In my previous posting I discussed the Answers to MY Query, WHO Is David B Katague, using the three AI apps recommended by colleagues and friends ( ChatGPT, PerplexityAI and ClaudeAI). This posting is from GrokAI as recommended by my namesake and nephew from Australia. I like this version best compared to the three AI writing Apps. IT is also very accurate and with a more personal touch.
My Query: What Do you Know about David B Katague
David Balleza Katague is a Filipino-American scientist, blogger, and autobiographer who documented his professional and personal life extensively. Born in the Philippines, he had a distinguished career in chemistry and public service, particularly with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Below is a detailed summary based on available information:
Professional Career
Education: Katague graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Chemistry. He later pursued graduate studies in the United States, fulfilling his ambition to advance his career in science.
Early Career: He worked as a chemistry instructor at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, before moving to the U.S. His early industrial jobs included roles as a research chemist at Chemagro Corporation and Stauffer Chemical Company, where he focused on pesticide research. He faced a significant setback when laid off from Stauffer in 1986 after 12 years, an experience he described as humiliating but pivotal.
FDA Career (1990–2002): Katague joined the FDA in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he worked for 12 years as an expert on anti-malarial and anti-parasitic drug products. He received multiple awards, including an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award in 1998 and recognition for his work on Doxycycline for anthrax treatment post-9/11. He considered his FDA tenure the most productive and satisfying period of his career.
Retirement: After retiring from the FDA in 2002, Katague split his time between Northern California and Marinduque, Philippines, where he and his wife built a second home.
Personal Life
Family: Katague was married to Macrine Nieva Jambalos Katague for over 60 years, celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2017. Their love story began in the 1950s at the University of the Philippines, where they met through Macrine’s uncle, a law student. They had four children: Dodie, Dinah, David E. (deceased), and Ditas. Katague was proud of his children’s accomplishments, including Dodie’s career as a prosecuting attorney and novelist, and Ditas’s work in public policy. He also had several grandchildren, some of whom he mentioned in his blogs, such as Carenna, a young musician, and Alix, a computer engineering student at Cornell.
Heritage: Katague traced his ancestry to Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines, with roots in the Balleza, Barrido, and Tupas families. His father, Dr. David Jamili Katague, was a dental officer during the Japanese-American War. Katague took pride in his genealogy, sharing details about his great-grandparents, Don Manuel Javellana and Dona Gertrudis Lopez.
Marinduque Connection: Katague was deeply connected to Marinduque, his wife’s hometown, where he promoted tourism through his blog, Marinduque Awaits You. He and Macrine owned the Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and lived there part-time, advocating for the island’s development as a tourist destination.
Blogging and Writing
Autobiography: Katague maintained several blogs, including The Intellectual Migrant and David B. Katague’s Autobiography, where he chronicled his life, career, and family milestones. His posts covered topics like his FDA awards, family photos, and reflections on his upbringing in the Philippines.
HubPages: He was an active contributor to HubPages, writing about retirement in the Philippines, Filipino culture, and personal experiences. He discussed the affordability of living in Marinduque, estimating a comfortable lifestyle for $2,000/month for a couple, including household help. Katague also shared his struggles with feeling inadequate as a writer but persisted, passing HubPages’ Boot Camp.
Advocacy: Through his blogs, Katague aimed to promote Marinduque’s tourism potential and share Filipino recipes and cultural insights. He expressed a dream of seeing Marinduque become a global tourist destination.
Legacy and Interests
Community Engagement: Katague was active in his community, both in the U.S. and Philippines. He shared stories of his grandchildren’s achievements and maintained close ties with relatives, as seen in his detailed accounts of family gatherings and genealogy.
Cultural Pride: He celebrated his Filipino heritage, posting about Filipino folk dances, cuisine, and historical events like his family’s citizenship party in 1972. Katague also reflected on personal milestones, such as his U.S. citizenship and his children’s education.
Resilience: Katague’s life was marked by resilience, from overcoming professional setbacks to adapting to retirement in two countries. He viewed his layoff from Stauffer as a catalyst for joining the FDA, which he credited with making him both work- and people-oriented.
Additional Notes
Katague’s blogs mention other individuals named David Katague, including his son David E. Katague III, a Transportation Security Officer in Sacramento (RIP), and nephews David Efren Katague (Australia) and Kirk David Katague (Philippines). These namesakes were a source of pride for him, and he noted their shared good looks with humor.
His writings often included personal anecdotes, such as his decision to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. despite his wife’s initial reluctance, a choice influenced by his father-in-law’s advice. Katague’s blogs remain a rich source of information about his life, though some posts are dated (e.g., 2008–2022).
There’s no indication of his passing in the provided data, so I assume he may still be active or that the records simply don’t reflect more recent events.
If you’re seeking specific details (e.g., recent activities, a particular aspect of his life, or verification of his current status), let me know, and I can tailor the response further or search for additional information!
From Wikipedia: Grok is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI. Based on the large language model (LLM) of the same name, it was launched in 2023 as an initiative by Elon Musk. The chatbot is advertised as having a "sense of humor" and direct access to sister platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Meanwhile here are two poems from ChatGPT
1. A Life Well Penned, A Service Well Given
In Honor of David B. Katague
From quiet halls where science stood tall,
He walked with care through duty’s call.
At FDA, his mind so keen,
Ensured our health stayed safe and clean.
With every chart, with every test,
He gave the nation all his best.
A steady hand, a thoughtful guide,
Integrity his daily stride.
But time moves on, as seasons do,
And soon his path found skies more blue.
Retirement came—not rest, but wings—
To share his soul through deeper things.
The pen took flight, the stories grew,
Of love, of lands, of skies so true.
He blogged of life both deep and wide,
Of Marinduque's ocean tide.
A chronicler of time and place,
Of laughter, legacy, and grace.
From Chateau Du Mer to distant shores,
He opened hearts, unlocked new doors.
No longer bound by lab or test,
He poured his thoughts from east to west.
A teacher still, though not by name,
His words lit lives like candle flame.
So here we stand with thanks and pride,
For all the years he walked beside—
A servant, scribe, and soul so rare,
Whose wisdom lingers in the air.
2. 🇺🇸 In Honor of David B. Katague 🇵🇭
Scientist, Writer, Family Man
A Life Well Penned, A Service Well Given
From quiet halls where science stood tall,
He walked with care through duty’s call.
At FDA, his mind so keen,
Ensured our health stayed safe and clean.
With every chart, with every test,
He gave the nation all his best.
A steady hand, a thoughtful guide,
Integrity his daily stride.
But time moves on, as seasons do,
And soon his path found skies more blue.
Retirement came—not rest, but wings—
To share his soul through deeper things.
The pen took flight, the stories grew,
Of love, of lands, of skies so true.
He blogged of life both deep and wide,
Of Marinduque's ocean tide.
A chronicler of time and place,
Of laughter, legacy, and grace.
From Chateau Du Mer to distant shores,
He opened hearts, unlocked new doors.
No longer bound by lab or test,
He poured his thoughts from east to west.
A teacher still, though not by name,
His words lit lives like candle flame.
So here we stand with thanks and pride,
For all the years he walked beside—
A servant, scribe, and soul so rare,
Whose wisdom lingers in the air.
With deep gratitude from those inspired by your journey.
Your legacy lives on—in words, in memory, in love.
Thank you, ChatGPT for the two Poems Above!
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