35th Grand Reunion Souvenir Program

The 35th Grand Reunion Souvenir Program is finally out. However, only 50 copies were printed and given to the advertisers. The entire souvenir program is featured here for those who may want to download and print them. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

No One Throws Away Memories

During the preparation for our 35th Grand Reunion, it was a welcome surprise to see batchmates still having their copies of the yearbook, high school pictures (mostly in black and white), and other paraphernalia. The yearbook especially was very useful in identifying and locating long-lost classmates. It was an ubiquitous fixture in every get-together we had and it never failed to cause laughter and smiles. During the reunion, ten copies of the yearbook were found at the NDDU storeroom and half of it were sold right away.

People who keep precious memories are often dismissed as sentimental fools. But as we come to a certain age when our mental recollection of people, events and places starts to fade and dim, these memories become valuable reminders of who we were, where we were, what we wore and ate, who we were with.

In these times when people are obsessed with the here and now, when today's trends are tomorrow's trash, memories serve as milestones which mark our life's journey. Memories are guideposts as we reflect on the life we have had. There are times when we have to dwell in the past to understand the present and to plan ahead. Memories are to be relished like homecooked meals our mothers served us. These memories are the stars that we forget to see while we are cursing the darkness around us. Surely, no one has a past so bleak that it is deemed better forgotten. One who has no use for memories must have amnesia! :)

The Hallmark card theme song said it right: No one throws away memories. There are memories that are forever etched in our hearts and minds. And our memories of the best years in high school are now enriched by recent memories of our 35th Grand Reunion.

See you in 2010! 37th ng '73!

Happy Birthday Golden Girl Cef!

Happy, happy birthday to Kabatch Cef Graciosa!!! Nag-meeting pa mi kung ty-two nga kandila o ty-two nga cake among paliton para nimo. :D

You are invited to Ebing Abueva's despedida

Evelyn Ebing Abueva-Olarte is inviting NDD Batch '73 to her despedida (merienda cena) and Cef Graciosa's birthday at Cafe Amigo corner Osmena and Quirino Streets on August 30 (Saturday) 3:00 p.m. Ebing is slated to go back to her work in California, USA.

Community Singing

Tribute to our Teachers

Presenting . . . the Golden Girls! videos

48 Kabatch from the NDD Girls Department were present during the 35th Grand Reunion.

Presenting . . . the Golden Boys! videos

The Golden Boys of NDD Batch '73 were presented during the 35th Grand Reunion Party. 24 were present together with two honorary alumni.

Hawaiian dance from Colleen Garcera-Janssen video

Fresh from Germany, Colleen Garcera-Janssen presented a Hawaiian dance number for her Kabatch.

Turnover of NDD Batch '73 donations video

NDD Batch '73 solicited funds through advertisements in our souvenir program and part of the proceeds were donated during the 35th Grand Reunion. P10,000 were each turned over to NDDU and ND-GSC for their scholarship funds. Ms. Mea Dayot, NDDU Alumni Coordinator and Mrs. Susan Guatlo-Acosta (representing the ND-GSC alumni) received said donations from Danilo Sanchez and Nelia de Guzman-Soriano.

H-o-o-o-t Mamas video

This dance number by the Hot Mamas composed of Glynda Dumanig, Gilda Bantawig and Cef Graciosa brought the house down with their sexy moves and was the most enjoyable and applauded intermission.

Message from Sir Roger Rebucan video

Sir Roger Rebucan was the Golden Boys' English teacher. He set the example of using good grammar and reading for the classes he handled.

Special Ballroom Number from Fraulein Colleen Janssen & Company video

Colleen Garcera-Janssen and her daughter, nephews and nieces presented a special ballroom number for the 35th Grand Reunion Party.

Message from Ma'am Lourdes Valencia video

Ma'am Lourdes Valencia was the English teacher of the Golden Girls.
Ma'am Ondette is now retired from teaching and is jetsetting between the USA and Gensan.

Our Teachers video

Our teachers who attended our 35th Grand Reunion were: Lourdes Valencia, Concepcion Penpena, Nelia Albite, Fe Cardino, Thelma Fernandez, Ernesto Nanali, Roger Rebucan, Virginia Rebucan.

Tsikaan naaaaaa! video

The sumptuous dinner at Arnevel's Le Jardin. Doods Absin and Loloy Cababayao donated lechons, a welcome never-to-be-forgotten addition to the menu.

Instant Fundraising for Ma'am Aida Hoyumpa video

NDD Batch '73 passed around the cowboy hats to raise funds for the medication needs of Ma'am Aida Hoyumpa, a beloved teacher of the Golden Girls who had a stroke complicated by diabetes.

Maraming salamat sa ating Sponsors video

NDD Batch '73 solicited funds for its 35th Grand Reunion activities including the St. Gemma's Orphanage and the donations for the scholarship funds of NDDU and ND of GSC.

35th Grand Reunion Evening Party videos

48 Golden Girls and 24 Golden Boys attended the 35th Grand Reunion evening party. Our teachers who joined in the festivities were: Ma'ams Fe Cardino, Nelia Albite, Thelma Fernandez, Lourdes Valencia, Concepcion Penpena, Virginia Cabangal-Rebucan, and Sirs Roger Rebucan and Ernesto Nanali. Also at the party were some spouses and children of our Kabatch.

35th Grand Reunion Evening Party videos

The 35th Grand Reunion Evening Party has a western/cowboy motif. At the registration, classmates screamed and shouted as they saw each other again. Evelyn Abueva and Bong Cruz's wife Grace provided the colorful name tags with which to remind others who we are. The smiles and the expressions on faces as one recognizes another are simply priceless! The Golden Boys and Girls had great fun wearing the uniforms again and posing in them for the cameras.

NDD Batch '73 goes to St. Gemma's video

Part of the proceeds of the advertisement solicitations for our souvenir program went to the orphans of St. Gemma's.

Each orphan was given a personalized gift bag containing personal necessities. Bong Cruz donated used clothings while Kristan Bookstore provided free school supplies. The orphans were treated to a sumptuous lunch. In return, the kids regaled NDD Batch '73 with action songs. St. Gemma directress Pat Salazar thanked the batch for the assistance extended to the Orphanage.

In Memoriam: Juliet Ras August 10, 2008

The last time we enjoyed the company of Juliet was on August 3 when Colleen Garcera-Janssen held her despedida get-together. The following Thursday, she was found unconscious in her room by family members who contacted us. Some Kabatchmates rushed her to the district hospital for treatment and she was diagnosed as being in diabetic comatose condition.

Efforts to revive her in the following days failed. Yesterday, the doctor recommended that she be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to make her remaining days comfortable for her. But the family and our Kabatch felt it was not practical to do so because of the prohibitive costs. It was decided that she be brought home today. However, she died at 2:39 p.m.

Juliet had a difficult life. While teaching in Butuan City, she was subjected to physical abuse by her shabu addicted-husband. Fed up, she resigned from her job , separated from him and returned home. They had no children.

Back in Gensan, she was depressed and stayed most of the time in her room at their family home, feeling that her life was a failure. It should be noted that most victims of physical abuse often feel the loss of their self-worth/esteem. When some Kabatch learned that she was back here, they went to see her and coaxed her to join our batch get-togethers and preparations for the 35th Grand Reunion. Hesitantly but surely, she started joining our activities. Slowly, she regained her self confidence and started taking better care of herself. She would return to her usual malambing self and greet everyone as they arrive to our affairs. She would be among the first ones to help out in anything that we needed to do. She also shared with us her sad experience and told us about her diabetic condition. In their own small ways, some Kabatch helped out to enable her to buy the medications she needed and offered advices.

Today while viewing the video of our 35th Grand Reunion at the Absin Farm (on the occasion of Doods Absin's granddaughter's baptism), we passed the hat around for Juliet's hospital bills as she was to be discharged today.

Then at 3:00 p.m., we received a text message from her family that she has passed away at the hospital. We immediately said some prayers for her.

In the video, we noticed that Juliet was smiling all throughout the day from the morning mass to the evening party, enjoying the company of her Kabatchmates, posing with them for pictures. That's the image of Juliet that we will forever remember her by - as a Kabatch who has regained her joy in life and began to hope and trust again.

Go with God, Juliet and may His eternal light shine upon you.

35th Grand Reunion Mass

Our 35th Grand Reunion started appropriately with a mass sponsored by NDD Batch '73 at the Passionist Novitiate Chapel.
The celebrant was Father Willy, CP who congratulated us toward the end of the mass.

Ma'ams Fe Cardino and Susan Guipo joined us for this mass.

Ma'am Aida Hoyumpa's message to NDD Batch '73

August 4, 2008 - This afternoon, a group of our Kabatch '73 (Nel de Guzman, Gilda Bantawig, Vickee Gonzaga and Gilbert Tan) visited Ma'am Aida Hoyumpa at her residence near the old NDD Girls Department campus. They were met at the door by Ma'am who's feeling well nowadays and using her walker to move around her residence. She said she was just visited by Ma'ams Ching Penpena, Lourdes Valencia and Rose Tina-Dimamay before we came.

She has shorter hair and has gained a little weight. In spite of her condition (after having a mastectomy due to breast cancer and a stroke complicated by diabetes), she is now supervising her niece and nephew in taking care of their bedridden grandmother (Ma'am Aida's mother).

When our Kabatch handed her the amount of P4,639.10 NDD Batch '73 was able to raise during our 35th Grand Reunion Party by passing around the cowboy hats in every table, she was so profuse in her gratitude and thanksgiving for the financial assistance for her medication (due to her stroke, some of her words are slurred).

She wished she could have joined us during our reunion and the group reassured her that our Batch understands her condition. Throughout the entire visit, Ma'am Aida was cheerful and optimistic about the current improvements in her health.

The group promised to return and visit to show Ma'am Aida pictures from our 35th Grand Reunion.

Let us continue to pray for Ma'am Aida and her mother. :)

More Golden Boys and Girls in Uniform!

Batchmates '73 Gilda Bantawig, Gynda Dumanig, Cef Graciosa and Gilbert Tan

Consuelo Guzman-BaesNelia De Guzman-Soriano

Minda Andang

Rabia Batuwa-Tayoto & Gilda Bantawig-Elemia

Cef Graciosa

Susan Guatlo-Acosta

(Pictures by Glynda Dumanig)

35 years later, eto na ang Kabatch '73!

From 1973 fast forward to 2008 - here we are at last! Together again!

(pictures by Grace Cruz & Evelyn Duran-Flores)

Batch '73 reunion news in Alumni Newsletter

The following news item will be published in the next issue of the NDDU Alumni Newsletter in August:

NDD Batch ’73 holds 35^th Grand Reunion

By Gilbert Y. Tan

Batch ’73 of Notre Dame of Dadiangas Boys and Girls Departments (High School) held its 35^th Grand Reunion on July 27. The organizing core group for this event was composed of Danilo Sanchez, Nelia de Guzman-Soriano, Victoria Gonzaga-Firmalino, Virgilio Lauzon, Sonia Garcia-Lauzon, Gilbert Tan, Gilda Bantawig-Elemia, Glynda Dumanig and Ceferina Graciosa. The core group planned the Grand Reunion for a year. Batch ’73 also maintains a blog on the internet to keep in touch with alumni here and abroad (www.nddbatch1973.blogspot.com).

The reunion kicked off with a mass Batch ’73 co-sponsored at the Passionist Novitiate Compound in the morning. As the batchmates started to congregate there before the mass, the air was punctuated by shouts, laughter and screams when they met long-lost classmates and friends. Some batchmates like Engr. Roberto Cruz (class valedictorian), Evelyn Abueva-Olarte flew home from Metro Manila and the USA to join their batchmates. Ma’ams Susan Guipo and Fe Cardiño, high school teachers, also joined in the mass. Fr. Willy CP, the celebrant, welcomed Batch ’73 and exhorted them to continue to grow as Notre Dameans.

After the mass, Batch ’73 proceeded to nearby St. Gemma’s Orphanage to share blessings with its 31 orphan-wards. The alumni distributed special gift-bags individually prepared for the children. Also a bag of rice and school supplies were donated to the Orphanage. Batchmates also helped feed the wards with a sumptuous lunch of spaghetti and fried chicken. In gratitude, the kids regaled Batch ’73 with action songs while Directress Paz Salazar thanked the alumni profusely for the assistance they extended to the Orphanage. Batch ’73 solicited advertisements for its Grand Reunion souvenir program proceeds from which went partially to St. Gemma.

The evening Grand Reunion program at Arnevel’s Le Jardin had a western motif so many of the alumni came in cowboy/girl attires. 24 from the Boys Department and 48 from the Girls Department attended the affair. High school teachers Nelia Albite, Fe Cardiño, Thelma Fernandez, Ernesto Nanali, Concepcion Penpeña, Rogelio Rebucan, Virginia Cabangal-Rebucan, and Lourdes Valencia also graced the occasion to the delight of their former students.

The emcees were Roberto Cruz and Susan Guatlo-Acosta. In their able hands, the alumni was able to raise P4,639.10 by passing around cowboy hats for Ma’am Aida Hoyumpa, a high school teacher who is ill.

Batch ’73 also turned over P10 thousand each for the scholarship funds of NDDU and ND of GSC. Miss Mea Dayot of the NDDU Alumni Office and Nelia de Guzman-Soriano (representing the Girls Alumni Association) accepted the donation. The donation was made possible from the proceeds of the souvenir program solicitations.

Spicing up the party were special dance numbers from Colleen Garcera-Janssen and her family and the Hot Mamas (Gilda Bantawig-Elemia, Ceferina Graciosa and Glynda Dumanig). Special awards were given to Evelyn Duran-Flores and Evangeline Yumang for being best in cowboy attire.

Special tributes were also given by Batch ’73 to the teachers present and their batchmates who had already passed away. In turn, Sir Roger Rebucan gave an impromptu inspirational message for Batch ’73. He expressed his and his co-teachers’ exhilaration over the achievements of their former students.

Batch ’73 plans to have its next reunion two years from now.