Lawyer Primitivo N. Sato, the tax law expert was born on November 27, 1912. His parents were Segundo Sato and Aurelia Nacario. He became a lawyer on December 23, 1937 and holds the distinction of being the first Dean of the Southwestern University College of Law. Dean Sato was one of the few Filipino lawyers who was a Doctor of Civil Law.
SWU was formerly called as the Southwestern Colleges founded by husband and wife pharmacists, Matias Hipolito Chavez Aznar II of Luzon and Anunciacion Barcenilla of Carcar, Cebu. The college was converted into a University on December 11, 1959 formally inaugurated on February 13, 1960. The Aznar couple was the client of Atty. Primitivo N. Sato.
He was elected congressman of the old 3rd District of Cebu, to serve from December 30, 1949 to December 8, 1953.
He married Julieta (Nene) Erediano Sato, a teacher in Home Economics who is now in her 90's. The Sato couple had the following children: Molly (now surnamed Fisher), Wesley, Rene, Bennie, Tita, Lorna, Letecia, Lorna and Annabelle.
Congressman Sato died on February 10, 1972 but his greatness and passion for public service and academic excellence continues with his children and grandchildren. Congressman Sato's daughter, Letecia, a clinical psychologist married Chokchai Sajawatana Vatanagul (deceased and a native of Samutsakhon, Thailand) produced the following children:
Dr. Satuporn Andre S. Vatanagul, a general physician, now married to Iris Ouano, a registered nurse.
Jiraporn Annette V. Go, a hemodialysis nurse based in
Madison, Tennessee, United States of America, is now married to Henson Senerpida Go, a businessman.
Jutichai Andrian Vatanagul is a computer programmer based in Chicago, United States of America.
Jirapha Aneileen Vatanagul, a nurse assistant based in Chicago, United States of America.
And Dr. Jarungchai Anton S. Vatanagul, a neurologist who is married to a fellow doctor, Dr. Michelle Bathan, specializing in internal medicine. Dr. Michelle is the daughter of Lawyer Alicia C. Evangelista Bathan, who was admitted to the Bar on March 30, 1970, a former Dean of the University of San Jose-Recoletos College of Law.
Dean Alicia Bathan's father was also a lawyer, Tomas T. Evangelista (his wife's name was Felisa), who was appointed Agent of the Office of the Solicitor General, then as Assistant Provincial Fiscal of Samar and Special Counsel of the Office of the Provincial Fiscal of Cebu. The younger sister of Dean Alicia by the name of Corazon (married to a fellow lawyer with the surname Valencia), also became a lawyer on May 7, 1982 and became Dean of the College of Commerce of the Cebu Institute of Technology now CIT University.
Dr. Vatanagul more known as Dr. Toom has brought honor and pride to Cebu for being the founder, president and CEO of Cracking D' Boards Study and Review Center Inc.. The review center has produced topnotchers and hundreds of medical board examination passers.
The review center has been the review center of examinees all over the country, coming from different medical schools from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Dr. Toom, who is now with the Perpetual Succor Hospital-Cebu Heart Institute, had his residency at the St. Luke's Medical Center. He was chief resident of St. Lukes Medical Center International Institute for Neurosciences from 2008 to 2009. Dr. Toom finished his medicine at the University of Visayas-Gullas College of Medicine in 2002. He is a founding member of the Alpha Kappa Rho International Fraternity-Mu Delta Chapter. He was Editor In Chief of "The SYNAPSE", the school paper from 1999 to 2002.
Dr. Vatanagul finished his pre-medicine (B.S. Biology) at the Velez College in 1997. He was internal vice president of the Supreme Student College. He finished high school at the University of San Carlos in 1993 and was president in the Campus Ministry.
The Sato Clan has not been forgotten by the people of Carcar as the school formerly named as Villadolid National High School has been renamed as Roberto E. Sato National High School. Roberto was the uncle of Congressman Sato and the father of Leto E. Sato who became a lawyer on May 11, 1959.