USTHS GAH 2011 Souvenir Program

1JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF HIGH SCHOOL!

2 UST HS GAH 2011

A Million and aA Million and aA Million and aA Million and aA Million and aHalf Thanks to You,Half Thanks to You,Half Thanks to You,Half Thanks to You,Half Thanks to You,Batch 1960!Batch 1960!Batch 1960!Batch 1960!Batch 1960!Thanks to everyone in Batch 1960 of UST High School for contributing a total of One Million, Five Hundred ThousandPesos (P1,500,000.00) to the UST High School-UST High School Alumni Association Inc. joint scholarship program.

Thanks to your generosity, you have helped pave for us a million and one steps to a bright future ahead.

Thanks to your support, we would further gain more education, enlightenment, confidence and values that havelong been inherent in you all as Thomasians.

Thanks to your magnanimity, we can become anything from a civil engineer, a CPA-lawyer, an enterpreneur or anyother professional who can help contribute to the continued growth of both the nation and the global village.

Thanks to you, our possibilities are endless, and for this we are exhilarated. And grateful.

We, and future USTHS-USTHSAAI scholars, can never thank you enough. But we hope to do so,little by little, through our growth as Thomasians and as future professionals.

On behalf of UST High School and the UST High School Alumni Association Inc.,maraming, maraming salamat po!

Respectfully,

Rena Lyn G. Marasigan4th Year, USTHS

Ricca Sagezza E. Cuevas3rd Year, USTHS

Kieffer Janio A. Lagnada2nd Year, USTHS


jUST can’t get enough of HIGH SCHOOL!T H E U S T H I G H S C H O O L G R A N D A L U M N I H O M E C O M I N G 2 0 1 1

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES(All attendees must enter via the Arch of the Centuries)

4 pm — Registration opens: Plaza Mayor & Benavides Garden5 pm — Thanksgiving Mass: UST Chapel

6 pm — Cocktails: Plaza Mayor & Benavides Garden7 pm — Dinner8 pm — Show

10 pm — Dance & Fellowship

SHOWNational Anthem

Welcome GreetingsThe USTHSAAI Scholarship Program

The Grand Jubilarian SurpriseDecade & Batch Roll Calls

The Mighty 400USTHS Graduation Song

Thomasian Pledge & Candle RiteUST Hymn

4 UST HS GAH 2011

THE USTHS GAH 2011 SOUVENIR PROGRAM: THE CONTENTS

Page 6: The UST Rector’s Message

8: The Immediate Past USTHS Regent’s Message

9: The USTHS Regent’s Message

10: The USTHS Principal’s Message

12: The UST OAR Director’s Message

14: Happy Quadri, UST!

16: A Brief History of UST High

20: The USTHSAAI Officers’ Report, FY 2010-2011

24: The USTHSAAI Financial Statement,January 1-December 31, 2010

26: Paying It Forward:The 2010 Juan Sumulong Outreach

28: The USTHS Jubilarians of 2011!

30: Orgcom 2011’s 11 Firsts in USTHS GAH History

37: Are You One of the Mighty 400?

38: Kahit Baligtarin, 1961 Pa Rin!

40: USTHS ’71: Big Heart and Mission

46: Laughter & Learning at the Halls of UST High

48: Dakilang Pag-ibig: The Batch ’81 article

50: The 2011 USTHS Silver JubilariansjUST can’t get enough of HIGH SCHOOL!

54: A Working Directory of USTHS Batch ’86

60: Coming Home

62: Am I a Thomasian?

63: USTHS Batch ’99 Alumni Give Back to AlmaMater, Get Prominent Feature in ‘Inquirer’

64: mUST have loved HIGH SCHOOL after all

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6 UST HS GAH 2011

M E S S A G E O F T H E U S T R E C T O R

Fr. ROLANDO V. DE LA ROSA, O.P.Rector

University of Santo Tomas

More than renewing old memories in an agelesscelebration of Thomasian life, the Grand AlumniHomecoming seeks to back the USTHS AlumniAssociation’s scholarship program, the thrust of whichis to send at least one scholar per year level at the USTHigh School every school year.

Such a noble venture for the betterment of others,inspired by God and the ideals of the University,deserves praise and emulation so that more will beblessed with a valuable UST education.

Congratulations to the organizers of the UST HighSchool Alumni Association Inc. Grand AlumniHomecoming for staging this advocacy-driven eventin honor of UST’s 400th anniversary and its belovedHigh School alumni.

May the Almighty Father guide and bless us all in thename of St. Thomas Aquinas.

8 UST HS GAH 2011

M E S S A G E O F T H E I M M E D I A T E P A S T U S T H S R E G E N T

FR. RODEL E. ALIGAN, O.P.Immediate Past Regent

UST High School

“So far, the biggest!”

It has been the dream so far of the USTHS AlumniAssociation to have the biggest USTHS alumnihomecoming yet, coinciding as it does with theentire University’s 400th year anniversarycelebration, expecting 4,000 UST High Schoolalumni from all over the Philippines and around theworld, spanning generations and batches from the1940s to the Batch 2010 graduates.

This is so, because in every USTHS’ heart is afeeling of “I JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OFHIGH SCHOOL” which incidentally is the themeof the celebration.

We congratulate the organizers of this momentousaffair for their efforts. May all other organizationscooperate with them to ensure a successfulcelebration. May it become a call for all USTHSalumni to hereon be counted as witnesses to theUniversity’s unending grace and to experience oncemore the magic of UST High School.

Once again, congratulations.


Fr. DEXTER A. AUSTRIA, OPRegent, UST High School

(USTHS Batch 1997)

M E S S A G E O F T H E U S T H S R E G E N T

Greetings!Tyron Edwards once said, “Every parting is a form of

death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.”Every alumni homecoming calls for a celebration of

thanksgiving, reliving memories and sharing of pastexperiences. We look back and see the changes—of our formerclassmates and friends, of our mentors, our teachers andprincipals, likewise the physical improvement of our formerabode. We revisit places where we once stood, studied andplayed. After years of being away, it is always a nostalgicpleasure to return to our Alma Mater, our second home.

This year’s USTHS Grand Alumni Homecoming 2011,entitled “jUST can’t get enough of HIGH SCHOOL,” promisesto be the grandest yet, as it coincides with the University ofSanto Tomas’ Quadricentennial celebration.

Indeed, the University stands proud of its glorious past,merited throughout its 400 years of existence as a foremostbreeding ground of intellectuals, finest Filipino andinternational students; bringing forth countless dedicatedprofessionals, talents, saints, heroes and presidents.

As a proud alumnus, it is prudent to say that USTHS isnot just a preparatory stage for higher learning in college butindeed an institution which has deeply molded our character,a Thomasian at that, of who we are now and truly proud of.We owe a great deal to our beloved Alma Mater and this is theperfect time to have some sense of gratitude. Now is themoment to give back and contribute something to her.

Who would ever forget the UST High School Hymn, as itgoes, “Hail, UST High School! By thee we stand, we’ll spreadthy glorious name throughout the land. Ne’er shall thy spiritdie, thou heaven’s fort; Thou art for Love and Truth, UST High.”

USTHS Alumni will forever be living testimonies of thepast, inspiration of the present, and guide of the future USTHSstudents.

May this special year bring us closer together, not onlyin festive gatherings but more to a future collaboration

with each other as part of an ever growing USTHSfamily.

May this year lead us to that UnendingGrace promised to us by the Lord whogenerously granted us the privilege of seeingthis momentous event happening in ourlifetime.

10 UST HS GAH 2011

Master Teacher EDEN G.TOLENTINO, M.A.

PrincipalUST High School

Thomasian Greetings of Peace!

Congratulations to the Organizing Committee of theUSTHS GAH 2011 for your untiring effort inspearheading and mapping out the details that willculminate with another Grand AlumniHomecoming—befitting the QuadricentennialCelebration of the University of Santo Tomas—thiscoming February 5, 2011. Once again you areproving to your alma mater your genuine efforts tostrengthen the interconnectedness among yourselvesas high school classmates, and friends, and also as onesolid and integral group that proudly waves the flagof the University on its 400th year.

On behalf of your USTHS family, allow me to expressmy sincerest gratitude for having, as the moving forcebehind the activity, a scholarship grant for the poorand deserving high school students, an advocacy weshare with you. Rest assured that we will assist you inany way we can within our means and capacity tomake the grand alumni homecoming a verysuccessful one.

Once again, congratulations, and may God inHis goodness continue to keep you all inspiredby your worthy endeavors.

M E S S A G E O F T H E U S T H S P R I N C I P A L

12 UST HS GAH 2011

MICHAEL ANGELO E. MALICSIDirector

UST Office for Alumni Relations

My present post as Director for Alumni Relationsenables me to join you, my fellow Thomasians, inyour homecomings and reunions. I have had theprivilege of being in the company of the HighSchool alumni and witness how nostalgic youbecome as you rekindle old ties and reminisce aboutyour student life at the University of Santo Tomas.

As you gather for your homecoming this year, Iextend my warmest congratulations to all of you.Your togetherness is a fitting tribute to theQuadricentennial Anniversary of the University. Ialso take this opportunity to thank the officers of theHigh School Alumni Association, Inc. for theirdynamism and zeal in advancing the causes of theUniversity in general and the High School inparticular.

2011 is our year, the year of Thomasians. Our almamater’s Quadricentennial Anniversary is both ablessing and a gift. Let us make the most out of thismilestone and ensure that the Universityperpetuates its birthright and destiny of buildingthe Church, the Nation and the Family.

A Joyous “Quadri-Anniversary” to you, my fellowThomasians!

M E S S A G E O F T H E U S T A L U M N I R E L A T I O N S D I R E C T O R

14 UST HS GAH 2011

Historical BackgroundThe University of Santo Tomas gratefully looks back to

July 24,1605, when Bishop Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the thirdArchbishop of Manila, bequeathed a modest amount fromhis personal funds and his personal library collection for usein the establishment of a “seminary-college” to prepareyoung men for the priesthood.

Thus, on April 28, 1611, the Colegio de Nuestra Senoradel Santisimo Rosario, later named Colegio de Santo Tomas,was born in its original campus within the walled city calledIntramuros.

On November 20, 1645, the College was elevated to therank of a University by Pope Innocent X. King Charles ofSpain granted the title “Royal University” to UST in 1785,for the exceptional loyalty shown by its administration andstudents who volunteered to defend Manila against theBritish invasion.

On September 17, 1902, Pope Leo XIII made UST a“Pontifical University” and in 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed

Happy Quadri, UST!

upon it the title “The Catholic University of the Philippines.”The continuing increase in enrolment prompted the

administration in 1927 to relocate the University to itspresent site in the Sampaloc district, along España St, Manila,which covers 21.5 hectares.

Inspired by its rich history, spurred on to impart wisdomand knowledge, enthused by noteworthy accomplishments,UST has remained steadfastly responsive to the needs andissues of the time as they occur, whether in the Philippines orelsewhere in the world.

Today, the University campus is considered a historicsite and is a recognizable landmark in Manila and thecountry.

Impact of the Event at the

National and/or International LevelUST is considered as the oldest university in the

Philippines. It enjoys the singular privilege of being the onlyPontifical University in Asia. For almost four centuries, it

has produced saints and martyrs,national heroes, church leaders, doctors,lawyers, engineers, educators, architects,artists, journalists, literary masters,businessmen, accountants and otherprofessionals who have significantlycontributed to the shaping of the historyof the Philippines and the developmentnot only of the Filipino society and theChurch, but of the region and theinternational community.

As an institutional leader in theservice of education and values formation,UST has accumulated a wealth ofexperience and wisdom, a heritage ofculture, a host of structures and physicalfacilities, and most importantly acommunity of great men and womenwho have left a mark in the Philippinesand in the world.

The celebration of UST’s 400thanniversary has a genuine impact onworld heritage because it demonstratesmen and women’s indomitableyearning for knowledge and unyieldingdetermination to persevere in keepingthat mission going for 400 years andmore.

The text below, originally entitled “An Event Brief of the 400th-Year Celebration of the Universityof Santo Tomas,” is published on the UST website (www.ust.edu.ph) on the occasion of UST’sQuadricentennial celebration. The University’s yearlong Quadricentennial calendar,which stretches all the way to 2012, and related news can be viewed on the UST website.

16 UST HS GAH 2011

Tracing the Roots: The Beginnings of UST High SchoolTo look back at the roots of UST High School is to gaze

upon the origins of the University of Santo Tomas.Interestingly, USTHS is as old as UST itself since the“Humanities” which was offered in the University from 1611to 1865 was correspondent to a high school diploma. The samepremise was also applied to “Secondary Instruction” in USTfrom 1865 to 1898. This also solidified the University’sforemost role in secondary education when it supervised theGeneral Secondary Education Programs in the PhilippineIslands during the Spanish Period.

In 1928, two years after the opening of the College ofEducation, the University opened the UST High School underthe inspiration of Rev. Fr. Silvestre Sancho, O.P., Dean of theCollege of Education, and the direction of Rev. Fr. ManuelArellano, O.P., Rector Magnificus of the University. TheUniversity opened the High School primarily because of thefelt need to provide a training ground to Education studentsin practice teaching. Akin to UST’s humble beginnings as aschool to form men for the priesthood, USTHS’s early incipiencewas anchored to train prospective educators. Fr. Sancho,whose pioneering vision has undeniably led to noble harvests,planned the organization of USTHS. Others who helped Fr.Sancho in the organization were Jose Hernandez, MercedesOcampo, Paz Borja and Pilar Borja. It had Fr. Sancho as itsfirst Director, with Dr. Rafael Acosta as its Principal. The HighSchool opened its doors to 110 male students on June 6, 1928.

During its first year of operation (1928 to 1929), thedepartment had only three classes, one of which was assignedeach to the first-, second- and third-year levels. Classes wereheld in the right wing of the ground floor of the Main Building.The following year (1929-1930) saw a growth to four classessince a graduating class was already in place.

June 30, 1930 was a significant day for the School as theGovernment granted it recognition and authority to operateas a secondary school.

Expanding Growth and Progression:USTHS’ Rapid Development

Following the government-granted recognition, theUSTHS progressed rapidly as a learning community. Therewas an increase in student enrolment; more major courseswere offered in the College of Education, and more critic teacherswere assigned to the School. The first critic teachers were PazReynoso (English), Rosario Delfin (Biology), Cecilia Domantay(Science), Concepcion Leonor (Mathematics) and MercedesGrau-Santamaria (History). In 1929, Augusto Santamaria(Physics) and Pedro Rivera (Economics) joined the roster ofcritic teachers. The growth in the student population neededmore classrooms; hence, more rooms were made available atthe Santa Catalina Girls’ Dormitory in Gov. Forbes Street (nowA.H. Lacson Street), adjacent to the UST campus. Femalestudents occupied the rooms in Santa Catalina while the malestudents stayed in the right wing of the Ground Floor of the

Main Building.In 1930, the Girls’ High School Department was established

with Dr. Mercedes Grau-Santamaria as its Principal withMercedes Gonzales as her Assistant. Later, Dr. Socorro Llanderalbecame the Assistant and was promoted to the position ofPrincipal in 1941. Dr. Acosta as appointed Principal of theBoys’ Department. He was then succeeded by Dr. ConcepcionGil, who held the position until 1935 when Dr. Ricardo Siantook over. In 1941, Dr. Fidel Colminar succeeded Dr. Sian.

In those early years of the School, the Dean of the Collegeof Education was also the Director of the High School. WhenFr. Sancho took over the reins of UST as its Rector Magnificusin 1936, Fr. Eugenio Jordan, O.P. succeeded Fr. Sancho as theDirector. In 1937, Fr. Tomas Martinez, O.P. was appointed full-time Director. The following year paved way for the School’sreorganization in 1938 when the Girls’ and Boys’ Departmentswere integrated under a central administration.

Fr. Martinez devoted himself zealously to the developmentand advancement of the School. New books for the libraryand additional equipment for the laboratory were acquired.Closer faculty supervision of students was also facilitated. Fr.Martinez pursued plans to make the School self-supporting.In 1940, classes, both girls and boys, were transferred to whatlater came to be known as the Anatomy Building. The non co-educational classes were still held at the Main Building.

Rising from the Rubble: The UST High School’sRecovery from Upheavals

When World War II broke out in Manila in December 1941,classes were forcibly closed. The School did not reopen until1946. The task of resuming operations was difficult andchallenging. The School occupied only a small building in frontof the UST Hospital. The said building, which was used as amess hall by the internees of war in Santo Tomas, underwentrefurbishment and remodeling for the School. Fr. Martinezstayed on as Director when the School reopened. However, tohelp him restore normalcy after the reeling effects of the warand direct the School’s affairs, Fr. Pablo Fernandez, O.P. wasappointed Assistant Director. Dr. Socorro Llanderal remainedPrincipal of the Girls’ Department while Dominador Perez wasPrincipal of the Boys’ Department. A year after, Amador Jorgetook the place of Mr. Perez, with Sixto Blanco and ApolinarMatias as Assistants to the Principal. Later, Dr. BienvenidoSison was appointed General Principal.

June 2, 1975 was marked with an ill-fated incident in thelife of the School: Its building was razed to the ground andgutted down by fire. Classes resumed after a week at theFathers’ Residence and the Central Seminary. Realizing thistragic episode, the University, through the initiative of Msgr.Leonardo Legaspi, O.P., first Filipino Rector of UST, embarkedon the construction of a new building. On June 14, 1976, thenew edifice, named the Benavides Building, was blessed andinaugurated by Msgr. Bruno Torpigliani, Apostolic Nuncio tothe Philippines at that time. >>

A Brief History of UST HighBy MICHAEL ANGELO E. MALICSI

This article contains excerpts from “Magic into Reality: A History of the University of Santo Tomas” written byMr. Malicsi when he was still the Executive Secretary of the Office of the Rector. Mr. Malicsi, formerly a faculty member

of the USTHS English Department, is presently the Director of UST’s Office for Alumni Relations.

18 UST HS GAH 2011

Celebrating Milestones:USTHS’ Independence and Expansion

A milestone for UST High School was unraveled in 1950as the School became independent from the College ofEducation. This was a result of the swelling tide of studentsthat pursued education at the School. However, it continuedto give classes for the course in practice teaching of Educationstudents. Enrolment surged to an all-time high and successiveimprovements were being undertaken to address the boomingpopulation of the School. At the same time, the Education HighSchool was opened as a training department, taking over thepreceding role of USTHS in its earlier years. Its prestige wasalso soaring, thereby attracting more students. An affirmationto its heightening quality and reputation was a recognitiongranted to the School in 1951 by the Bureau of Private Education,as a school offering complete secondary education subjects. Thefollowing year, 1952, UST, seeing the whopping size of the School,gave it a larger building of its own which was known as theHigh School Building which was located behind the MainBuilding and adjacent to the Pharmacy Garden.

Five years later, in 1957, Fr. Isidro Katigbak, O.P., becamethe first Filipino Director. Fr. Manuel Piñon, O.P. succeededhim in 1959. The Assistant Directors then were Fr. CandidoGarcia, O.P. and Fr. Benjamin San Juan, O.P.

In 1963, Fr. Maximilian Rebollo, O.P., was appointedAssistant Director while Araceli Murillo and Francisco Torreswere appointed Principals of the Girls’ Session and Boys’Session, respectively. In 1972, Ms. Murillo and Mr. Torres wereelevated to the rank of Principal. Two years after, in 1974, Fr.Rebollo was named Director.

Sustaining Growth, Transcending Time:USTHS’ Endeavors for Reform

Constantly responding to the changing times, the USTHigh School geared itself for restructuring and reorganization.Significantly, during the Academic Year 1976 to 1977, a layperson became the head of the School: Ms. Evangelina R.Teodoro. She was appointed Acting Director on April 23, 1976.The Office of the Regent, which is structurally part of UST’s

faculties, colleges and institutes, was added to the organizationof the School. Fr. Rebollo became the School’s first Father Regent.From then on, Dominican priests assigned to USTHS haveserved as either Director or Regent or its assistant.

The next academic year, the administrative structure ofthe School was revamped. The head of the School was changedfrom director to principal. Administrative assistants for boysand for girls were likewise appointed. Francisco Torres servedas the administrative assistant for the boys while JacintaConstantino was for the girls.

In 1978, at the retirement of Mr. Torres, Alexander Tagarowas appointed administrative assistant for boys.

The academic year 1979 to 1980 marked yet another newbeginning in the School when it adopted the co-educationalpolicy in the first year level. Every year after 1982, the newsystem was carried out until its full implementation from thefirst to the fourth year levels. The co-educational policy andthe Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP) wentfull swing in its implementation in 1992.

In April 1980, Fr. Pedro Escudero, O.P. replaced Fr. Rebolloas Regent, for the latter was appointed Regent of the College ofEducation. In January 1981, Fr. Ezequiel del Pino, O.P. wasappointed Assistant Regent. The regents that were appointedthereafter were Fr. Braulio Peña, O.P. (1982), Fr. Bonifacio GarciaSolis, O.P. (1984), Fr. Pablo Encinas, O.P. (1986), Fr. RubenCorpuz, O.P. (1987), Fr. Javier Gonzalez, O.P. (1990), Fr. JohnFunelas (1999), and Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P. (2005).

In 1987, Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P. was designated as Officer-in-charge while Mr. Tagaro was appointed as Acting Principal.Mr. Tagaro remained as Principal in 1988 while EdithaFernandez became the administrative assistant of the boys’session. Three years later, in 1991, Ms. Fernandez wasappointed Principal. In 1993, Fr. de Sagon succeeded Ms.Fernandez as Principal. After Fr. de Sagon’s tenure as Principal,he was designated as Director in 1997 while Mariano Carpiowas appointed Principal. In 1998, Ms. Fernandez returned asPrincipal until she finished her term in 2002. Zenaida Rodasucceeded Ms. Fernandez in the same year.

It was during the administration of Ms. Roda and Fr.Funelas that USTHS commemorated its Diamond Jubilee yearof foundation with the theme, “UST High at 75: The MagicGoes On…” It officially opened with a Eucharistic celebrationand parade on July 28, 2002. The celebration was alsohighlighted with a weeklong series of activities from February10 to 14, 2003. A marker commemorating the occasion wasunveiled on March 14, 2003 by His Excellency Most ReverendArchbishop Antonio Franco, D.D., J.C.D., Apostolic Nuncio tothe Philippines. The Diamond Jubilee also provided theopportunity for USTHS to undergo curricularexperimentation, leading to an implementation of a moreinnovative upgraded secondary education curriculum.

In 2005, Eden Tolentino, formerly the School’s AssistantPrincipal from 2003, succeeded Ms. Roda as Principal.

Conclusion“Its song will be nostalgic sigh, but its thrill is mine forever

more,” goes the USTHS Graduation Song. True enough, themagic of the University of Santo Tomas High School lingers inthose who hold her dearly. Her song forever resonates withawe and splendor as she carries on to turn that magic into areality that perpetuates God’s unending grace amongThomasians. The continued existence of UST High School shallpervade in the formation of young men and women who shallimmortalize the magic of UST High.

20 UST HS GAH 2011

THE USTHSAAI HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ACTIVEand dynamic association. Yet it seems that we havenever been busier than we have been this past year.

Owing to the Quadricentennial celebration of theUniversity of Santo Tomas itself, the USTHSAAI has founditself taking part and supporting a host of projects and eventsat the University level—these on top of its establishedsupport areas at the UST High School.

For starters, even before the kickoff of Fiscal Year 2010-2011, the HSAAI bore witness to UST’s “3 for Quadri” eventson-campus on February 4, 2010, whereby the Universityunveiled the marble marker/signage near the Arch of theCenturies that now welcomes allwho enter via the central Españagate; undertook a symbolicgroundbreaking right outside theGymnasium, to launch theconversion of the Gym into theThomasian Alumni Center (theGym would be replaced by the USTSports Complex, which is beingconstructed across the EngineeringBuilding); and launchedSimbahayan 400, a housing projectin tandem with Gawad Kalinga.

In March 2010, your USTHSAA,through its general fund, providedUSTHS with several brand-newequipment: an oxygen tank, amedical regulator, an examiningtable with cushion and a drawer,and an aneroid sphygmomanometerfor the High School office’s mini-clinic, and a digital camera for theGlee Club. The medical equipment,per the joint letter of appreciationof the then Regent, Rev. Fr. Rodel E.Aligan, O.P., and Principal Eden G.Tolentino, “may jumpstart theinitial stages of the provision of a complete satellite clinic[to] address the minor medical concerns of [USTHS]students,” while the camera serves to aid the members ofUSTHS’ musical ensemble in the documentation of theiractivities, especially their participation in competitionswithin and beyond the Campus.

Shortly thereafter, the USTHSAAI provided financial andmoral support to a USTHS faculty outreach visit to HospicioDe San Jose on April 8, 2010, where HS teachers of severalgenerations treated the Hospicio’s wards to an afternoon ofhearty games and entertainment, laughter and merienda.

Still for the USTHS, the HSAAI officers took part ininviting and being among the guest speakers of the series ofcareer talks billed as Alternative Classroom LearningExperience (ACLE)—a project of the High School’s SocialStudies Circle (SSC) held on September 14 and 15, 2010, incelebration of Social Studies Circle Week. With “GalingTomasino…Ipinagmamalaki Ko!” as theme, this SSC projectaimed to bring real-world expertise into the consciousnessof the present crop of USTHS students.

Likewise within September, Batch 1960 added P.5 Millionto their earlier donation—prior to the USTHS GAH 2010, ofwhich they were the Golden Jubilarians—of P1 Million tothe USTHS-USTHSAAI joint scholarship program. Batch ’60’sP1.5 Million endowment marks the single biggestcontribution by a single USTHS batch to our humblescholarship program.

A practice of ours for many school years now, theUSTHSAAI also provided this year’s team of UST Tiger Cubswith, among others, moral support—adding to the cheeringsea of yellow at their 2010 UAAP games—and gustatory

support—by way of post-gamemeals for the entire team. And thatis more than ever this time, giventhat the Cubs made it all the way tothe final round of the UAAP’s Boys’Basketball Tournament. That theteam yielded to their counterpartsin Ateneo De Manila University inthat memorable Game 3 at theAraneta Coliseum on September 19,2010, does not change the fact thatour USTHS b-boys gave more thantheir all and we in the USTHSAAIand our fellow alumni were rightthere to support them.

A few weeks later, theUSTHSAAI made itself available forthe visit to the High School byaccreditors representing thePhilippine Accrediting Associationof Schools, Colleges and Universities.Specifically on October 3, 2010, thefirst of PAASCU’s two-day visit toUSTHS, the accreditors conducteda panel interview of a jointcontingent of USTHSAAI officersand officers of the USTHS ParentsAssociation, which itself includesseveral HS alumni, to talk about

various aspects of our Alma Mater that directly or indirectlyconcern or involve both Associations.

Shortly thereafter came the Thomasian Global Trade Expo(TGTE), a three-day extravaganza held at the SMXConvention Center from October 15 to 17, 2010, whichfeatured booths and kiosks that showcased businesses byUST alumni. Spearheaded by the UST Thomasian AlumniLeaders Association Inc., the UST Alumni Association Inc.and UST itself, the TGTE was a massive undertaking thatwas months in the making, and it counted on the support of20 UST alumni associations or foundations, the USTHSAAIincluded. For this, your HSAAI provided the organizers withprospective participants-booth tenants; and via thecomplementary onsite booth provided by the organizers,we prepared an array of posters and other paraphernalia,and manned the booth itself, to announce and promote the2011 USTHS Grand Alumni Homecoming (USTHS GAH) andto invite USTHS alumni-cum-TGTE visitors to provide theircontact details for inclusion in the growing HSAAI database.

During the TGTE’s second day, October 16, the HSAAI

TheOfficers’Report

FY 2010-2011

22 UST HS GAH 2011

welcomed a new member to its Boardof Trustees: Tricia “Trx” Pariño of Batch’87, who took the place of Laureen“Oyette” Morales B’73, who hadresigned for personal reasons. On arelated note: Another Board member,Atty. Enrique “Eking” Galvez, later onresigned as well for personal reasons.In light of this, the USTHSAAI Board hasadopted the thrust of involving youngeralumni by reaching out and invitingthem to be junior observers at a numberof our Board meetings.

A month later, on November 28,2010, the HSAAI supported and joinedthe USTHS faculty in its latest outreacheffort: a medical-dental mission at itsadopted school, the Juan SumulongElementary School in Sampaloc, Manila.(More on this on page 22, in a report byUSTHSAAI Auditor Emil Padilla B’82.)

And as its deadline drew near lastDecember, the USTHSAAI supportednominations of USTHS alumni to theQuadricentennial edition of theUniversity’s Thomasian OutstandingAlumni (TOTAL) Awards—thenominees being USTHS alumni who,incidentally, also went on to undertaketheir collegiate studies at UST. (TheQuadricentennial TOTAL Awardees,which cover 19 fields of endeavor, wouldbe known in March 2011.)

All of these are on top of three majorundertakings or involvements of theUSTHSAAI this past year: UST’sQuadricentennial celebration, theUSTHS-USTHSAAI joint scholarshipprogram and the USTHS GAH 2011.

Regarding the Quadricentennial—ahistoric event for which we are gratefulto witness in our lifetime—the HSAAIwas very active in disseminating, onbehalf of the University and its Office forAlumni Relations (OAR), any news,developments, calendar of activities,promotional offerings (such as discountsby Philippine Airlines and The ManilaHotel) and other vital information aboutthis celebration of UST’s 400th year; thisto the HSAAI database and network ofthousands of USTHS alumni throughoutthe Philippines and around the world.Of course, the USTHSAAI was no lesspresent in the major events of theQuadricentennial, including the GrandAlumni Homecoming dinner on January28, 2011, at the Plaza Mayor, which waspreceded by a landmark Quadricentennial

Thanksgiving Mass at the Grandstandand Football Field. There, through aprerecorded video, Pope Benedict XVIgranted the rare apostolic blessing ofplenary indulgence to all attendees.

The USTHS GAH 2011, meanwhile,is such a mammoth event that has beentwo years in the making. Our preparationand work for it, in tandem with the 2011Organizing Committee comprised by2011 jubilarians and non-jubilarians,has been so full-on as we intend for it tobe the biggest alumni homecoming inUSTHS history, and one of the biggestUST homecomings ever. (More onOrgcom 2011 on pages 28 and 29.) Alltold, however, the USTHS GAH is for thebenefit of the USTHS-USTHSAAI jointscholarship program.

Speaking of which: to date, we havethree scholars in our roster this schoolyear. They are senior student Rena LynG. Marasigan, who would like to becomea civil engineer; sophomore Kieffer JanioA. Lagnada, who intends to become aCPA-lawyer; and the latest addition thisschool year, junior Ricca Sagezza E.Cuevas, who just might follow hermother ’s footsteps and become anentrepreneur. Through the scholarshipprogram, everyone who has contributed,and will contribute still, to thescholarship fund—be it via directdonations and/or efforts for and/orpresence at the USTHS GAHs—hashelped pave the way to a brighter futurefor these three bright young students,and even for their counterparts inschool years to come.

All of these and more continuallycover the support areas of theUSTHSAAI, namely the ScholarshipProgram, Outreach (a.k.a. theCommunity Development Program),Sports (via the Tiger Cubs), Culture (viathe Glee Club), and Property (building,grounds and equipment). And these andmore could not have been done withoutthe boundless support of the USTHS andUST administrations, and to our legionof fellow Tomasino alumni.

Our sincerest thanks to all of youwho share in our vision and fervor forour dear Alma Mater. Truly, we all jUSTcan’t get enough of HIGH SCHOOL!

LEEBAI ESQUIVIAS-GAMBOAPresident, USTHSAAI

2009-2011

The USTHSAAIBoard of Trustees

FY 2010-2011

Leebai Esquivias-Gamboa B’78

President

Quiel Delgado B’81Vice Presidentand Treasurer

Aped Santos B’77Corporate Secretary

Emil Padilla B’82Auditor

Member, Committeeon Causes & Charity

Trx Pariño B’87Trustee

Head, Committee onCauses & Charity

Bert Sulat Jr. B’86Trustee

Advisers(in alphabetical order):

Bal Endriga B’56Tony Ereñeta B’58

Bebet Gillera-Gozun B’68Jun Pascual B’61

Rocky Siasoco B’77

24 UST HS GAH 2011

Balance as of end-December 2009 P1,472,940.44

Add:Grand Alumni Homecoming (GAH)

Sponsorships P1,391,796.00Ticket Sales 455,500.00 P1,847,296.00 Less: Food & Production Expenses ( 919,471.75)

GAH Net Earnings 927,824.25

Donations 500,000.00Alumni Fees 216,500.00

Veritas Sales 4,000.00 Interest Income 96,501.50 817,001.50

TOTAL P3,217,766.19

Less:Funds Transferred to Scholarship Program P 1,700,000.00Outreach & Support Programs for USTHS 112,622.30Scholarship Tuition & Misc. Expenses 115,475.85Thomasian Global Trade Expo 22,446.00

Meetings and Conferences 54,717.44 Bank Charges and Fees 988.50

Miscellaneous Expenses 4,900.00 (P2,051,150.09)

CASH ON HAND AND IN BANK P1,166,616.10 ===========

Joint Scholarship Program end-Dec. 2009 P1,418,751.55Add: Donations & GAH Earnings P 2,100,000.00 Interest Income 63,480.68 2,163,480.68

Total P3,582,232.23Add: Funds with UST-REFI 2,140,456.77

TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND P5,722,689.00 ===========

USTHSAAIFINANCIAL STATEMENT

for the period covering

January 1 – December 31, 2010

EXEQUIEL DELGADOVice President and Treasurer

LIBERTY ESQUIVIAS GAMBOAPresident

EMIL PADILLAAuditor

26 UST HS GAH 2011

By EMIL PADILLA, USTHS ’82

Last November 28, 2010, the UST High School CommunityDevelopment Office, headed by Ms, Ida Rosales, coordinatedwith the UST High School Alumni Association, Inc. (USTHSAAI)through its Auditor, Mr. Emil Padilla B82, to conduct anoutreach activity—specifically a free medical and dentalmission—at its adopted public school, the Juan SumulongElementary School on Aragon Street near SM San Lazaro inManila (a short jeepney ride away from the USTHS Building).

The USTHSAAI and some USTHS alumni-doctors

Paying It Forward >>>The 2010 Juan Sumulong Outreach

donated thousands of pesos worth of generic medicine. TheUSTHSAAI—through Mr. Padilla who is this project’sdesignated Director in Charge, and Ms. Trx Pariño, theAssociation’s Chairperson for Causes and Charity—wereable to contact medical practitioners, USTHS alumni andotherwise, to extend their unselfish service. The outreachbenefited almost a thousand patients from the school as wellas nearby barangays.

The Association, guided by the Thomasian Pledge, willlive and die as a true Thomasians.

Hail UST HIGH SCHOOL!

28 UST HS GAH 2011

The Diamond Jubilarians: Batch 1951 (60 Years!)

The Emerald Jubilarians: Batch 1956 (55 years!)

The Gold Jubilarians: Batch 1961 (50 years!)

The Sapphire Jubilarians: Batch 1966 (45 years!)

The Ruby Jubilarians: Batch 1971 (40 years!)

The Coral Jubilarians: Batch 1976 (35 years!)

The USTHS JUBILARIANS of 2011!The Pearl Jubilarians: Batch 1981 (30 years!)

The Silver Jubilarians: Batch 1986 (25 years!)

The China Jubilarians: Batch 1991 (20 years!)

The Crystal Jubilarians: Batch 1996 (15 years!)

The Tin Jubilarians: Batch 2001 (10 years!)

The Wood Jubilarians: Batch 2006 (5 years!)

The USTHS JUBILARIANS of 2011!

30 UST HS GAH 2011

1 Early, Instead of Mid-February. Oursmarks the first USTHS GAH to be heldbefore USTHS Week (which is typicallyon the third February of each year).

We in Orgcom 2011 felt that many of ourfellow alumni, especially those abroad,would want to be in town for UST’s grandQuadricentennial celebration in the last weekof January 2011—so we timed USTHS GAH2011 for just a week later, i.e., first week ofFebruary (the first Saturday of February 2011,to be exact).

2Whopping Presence. Given that thisperiod marks UST’s Quadricentennial,we envisioned a USTHS GAHattendance of 4,000 USTHS alumni—

far beyond the usual average attendance of1,000 or less alumni of homecomings past.

3 Hello, Young ’uns. We are the firstOrgcom to officially recognize USTHS’junior jubilarians, a.k.a. the jubilarianbatches that graduated just five to 20

years ago (Full list on page 26.) As a result, thisUSTHS GAH will have an even strongerpresence not just from as far back as the post-War 1940s but also all the way to Batch 2010!

4Extended Environment. Given ourexpected GAH 2011 attendance, werealized that the Plaza Mayor wouldnot be enough. So we sought an added

venue, specifically the Benavides Garden(a.k.a. Plaza Benavides), which is adjacent to

Orgcom 2011’s 11 FirstsPlaza Mayor and faces the Main Building aswell—not to mention being the space of theiconic monument depicting UST founder Fr.Miguel De Benavides, OP, the third Archbishopof Manila.

5Ticket, Ticket. To further make thisGAH accessible to our alumni, wesought a third party to sell tickets.Enter TicketNet, which has outlets

across the metropolis, via the AranetaColiseum box office and SM DepartmentStores, as well as in select key cities outsideMetro Manila—and these outlets began sellingour tickets in early December 2010. That way,attendees can purchase their tickets wellahead of February 5 and right at the TicketNetoutlet nearest them.

6Social Network-Heavy. We utilizedFacebook to the hilt, as evidenced bythe USTHS wall (www.facebook.com/usthighschool), which has hit over 4,000

friends in January 2011; a USTHS GAH fanpage, which has had over 1,500 “likes”; andthe event page named The UST High SchoolGrand Alumni Homecoming, where, by earlyFebruary 2011, over 3,000 USTHS alumni haveRSVP’d as Attending!

7 Video GAH GAH. We made a full-fledged promotional video featuringactual Orgcom members as talkingheads, and which was shot within

USTHS. Since being uploaded to YouTube in


in USTHS GAH Historylate November 2010, the video (YouTubekeywords: jUST can’t get enough of HIGHSCHOOL) has had over 5,000 views!

8In Cooperation With... We are the firstUSTHS GAH Orgcom to get a medianetwork as co-producer, in this caseMediaquest, via its television (TV5),

cable operator (Cignal) and radio (92.3NewsFM) arms. As a result...

9We on TV. …We are likewise the firstOrgcom to have produced our ownTV commercial, a 30-second, graphics-filled number that aired, on January 9,

2011, during the timeslot of Paparazzi, TV5’sSunday afternoon talk show.

10 We Want Our, We Want Our MTV. Foregoing the usual

format of having jubilarian batches do one live production

number each during the GAH show, we optedinstead for a grand jubilarian productionvideo (a.k.a. “MTV”) with participants fromvarious jubilarian batches. And it’s onehighlight of tonight’s show that you definitelywon’t want to miss!

11Fireworks, of a Different Kind! What do we mean? You’ll find out only if you check out the

show tonight! We hope you’lllike it, and we hope you’ll have a grand time atthe USTHS GAH 2011!

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD?The photo collage on this spread features some ofthe members of Orgcom 2011: (clockwise frombottom right) Leebai Esquivias-Gamboa B78 •Marlon Gregory Peña B86 • Yoly Guevara-ReynoB61 • Aileen Rea-Garcia B81 • Edna Mercado-ChiB86 (she took these shots) • Jojo Nono-SantosB81 • Alex Costales B61 • Aida Castañeda-De LaRosa B61 • Lito Garcia B81 • Aped Santos B77 •Gina Abando-Abando B81 • Jomar Nebriaga B86 •Jun Sibug B71 • Be Magnaye-Fojas B86 • AnjoyHipolito B81 • Miroan Sison-Sy B61 • QuielDelgado B81, Rommel Francisco B86 • NinaManlutac-Rigor B80 • Gerry Catama B78 • TerrybenPizarro-Pulmano B86 • Jun Pascual B61 •Jeanne Lainez-Bayon B86 • Emil Padilla B82 •Julius Draculan B81 • Mylene Cipriano B81 •Doris Erestain-Reytas B61 • Bert Sulat Jr. B86 •Racquel Nuguid-Rey B61 • Riette Callos-Silao B86• Trx Pariño B87 • Sonny Marquez B71 •Beth Dadivas-Odulio B81 • and Tony Ereñeta B58.

Other USTHS alumni who have joined orsupported Orgcom 2011 include Bal EndrigaB56; Evelina Ragaza-Valencia & RochieLaparan-De Guzman B61 • Cecile Herradura-Agobian, Benjo Reyes & Lydia Bañas-Malvar B71• Nelson Obach B80 • Boyette San Diego &Henry Herrera B76 • Dona Mendoza, Jon Abaquin& Eric Pineda B81 • and Beth Angeles,Tess Mata-Caudal, Jing Sotelo, Don Sarmiento& Vic Flores B86. (It was Vic who came up withthe finalized GAH 2011 theme.) Apologies toanyone whom we may have inadvertently notmentioned. Cheers!

32 UST HS GAH 2011

34 UST HS GAH 2011

36 UST HS GAH 2011


TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE A NIGHT LIKE NO OTHER. A day that will be remembered in the future annals of

history as the night of the Mighty 400; a coming together of 400 strong UST High School alumni whose names

will be etched forever in the walls of the Thomasian Alumni Center. What was once only a dream will now

become a reality! For the time has already come for all HS graduates to join together as one, to help build a

lasting legacy that will stand for the ages; a structure that will become the future haven for all of UST’s alumni.

Today will be the greatest night of our lives. We who are gathering in front of this Main Building are

going to make it happen. And we guarantee that a day won’t go by in our lives without realizing how amazing this

day is going to be. This is the day when we, as a group, will move forward. We could not have gone this

far if we retreated from past challenges. We are going to march on; right here, right now, and unite for this

noble endeavor. There may be some amongst us who might be unbelievers of the cause. But this day will prove

that when other people’s courage fails, there will be a Mighty 400 who will step up to the plate and carry the

torch. For to the mighty ones, failure is never an option.

This is not going to be easy! We will have to work harder than we have ever worked before

and dream higher than we have ever dreamed. But that’s fine. For this is how

winners are born. Believe us when we say tonight that we will win and win this

one for our beloved UST High School. For if we are to become the winners that we

have always wanted to be, then we must all unite to fulfill this promise and

dream, one step at a time. Let no man forget how relentless

and driven the Mighty 400 truly are!

This is your time! This is our time! Let us seize the

day and be counted as one of the Mighty 400. In victory or

death, we will never surrender. Who’s with us? Who will

rise up to the challenge? The day is today and the time is

now. For to dust shall we return when the days of our lives

would end, but future

Thomasian generations will

always remember the night

of the Mighty 400!!!

Are YOU One ofOne ofOne ofOne ofOne ofthe Mighty 400?

38 UST HS GAH 2011

AFTER MARCH 23, 1961, OURhigh school graduation, eachone of us went our separate

ways in pursuit of our lifetime dreams.The ones who remained in touch werethe ones who took the same collegecourses in UST or in some otheruniversities. There were no formalreunions to speak of for our batch. It wasonly 40 years after graduation that theprocess of reconnecting began and wegot an inkling of how Batch ’61 fared.

After college, a good number of usmigrated, mostly to the United States. Atthat time, it was rather easy to apply andget a visa to pursue a career in the “land ofmilk and honey.” Those who followed thispath included Susie, Cora, Mina, Lettie, Lita,Leony, Delia, Eve, Lu, Jinx, Noah, Efren, Tito,Doug, Bert, Orville, Vance, Joel, Ben, Logy,Edwin, Corky, and Lydia, among others.They landed good paying jobs in the well-known US companies such as Boeing,Citibank, Bank of America and Chevron.The likes of Mita, Grace, Rose andEdwina found their niches in the UnitedNations headquarters in New York City.However, it was Romelio, the boys’valedictorian, who went ahead of themwhen he pursued his college course atthe University of San Francisco.

Kahit BaligtarinBy AGNES B. PAULINO, Class IV-A1, USTHS ’61

Linda earned her degree inchemistry but along the way managedto finish an unrelated law degree,specializing in patents. Yoly also becamea lawyer and married one, too; theconference room of their law firm is nowour regular meeting venue. Arabellawent full-time into Public Speaking,among other things. Tish, as expected,stayed in academe after postgraduatestudies in the United States. She cameback and shared her skills as EnglishDepartment Chair and Liberal Arts Deanin De La Salle University. Joe finished hiscomputer science degree at the StateUniversity of New York in Buffalo.Despite tempting job offers, he camehome to tend to his first farm and laterwent into other business ventures.

Miroan took up chemistry, gotmarried to a batchmate, Danny, andtaught in UST for 15 years. Later, shejoined Danny in their various familybusiness ventures. Ed of IV-A2 marriedAida from IV-A1. Both were into bankinguntil Aida decided to be a full-time momand pursued other business interests.Another couple from our batch wasDoris and the late Ernie, who hostedinformal mini-reunions with the boys.

Alex retired as a general of the

Philippine Army. He now heads ourgroup and runs the meetings with thefirm but gentle hand of a true-bluegeneral. Flavio, who was past presidentof our local group, was a former mayorin Nueva Ecija. Handling people and theirconcerns has always been the forte ofPerla. She is now looking forward to herretirement after their forthcoming CBA.Boy has his own accounting firm whilehe also teaches at the De La SalleGraduate School.

Rochie, Tess, Raquel, Sonny and Vicare kept busy by their own businesses andadvocacies. In the field of nursing, Oliviahas a kilometric list of accomplishmentsthat leaves one breathless. Denny is notfar behind when it comes to his businessand finance ventures plus his dancingprowess. Vilma is very passionate ineverything she does, including her themeparties. Winnie is enjoying the fruits ofher retirement playing bridge inCanada, where we also found Norma.

We have two “pray-ers” in our class:Mercedes took the name Sr. Maria Fe,OCD, while Emilie is now Sr. Fidel Marie,SFCC. Sr. Fidel Marie became a doctor ofmedicine after making her vows.

Rosalie became a CommercialAttaché, which enabled her to see much

These photos(from top right)

show USTHS’61 members

at a batchmeeting at City

Best Resto;at a batch

meeting atJade Palace

restaurant; atthe election of

B61’s 2010-2011 officers

at the SanLazaro Racing

Club; andat the Batch

Reunion inLas Vegas,Nevada, inApril 2001.


1961 Pa Rin!of the world. Her last postingwas in Berlin, Germany. She iscoming home after more than 40years of public service. On theother hand, our photo-journ-alist, Noli, does not have the word“retirement” in his vocabulary.Noli served as the close-inphotographer of the late JaimeCardinal Sin and was a veteranof EDSA I in terms of photocoverage.

Most of us are now retiredand we now have the time to joinhands and make plans on howwe are to celebrate our GoldenJubilee as UST High Schoolgraduates on the Quadri-centennial of UST. Foremost inour agenda is to maximize ourgatherings to fill in the 50-yeargaps in our friendship links andenjoy each other ’s company.This time, we shall all be free tospeak in whatever language ordialect we want. There will beno English Campaign and Iwon’t be there to fine anyonespeaking Tagalog. I shall leaveto the history book my title:Public Enemy # 1.

USTHS’71 Philippines

USTHS’71 Overseas

Meetings at Sangkalan

Pages Created by Evie Reyes-Laurito

Cottolengo Advocacy

Gawad Kalinga Advocacy

Bingo Socials at Sangkalan

42 UST HS GAH 2011

44 UST HS GAH 2011

46 UST HS GAH 2011

H OW DOES ONE POOL THEcollective memories of 644batchmates who learned and

laughed together through four years ofhigh school life, into an essay of two pages?With great difficulty, to say the least.

This recollection, therefore—reader becautioned—will be selective and incompleteas it goes through my personal viewing lens.

Turmoil Outside, Learning InsideBatch 1976 entered the halls of the Old

High School Building in June 1972. Thebuilding was a one-storey structure, withan auditorium, library, administration office,the classrooms and laboratories, a canteenand a small patio where Rector Fr. ManuelPiñon’s pet, a monkey named George,provided us ogling teens with moments ofamusement during class breaks.

Year 1972 was an intense period in ourcountry’s history. Newspapers of the daylike The Manila Times regularly carriedstories of public discontent expressedthrough rallies and demonstrations.President Aquino’s father, Sen. Benigno“Ninoy” Aquino Jr., and his colleagues inCongress, were regular front-page news-item subjects, challenging the governmentof President Ferdinand Marcos.

From the classrooms that faced Dapitan St., we could see thebanners of demonstrators marching to rally venues such as PlazaMiranda in nearby Quiapo. We were close to the nerve center.“Nothing to worry about,” Mrs. Josefina Cuasay (Literature)would reassure us as the demonstrators marched past Dapitan.

Inside the High School Building, we busied ourselves withour lessons under the guidance of our unforgettable teachers.

Maestras y MaestrosHigh school learning was mainly about our teachers. It

is they who opened new doors to the vast and fascinatingworld of knowledge.

We used chalks for writing onto black-boards. Classrooms had high ceilings, withlarge-blade ceiling fans providingventilation. There was a public addresssystem from where emergedannouncements from office secretary Mr.Urbano Agalabia (English) or alerts to thepraying of the Angelus.

On to the lessons.“Nasa loob ang Dividend-azo, nasa

labas ang Divisor-ia.” Miss LourdesMeneses would tell us, helping us throughthe occasional confusion in Modern Math.We would smile at the funny mnemonic,especially those of us who were familiarwith the guide to the horseraces in the SanLazaro Hippodrome.

“If you want to learn how to write,you have to read and read and read andread and read…” Religion teacher Mr.Mariano Carpio would challenge us.

“Try to learn something new every day,”advised Mrs. Angela Angeles, as shewrapped up a lesson for the day provingtheorems in Geometry.

And then there was Mrs. VictoriaCachola, whose zeal for the teaching ofHistory was matched by her admiration

for teen idol Vilma Santos.Our teachers were serious and funny—some more

serious than funny—but everyone left deep and lastingimpressions that continue to serve us well 35 years later.

There was one particular teacher who stood out in the funnydepartment and would often leave his students in stitches. Hewas Mr. Edilberto Balingit (Social Science). A sampler:

We all know the circumstances that led to the breakoutof the Philippine-American War—the Philippine campaignfor independence and the American colonial expansion.

But there was an inside story to how the war actuallystarted, reveals Mr. Balingit.

“The night the war broke out,” he begins in a serioustone, “a Filipino civilian was walking along San JuanBridge when an American sentry suddenly called out:‘Halt! Who goes there?!’“

The Filipino civilian—whose name, by the way,was Hugo—was caught by surprise. The sentry justcalled out my name, he said to himself. [Actually, whathe thought he heard was “Hugo’s there?!”]

The sentry repeated his warning: “Halt! Who goesthere?!”

So instead of stopping and identifying himself, thecurious Hugo hurried up to the sentry, who by thenhad become very agitated.

Seconds later, shots rang out. And the rest is, well,“History According to Mr. Balingit.”

Mr. Balingit also taught Economics. One way to saveon water, he said, was to dip one’s fingers into a tabo ofwater and sprinkle water onto one’s face. “That’seconomics,” he would say with a grin that was as wideas España Boulevard. Mr. Balingit certainly made us

Laughter&

Learningat theHalls

ofUSTHigh

By BOYETTE SAN DIEGO,USTHS 1976


feel at ease and ready for the next learning assignment.Incidentally, Mr. Balingit and many of his contemporaries—

among them Mr. Benjamin Roda (World Literature), Mrs.Evangeline Teodoro and Dr. Conrado Reyes (Pilipino), Mr.Felicisimo Velasco (English), and Mrs. Cipriana Yu (SocialStudies)—also had concurrent teaching loads at the UST collegelevel. Mr. Serafin Patawaran, meanwhile, also taught at Colegiode San Juan de Letran, making the USTHS faculty a powerhouseof Maestras and Maestros of wide training and experience.

The PrincipalsNo recollection of high school life would be complete

without mention of our Principals. When we graduated,our sister sections were under the care of Mrs. AraceliMurillo. Particularly memorable for us boys was ourPrincipal, Mr. Francisco Torres.

Mr. Torres—or “Turing,” as we fondly called him—was a disciplinarian of a few words. It was enough thathe looked at a student or a whole class straight in theeye for everyone to get the message and toe the line.

The quintessence of tough love, his was a firm handshakethat congratulated us and bid us well as he handed ourdiplomas during graduation day in 1976.

Be Fit. Be Prepared. Do a Good Turn Daily.Part of our routines in high school was the weekly

Physical Education and Health lessons at the Athletic Field,where Instructors like Mr. Cordero, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Viray anda host of others would have us jog, walk and play a numberof sports that included football, softball, basketball,volleyball and swimming. As we golden boys and girls ofBatch ’76 grow wiser and a little heavier, the memories of PEdays constantly remind us that a little exercise each day willkeep the doctor away.

Saturdays, meanwhile, would be devoted to Scoutingand, in the senior year, Citizens Army Training (CAT). DuringScouting days, the Athletic Field would be an eye-catchingsea of colors as we wore green (Land Scouts), white (SeaScouts) and Blue (Air Scouts).

Some of our batchmates, like Cecil Saguisag and the lateRay Alfabeto, would be so inspired by their CAT trainingthat they would go on and pursue careers in military service.

Jive and the HolidaysDecember would be fun days as each section would

prepare for the group singing competition, simply called“Jive.” Freshman year 1972 was particularly memorable forthe boys’ session as batchmate Raul Mercado led section 122to victory over the older schoolmates with his inspiredversion of the Jackson 5’s “Give Love on Christmas Day.” Ifwe already had YouTube then, Raul would have pre-datedArnel Pineda and Charice Pempengco by a generation.

Jive also treated us to special guests who also served asjudges—performers like Alice Zerrudo, Sylvia La Torre andJose Mari Chan.

The Christmas season was also a time for dance partiesthat many of us excitedly awaited. The High School wasn’tyet coeducational then, with our sister batchmates attendingthe morning session. Dance parties were, therefore, one ofthe few opportunities for socialization.

The parties were often held in the homes of classmatesor friends. Lights were dimmed, to be turned on full onlywhen dinner was to be served. We danced to the beat of 45

rpm records of, among others, The Commodores’ “MachineGun” and “I Feel Sanctified” (a religious song it wasn’t),alternating with Dionne Warwick and The Spinners’ “Just asLong as We Have Love” for slow drag moments.

Many batchmates, like Lalan Bautista, were superbdancers, while the rest of us were happy enough to swingthe night away with the “Maskipaps.”

The Legacy of UST HighThe lessons and the values learned from four years of

Thomasian secondary education continue to resonate wellwith us 39 years from the time we entered the halls of USTHigh School and 35 years after we left.

We will be forever grateful to our parents and guardiansfor choosing UST High, which has molded us into models ofexcellence and disciples of a high moral code, the timeless“Matuwid na Daan.”

It’s the same set of values that inspired our TOTAL nomineefor the year, Archie Yan, to lend a ship to rescue the haplessvictims of a typhoon in Bicol, the same set of timelesscommunity values that inspires Archie to invest in industrialprojects that will benefit the greatest number. Archie’sachievements are representative of the quiet achievements ofthe graduates of 1976, wherever they are in the global village.

We raise a glass to our dear Alma Mater, UST High School.May she continue to produce outstanding and compassionategraduates in the service of others, for the greater glory of God,Country and Community. And may she continue to do sowith generous doses of humor that feed the soul.

From top photo: Batch ’76 with some of their teachers:Ms. Agripina Manapat, Ms. Ma. Isabel Casas and Ms. Imelda

Bernal-Beley, 2008; Holiday get-together of the ladies ofBatch ’76, 2010; USTHS ’76ers reunite California, 2006

48 UST HS GAH 2011

50 UST HS GAH 2011

52 UST HS GAH 2011

54 UST HS GAH 2011

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AIldemel (“Mel” or “Deng”)Venedem P. AbandoJacksonville, [email protected] Abando on Facebook

Rowena Abraham-LimGardena, CA(310) [email protected] Abraham-Lim on FB

Raymond M. AcalMarikina City, [email protected] M. Acal on Facebook

Analyn Acampado-VargasDarwin, Northern Territory,Australia+61 8 89273761; +61 415 557 [email protected] Vargas on FB

Io Medina AceremoLilly-NUS Centre for ClinicalPharmacology Pte LtdInformation Technologyc/o Fujitsu Pte Ltd; [email protected]

Marisol “Sol” Acosta-MedinaLos Angeles, California(562) [email protected] Acosta Medina on FB

Enrico “Eric” C. Aguila, OTR,OTRPQuezon City, PHL+63918-613-3312; [email protected] C. Aguila on FB

Allan Moreno AlfonsoMacau S.A.R., [email protected] Alfonso on FB

Jocelyn “Jowee” O. AlmendrasMandaluyong City, [email protected] Almendras on FB

Sheila M. Andres-SantosPoblacion, Pandi, Bulacan [email protected]

Elizabeth “Beth” AngelesQuezon City, PHL0922-813-6907;[email protected]

Michelle “Trixie” Aquino RamirezQuezon City, PHL0906-2708088; [email protected] Aquino Ramirez on FB

Gem Ascue VIIManila, [email protected]

Leah “Chiqui” Baguino-SibugProject 8, Quezon [email protected]@bdo.com

Celerina “Kim” Baisa VirayEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania USAcel no. 201 779 [email protected] Baisa Viray on FB

Nerissa “Nerie” Balbas-UrbiztondoQuezon City, PHL0933-654-0229 / [email protected];[email protected]

Edgar N. BarrozoKaty, TX, USA713-628-7582;[email protected] N. Barrozo on FB

Rowena “Weng” BautistaCalifornia, USA(714) 906-1442; [email protected] Bautista on FB

Catherine “Kate” Bernabe-ArkoncelQuezon City, [email protected]

Jennifer Esguerra-BouffardBermuda Dunes, CaliforniaCell: [email protected] Esguerra Bouffard on FB

Leonardo “Leonie” G. BugayongLaoag City, Ilocos [email protected] Bugayong on FB

Maria Redencion “Reden” BukidAbella, MDQuezon City, [email protected] Bukid Abella on Facebookiam1surgeon on Twitter

Angelita “Lilit” Bulatao-LindenmannAntipolo City(02) 696-5172; [email protected] Bulatao Lindenmann on FB

Lani Cabarles-RamchandaniBSB, Brunei Darussalam673 [email protected]

Henrietta “Riette” Callos-Silao,CPAPaco, Manila0922-863-0695; [email protected]

Benjamin “Benjie” Cancio IIISilang, Cavite [email protected]

Pauline Cañizares-Ramos, MDQuezon City, [email protected] Cañizares-Ramos on FB

Maan M. CapinpinQA/OperationsDelfi-Cocoa Specialities [email protected] Capinpin on FB

Romel L CarbonellPuerto Princesa City, Palawan 53000920-928-0436www.divepuertoprincesa.comsaversea@yahoo.com.phRomel Carbonell on FB

Maria Cristina Castillo ChuaTandang Sora Ave., QC; BetterLiving Subdivision, ParañaquePhone: [email protected]

Gilbert C. CastroMeycauayan, Bulacan, [email protected] C. Castro on Facebook

Emmaria “Ria” Velasco Cauton02 Sunniside, Northshields, Tyneand Wear, UK, NE29 7JJ+ 44 191 280 7465 (home)mob. phone +44 [email protected] Velasco Cauton on FB

Raquel “Khaye” Cervantes-AnzuresCaloocan [email protected]

Michael CoAustin, [email protected]

Peter M. CoQuezon City, Phils.0922-8537993; [email protected];[email protected]

Raquel “Judy” Concepcion-Cantre13745 Francisco Dr. La Mirada,CA 90638; [email protected];[email protected] judes raqz on FB

Anne “Len” Concepcion-Kim Los Angeles (more of the valley),California, USA; (818) [email protected] Anne Concepcion Kim on FB

Ma. Carmen Cordis6916 Rio Tejo Way Elk Grove Ca95757; [email protected]

Ana Lourdes Cortez-Aseron50 Lincoln St. SFDM, QC 11050917-965-2185; [email protected]

Carina Crisol TalusanQuezon City, [email protected]

Renato “Bong” CruzNew York, NY, [email protected] Cruz on FB

Bernard DadivasRedwood City, Ca. USA650 471 5109; [email protected] Dadivas on FB

Eduardo C. DantesCabangan, ZambalesSta.Mesa Gardenville, Manila0939-717-9504; 02 [email protected]

Frederic “Eric” De JesusEdmonton, Alberta [email protected]

Ares Joseph “Ares” A. DelabahanMasbate City, PHL;[email protected][email protected] Joseph Delabahan on FB

A Working Directory ofUSTHS Batch ’86

In the four previous pages is a list of members of Batch ’86—including a number of deceased members, for they are

eternally our batchmates. In these next three pages are thecontact details of just 156—based on voluntary submissions of

their contact data via email or Facebook since late December2010—out of the more than 700 or so batchmates around

the world who continue to make their mark in the Philippinesand elsewhere in the globe. Yes, this directory holds just a

small portion of our huge Silver Jubilarian 2011 batch, but itis a start. That said, Happy Quadricentennial Year, UST!

And warm regards to all of our teachers and administrators ofUST High School and our fellow USTHS alumni across

all batches, from all of us in Batch ’86!> Bert Sulat Jr.


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Emmanuel “Manny” C. DelgadoNovaliches, Quezon [email protected]

Maria Cecilia “Maricel” or “Cel”Diamzon AmarDallas, Texas214 460 [email protected]

Denise Diaz-BrazaBellevue, [email protected]

Joaquin DiazSydney, [email protected] Diaz on FB

Aleli Dizon-GutierrezSugar Land, Tx281-494-0154Aleli Gutierrez on FB

Dol Dizon-BernardoManilaDol Dizon-Bernardo on FB

Norbert M. DizonSta. Rosa, [email protected] Dizon on Facebook

Diana “Batchie” N. DyInstitute of Physical Education andAthletics, UST, [email protected]

Mary Ann Elloso-ArceSan Francisco, CAMary Ann Elloso-Arce on FB

Michael EncarnacionBatangas City, PHL0917-830-1514, [email protected]

Jean Encinas-FrancoCubao, Quezon City [email protected] Franco on FB

George O. EsperaQuezon City, PHL; Singapore+65 82009415 (mobile) & +6564042615 (landline)George Espera on [email protected]

Gilbert S . Esquejo, MD,FPAPRASLoyola Heights, QCMobile +63 917-8558942;+632-9758860 [email protected]

Amee Evangelista-Marcayda,MS, CCC-SLPHercules, CAmobile: [email protected] V. Evangelista-Marcaydaon FBTwitter: @Russel_Amee

Jessica Fallurin-LaraAustin, [email protected]@ecfares.com

Dolores “Dolly” Flores-EsselstynKansas USA [email protected] Flores Esselstyn on FB

Victor Manuel “Vic” FloresQuezon City, [email protected] Flores on FB

Annaleah (“Anna” or “Leah”)David Forbes-TorresQuezon City, PHLCP # 0999-7234-777; LandLinePlus # [email protected] Forbes-Torres on FB

Joan Francisco TadejaFoster City, CA USA(650) [email protected]

Ligaya “Yang” Barias GarabilesNeuro-Psychiatry Section, PNPGeneral Hospital, Health ServiceCamp Crame, Quezon CityMobile: +63923-717-9129;+63915-717-5818

Benjie GarciaOntario, CaliforniaCell [email protected]

Francis Gerald V. Garcia, DMDQuezon City, [email protected]

J. Neil C. GarciaDepartment of English andComparative LiteratureUP Diliman, Quezon [email protected],[email protected]. Neil C. Garcia on FB

Julie Christie Go-De Los SantosPasco, Washington(509)[email protected]

Marlon J. GomezTrinity University of Asia275 E. Rodriguez Blvd., QC02 702-2882 LOC [email protected]

Norman Paul GonzalezQuezon City, [email protected] Gonzalez on FB

Pablo G Hicban Jr.Malolos, Bulacan0920-902-0835; 0922-817-2160

Armando “Archie” A. Inabangan Jr.Quezon City, [email protected]

Minerva “Minie” P. Inanuran-SantamariaLas Vegas [email protected] Pua Inanuran Santamariaon FB

Christene Rene C. IsidroQuezon City, [email protected] Isidro on Facebook“brownamerican” on Twitter

John M. IsidroSta Cruz, Metro Manila0917-534-2942; [email protected]

Vincent JajallaParañaque, Philippines+63-917-501-8778Vince Jajalla on Facebook

Ma. Theresa Jareno-BraceySaginaw, Michigan USACell # 989/[email protected] Jareno Bracey on FB

Leo Cesare D. JuradoPasig [email protected]; Leo Jurado on FB

Wilmer S. LafuenteBacoor, Cavite0920-225-2155; [email protected]

Jeanne [email protected]

Maria Clarissa “Aisa” Lasam-ZuluetaLas Piñas City, [email protected] Lasam Zulueta on FB

Michelle “Chie” Layug-GonzalezStockton, California USA209-594-0746; 209-815-2276 (cell)[email protected] Layug Gonzalezon FB

Mary Jean “Jean” Legaspi-SisonManila, PHL559-3642 / [email protected]

Mary Ann “MeAnn” Lim-FavieSingapore; San Pedro, Laguna, PHL+65-9811-8055 / [email protected] Ann Lim Favie on FB

Jessica Mandap-MejiaGolden Hills Subd., MarilaoBulacan,[email protected] Mandap Mejia on FB

Marie Joanne Susana R.Marañon, DMD, MSManila, PHL; [email protected] Joanne R. Maranon on FB

Dante M. [email protected], AustraliaDante Marcelo on FB

Myrrha Villanueva MarianoLong Beach, [email protected]

Andrea “Rhea” Maun-DacayananGreater Boston, Massachusetts USA(781) [email protected] Dacayanan on FBTwitter: 1Fastbite

Edna Mercado-ChiKaloocan City, [email protected] Mercado Chi on FB

Glenna “Ging” Basa Mercado, MDOlongapo City, PHL0920-901-0009; [email protected] Mercado on FB

Glorieli Mistica-SantiagoAylesbury Bucks, [email protected]

Victorino “Victor” R. MolinaSaudi Arabia; Fairview, QCContact no.: [email protected] Molina on FB

Miyoshi MuñozToronto, [email protected]

Chris NapizaPiscataway NJ732 [email protected] Kids on Facebook“Napizakids” on Twitterwww.linkedin.com/in/jcnapiza

Joseph Mario “Jomar” A.NebriagaPasig City, PHL+63920 907 [email protected] Nebriaga on FB

Ronald “Ron” NoveraHowell, [email protected]

Ceferino “Dos” A. Pacio IILas Piñas City, PHL0922-852-1434, 0917-508-5716Dos Pacio on FB

Melanie Pangan-De La CruzAntipolo City, [email protected] Pangan-De La Cruz on FBTwitter: allaboutlani

Vina Paglicawan-VillegasManila, [email protected] Paglicawan Villegas on FB

56 UST HS GAH 2011

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Evelyn Paras-DomingoMayo Clinic HospitalJacksonville, [email protected]

Heidi Paray-BrassettBoston, Massachusetts, [email protected]

Sylvia Pascual-AzoteRichmond, BC [email protected] Azote on FB

Jomar & Maria PatawaranDickinson, Texas832 [email protected]@yahoo.com

Roberto Manuel “Manny” Payao Jr.San Juan City, PHL0927-506-1239; [email protected] Payao on FB

Rizvend PecañaSt. Joseph Medical CenterKansas City, MOTel. (913) [email protected]; Riz Pec on FB

Marlon Gregory “Marlon” M.PeñaManila, PHL+63(915) [email protected] Gregory M. Peña on FB

Lorraine Perez-CallasanMilan, [email protected];[email protected] Perez Callasan on FB

Noemi Angeline “Bingle”Picache-ChuidianManila, PHL(02) 524-3011 loc. 4622; (0928)[email protected];[email protected]

Carmen Daria “Mench” Precioso-Sanchez San Pedro, Laguna, PHL847-4699; [email protected] Precioso Sanchez in FB

Terryben “Pinky” B. Pizarro-PulmanoQuezon City, [email protected] Pizarro-Pulmano on FB

Jocelyn “Jodie” Quimpo-Dionisio(044) 693-9866; (0922) [email protected]@yahoo.com

Rosemarie “Rose” Quipse-DausNew Jersey, USATel. No. [email protected] Quipse-Daus on FB

Gary David B.QuizonAntipolo, PHL0917-855-4454; [email protected] Quizon on FB

Ruel C. Ramirez, MDQuezon City0928-243-5432; [email protected]

Ferold Rey Michaelo T. RegenciaPAREF Southridge SchoolHellsborough SubdivisionAlabang, Muntinlupa [email protected]

Teddy RegpalaSacramento, Ca [email protected] Regpala on FB

Rowan M. RellosaParañaque City, [email protected]@mmm.com

Ronald R. RelosQuezon City, [email protected]

Rey RendorQuezon City, PHL0917-822-4887; [email protected]

Jennifer Reyes-SalidoOrani, Bataan 2112(920) [email protected] Reyes Salido on FB

John Paul ReyesToronto, [email protected] Paul R on FB

Edwin V. Rodriguez, MDUST Faculty of Medicine andSurgery, Department ofPharmacology, [email protected]

Jocelyn “Jay” Reyes RufinOak Park, Michigan248 854 [email protected] Reyes Rufin on FB

Warren M. Roraldo, MDTagaytay Hospital Medical CenterDepartment of SurgeryTagaytay [email protected]

Lanie Saet-Manlapigb6 l32 Everest Drive, VeravilleFremont, Talon 1, Las Piñas [email protected]

Arlene Saludo-NarioLos Angeles, CA(818) [email protected]

Federico Allan SamonteSanta Monica, California, [email protected](310) 310-3554Allan Samonte on FB

Robert SanchezLa Puente, California(626) [email protected]

Ronald Theodore J. SangalangPittsburg, CA USA(925) [email protected] Sangalang on FB

Edwin SantiagoWest Hollywood, CA USA310 980 [email protected] Santiago on FB

Suzette B. SantosNewark, California(510) [email protected] Santos on FB

Reynato “Don” C. Sarmiento Jr. Quezon City, PHL0918-578-1214; [email protected] Cinco Sarmiento on FB

Michelle Shodja340 East Saint Andrews StreetOntario, California 91761Cell (714) [email protected]

Ma. Flora May SevillaQuezon City, [email protected] Flora May Sevilla on FB

Sean SisonFlushing, [email protected]

Maria Rossana Soto-DatuinTennessee, USA(731) [email protected] Soto-Datuin on FB

Rogelio “Jing” M. SoteloPasig City, PHL0917-527-0243; [email protected] Sotelo on Facebook

Willie A. SugayUnion City, California [email protected]

Edilberto “Bert” B. Sulat Jr.Quezon City, [email protected] Write on Facebook

Sheryl Tablada TactoCarson, California, USA(310) [email protected] Tablada Tacto on FB

Jacqueline “Jack” Tecson-ConcepcionLos Angeles, CA(323) [email protected] Tecson-Concepcion on FB

Ruth U. Texon-ElequinSan Jose Del Monte, [email protected]

Edgar C. TorresFernando Air Base, Lipa City0923-329-6784

Ma. Christine Ventura-GuicoHouston, [email protected] Ventura-Guico on FB

Raymond “Mon” VillacortaOrange County, [email protected]/714.744.8375

Frederick A. Villamena, PhDDepartment of Pharmacology,The Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH 43205 [email protected]

Emmanuel “Manny” VillanuevaJacksonville, [email protected] Villanueva on FB

Samantha Christine “Cham”Villegas-MonferoQuezon City, [email protected]@pagasa.dost.gov.ph

Cesar ViolaToronto, Canada1.416.609.9493 (Home)[email protected] Viola on FB

Maria Fe Vizcayno-TorresDubai, UAE+971 55 [email protected] Fe Luna Vizcayno on FB

Mylene YapSouthfield, Michigan [email protected]

Ma. Theresa “Mathe” I. Yngson Vallejo CA, [email protected]

Judith “Bonbon” M. ZamoraMarilao, [email protected] Zamora on FB

Batchmate! Are you not on this list?Then join us and be active online at

[email protected] & onFacebook via the Usths Eightysix wall!

58 UST HS GAH 2011

60 UST HS GAH 2011

ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2011, AN ESTIMATED4,000 UST High School alumni from various partsof the country and the world will be returning to

their Alma Mater as they gather to celebrate what looks tobe the biggest homecoming in the High School’s history sofar. The grand affair will be held at the UST Plaza Mayorright in front of the historic UST Main Building starting 5p.m. onwards.

My high school class ’55 batch-mates and thousands ofother high school alumni are really looking forward to thisoccasion because it also coincides with the four hundredthanniversary of the famous and legendary school itself, theRoyal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas (UST), oneof the oldest, if not the oldest University in the world.

With a very catchy theme of “jUST can’t get enough ofHIGH SCHOOL,” the homecoming is sure to draw unprece-dented number of “boys and girls” of yesteryears whowould surely want to relive their unforgettable four yearsof fun and camaraderie within the campus as well as the“blood, sweat and tears” they shed inside the classrooms.

Come to think of it, even with the passing of so manyyears and as we heed the counsel of Max Erhmann in“Desiderata” to “gracefully surrender the things of theyouth,” some events of our high school days just keep oncoming back and bring pleasant memories that somehowarouse that deep yearning to visit the campus and feel liketeenagers again.

But over and above reliving and reminiscing thosememorable teenage years, our intense desire to return toour Alma Mater really stems from the sense of gratitudethat we all feel because of how the school has molded usnot only academically but also morally, spiritually,socially and even physically.

Indeed those years of secondary schooling are yearswhen first impressions have great and lasting impacts inmany other facets of our lives aside from learning thesubjects taught inside the classroom that prepare us topursue higher education. Those are the years when ourcharacter and personality are molded, and the basicChristian values of love of God and neighbor are formed,which serve as the solid foundations of our life in theoutside world after school.

Undoubtedly, the primary source of these first andlasting impressions were our high school teachers. Theirerudition and extensive knowledge of the subjects theytaught and their competence in the art of imparting themto their students were indeed awesome and inspiring. Butmore impressive and awe-inspiring were their traits andpersonalities. They all personified the virtues of self-discipline, hard work, and dedication to their professionand to truth, justice and fairness which their studentshave absorbed.

Our high school teachers really have a great influencein our lives so that up to now, even after so many years,we can still remember their names as they have beendeeply etched in our hearts. Presumably, most of themmay have already been rewarded by God with eternal restfor jobs well done. So on high school reunions, it would begood that we also remember them and thank God forgiving them to us. I am sure my classmates can stillremember our English teachers Mrs. Araceli Murillo andMrs. Gloria Hernandez, our teacher in Physics; Mr.Eduardo Molano, Mr. Bonifacio Torres in Biology; Mr.Matias, Mr. Castillanes, in Geometry; Mr. GregorioHernandez, in History; Mr. Justino Surla, in Economics;Ms. Villanueva, in Mathematics; Mrs. Emiliana Cruz-Roa,Mrs. Betty Quintos, in Chemistry; Mrs. JacintaConstantino, in Social Science; Mr. Cenon Rivera, in Arts;our Religion teachers Ms. Benilda Marfori, Ms. EsterAbesamis, and Ms. Josefina Sevilla; also Mrs. AliceVilladolid, Ms. Rebecca Magno, Mrs. Bautista and a fewothers whose names unfortunately slipped my mind dueto advancing age.

Another important value in life we acquired duringthose teen years was derived from the close bondingamong classmates. Our relationship then was foundedmore on compassion than competition such that wedeveloped that strong spirit of brotherhood. Hence up topresent or at least in recent years, some of us still regularlysee or get in touch with each other to extend any kind ofassistance or simply exchange notes about our past andpresent life. Immediately coming to mind among theseclassmates are: Aury Abella, Vic Brion, Nonie Castillo,Ding Coronel (deceased), Nardy Custodio, the late Gen.Jun Dumlao, Tito Gelano, Joe Isidro, Mon Nunez, TonyMiranda, Temy Ordinario, Tony Orlina (deceased),Doming Santiago, Rudy Santos, Cholo Syquia, TonySyyap, Jack Uy and many others whose names I cannotrecall right now. One thing these guys have in common isthat all of them have excelled in their respective fields ofendeavor.

Actually, it is in UST where I had most of myschooling. I finished my Elementary, High School and Pre-Law course (Associate in Arts) there. My parents servedthe University as educators. My father, Bienvenido A.Sison, Sr was the high school general principal when it re-opened after the war while my mother Natalia Celestial-Sison was one of the pioneer teachers in the Intermediateschool when it opened in the late forties. My family isreally a brood of Thomasians as my six sisters and threeother brothers also graduated there.

Indeed we just can’t get enough of our high school inUST so about 4,000 or more of us are returning onFebruary 5, 2011 starting 5 pm at the Plaza Mayor for the

Coming HomeBy Atty. Jose C. Sison

This was the text of Atty. Sison’s opinion-section column, “A Law Each Day (Keeps Trouble Away),”in The Philippine Star’s January 10, 2011 edition. Reprinted with permission. Atty. Sison is a USTHS Batch ’55 graduate.


Grand Alumni Homecoming. This year’s organizingcommittee for the reunion is again headed by the tirelessand indomitable lady, Leebai Esquivias-Gamboa, whohave seen to it that tickets are available in accessibleoutlets like TicketNet at Araneta Coliseum and at all SM

Department Stores. So, all high school alumni who havenot yet gotten their tickets better get them now becauseseats are on a “first come first served” basis. Proceeds ofthe affair will go to the joint scholarship program of theUSTHS and its Alumni Association.

62 UST HS GAH 2011

I AM A 41-YEAR-OLD PERSON, A NINE-YEAR-OLDhusband and a seven-year-old father. Of that much Iam sure. I also spent four years each to earn my high

school and college degrees from USTHS and the USTFaculty of Arts and Letters, respectively. Yet I have beenquite unsure of whether I can be considered a Thomasian.

People who know me well enough might point to mybeing an employee of the University of the East, i.e.,another school, another University Belt Consortiummember like UST in fact, for the last 15 years—itself sixmore years, and counting, than my entire time as a“USTudent.” Naysayers may, on the other hand, dismissme as just being coy or pretentious. (Being a Filipino, atleast I put the “-asian” in “Thomasian,” yes?)

My doubt, my identity crisis, as it were, goesfurther. To my mind, being a Thomasian is such a loftytag, an inestimable reference—a moniker synonymousto being high and mighty enough that others need tolook up just to look at you, like those iconic statues atopthe Main Building. Perhaps it has to do with the nameitself: “Thomasian” smacks of uniqueness and prestige, ifnot nobility altogether, that elevates one above any seaof humanity. The title carries such auditory weight that,even if I myself had spent eight of my formative years inUST, it seems that being a Thomasian is not anautomatic addendum to my biography. Rather, itsounds like a distinction to be earned well aftergraduation, particularly when one has accomplished

something of such magnitude that it would be worth abooming announcement by, say, UST alumnus BonVibar.

But then, I suppose such an assumption would notserve UST well. For one thing, if the title of Thomasianwould be limited to the “exaltables”—they who would bethe career equivalent of valedictorians and summa cumlaudes—then the Thomasian headcount through theyears might dwindle from millions to mere hundreds. (Itwould likewise render the TOTAL Awards totallyirrelevant.) And, as opposed to being a blow to UST’spride, such a steep drop in the number of Thomasiansthrough the years would have a direr implication: thatafter all these 400 years, UST has been remiss in itsmission, of instilling the values of St. Thomas Aquinas inevery man or woman whose minds got unlocked furtherthanks to my alma mater.

In the end, being a UST alumnus should indeed be thevery basis for being a Thomasian. (UST employees areThomasians, too, but that’s another essay.) Of course,achievements are a perennial barometer to measure anyperson’s worth. But one thing that makes you and meThomasians is simple enough: We do good for the good ofothers. (Yes, even for the likes of me who happen to workin other schools.) While that line might sound like ageneric motherhood statement associable with anyidealistic institution, what distinguishes us Thomasianswho do good for others is that UST showed us the way.

Am I a Thomasian?By Bert B. Sulat Jr., USTHS ’86


A NINE-MEMBER TEAM OF UST HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNIfrom Batch 1999 was featured not too long ago in thePhilippine Daily Inquirer as part of the national broadsheet’songoing “Tales of the City” series.

The feature, written by Julie M. Aurelio and whichappeared in the Inquirer’s December 12, 2010, issue—specifically on the Metro section, pages A23 and A24—wasabout the DX Foundation Inc. and its founding officers andmembers, who had known each other for the last 15 yearsever since they were USTHS students.

The Foundation is led by Jelson Capilos, a collegeinstructor and a trained public speaker who is also DXFoundation’s President.

With him in the then just-a-month-old Foundation areantivirus computer engineer and Foundation TreasurerRoberto Tayag, high school teacher and FoundationAuditor Paul John Bautista, software engineer GregoryBacolod, nurses Donnie Ray Aguilar and Myn AprilleFlesche, IT expert Adrienn Apalisoc, high school teacherFrederick Roy Manubay, and Jayson Abdon, who is a hotelchain’s team manager.

The DX Foundation’s main thrust is to give

USTHS Batch ’99 Alumni Give Back to AlmaMater, Get Prominent Feature in ‘Inquirer’

inspirational talks and training programs for teachers andstudents for free. This includes their very own Alma Mater,UST High School, where they recently spoke to the seniorstudents about which college courses to take and possiblecareer choices.

As Jelson told Ms. Aurelio, “We thought that instead ofjust meeting for fun, why not do something worthwhile?And since some of us are into public speaking, we thoughtof doing something along that line.”

The article can be viewed in full on the Inquirer website.It can be Googled by typing in the words “Gang of 9 schoolbuddies pays it forward”.

The article quotes Roberto as saying, “Every time we[in the DX Foundation] see each other, it’s as if we are backin high school. Nothing has changed much. I can’t seemyself not being with friends whose company I enjoymore and with whom I can work together for a cause.”

Kudos to Jelson, Roberto, Paul John, Gregory, DonnieRay, Myn Aprille, Adrienn, Frederick Roy and Jayson! YourAlma Mater and fellow USTHS alumni are very proud ofyou! All of you are proof positive that we USTHS alumnijUST can’t get enough of HIGH SCHOOL!

64 UST HS GAH 2011

AFUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO UST’SQuadricentennial celebration: I got appointedchairman of the organizing committee (Orgcom) of

the 2011 USTHS Grand Alumni Homecoming.This is funny because I was an absolute nobody back in

high school. I was an average student, a sociologicalwallflower, a pathetic suitor and an extracurricularunknown, and not at all a student leader. And all this time, ifasked to rank the best times of my student life, my high schoolyears would always be at the bottom. I was fonder of myelementary days (at the nearby Dominican School) and atleast three of my four collegiate years (at the UST Faculty ofArts and Letters). Not that I was exceptional in elementaryor college either; I simply had more of a blast in and beyondthe classroom back then. And while I have been in ahomecoming or two as a passive attendee, I always figuredthat those who organized such events were the classstandouts or club heads back in the day.

The most I was in high school was “Sulat,” the boy withthe funny surname.

So how did I end up being in charge of the USTHS GAH2011 Orgcom? (The event, by the way, is produced by theUST High School Alumni Association Inc., of which I laterended up being appointed board member.)

Perhaps the root of it all can be traced, in a way, to my

surname itself. Not being able to take up my preferred course,Fine Arts, I fell back on what appeared in my teens as aburgeoning writing skill, thus my enrolling at “AB.” Evenbefore I earned my Literature degree, my innocuous reviewsof music and movies began getting out via commercialpublications. And though I have had a variety of career titlessince then, I was in essence a writer through and through.

Fast forward to 2004, when I got to hook up anew withhigh school chums and mates via get-togethers; by aninstinctive urge, my post-reunion mode was always as adazed storyteller. That is, I would voluntarily, eagerly“report,” via my batch’s e-group, about those who attendedthe event, i.e., what they were up to now, maybe how theylooked like now, and so on. My writings tended to be epic inlength but I kept a playful tone that smacked a bit of IskulBukol. It was clear, at least to me, that I relished the writingaspect to these reunion recollections.

In November 2008—incidentally after months of onlinedebates as to who should now head our high school batch,mainly so we could get projects off the ground and be moreorganized—I got prodded by a US-based classmate to attenda major meeting by the USTHS GAH 2009 Orgcom. (Wherewere the student leaders of my youth? Abroad or out of touch.)Not long after, I got to work on the GAH 2009 souvenirprogram—a tense project since we had barely a month left tofinish it. Prior to that homecoming, I was on rabid-writermode when it came to discussions turned debates about that“souv prog.” After the exhilarating event itself—held inFebruary 2009 and my first time to attend any UST GAH—Iwas on dazed-storyteller mode yet again, though thereadership this time spanned USTHS batches beyond my own.

Two months later, anticipating the buildup to the“Quadri” period, the USTHSAAI called for a general meetingof all USTHS batches, less for a GAH 2009 post-mortem andmore to begin preparing for GAHs 2010 and 2011. I came tothat meeting as an attendee so casual that I even showed upunshaven, looking forward only to recalling what transpiredat the recent homecoming. Lo and behold, the Orgcoms of2010 and 2011 were promptly set up right then, and theOrgcom 2011 constituency verbally hoisted me as group head.My protestations, chiefly that someone among the seniorbatches can better chair the Orgcom, flew over everyone else’sheads. I never got the hang of The Lord of the Rings, but rightthen I learned what it was like to be Frodo.

The almost two years since have been nothing short offrenetic. I have had to rise to the occasion: mobilizing,catalyzing, motivating, and never ostracizing, all this whilemaintaining a sane, sensible balance with my day job andmy family life, as well as with my own USTHS batch—ofwhich, despite my protestations, I was eventually appointedpresident. (To be sure, the Orgcom is a committee, theUSTHSAAI President is fundamentally the Co-Chair, and theCommittee is divided into sub-committees that haverespective tasks. Read: Teamwork is crucial.) Still, it has notbeen a breeze, but I have been flying on a word of adviceimparted to me by an adviser of the USTHSAAI: steepen your

m U S T h a v e l o v e d H I G H S C H O O L


learning curve. (As a quiet tribute, I pen-named a featurearticle that I later wrote for a national broadsheet under“Stephen L. Curve.”)

In the midst of the rush and chaos that have occasionallycharacterized the Orgcom chairmanship, I step back andreflect on it all from time to time: on what had transpired,what is ongoing and what lies ahead. For one thing, I got tomeet more people than ever before. As a result, I am amazedat the differences in people’s mindsets and personalities, andhave come to accept that not everyone will share the fervententhusiasm or barefaced interest of a few—and that that,ironically, is what makes life damned colorful. Coincidentally,that all this began happening as I entered my fourth decadeof existence made me realize that life truly gets moreinteresting at 40. More crucially, considering the epic scale ofGAH 2011—we aim to populate the Plaza Mayor and theBenavides Garden with up to 4,000 attendees on February 5,just a week after the main Quadricentennial events—andthe many people involved on both the organizing andattending spectra, I am compelled to muster a little morecourage and resolve than I ever had, and to get my acttogether even if the proverbial skies often tend to be overcast.

Through it all, the self-derogation that I enumerated inthe first paragraph has somewhat dissipated. Not that thosefacts have changed; rather, I began to realize that I do havegood memories of high school—little anecdotes about a classhere, an experience there, a teacher here, a classmate there,and discovering a knack for literary interpretations via ourEnglish classes, all of which have had a profound weight onthe adult that I have become. Also: While in high school, Iwas constantly plagued by anintrovert’s trepidation, of worryingabout the answers to life’s questionswhile my freewheeling, happy-go-lucky peers seemed to have it allfigured out. Yet now I realize that,despite whatever smarts we eachhave accrued, we all share a sense ofawe and befuddle-ment at lifeanyway, even if we may not showit.

Likewise, while I have alwaysgeneralized my high school life asdull, without incident, I now see thebig picture and it shows that no lifeis ever uneventful; fate guaranteesthat. And for all I know, I am likelynot alone in having mixed feelingsabout high school life, no matterwhere we studied. High school is ourchrysalis, after all, and metamor-phosing tends to be messy.

Thus, by way of the USTHS GAH2011 Orgcom, I am virtually back tohigh school: learning anew. That iscertainly a reward in itself, the

a f t e r a l l By Bert B. Sulat Jr.USTHS ’86

HANGING OUT, HANGING ON The photo above, courtesy ofRonald Sangalang, show members of Batch ’86 at the USTHSlobby one afternoon in 1985. Shown are (standing at the back,

from left) Jean Franco, Tommy Syquia, Gary Quizon,Ronald Sangalang, Reno Capinpin Jr., (seated at the back,

from left) Allan Samonte, Erick Villamena (partly hidden),Vina Paglicawan, Glen Aco, Cyril Gallego, (foreground, from left)

Christian Del Rosario, Joaquin Diaz and the author(back when he still had “Justin Bieber bangs”).

relative thanklessness of this gig aside.Others might have handled this job differently, most likely

better. But here I am, doing the best I can based on myknowledge, experience and circumstances. In a short amountof time, it has been terrifying and exciting, stressful andthrilling, distressing and amusing, pride-swallowing andhorizon-expanding. And for that, to everyone who got meinto this and who have supported my efforts all this time, andto USTHS herself, this absolute nobody is truly grateful.

66 UST HS GAH 2011

68 UST HS GAH 2011

USTHS GAH 2011 Souvenir Program

Documents

Transcript of USTHS GAH 2011 Souvenir Program