Official Newsletter of St. Mary’s College Alumni Foundation, Inc. July 2008

Vivian Verzosa-Tadeo (of Vancouver,Washington) wrote in my date book: “Likeold times…but better…”

She had written this note during one of ourdinners at Fontana resort, Clark,Pampanga from February 15, 16 & 17,2008; and the occasion was the reunion ofSMC HS batch’68.

St. Mary’s College Quezon City opens itsdoors to homecoming high schooljubilarians celebrating Ruby (40 years)-Batch ‘68; Coral or Jade (35 years)- Batch‘73, Pearl (30 years) – Batch ’78; and Silver(25 years) – Batch ’83 and other graduatestoday, July 19, 2008 at the schoolAuditorium and the Gymnasium .

Highlighting this year’s celebration is thelaunching of the Alumni website, the SMCAlumni Foundation’s tech savvycontribution to the school and the Mariansboth here and abroad.

A mass will be celebrated at the AnunciationHall at 1pm followed by a program at theauditorium. Slated to provide excitement tothe aftenoon are glittery productionnumbers prepared by the jubilarians.

The Alumni foundation’s scholarship drivewhich provides high school education topoor but deserving students will likewisebe showcased.

The silver jubilarians of High School batch1983 have geared up for several musicalnumbers and will be presenting their giftsto the school and the foundation.

SMC HS’68 Ruby Reunion – Like Old Times…but BetterIt was the middle of a horrifically busymonth for me. As UP Diliman centennialco-coordinator, we were in the thick of ac-tivities to celebrate the centennial of theUniversity of the Philippines; as professor,graduating students were lining up for con-sultations on their mini-theses; and aswriter, I had two of my books needing to be

copy-edited with deadlines being drummedin my ears by the UP Press staff.Yet, how could I play deaf to an urgentemailed appeal from the lead organizer—Jing (Rosemary) Baclig-Husin. “I know youare very busy but do make time for the peoplewho have loved and rooted and followed youas our leader. I don’t think you should sayno to that!!! How could the president for lifeof this batch (I had been president sinceelementary school) miss our RUBY celebra-tion.” Now I know why Jing has beensuccessful doing social marketing for EUfunded health programs—”lethally persua-sive to the core.” Wish she was with theUP Mass Comm (where she had graduated)faculty to help us with centennial projects.I hadn’t realized that I had not seen mybatch mates for 40 years—well maybe ex-cept for occasional brushes at U.P. Dilimanwhere some of us had landed after step-

Priscelina Patajo-Legasto ‘68

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Batch ‘83 – Silver Jubilarians

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

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Sr. Maria Anicia B. Co, RVMPresident, SMC, QC

MessageLulu R. Robles, B’79President, SMCAFI (2007-2009)

Recalling my years as a student of St. Mary’s College, I didn’t for aninstant foresee myself taking an active role in the alumni foundation,more-so assuming its presidency. This is not so much because Iresist the thought of serving my alma mater, but mainly for reasonsthat my mind during those times was clogged with the vitality of youthand crowded with dreams and uncertainties of the future. But yearsafter I said goodbye to the institution that served as my second homefor more than 10 years, a very significant realization started to sinkin… the Marian blood runs through my veins after all.

I didn’t only study in St. Mary’s College, I lived and breathed its air aswell. My late mother, Evangelina Robles was then elected the firstPresident of the Family Council (Elementary) while my late father,Atty. Jose La Rosa Robles followed suit and became it’s longestserving president. My graduation from the school did not stop myparents from being active servants of the Blessed Mother and MotherIgnacia del Espiritu Santo. My father, after serving the Council, to-gether with some parents founded the Mother Ignacia Lay Communityfor the promotion of the cause for beatification of our RVM’s Foundress,Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. And after my father’s demise, myMom took over the rein of leadership. They have dedicated as muchtime, support and resources as they could in service of the Mariancommunity.

After giving it a lot of thought, I finally resolved that the legacy that myparents left should live on. I believe in my heart that this is exactly whatthey would wish for me to accomplish, as important, as excelling inmy chosen profession. This is an opportune time for me as well torecompense the institution responsible for building my academic pil-lars and strengthening my moral and spiritual fibers. Now, after servingthe foundation for several years as board member and for a year aspresident, I would like to believe that I had made one of the mostimportant decisions in my life.

In the past year that I have been entrusted with the mantle of leader-ship of the alumni, a feeling of pride and honor has overwhelminglydominated my person. Pride...as it is an opportunity so rare to begiven a chance to serve an institution that is highly regarded in theacademe. And honor... as I was able to work with highly respectedand dignified individuals that comprise the board members of theSMC Alumni.

Let me seize this chance then to acknowledge, with appreciation, theboard members and friends of the alumni foundation. My sincerestgratitude to these important people without whose encouragementand cooperation to my leadership, none of the projects of the founda-tion could have been successfully undertaken. With the most theycould give, each one has relentlessly and unselfishly provided hersupport towards the realization of the foundation’s projects and pro-grams. Working with them has been such a rewarding experience. It did not only tighten our bond of friendship but also left valuablememories that will make my past worthy of reminiscence.

Our group kicked off with the re-modeling of the alumni office. Minorrepairs, repainting and some redecorating were done. This wasfollowed by the traditional Christmas caroling from which we raisedadditional funding for the foundation’s scholarship program. Again,

My dear Marian Alumni,

Praised be Jesus and Mary!

How happy am I to welcome you back to St. Mary’s College, QuezonCity as you gather together for your Alumni Homecoming! My specialgreetings to the silver jubilarians, Batch ’83! Congratulations for beingwho you are and living the values you learned from your Alma Mater,the values instilled by your mentors and RVM Administrators throughthe years. I can be assured that you are continuing the legacy of ourbeloved Foundress, Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.

Allow me first to share with you the good news. Last July 6, 2007,Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree authorizing the Prefect of theCongregation for the Causes of Saints to issue the Decree on Virtues(Decretum super virtutibus) of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.This dercree, which was received by the RVM Congregation inDecember 2007, was promulgated in a thanksgiving celebration onFebruary 1, 2008 with His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosalesas the presider. The Decree was read by the CBCP President, Hisexcellency Most Reverend Angel Lagdameo. With this decree, wecan now address our Foundress, Venerable Ignacia. This is a greatblessing from the Lord because this is an official recognition of theChurch of the heroic life of virtue that Venerable Ignacia lived as thedecree states: “the Servant of God, Ignacia del Espiritu Santo,foundress of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary, isfound to possess to a heroic degree the theological virtues of Faith,Hope, and Charity toward God and neighbor, as well as the cardinalvirtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude.”

We thank God for this and all the wonderful blessings we continueto receive from His abundant goodness. The many changes yousee in your Alma Mater as you visit us will attest to our commitmentto continual improvement. We do the best we can and use wiselyour resources to form our students into Ignacian Marian leaders offaith, excellence and service. We continually think of you, our Marianalumni, as we do these things so that you may always cherish theIgnacian Marian education you received from us. May you perseverein living the ideals that we have instilled in you during your years ofschooling here. May you share with us our special thrust this schoolyear: “Caring for creation and working for a just society with preferentiallove for the poor and the needy.” It is not enough to just listen toreports and stories of global warming and environmental crisis. Weneed to do something positive about this. Be one with your AlmaMater in working for a better world starting from where we are. Thelittle things we do to show respect and care for our environment arebig steps to transforming mentalities and even communities.

As you come to your Alma Mater, may you feel the bond of love andaffection that we have for you. May you be inspired by our VenerableIgnacia to seek the guidance of our Blessed Mother Mary in living theway of Jesus Christ and sharing Him to others.

Welcome home to St. Mary’s! Congratulations, and let the light ofChrist shine always in your life!

E D I T O R I A L B O A R DE D I T O R I A L B O A R DE D I T O R I A L B O A R DE D I T O R I A L B O A R DE D I T O R I A L B O A R DDr. Priscelina Patajo-Legasto ‘69

Lulu R. Robles ‘79Risse Aquino-Jose ‘76

(Continued on next page)

Full Circle

Message

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

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The forthcoming SMC Grand AlumniHomecoming scheduled this July 2008 is aspecial event for the St. Mary’s CollegeQuezon City High School Batch 1978. Thisyear we are celebrating our Pearl Jubilee.This year, we mark 30 years of friendshipand sisterhood. Time indeed, flies so fast!

30 years ago, 155 bright and eager youngladies graduated from SMC high schoolleaving the portals of their beloved SMCforever. After graduation, each of us wentour own way raring to face the new chal-lenges of college life. As the years went by,high school life had become a beautifulmemory of our past.

Fast forward to 2001. A chance encounterthrough the internet (Thank God for technol-ogy!) allowed a couple of the girls (AngeliTan-Simon, Gladys Ingco-Buerano, MaddieGudani, Jean de Lara and EvangelineLomibao, who has just arrived from NewJersey) to meet up one weekend and planfor a reunion. Angeli graciously offered herplace for this event.

To celebrate the homecoming of Eva, wescheduled another mini-reunion this timeat the Congo Grill in Quezon City. In thatreunion, more classmates showed up:Beth Ancheta, Arlene Ducusin, and MaribethCabanero-Fernandez who happened to beour batch representative in the AlumniAssociation. It was during this meeting thatplans for a grand reunion of HS Batch 78was conceived.

Since it was nearing Christmastime, thereunion was set in the first week of Decem-ber 2001 at Angeli Tan Simon’s subdivisionclubhouse. In that reunion, around 30batchmates came for the potluck affair.Everyone must have thought: Where did thetime go? It was just like graduation hap-pened only yesterday. It was great seeing all

The Pearl Jubilarians:SMCQC BATCH 1978...

those familiar faces again. And with it, thehappy memories of high school past rushedin. Everyone was laughing as we recountedour escapades, our follies, our embarrass-ing moments. One day was not enough tocatch up on one another’s life story. It wasalso great to know that our high schoolbatch produced successful doctors(Lourdes Daez, Ruby Falqueza, CherylChan, Rowena Guinto, Josette Lao, amongothers); dentists (Chonie Vallarta-David,Olive Paredes, Lani Apuada, Maritel Amante,Loudette Allarey, to name a few); consultants(Bett Ty-Salvador, Dahra VillanuevaMendoza), educators (Josie Amorin, KayFelix); entrepreneurs (Anna Liza Garcia,Connie del Poso); and government employ-ees (Jean de Lara, Majella Aceremo, MarikuMunoz, Mina Garcia).

Together Again!Together Again!

At the end of that reunion, all resolved tokeep in touch. Proof of this is our yearlyChristmas reunions, our mini get-togetherswhen a classmate from abroad comeshome to visit and our batch outings.

Today, the bonds of friendship that wereformed 30 years ago and renewed 25years later have become stronger. Some ofus regularly meet once a month to try outnew recipes. Talk about shared passion forcooking and eating!

As we now celebrate our pearl jubilee, welook back at our high school life withfondness. It was indeed a time of greatlearning. We thank our Alma Mater forgiving us the best education. Thank youSt. Mary’s College for all that we havebecome.

thanks to those who generously shared theirblessings. The year 2007 culminated with aChristmas party for indigent senior citizens. It was a gratifying experience to see thesmiles from the faces of our dear ‘lolos’ and‘lolas, “nanays” and “tatays” as they receivedpresents and partook of the simple feast weprepared for them. We also had a chance toshare our music as the alumni choir ser-enaded them with Christmas songs. Stillreeling from the high brought by the excite-ment of the Christmas party, we opened theyear 2008 with the traditional Visit to the Sis-

ters. The heartwarming welcome accordedus by our beloved nuns was enough testi-mony that our humble endeavor was greatlyappreciated.

Apart from the usual projects of the alumni,our group is launching its major and petproject - the alumni WEBSITE. We are hope-ful that this website will finally solve theperennial problem of achieving full member-ship and active participation of alumni fromacross the globe in the association, as thiscould effectively provide faster and broader in-formation dissemination. However, our groupcan only do so much to make this websitefunctional because its success will depend

largely on our dear alumni. Thus, on behalf ofthe SMC Alumni Foundation, Inc., I am appeal-ing to all alumni to extend their much neededsupport and cooperation so that this projectmay effectively serve its purpose.

In parting, I wish for God’s favor and guid-ance to all my fellow alumni. Let not the Marianspirit wane as we leave the institution towhom we owe so much of what we are today.Set forth, believe and conquer while keepingthe flame of our Alma Mater burning in ourhearts. And let us be grateful of our past,because life, as we live it, treads a path thatinevitably ends where it all began--a full circleindeed.

(Continued from page 2)Full Circle

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

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SMC HS’68 Ruby Reunion...(Continued from page 1)ping out of SMC HS, and the infrequent smallgroup reunions whenever Vivian or TeresitaPalanca-de Leon (from NSW, Australia) wouldvisit the Philippines with “locals” Bing(Rosalinda) Ronquillo, Lynn (Eleanor)Makasiar-Paez, Flor (Fleurdeliz) Sevilla-Ilaga,Zeny (Zenaida) Marinas-Estanislao.I’m glad I went to that three-day reunion. Orga-nizers Jing, Bing, Zeny, Mel (Imelda)Mendoza-Oppus, and Sue (Susan) Macedahad a day-to-day program of activities that wehardly missed the beloved disciplinarian, Mrs.Naval. They saw to it that we left Quezon Me-morial Circle on time in our white airconditioned tourist bus (a concession possi-bly to our balikbayan members and theirhusbands who might have wilted under ournoon day sun). They had Fontana bungalowsand rooms assigned with careful attention to

details (like all smokers identified and room-ing in together); chicharias, pancit, puto galorefor the trip to Fontana and the long afternoonbefore a sumptuous dinner; pasalubongs toexchange amongst ourselves (thank you forthe balikbayans who brought perfumes, makeup, key chains and other souvenirs fromabroad, although the “locals” were not to beoutdone—they brought Filipiniana gifts, includ-ing wooden back scratchers; I, who had notime to buy gifts, inflicted my books on them).First day, late afternoon, I thought would besiesta time, for after all, some had just gottenoff the plane and had gone straight to Fontanawith us. Well, I was wrong.That afternoon, our indefatigable organizersmade us play games---memory games. Wehad to stand in a circle, give our names andexecute a stance that would reflect our per-

sonality. I gave my name and then raised myarms and executed a taas kamao (very tritelyUP); others were more imaginative. Lolit(Lolita) Ago-Santiago wobbled like an old lady,Cynthia De Leon-Dypico sashayed, Bernie(Bernadette) Amonoy-Banks raised her twofingers to refer to her two husbands (!), othersdanced the chacha, did a karate stance, co-quettishly fanned themselves, gyratedindecently – I actually forgot some of the othermoves. But that was the point of the game—toremember the names (including marriednames) and to re-execute the identity gestures.Obviously, I didn’t win, although I wasn’t aspathetic as our four husband friends forced todo the same, and failing miserably, even withnotes (they actually wrote down our names).But, through that session, we got re-ac-quainted with our batch mates and got to know

their husbands (Eric Tadeo, Ernie Santiago,Danny de Leon and Sonny Paez). The realwinner was Zeny who was the last in the circlebut remembered all our names and executedall our gestures! How did she stave off seniormemory loss or Alzheimer’s disease?Finally, everyone had loosened up and left theirstresses behind. Yes, we were ready for more.More included a dress-tightening dinner at theFontana clubhouse, and presentations pre-pared by groups per house. The best was theplay produced/written/ performed by Lynn’sgroup and their husbands---sorry senior citi-zen moment because I can’t remember theother “actors.” The play took us back to theSMC HS classroom and the grueling tests ofteachers like Mrs. Naval, including the recita-tion of lines from Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo Adios.”Then there was ballroom dancing with Ernie

taking charge of the sounds and the other hus-bands like Eric and Danny making sure thatwe would not be wall flowered for long. Just toshow how big time our organizers were—thenext day we had actual D.I.s (five of them) rar-ing to make us show off our dancing skills.Jing to me was the best ---very professional,very sexy; Cynthia, as usual, was very demure;Susan (Sue) was provocative; Mel was her MsUniverse self; while I was trying hard not to tripbecause I had my rubberized step in crocs on.The rest of the reunion was like a kaleido-scope of more fun activities with extra trips toduty free, SM, the water theme park and , ofcourse, because we were Marians after all,Sunday mass complete with special bless-ing for our class by the officiating priest. Then,on the last day, we went off to Tanay for agreat seafood lunch, then a merienda cour-tesy of Bernie’s relatives. There was a bigbanner across the road welcoming us to-gether with a motorized police escort. Thatday ended with a trip to a shoe outlet so wecould get pairs and pairs of shoes at dirtcheap prizes. (Of course if you had dollars,why not spend these and help contribute tothe Philippine economy, right?) At this point, Ishouldn’t forget to mention that some ofthose batch mates based abroad who wereunable to come, parted generously with theirdollars so we could have a super reunion.Jing even gave a financial report on howthese funds were utilized. We hope Jing willlead the batch in “adopting” a scholar (anSMCAF Inc long-standing project) and sup-porting her/him through the four years of highschool at SMC.At the end of the three days of super together-ness, we pledged that we would meet againin two years time. Some suggested a Carib-bean tour---after all, our North Americancounterparts had previous reunions before ---I think the one I missed was in Las Vegas. Imissed that one because, although I was thereat UCLA on a Fulbright Visiting Professor grant(fully paid for by the U.S.), I could hardly pre-tend that I had a speaking engagement at,let’s say, the Venetian. I suggested insteadthat they should all come back home in twoyears time and reunite with us, locally-basedbatch mates; then we could, if people wanted,fly off to Bangkok or Macau together.Although brief, that Fontana reunion of SMCHS batch 68, the Ruby Jubilarians, wasmemorable and the best ever (allow me somehyperboles). I think as we grow older, we be-gin to cherish those moments that evoke thebest in all of us. SMC HS had given us someof our best life moments; and without exag-geration, I would like to say that the Fontanareunion (http://smc68.multiply.com) hasadded to these best moments.

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

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St. Mary’s College (Q.C.) North America Alumnae Association

THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, THEN AND NOW...The Mother Ignacia del Espiritu SantoScholarship Program under the auspicesof the St. Mary’s Alumni Foundation is onits 14th year, this year. The Scholarshipprogram is the flagship project of the Foun-dation. The Foundation first undertook itsscholarship program in 1994, under thewatch of then President Sessie Tible-Caoyonan. During the terms of thesucceeding Presidents: Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan,Preachy Patajo-Legasto, FeArellano and Grace de Jesus more schol-ars were added to the list. Last March, ourscholar, Timothy Carido graduated whiletwo other scholars: Angelo Rosario andClaire Ting, both in their 4th year are still inschool.

For this school year, the Alumni Board havedecided to create a trust fund for the schol-arship program. In line with this, theScholarship committee undertook the re-view of the present scholarship policy andhas initiated changes in the implementa-tion of the program. Likewise, the AlumniBoard intends to venture into more proac-tive activities that would generate funds to

ensure the sustainability of the Scholarshipprogram in the years to come.

The Scholarship Program is one way bywhich Marians the world over can give backof what we have learned and gained from aRVM education. Thus, celebrating batchesare encouraged to support the scholarshipprogram by donating to the “Adopt a BatchScholar” fund whereby a celebrating batchpicks a scholar from among the applicantsfor 1st year and undertakes to send thescholar through high school. Worthy tomention is Batch 1980 who first respondedto the call of then President Grace de Jesusto adopt a batch scholar. CelebratingBatches may, however, opt to donate anyamount to the general scholarship fund.

The Foundation is looking forward to ac-cepting more scholars in the comingschool year. For those who are interested,an applicant may qualify if, he or she is aFilipino citizen; financially disadvantagedbut intellectually deserving; if an applicantfor 1st year, he/she must be a graduate ofthe SMC grade school or if already in 1st,

2nd or 3rd year high school in SMC, theapplication must be for the next schoolyear; must be of good moral character;must maintain an average of 85% andmust comply with all other requirementsas may be required by the ScholarshipCommittee.

For the past fourteen years through theAlumni Scholarship Program , lives havebeen shaped and changed because ofMarians who cared enough to share and“give back” of themselves to other Marianswho needed a helping hand. Let all Mariansunite and show the world that by helpingeducate others the RVM way, the worldcan be a better place for everyone. Pleasesupport the Mother Ignacia ScholarshipProgram now!

The Foundation is accepting donations incash or in check. Please make out checksto the St. Mary’s Alumni Foundation, Inc.Thank you in being part of the RVM’s mis-sion under the mantle of our BlessedMother to provide a better future for ouryouth.

The St. Mary’s College (Q.C.)North America AlumnaeAssociation, officially known asSMCNAAA and organizedprimarily by 5 members fromBatch ’67, started with a bigbang in 2002; dinner dance atthe Universal Hilton attendedby more than 25 formerMarians from different batches,along with their spouses,siblings, friends, and at least 2visiting RVM sisters, as well asthe guest speaker, “Ate” AidaGuerrero. We were soenthused with many projects topursue and goals to achieve.We had the 2004 picnic

reunion at the beach, 3newsletters, and the group wasable to make monetarydonations to the SMC scholar-ship foundation, the last one inthe amount of $1,000. in 2005.Then there was a lull; however,with the best intentions, anumber of us kept the flameburning, mainly among those inSouthern California. A sweettradition was born; an annualMarian Christmas get together.

Hosted first by Evelyn Miraviteat her lovely San Clementehome in 2003, it was a bighoot! Christmas carolssinging competition, pianoperformances, (including myfutile attempt to dance theFlamenco!) and Kodakanblues of course. MarjhorieGumabao hosted the 2004party at her glamorous homein Philips Ranch. Then in2005 the infamous “Marians’Martini Madness” was held atTina Veridiano’s elegant homein Whittier. Attendees enjoyedauthentic Spanish dishes and

took home party favors in hugemartini glasses! We had our2006’s “Sumptuous SaladDays” event at Divina Antonio’scozy abode in Pasadena.Last year’s get together wasquite meaningful, it was againheld at Majhorie’s place;however, we were graced bythe presence of 3 new mem-bers: Cynthia Pulmones, AliciaQuiambao from Batch 1971,and Gemma’s kid sister, MayFulay, Batch 82. The highlightwas an “Oprah”ish paneldiscussion on the trials andtribulations of life, love and

loss! This year’s host,Marileth Castaneda, will makeit a joint event; we will also joinher in celebrating her firstgrandkid’s first b-day!

A personal, romantic footnote:After I got married (mysecond, but first Catholicchurch ceremony) lastOctober, love must havepermeated the air; at least 2of our fellow California resi-dent Marians have beenobserved having that specialglow! Who knew?!!!

By: Norma Esperida-Cummins ‘67

By: Gwen Pimentel-Gana ‘77

Panay Ave. Red Ribbon, Delta,Circle, Quezon Ave, West Ave,Gift Gate…if your heart skips abeat with the memory of theseplaces, chances are you got toride (or at least are familiar with)the jeepneys to Proj. 6, Pag-asa, Quirino 2-3, Kamuning,Philcoa, Fairview, etc. Mostprobably too, if you are female,you used to wear a white short-sleeved blouse and blue ribbonunderneath a navy blue, U-neckjumper dress, a white blouse(remember to wear a chemise!)with left side breast pocket withblue culottes twice a week anda white gala uniform on FirstFridays and special occasions.Without a doubt, you are aMarian! You spent your growingup years at St. Mary’s CollegeQ.C.; you had songfests in theAuditorium; CAT, cheerleadingand field demo at the quad-rangle; and fishballs andbanana-cue and sago’tgulaman outside the gate.Nobody needs to explain to youwho MIDES is and why Septem-ber 10 is always declared halfday after the morning mass inthe quadrangle.

For most alumnae, memoriesof high school are shared witha select few, a small group offriends whom they chose to bewith through the years. Rarenostalgic moments, if any, arespent recounting youthfulyears, laughing at mischief andembarrassing moments.Occasional thoughts of whereother schoolmates might beare sometimes mentioned butnot really delved into – not untilseveral years after, at least,when the silver jubilee nears.Not really a phenomenon, justa natural tendency to live in thepresent and not in the past.After all, once high school isdone one has the power todecide what to study and,therefore, to naturally gravitatetoward other people with thesame interest.

It’s not a different story for us,SMCQC Batch ’83. We lived ourlives separately from the rest ofthe batch after graduation,seeing less and less of eachother, except for a few close

friends whom we were lucky tohave nurtured long-lastingfriendships with. The road tothis reunion started 2 years ago,and what a journey it has been!And while I’ve told this storycountless times, in long andshort form, in batch newslettersand webpage blogs, I never gettired of sharing the success of ahandful of graduates who daredto take that difficult task ofpicking up the phone orknocking on doors just to buildthe 120-strong member groupthat we are so proud to havetoday.

Our 2-year journey to the SilverJubilee started in June 2006,when a few mobile phonesstarted to ring with the an-nouncement of a smallgathering at the now famousWheatberry coffee shop on Sct.Tuazon St. in Quezon City.Some pizzas, sandwiches,cups of coffee and severalpitchers of green iced tea later,there was no turning back.Names were added tophonebooks. Life stories wereexchanged (albeit briefly).Names and faces wererecalled (or at least an effortwas made). Most importantly,another gathering wasplanned, and another, andanother…

Before we knew it, we hadorganized the batch, andpeople were given the difficulttask of re-building Batch ’83.We searched high and low forbatchmates. We started a fund.We created a mission. Wewelcomed migrants comingback for a visit. We shared ourtime with the unfortunate. Wewere even able to support thefamily of a batchmate in heruntimely demise.

To recount each and everysuccess story in the last 2 yearswould take pages and pages ofnarrative. Suffice it to say that weare now ready to celebrate ourSilver Jubilee. We are proudMarians, and with heads heldhigh we go back home to ourschool, our teachers and ourfriends. Hola Silver Bellas, NoHay Kupas!

By Velia Rivero-Soriano ‘83 (New Zealand)

Life’s Journey:The SMC Batch ’83Jubilee BookBy Maria Teresa Filio-Padua

SMC Batch ’83 is launching its Jubilee booktitled “Life’s Journey” during the St. Mary’sCollege Alumni Homecoming in July 2008.The jubilee book is very special for the batchsince batch ’83 was not able to publish andcomplete its high school year book in 1983.

The making of our Jubilee book, aptly titledLife’s Journey, could not have come at amore appropriate time as we are celebratinga milestone in our lives - 25 years of friend-ship that went on even after we graduatedfrom our beloved SMC. It’s a celebration ofthe miracle that has brought all of ustogether, a batch united by a common causeand glad to once again be with friends wehave not seen for more than two decades.We are all at different journeys and stages inour lives: happily single, blissfully married,getting out of a failed relationship, findingnew love, falling in love, coping with sicknessin the family, losing a loved one, enjoyingmotherhood, being on top of our careers andmaybe starting over.

Through it all, Life’s Journey is a bookwritten for us, by us. SMCQC Batch ‘83 hasstood the test of time, friendship, distanceand even differences for many years now.This book speaks of our youth, a time whenthings were simpler and adolescent angstclouded maturity and reason. We hadjourneyed together then in high school -joining songfest and CAT competitions, takingpart in intramurals, being a member of a club,cramming to pass our exams, copyingassignments, crying our hearts out duringretreats and recollections, attending firstFriday mass, failing but moving on, cuttingclasses, building friendships that who wouldhave thought would last for years. Always,there are lessons learned in life.

We continue to embark on our voyage in life,this time as mature and confident womenready to face the world and take on all thechallenges that come our way. Amidsteverything that is happening in our lives, thisbook is a tribute to the joy of finding oldfriends, discovering new ones and realizingthat every step we take in life is not withoutsomeone to share it with. Our batch isforever grateful to all our teachers, sistersand friends who have all made our highschool life truly an enriching experience.

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Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

8

Censored! The curta ins litera lly camedown on us before we could finish ournumber during a “socia ls”, a ta lent showhosted by a different class each quarter.1964-65 Sophomores Ka thrynMcMahon, C andy del Rosario, yours trulyand other Section A classma tes underMrs. Bagsit were dancing while lipsyncinga popular pop song, and the scanda lizedRVM sisters sea ted in the front row weremortified to see tha t we were apparentlylifting our skirts a tad too high, showingour, uh....knees?!! The la te Sister Isabelita“I” Riego de D ios hurriedly ordered to cutour number short before we could figureout what happened. Cooler headspreva iled when severa l girls, includingorganizer Maria Christina Veridiano,threatened to smash the big cake donatedby the group for the event!

N orm a Esper i d a - C umm ins,N orm a Esper i d a - C umm ins,N orm a Esper i d a - C umm ins,N orm a Esper i d a - C umm ins,N orm a Esper i d a - C umm ins,C a l i forn i a , USA , Ba t ch ’ 6 7C a l i forn i a , USA , Ba t ch ’ 6 7C a l i forn i a , USA , Ba t ch ’ 6 7C a l i forn i a , USA , Ba t ch ’ 6 7C a l i forn i a , USA , Ba t ch ’ 6 7

Some naughty and nice memories atSt. Mary’s College QC…

“I started to reca ll and sang our “schoolhymn”. . .

The school we love, Sa int Mary’s is hername, is da t. . . ista tue grea t and strong...

and most of all la ... la. . . la.... la... la... la..(diyos ko! nasaan na ang memorya ko!Marian pa naman ako a t ito ang akingawit araw-araw from 1976 to 1981!!!).

M i che l R a zo ,M i che l R a zo ,M i che l R a zo ,M i che l R a zo ,M i che l R a zo ,V irg in i a , USA Ba tch ’ 8 1V irg in i a , USA Ba tch ’ 8 1V irg in i a , USA Ba tch ’ 8 1V irg in i a , USA Ba tch ’ 8 1V irg in i a , USA Ba tch ’ 8 1

***************

O ne day, the Dean of D iscipline MadamN ava l came to our classroom and made asurprise inspection of whether we hadshorts or cullotes under our skirts or not.O f course we were a ll nervous as shewa lked passed each one of us with a ruleron hand and asked us to ra ise our skirts.Tha t day of a ll days I forgot to put one on!

When she stood in front of me, I quicklythought of putting down my panty andshowed her the edge of the leghole tomake it look like it was gartered cullotes!Whew, wha t a big relief when she wa lkedon to the next…

M aya ng S ison-PM aya ng S ison-PM aya ng S ison-PM aya ng S ison-PM aya ng S ison-Pa scu a l , Ba t ch ’ 7 6a scu a l , Ba t ch ’ 7 6a scu a l , Ba t ch ’ 7 6a scu a l , Ba t ch ’ 7 6a scu a l , Ba t ch ’ 7 6

***************

My most naughty sojourn while a student atSMC was when I was in Grade 7 . Myfriend Antoinette (rea lly couldn’t reca ll herfamily name) who lives in Morato con-vinced me one day to eat lunch at theirhouse as she wanted me to show a pictureof her crush which she left at home as wellas show me how she could play a musica linstrument. At first, I didn’t want to,as we were not supposed to leave theschool during the middle of the day andsecondly, it was a no no to be outsideschool in school uniform during schoolhours, even though it was during a lunchbreak. However, she managed toconvince me and off we went to herhouse. When we got back to school, oneof the sisters saw us and reprimandedus. I was so scared tha t they might ca ll formy parents and tell them ofmy misbehavior. Fortunately, she did notca ll for my parents but she made uspromise that we would not do it aga in.

An enjoyable one is when I was in highschool with my barkadas. After schoolhours and before going home, we wouldgo and drink milk shake in one of theshops (I rea lly couldn’t remember thename of the street). As most of thesebarkadas are members of our class’acting guild too, we a ll enjoyed everym inute of our practices.

Also, the soiree tha t were co-organizedby our school and other boy’s schoolduring the Jr. and Sr. years such asAteneo, San Beda , etc., a lso are imbeddedin my memory. We were so young backthen and excited to attend such parties tomeet the boys. O ne or two got hitched(meaning they became boyfriends/girlfriends) but not for long.

Ann a be l le Sa n tosAnn a be l le Sa n tosAnn a be l le Sa n tosAnn a be l le Sa n tosAnn a be l le Sa n tos- D a oka ew- D a oka ew- D a oka ew- D a oka ew- D a oka ew, Ba tch, Ba tch, Ba tch, Ba tch, Ba tch‘7 1 , Ba ngkok , Th a i l a nd‘7 1 , Ba ngkok , Th a i l a nd‘7 1 , Ba ngkok , Th a i l a nd‘7 1 , Ba ngkok , Th a i l a nd‘7 1 , Ba ngkok , Th a i l a nd

***************

O h well, the only embarrassing incidentthat I reca ll during our high school days iswhen someone reported that she had anexpensive item missing.

Apparently, somebody stole something inour class and Mrs. N ava l requested

3rd year. O bjective: Cut classes towa tch a movie a t C ircle.

An elabora te plan was set up to goover-the-bakod behind the auditorium.About 3 pm, a lmost everyone wasgathered by the bakod, having skippedtheir respective classes. “Pano na tinmaabot yung top eh wa la tayongaapakan?” “Akina yang paa mo, taposire-ra ise kita , kaya mo na yan!”“ N asa’n si Reggie?” “Ewan.”“Sunduin nyo!” Two of us went to fetchReggie from her class. “ O kay, Lanie,ikaw na next, ‘wag kang huminga ha ,ang biga t mo eh!” “Ano ba yan, Lanie,kita ko yung shorts mo, may butas pa!”“Wag nyo ng pansinin yung shorts ko!”“Teka , sa’n ang meeting place?”“Basta , sa labas ng C ircle...bili nyo na

kami ng tikets ha , babayaran na langnamin kayo!” “Ayan na naman kayo sabayaran tapos libre ang labas nito, eh.”“Promise! Tsaka pabili ng Cow Label!”And then came the other two girls withReggie, running and panting and panick-ing, “Rumo-ronda si Mrs. N ava l (ourprincipa l)! Papunta dito!” We a ll ran tothe other side of the audi. When thecoast was clear, we a ll resumed goingover the bakod and just as the last girlgot over the fence, the dismissa l bellrang. We could have a ttended ourclasses a fter a ll and wa tched the moviea fter. But was it a ll worth it? You bet!The movie we saw, “Suspiria”, is nowconsidered a classic of the horror genre.

J ing le TJ ing le TJ ing le TJ ing le TJ ing le Tu ason , Ba tch 7 9 , N ew Yu ason , Ba tch 7 9 , N ew Yu ason , Ba tch 7 9 , N ew Yu ason , Ba tch 7 9 , N ew Yu ason , Ba tch 7 9 , N ew YorkorkorkorkorkU SA )U SA )U SA )U SA )U SA ) >>>

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

9

>>>

It was a busy, trafficky christmasy after-noon in December when the Alumnifoundation headed by its president LuluRobles herded some 120 senior citizensfrom Golden Acres Home for the Aged inBago Bantay Quezon City, Barangay 154 inTondo Manila and Barangay of Novalichesto Kowloon Restaurant in West Avenue,Quezon City for a fun Christmas Programespecially dedicated to them.

“Pamaskong Handog Para kay Lolo atLola” was made truly memorable for

these senior bastions of society whodeserved a bit of appreciation despitethe years. Replete with singing, danc-ing, games , rib-tickling fun and loads ofgifts, the program made our lolos andlolas forget the everyday humdrum thatgoes with old age. Toothless smiles andnervous gait notwithstanding, they weresuddenly young and nimble as theynegotiated dance moves that elicitedlaughter and memories of the past.They participated excitedly in the gamesand jostled for a potshot at the prizes.

The St. Mary’s College Alumni FoundationChorale regaled them with a medley ofChristmas songs. These generousladies likewise provided assistanceduring the program and games. RisseAquino Jose co-emceed the affair.

All in all, the ladies of the Alumni Foun-dation found happiness in going out ofthe confines of their respective worlds tobe of service to others. It is in payingforward or giving back that makes us trulyfulfilled.

everyone in the class to fa ll in linefor spot check of classroom bags. Thenwe were shocked when she announcedtha t she would check our clothes insideout. She had to pull our bras, belts, checkshoes, socks and I think underwear too.

He he....wha t a day tha t was?

G enev ieve O b len a , LG enev ieve O b len a , LG enev ieve O b len a , LG enev ieve O b len a , LG enev ieve O b len a , La s Va s Va s Va s Va s Veg a s,eg a s,eg a s,eg a s,eg a s,USA Ba tch 71USA Ba tch 71USA Ba tch 71USA Ba tch 71USA Ba tch 71

***************

I was then President of the StudentC a tholic Action of St. Mary’s College. O ne of our projects was to give enter-ta inment to the streetchildren and orphansof Welfareville . My classma tes, led byLinda Lintag, took the lead in the presen-ta tion for the program. Due to many otherextra curricular activities, I was notpresent during the ir practices. O n theday of our outreach, there were morethan 300 children and the officia ls andemployees of Welfareville in a ttendance.

To my surprise, my schoolma tes in thesong and dance presenta tions were a llmade up and they were in their bestcostumes for their enterta inment number.Ang ga ling! The children were a ll smiles

and I could see in their faces tha t theyenjoyed the program . Another surprisewas the commenda tion we received fromthe officia ls of Welfareville which wasunexpected because a ll we wanted was tomake the children happy.

Sessie T ib le- C a oyon a n , Ba t ch ’ 6 3Sessie T ib le- C a oyon a n , Ba t ch ’ 6 3Sessie T ib le- C a oyon a n , Ba t ch ’ 6 3Sessie T ib le- C a oyon a n , Ba t ch ’ 6 3Sessie T ib le- C a oyon a n , Ba t ch ’ 6 3

***************

“H i, I rea lly can’t remember an event tha tstood out for me. It was donkeys yearsago!!!

All I can remember was when we (TheSlick Chicks Band), played in one of theevents we had in school-I rea lly enjoyedtha t -showed off my short ta lent as adrummer!! and being the capta in ba ll ofthe SMC volleyba ll team.”

E l e a nor Z . V i l l a nueva ,E l e a nor Z . V i l l a nueva ,E l e a nor Z . V i l l a nueva ,E l e a nor Z . V i l l a nueva ,E l e a nor Z . V i l l a nueva ,N ew YN ew YN ew YN ew YN ew York , USA Ba tch ’ 6 8ork , USA Ba tch ’ 6 8ork , USA Ba tch ’ 6 8ork , USA Ba tch ’ 6 8ork , USA Ba tch ’ 6 8

***************

3rd Year. Mrs. N ava l was our principa lthen and she a lmost a lways substituted foran absentee teacher. I’m sure if you didn’thave Mrs. N ava l as your teacher or yoursubstitute teacher, you wouldn’t haveexperienced this in your entire life from

any other teacher. Believe it or not, shesings while the class is taking a test! Herfavorite was “Sunrise, Sunset” from thebroadway play/movie “Fiddler O n TheRoof ”. While we were taking a test, she’dca lmly stroll down each a isle singing “Is thisthe little girl I carried? Is this the little boy atplay? I don’t remember growing older.When...did...they?” And to top it off, she’dgently caress your cheeks or lovingly tapyour shoulder or tweak a stray strand ofyour ha ir into place while she passes by. Itrea lly was something else. I was gigglingthen, thinking how strange she was, but,looking back, now that I’m probably as oldas when she was then, I think she’s a rareindividua l. Mrs. N ava l, as a ubiquitouspersonage in our high school years, mayhave been strict and rigid in the way shehandled us but we a ll turned out to bequintessentia l Marians just the way SMCwanted us to be. And to this day, in theentire history of SMC , I dare to add, Batch79 rema ins to be the batch to beat. That’sbecause we had Mrs. N ava l. We just loveher and have the utmost respect for her.

Jing le TJing le TJing le TJing le TJing le Tuason , Ba tch 79 ,uason , Ba tch 79 ,uason , Ba tch 79 ,uason , Ba tch 79 ,uason , Ba tch 79 ,N ew YN ew YN ew YN ew YN ew York , USAork , USAork , USAork , USAork , USA

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

10

Once again we welcome you with open heart andarms to your Alma Mater, Your beloved St. Mary’sCollege of Quezon City. Once again, we would liketo assure you that it is not only during your Home-coming Day that we welcome you as your “mother”,our doors are open to you at all times. We lovinglywatch you, even as from a distance, and rejoicewith you in your success and join you silently inyour moments of sadness.

As you celebrate this day, it is good for you toremember your roots. Your Foundation, the St.Mary’s College Alumni Foundation (SMCAF) tracesits roots to the “Las Beaterianas”, a looseaggrupation of young women and girls who hadeither been under the tutelage of the Beatas orwho had stayed with them as their wards, in theBeaterio Building of old Intramuros way back in theearly eighteenth century. The Beatas dela Companiade Jesus were the spiritual daughters of Vener-able Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the reveredFoundress of what is now known as the Congre-gation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

Every year, these group of ladies would gathertogether on December 8 (Feast of the Assumptionof our Lady), and start the day with the celebrationof the Holy Eucharist, staying through the day re-calling their cherished days under the care of theSisters. Down the years, with the establishmentand recognition of the Colegio del Beaterio as aformal institution of learning for women and girls,later known as St. Mary’s College, graduates werecalled Marian Alumnae.

With the advent of the Third Millenium, the RVMCouncil decided to qualify the term “Marian” withthe word “Ignacian” derived from the name of itsFoundress, Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu Santo,to distinguish its graduates from graduates of otherinstitutions bearing the name of Mary.

A Continuing Past:

Message to the Ignacian Marian AlumnaeDuring the Second World War, the alumnae of St.Mary’s College used to meet at the Immaculate Con-ception Dormitory in Espana, corner of Isabel streetfronting the University of Santo Tomas. Accordingto one of the alumnae of the Beaterio ( a certainMrs. Alandy), the project then of the alumni wasministering to the needs of the American Internees,imprisoned at the University of Santo Tomas com-pound. This project was carried on with the helpand guidance of the RVM Sisters until the Libera-tion of Manila in February 1945.

Immediately after the War, the St. Mary’s CollegeAlumni Association held its formal election on No-vember 28, 1947 at St. Mary’s College housed then,at Aragon Street in Sampaloc. Those who wereelected were as follows: President- Mrs.Esperanza Villongco de Siochi; Vice-President-Miss Rosa Maio; Secretary-Miss Victoria Sison;Treasurer- Miss Carmen Villongco; Vice-Secretary-Miss Marietta Ragaza; Vice-Treasurer- Miss JovitaEspiritu. According to the minutes of the meetingon that day, the day opened with a Mass in honorof the dead alumnae in the morning and ended withthe Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in theafternoon after a formal luncheon with Mrs. Au-rora Aragon-Quezon as Guest of Honor, and aLiterary Musical Program prepared in honor of theAlumnae.

On April 7, 1950, St. Mary’s College moved fromAragon to its present site in Quezon City, at 37Cebu Avenue corner Panay. At present, Cebu Av-enue has been renamed Mother Ignacia Avenue inhonor of Mother Ignacia del Ispiritu Santo. Amongthose who had been formally elected as Presi-dents of the Association were the following: Ms.Susana Zapido, Ms. Carmen Villanueva, Dr. LeticiaBrillantes-Sorano, Ms. Julpha Garcia, MadamPompeya Generoso-Naval, Ms. Teresita Martin, Ms.Imelda Ros-Cruel, Dr. Elisa Tible-Caoyonan, Atty.

Lorna Patajo-Kapunan, Dr. Priscelina Patajo-Legasto, Ms. Corina Parungao-Isaguirre, Ms. FeSilica Serquina-Arellano, Ms. Grace Camacho-deJesus. Ms. Lulu Robles is the present President ofthe Foundation.

The Association was converted into a Foundationsometime in 1994 under the presidency of Dr. SessieCaoyonan-Tible and through the efforts of Atty.Lorna Patao-Kapunan. It is duly registered as suchwith the Securities and Exchange Commission.Each President of the Association/Foundation werein one way or another sincerely devoted to Vener-able Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. As such, most oftheir projects were geared towards the promotionof the cause for the beatification of Mother Ignacia.

It is well for us to be reminded of the parting wordsof our late Mother-General Mary Reverend Ma.Andrea Montdjo to the graduating students of St.Mary’s College in 1948:

“You will go out into the world – show them byexample the lofty and noble heritage, which haswon for you a place in the temple of men’s affec-tions. Let your light shine before men. Keep thisrestraining thought even before you and this willsave your steps from erroneous paths and willbring you to the highest Good at the end of thenarrow path. The world and all it’s vanities willchallenge you, but prove to them that your reli-gious education was not earned by you in vain.”

My dear Ignacian Marians, how well have you keptthis legacy of your Alma Mater? How courageousare you in fighting the extreme materialism of mod-ern society? How sincere are you in the practiceof your Christian Faith?

Dean Gloria Martinez-SantosConsultant for Alumni AffairsSt. Mary’s College, Q.C.

“To whom much is given; much is ex-pected.” I remember my teachersspeak these wonderful words. Theywould always say this as a reminderof our responsibilities as students ofthe cream section. But for me, itwould mean deeper than that.Everytime I hear those words, I feelpressured for I knew that I had re-sponsibilities bigger ahead than someof my schoolmates.

remember four years ago, I was ex-pecting to face my high school years.But I did not know where I was sup-posed to study because of financialproblems we were facing that time.We were not confident that we couldafford the fees of the school. But Inever lost hope. We decided to ap-ply for a scholarship under thesponsorship of the Alumni Founda-tion of the St. Mary’s College, Quezon

City. Fortunately, after some inter-views and deliberations, myapplication was granted. I was verygrateful to God and to the Alumni Foun-dation for that.

Being a scholar was not really easy.I was expected to have high gradesin every quarter of the school year,an expectation which I had achievedfor the past high school years. But tohave high grades, I had to face toughchallenges in school. I had to facetypical high school problems like solv-ing tricky Math problems, submittingessays for English and Filipino sub-jects, finishing countless projects,taking difficult exams and doing ex-tracurricular activities. These thingsmay be hard but they are worth it.

I was also expected to attend alumnihomecomings every year which I re-

ally enjoyed. Everytime I watched theprogram in the auditorium. I witnessthe alumni re-live their memories. Isaw their happiness, sacrifices andsuccess they made in school. Andnow that I am already an alumnus, Itoo, have the same good memories inmy high school, thanks to the oppor-tunity given to me by the Foundation.

After four years in high school, I havesuccessfully graduated with HighHonors and have Subject ExcellenceAwards. Now, I am currently enrolledat the University of the Philippines-Diliman taking up BA Philosophy pro-gram. All of these were made possibleby the support given by the peoplearound me. I offer these things to themembers of my family who are al-ways there for me, to my friends whoI can rely on, to teachers who werethe light of my education and to theAlumni Foundation that which hasgiven me the chance to become suc-cessful.

After all of these things, I have real-ized that poverty is not a hindranceto success. One must grab everychance that comes along his way.There are many great personalitieswho had successfully achievedtheir goals because of hard work inspite of difficulties in life. And nowthat I am well-equipped with valuesand knowledge given by the school,with the help of the Alumni Founda-tion, I know I can achieve greaterdreams in the future. Indeed, as Iforward on a new path, I will stilllook back to my school and to everyperson who had helped me becomeeven more successful. The AlumniFoundation has given their scholarsthe chance to prove themselves andbecome better persons. And I amreally grateful for everything theyhave done to me. I thank God forpeople like them who continue tosupport other people to reach theirdreams.

By Timothy CaridoOur scholar says thanks...

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

11

By: Rose May R. Zabala

Class of 82, A Homecoming

St. Mary’s College Alumni Home-coming would not be completewithout giving time to visit theSisters at RVM Compound on N.Domingo in Quezon City. Thisis one event that all alumnaeshould not miss for it is the timefor giving joy and vitality to all theresident Sisters at St JosephHomes. Held last February 23,2008, our batch gave our all forthis one last activity that madeour Jubilee Year more meaning-ful. It was a day to honor theRVM Sisters and it turned out tobe a day of fun and excitement,not only for our batch but also forall the sisters who were able toattend on that day. We especiallyprepared this day for them andoh what a day it really was!

After the heartwarming openingremarks of our new SMCAF Presi-dent, Lulu Robles, we sang to ourhearts content our graduationsong “Reflections” originallycomposed by our batchmates,

Jammy Jaramillo-Gurican andGirlie Jimenez-Vasallo. It was asong that we wanted to sharewith the sisters as it became ourtrademark and is very memo-rable to Batch ’82. The sisterswere overjoyed at seeing usdanced to the 80’s song Da DoRun Run as if we were still in highschool. Special numbers werealso presented by some of ourbatchmates’ kids, nephews andnieces. Glenda Brocka-Anupoldelivered a short messagethanking the RVM Sisters and allthe people who have made thisvisit possible.

In between these song anddance numbers, games wereplayed to the delight of the Sis-ters. As they participated in thegames, we made them sing,dance, act and laugh and receivea lot of prizes and surprises.Starting it with Balloon Bursting,all the sisters were able to get aprize that they craved for more

games. Most of the sisters par-ticipated actively that even thosewho were on wheelchairs andwalkers readily joined in the funand laughter. What made it moreentertaining was playing the re-versed BINGO game! It’s a secreton how we did it but it sure madea lot of the Sisters comment onhow much fun and interesting itwas. Other games played werePass the Balloon for some hilari-ous consequences; and guesswhat, a simple charade gamethat challenged the sharpness ofthe memories of the participants.

It was really an afternoon of funand excitement! To end the day’sprogram, the SMC Alumni Sing-

ers serenaded the Sisters with amedley of kundiman songs ac-companied by the Choir Master,Gene Aguilar, on organ, and LuluRobles, and Aldrin, on violin. Butit did not quite end there yet! Afterthe program, our batch gaveaway reusable bags with toilet-ries inside to all the sisters whoattended and to the sick sistersat St. Joseph’s Home Infirmary.The tour around the infirmarymade this visit more meaningfuland touching as we talked tothose who are bedridden andsick and saw in their eyes expres-sions of gladness andappreciation.

It was indeed a memorable af-ternoon for all of us as we shareda sumptuous dinner of chickencurry, lumpiang ubod, relyenongbangus and arroz caldo preparedby our very own chef Gee Ramos.Others had also brought des-serts, pastries, breads andempanadas. The Sisters alsocontributed pansit, adobo anddrinks. Not only did we lift theirspirits high but we alsofilled up their stomachs with somuch gusto! It was also a time ofgetting to know some of the Sis-ters and taking photos with them.

Making this visit was worthwhilefor all of us. Seeing the Sistersexpress their appreciation towardswhat we were giving back to themhas made us realize how impor-tant they were to us. The principlesand values they had instilled in usserved as the guiding factors inbeing a true Marian and what wehave become at present.

On behalf of Batch ’82, I wouldlike to say that the wonderfulmoments we have shared withthe Sisters would be forever cher-ished. Even though separatedby time and commitments, theywill always be prayed for and willstay forever in our hearts.

Thank you, Sisters, for your joy-ous and warm welcome to ourbatch!

July 28, 2007, Homecoming Day, cul-minated a year of celebration for theMarians Class of 1982. It was a yearfilled with anticipation, excitement,laughter, tears and hard work. Ourhearts were overflowingwith joy as we reunitedwith high school class-mates, friends andteachers. Twenty-fiveyears was a long time tobe away, but it made themoment oh so much morememorable and sweet!

Being at the grounds ofour Alma Mater, St. Mary’s,brought back a lot of won-derful memories. We feltlike teenagers once again- full of life, energy andhope as we marched inthe auditorium to the back-ground music of “Coming Home”. Wewere giddy to be among our highschool friends again. We felt star-struck at the sight of our belovedteachers and administrators – SisterConnie, Mrs. Temporal, Mrs. Padua,Mrs. Sagum, Mr. Belardo, Mr. Maaliw,Mrs Corpuz, Miss Victor and MrsBaarde. The dance performancesby Marians 82 and the Alumni Asso-

ciation to the Doo Run-Run (and otherclassic 70’s and 80’s tunes) rockedthe house and brought people to theirfeet. Singing our batch song, “Re-flections” and watching our old

photos filled us with emotions andgave us a sense of pride. We werenostalgic. The moment wasmagical…the feeling was indescrib-able!

We were so proud to be able to giveback to St. Mary’s. Several fund rais-ing efforts locally and overseasraised enough money to sponsor a

By: Celia Lagleva-Allendeserving Marian student with a 4-year full high school scholarship, andto provide 4 sets of 29 inch coloredtelevision sets with DVD players forthe High School Department. A big

“Hurray!!!” to Marians ‘82locally and abroad fortheir hard work, generos-ity and a job well done!

As we reflect on the past25 years, we arehumbled and grateful forthe opportunities that ourreunion has brought us.Marians ‘82 from allaround the world eagerlycame together to re-kindle friendships, sharetheir l ives and buildbridges so we couldreach others to do manygreat things. We havecreated enough memo-ries in our one year

together that would last us a life-time. But we’re not done yet. We’vejust begun, and we look forward tolasting friendships and many morewonderful moments together.

Thank you St. Mary’s for the lessonsand values learned, for your guid-ance, and most of all for bringing ushome!!!

RVM SistersHS Batch ’82 Visits the RVM Sisters

Marian Alumni Newsletter • July 2008

12

Paraluman R. Robles '79President

Evangeline Andrada-Palileo'71

Director for Finance

Eileen Tawatao-Garcia '74Director for Alumni Affairs

Melinda Macalintal-Rada '72Director for School Affairs

Amelita G. Tengco '77Director for Communications

and Documentation

Nerisse Aquino-Jose '76Director for Publicity and

Promotions

Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana'77

Director for Scholarship

Elvira Sison-Pascual ‘76Director for Marketing

Dahra Villanueva-Mendoza'78

Aurea Gega-Relos '79Ma. Theresa Samson '79

Directors for Community Dev't.and Directors for Special

Projects

Meiose Tan-Cristobal '82Director for Membership

Lynn Aguilar-Umali '70Director for Corporate Affairs

Agnes Zapanta-Bengco '79Regina Banaag-Gochiuco '83

Directors

Grace Camacho-De Jesus '74Immediate Past President

ADVISERS

Ms. Pompeya G. Naval

Dean Gloria M. Santos

Dr. Priscelina Patajo-Legasto '68

Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan '69

Ms. Corinna Parungao-Isaguirre '75

Ms. Fe Silica Serquina-Arellano '69

!"#$%&#'()*+,-*&#-(./)01&2334This is the 3rdyear that theSMCAF successfully wentknocking on Marians’ doors andsinging our way to their heartsand pockets during Christmastime. The annual activity hasearned for the foundation a totalof P100,000.00 in just two daysof merry caroling this year! TheAlumni Carolers have onceagain captured many familiesand friends to join us insupporting the Scholarshipprogram by opening their homesto the sound of our angelicvoices as only Marian alumnivoices could render.

With only five rehearsals days inNovember, the group wouldmeet after office hours, tiredfrom work and the longcommute but recharged after aheady mix of music, jokes,laughter, food and fun.

Generously giving her time andtalent, Miriam College Musicteacher, Gene Aguilar (HS batch

?) patiently played the electronicorgan, arranged our songs andexercised our vocal chords withher unrelenting vocalizations heldat Vangee Palileo’s office thatmarkets & distributes importedproducts, Assuring DynamicPartnership (ADP), at Matalino St.,UP Village. Ate Gene, togetherwith our SMACF President LuluRobles and our ‘adopted musicaltwin’ from the University of StoTomas,Aldwin Perez, provided theheavenly strings accompanimentto our erstwhile faltering voices.

Our heartfelt thanks to thosewho made this fundraisingendeavor truly worthwhile (youknow who you are guys!). Bygathering your families andfriends together in strategicplaces and pooling theircontributions so that we onlyvisited a few homes, we wereable reached so many familieswho shared not only some oftheir material blessings, butalso their love of music andappreciation for our Christmastraditions.

The best view of a house wouldalways be a commanding view ofits focal point – whatever it is. Inthis house, most anyone whoenters for the first time would “oh”and “ah” and “wow”. Yes, this isthe house which focuses onMother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.This is the new look that the

Alumni room gets a new lookAlumni Office sports. The room-warming of the alumni officecoincided with the oath-taking ofthe new set of board officers ofthe SMCAF last Oct. 6, 2007. Re-vered guests include S. Ma.Anicia B. Co, President ofSMCQC, Dean Gloria M. Santos,Ms. Cecille Temporal, (VP for

Admin, SMCQC) and the alumnipast presidents: Sessie Tible-C a o y o n a n , L o r n aPata jo -Kapunan , PreachyP a t a j o - L e g a s t o , C o r r i n aParungao-Isaguirre, Fe SilicaSerquina Arellano and GraceCamacho-de Jesus. Officiatingpriest was Father Sonny Merrida.

The SMCQC Alumni Foundation, Inc. is proud toannounce the launching of the Alumni Website(http://www.stmarysqcalumni.com)during thisyear’s Grand Alumni Homecoming, July 19, 2008.Finally, all alumni from across the globe can con-nect with each other with just a click of a mouse!

Thanks to the collective effort of our members andthose who helped us in many ways, from datagathering up to the website’s launching. We arecounting on the support of all SMC alumni by sign-ing up, and together make the website truly serveits purpose.

The Marian Alumni Website

SMCAFBOARD OF DIRECTORS