippine foreign service officers, this is a story of duty, family, and a shared calling to public service.
Upper photo: A photograph taken on September 27, 2026, during the Congressional Gold Medal Award ceremony held aboard the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro, California. Mrs. Engracia Busa, widow of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa, is seated in the center, surrounded by her children: Pauline (far left), Beverly (second from left), Leo (third from left), Chris (fourth from right), and Santiago, Jr. (far right).
Lower photo: A photograph taken on September 27, 2026, during the Congressional Gold Medal Award ceremony held aboard the Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro, California. Mrs. Engracia Busa, widow of U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa, is seated in the center, surrounded by family members and relatives. Standing fifth from left is Consul General Adelio Cruz, Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, California.
Among those who carried this legacy forward is Santiago “Sonny” Busa, Jr., a retired United States Army officer and senior American diplomat whose career has been marked by a similarly enduring commitment to public service. Uncle Sonny earned his dual degrees in Engineering and National Security Studies from the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point in 1976. After his military service, he transitioned to the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. His diplomatic assignments included the Philippines, Kuwait, Honduras, Ethiopia, and Hong Kong. He served as Consul General in Kuwait and Ethiopia. His final assignment with the State Department was as a Visiting Professor of International Relations at West Point. Uncle Sonny retired in December 2010.
His journey from military service to the world of diplomacy meant navigating different cultures, building relationships, and advancing the interests of the United States around the world. His career reflects how the meaning of service can evolve over a lifetime—from wearing the uniform to representing a nation through diplomacy.
His sister, Beverly Busa, was also a senior career American Foreign Service Officer who specialized in financial management for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Auntie Beverly’s diplomatic postings included Jordan, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Philippines, Ghana, and Liberia, where she managed financial operations. She was cited for meritorious service as part of the first team into Iraq to establish the U.S. Embassy during the war there. Her professional competence resulted in her selection to attend the highly selective National Defense College, a breeding ground for the highest levels of government and military officers.
Upper photo: Photograph taken in 2018 in Manila, Philippines. Seated from left are Mrs. Ceres Busa, wife of Mr. Santiago Busa, Jr., and Mr. Santiago Busa, Jr. Standing behind them, from left to right, are Ms. Ma. Antoinette Bosa-Villa and Ms. Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen (author).
Center photo: A photograph taken in 2018 in Manila, Philippines, during an impromptu family get-together shortly before the author’s foreign assignment to the United States. Seated at the long table, from left: Ma. Antoinette Bosa-Villa, Mrs. Ceres Busa, Mr. Sonny Busa, Ms. Eirene Busa, and Ms. Danae Busa Friedrichs with her two children. Seated from the opposite end, from right: Mr. Paolo Roque Bosa-Villa, Mr. Christian Friedrichs, Mr. Fabien Van Espen-Boonen, Mr. Marlon Villa, Mrs. Enriqueta Bosa, and Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen (author).
Lower photo: A photograph taken in 1996 in Hong Kong, showing, seated from left to right, Ms. Maria Harriette Bosa-Williams, Ms. Ma. Antoinette Bosa-Villa, Mrs. Engracia Busa, and U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Santiago Busa. Seated in front is Mr. Leo Busa.
What makes this story particularly meaningful to our family is that the tradition did not end with Uncle Sonny’s generation. His daughters, Danae and Eirene, have followed him into the United States Foreign Service, carrying forward a commitment to international service in their own right. Danae is posted in Thailand, and Eirene is in Moscow. His nephew, John Huson, the son of his sister Pauline, is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, following the service of his father and grandfather who also are military veterans.
In our own branch of the family, my sister Ma. Antoinette Bosa-Villa, and I have likewise chosen careers in the Philippine Foreign Service. I retired in December 2022 after 23 years in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including foreign assignments in the United States and Europe, while my sister, Ma. Antoinette, is wrapping up her tour of duty at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, California. She was previously assigned to the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong and the Philippine Embassy in Singapore.
There is also a lesser-known chapter in our family history that explains why some members of the family carry the surname Busa, while our branch uses Bosa. The difference in spelling may have resulted from the way names were recorded in official documents and civil registrations at the time. Two spellings have remained part of the family story, linking two branches that, despite the difference in name, share the same roots.
Seen together, these journeys form a remarkable family story. The Congressional Gold Medal honoring the service of a generation that came before us is not simply a recognition of the past; it provides an opportunity to reflect on how the values of duty, service, and commitment can be carried forward. From the U.S. warships to the U.S. Army, from military service to diplomacy, and from one generation of public servants to the next, the family legacy continues—not as an obligation to follow a predetermined path, but as a testament to what it means to dedicate one’s career to the service of country.
Lolo Santi served as the senior non-commissioned officer in charge of several important billets at duty stations in Pearl Harbor, San Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco.
October is Filipino American History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the history, contributions, and longstanding connections of Filipino Americans in the United States. The story of the Busa/Bosa family embodies the shared values and history that help bridge Filipinos and Americans, with family members across generations contributing in their own way to the strong and enduring ties between the Philippines and the United States. Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen is a retired Philippine foreign service staff officer and diplomat based in Brussels, Belgium. Her writing draws on both personal and professional experiences, spanning more than two decades of government service and diplomatic assignments in the United States and in Europe. She is a recipient of the Department of Foreign Affairs 2014 Outstanding Employee Award. More articles from Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen
No comments: