 When the Americans took Manila, Santiago and his wife tried to live normal lives in Meycauayan, Bulacan but had to flee to Tarlac in the course of the Philippine–American War.The couple tried to settle down in Manila anew but Santiago was later exposed as an insurgent and he had to flee to Hong Kong.When peace restored in the Philippines, Santiago returned and lived a normal life as an accountant and auditor for several companies in Manila.