June 5, 2008

Webster defines REUNION as reuniting or bringing or coming together again; a gathering of persons after some separation, as some members of a college, class or family. We normally have reunions with our high school classmates… why? Because we spend four years of our life with the same group, sharing the same subjects, projects, teachers and interests. In high school, we start our teen years, it’s the transition period from our childhood to adulthood; the times of our life when we start dreaming of what we want to achieve, the times of cementing friendships and strengthening the bonds with our teachers and peers and prepare ourselves for a more serious education. Our university days are different from our high school years…. In college, the school years are broken into semesters and courses into block sections or different times altogether. And because we have different dreams, we normally do not end up in the same school or in the same course after a year. Thus, high school is really the reunion year that we all look back to.

Batch 1968 – St. William’s Institute, Magsingal, Ilocos Sur. The principal was Sister Norbert (she was also our teacher in Geometry) though it was Sister Delphina who was the principal when we graduated. We had the beautiful and young Sister Marie Andrew and Sister Loyola. Mr. Oderico Garcia was in the prime of his youth teaching us English and History with his signature eyeglasses (anong sinabi ni Randy Santiago sa shades niya noon???) and Mr. Tolentino taught us how to recite “Mi Ultimo Adios” and some other Spanish words. Ms. Betty and Ms. Lourdes were our other teachers (Science & ………; age has caught up with me that I don’t remember what subjects then). And in our third year, a newly ordained priest became the Assistant Parish Priest of our town, Rev. Father Peregrino Pati Pira, now Monsignor Perry Pira. In my slum book (have you forgotten what this looks like? – it’s a “remembrance book” where we write our personal details, dreams, aspirations, likes, dislikes, and a ‘cheesy’ dedication along the lines of ….”roses are red, violets are blue, … but I will not forget you!; etc. etc.) Father Pira signed as P.P.P. (now a name…. soon a fame!) Pretty soon, we were all signing up as “now a fame….. soon a name…..!” True enough, his name is now a fame and has given us a lasting legacy by making possible the building of a new Parish House. Father Pira became our teacher in Religion and organized a group teaching Religion is the public schools (DCUMS, etc.)

Who belongs to Batch 68?.... Let me count the names that I remember…. (Please don’t count the years….. we will always be in our ‘ty’s)

Admar Ularte
Elva Urbi
Jun Velasquez
Lilia Ponce
Dionisio Urmeneta, Jr.
Corazon Quintillan
Florencio Ubico
Esperanza Quintillan
Carmelo Vera Cruz (from Lapog)
Manuela Viloria
Gualberto Rol
Manuela Luczon
Danilo Cortez
Milagros Concepcion
Enriqueta Unias
Amelia Urubio
Henedina Tomaneng
Leodegario Yamon
Gertrudes Tiri
Estanislao Tiri
Amelita Tucson
Buena Carino
Gloria Segui
Anita Ulanimo
Constante Viloria
Evangeline Urbien
Mely Garcia
Florentino Viloria (from Lapog)

I believe there were more or less 40 of us. But age and five lovely daughters after has dimmed my memory to not completely remember the others. When I go home, I will bring with me the photo album I inherited from our dear Sister Andrew and post here the “before and after” look of this batch…. Classmates, please help me remember the rest of us in the class……

Through the years, some of us have remained friends and families….and Father/Monsignor Perry Pira and Sister Andrew / Sister Loyola are a constant in our group reunions. To celebrate our silver jubilee as Batch 68, Father Pira organized a grand reunion for us in Cabugao. It was one unforgettable day in our family life as our children interacted with each other and we had the times of our life reminiscing… In the pictures here, we had an impromptu lunch in our home in BF Homes, Paranaque to enjoy Lilia Ponce’s visit in 2001 (seven years ago???!!!!) Thirty one years after leaving St. Williams, this is how we look…. and the handsome gentlemen standing behind us are the reasons for our successes in life (kami yong group na baligtad… “behind the success of every woman is a caring and giving man…” ) We had a grand time remembering the years we spent with Sister Andrew and Sister Loyola. Of course, we shared the day with Father Pira via the mobile phone.

But the internet has shrunk the world and has bridged the distances among us through e-mails and webcams and other ‘high-tech’ gadgets. Hence, I thought that a virtual reunion in this site would be almost like having a reunion in the grounds of our school (SWI or TMI).

May I call on all Magsingalenos to post your batch here and let’s have a virtual reunion GLOBALLY…. Mas matipid ito, walang iisiping air fare, hotel accommodation or mga pasalubong…. Let’s take a look at our batch and let’s invite them to post their current status here…. Along the lines of

Batch 1968 of SWI, let’s start the ball rolling…