VMHS Class '63 Digest Issue #5

September 2012

Issue No. 5 Class '63 Digest

INSIDE

• Readers’ Forum • Quiz Contest Special Interest

Articles:

• Carlos Guanlao

• Gloria Ner-Intal • Carmelita Bay-

lon-de Guzman • Andres Aranda • Danilo Cunanan • Johnny Villanue-

va • Cesar Banaag

September Birthday

Celebrants:

• Alfredo de Jesus • Armando Vivar • Sr. Consolacion

Ducusin • Blondie Silang

Guest Editors

• Teo T. Antonio • Gilbert C. Dulay • Rosario de Jesus

V. MAPA HIGH SCHOOL

From the Editorial Team:

The Editorial Team

Cesar G. Banaag Juliet de Guzman-Blackwell

Josie Astorga-Campbell Evelyn Teodoro-Cowled

Erlinda Tablan-Fernandez Regie Lauzon

Juliet Mascarinas Racquel Magat-Sanchez

We are privileged to have

three contributing guest

editors grace this issue:

Teo T. Antonio,

batchmate and renowned

poet, shares with us his

thoughts in our Readers

Forum and ‘surprised’ us

with an article on Cesar

Banaag (“May Kabu-

luhan ang Paglayo”) who

left the country and re-

turned two decades after.

Teo says the article, in

beautiful poetic prose, is

his contribution and sup-

port to the Digest. We’re

deeply honored, Teo.

Corporate man Gilbert

C. Dulay, writes this time

about high school and

college buddy Danny DG

Cunanan, former banker

and financial man, who

believes life has taught

him well.

Another guest writer is

Rosario ‘Chato’ de Je-

sus, wife of September

birthday celebrant Fred-

die de Jesus. When

Freddie was too preoccu-

pied to write about him-

self, Chato came to the

rescue and emailed us a

well-written piece com-

plete with poetry that

comes straight from the

heart. She also wrote an-

other poem, a tribute to

our alma mater. Way to

go Chato!

For our other September

birthday celebrants,

Racquel Magat-Sanchez

writes about Sr Con-

solacion Ducusin,fsp, the

only batchmate we know

who became a nun and a

Daughter of Saint Paul,

spreading God’s Word

through the media, alt-

hough the good sister

would rather talk about her

congregation than herself.

Armando Vivar talks

about his journey through

life and how he found fun

and fulfillment in hobnob-

bing with showbiz person-

alities in his work as Nestle

Events Organizer.

Elusive Blondie G. Silang

completes our September

celebrants, filling us in on

the intriguing story about

his name and the pact of

lasting friendship between

two war heroes.

In other profiles: Carlos

Guanlao talks of volun-

teerism as a way of life and

tells us how he and his

family find life’s meaning

in being members of Red

Cross 143, reaching out to

victims of calamities and

other people in distress.

Andres ‘Boy’ Aranda, the

first of the military men in

our intended series on

Men in the Force, writes

about his exploits as a po-

lice officer and a muscle

man, before he took on the

challenging job of a US

postal carrier in a ‘tough’

Chicago suburb.

Josie Astorga-Campbell

writes about our dear

friend Gloria Ner-Intal, a

MedTech graduate who

found her niche in gov-

ernment and community

service; while Carmelita

Baylon-de Guzman writes

about the realities of life

we all need to face.

Johnny Villanueva shares

his grief and great loss at

his dear wife’s untimely

passing in 1983 – writing

like it was only yesterday.

Class ‘63 Digest

Page 2 of 16 Page 2 of 1

My life in high school was

not studded with academic

honors, though I can say I

was an above average stu-

dent.

After passing through the

portals of our Alma Mater,

I wanted to know and ex-

perience what life is all

about. At age 16, I sought

the blessings of my parents,

packed my belongings and

moved out of our house in

Sampaloc to start facing

the challenges of life alone.

I was thankful my Alma

Mater (Victorino Mapa

High School) did pre-

pare and equip me with the

knowledge, trained me in

discipline and yes, the

character I needed to face

life’s challenges while

learning the ropes of the

trades along the way. Mod-

esty aside, I was able to

compete with people who

were products of known

private schools because in

my heart MAPANS are no

pushovers. I was able to

get employment, pursued

higher education in engi-

neering and lived a com-

fortable life. Work has

brought me to different

places, local and overseas.

I sought every opportunity

to better myself.

But life is not all bed of

roses. It has its thorns too!

It is when you are at the

lowest ebb of life that you

look up to heaven to search

for your real purpose and

meaning. Booze and vices

have taken their toll. Does

having material things a

measurement of success?

Nay! Success is not the key

to happiness. Happiness is

the key to success. If you

love what you are doing,

you will be successful.

Looking around us, we find

people in abject poverty,

deprived of dignity and in

dire need of help, espe-

cially when disaster strikes.

The realization that we,

too, may become victims of

such disasters, was a wake

up call for me. And so with

this thought, I answered the

call of volunteerism to help

in alleviating the sufferings

of our fellowmen, in return

helping myself find mean-

ing in my life.

Volunteers come in all

forms. Some offer their

time, skills, talents and re-

sources. Others, out of in-

stinct offer brute strength

in responding to accidents,

which more often do more

damage to the victims be-

cause they are not trained

to handle such situations.

Having numerous safety

trainings while still em-

ployed, I volunteered with

the Philippine Red

Cross and joined their

community-based Red

Cross 143 program, a net-

work of trained and organ-

ized community volunteers

conducting mitigation and

disaster risk reduction

management in their re-

spective communities.

The Red Cross 143 volun-

teers are trained in disaster

management, basic life

support and CPR to act as

the first responders in their

communities.

Matt. 25:40 says, “I tell you

the truth, whatever you did

for one of the least of these

brothers of mine, you did

for Me”

I have now made volun-

teerism a way of life which

is shared by my family, my

friends and partner organi-

zations.

These things we do for the

glory of God, for service to

country and for giving our

fellow human beings the

dignity they deserve. We

seek every opportunity to

be an extension of God’s

love in reaching out to

people in need and in dis-

tress. By doing so, we gain

a more meaningful life.

TOWARDS A MEANINGFUL LIFE by Carlos J. Guanlao

At left: Caloy Guanlao gestures team instructions before going to action. Above: The Red Cross 143 Bagumbayani Team in action. Be-low: The QCRC Emergency Re-sponse Unit assigned to critical areas affected by the recent flood.

Page 3 of 16 Class ‘63 Digest

Gloria Ner-Intal, fondly

called Oyie by her friends,

was born on April 20, 1946

in Sta. Mesa, Manila. She

completed elementary edu-

cation at Burgos Elemen-

tary School. In high school

we remember Oyie as the

petite girl with a beautiful

smile and graceful stride.

After our graduation in

1963, Oyie was encouraged

by her father to pursue a

degree in Medical Tech-

nology. She enrolled at the

University of Santo Tomas.

To this day she has some

amusing anecdotes and

vivid memories of her time

as a young intern at the

Microbiology Department.

After Oyie was assigned to

assist in human autopsy,

she could no longer bring

herself to eat meat. It did

not help that the school

canteen was in the base-

ment where the morgue

was also located. In those

days her sustenance con-

sisted of banana-que every

day in school and fish and

veggies at home.

After Oyie received her

MedTech degree in 1967,

she worked in a medical

clinic laboratory. But her

profession as medical tech-

nologist was short-lived as

her conservative father be-

lieved women should not

work like men.

She got married in 1968, a

year after she graduated

from college, and decided

to take another job even if

it was far from the degree

she earned. She landed a

job at the Bureau of Print-

ing as photoengraving

helper. A family business

(Tagumpay Parts & Auto

Supply, Inc.) took her away

from this job. She helped

run the business in the ca-

pacity of both Secretary

and Treasurer until 1978

when she decided to join

the Bureau of Internal

Revenue as RTR Clerk. In

the same year she was

hired by GSIS where she

built a career that lasted 28

years, rising from the

ranks.

It was at the GSIS that she

decided on a career in Pub-

lic/Business Administra-

tion. This must have been

her true calling as success

came easy and she truly

enjoyed her new endeavor.

To improve her administra-

tion skills, she enrolled in

masteral courses at the

Polytechnic University of

the Philippines (Masters in

Public Administration) and

at the International Acad-

emy for Management and

Economics (Masters in

Business Administration).

She took examinations

given by the Career Execu-

tive Service Board and be-

came a Civil Service Eligi-

ble at the Professional

level.

Before her retirement, she

visited her sisters in Aus-

tralia. She enjoyed Syd-

ney, Canberra and other

beautiful places in Austra-

lia, but had to return to her

job after a month due to the

process of shifting to new

systems and procedures at

the GSIS. On December

30, 2006, Oyie retired with

the title of Department

Manager III.

Although GSIS provided

her with an immediate Pen-

sion Plan, Oyie soon found

herself restless so she

joined the Pamantasan ng

Lungsod Ng Muntinlupa as

Assistant Registrar from

2007 to 2008. Cultural

issues in the local govern-

ment, which she is not used

to, forced Oyie to full re-

tirement.

Oyie is married to Ferdi-

nand B. Intal who passed

away January of this year.

They were blessed with

four children: Glorifere,

also a UST graduate (BS

Commerce), now residing

in New Jersey, USA with

husband, Christian Flo-

rendo Castro and their two

sons aged 14 and 18; Sr.

Auralita, spc. (AB Reli-

gious Studies at St. Paul

College, QC), is a nun and

Directress for Postulants at

Our Lady of Chartres Con-

vent in Antipolo, Rizal;

Jennifer, another St. Paul

graduate (BS Psychology)

works with the Govern-

ment Service Insurance

System; and Ferdinand,

Jr. an Associate in Com-

puter Technology and

works with Fullblast Pro-

ductions.

A grandson from Jennifer

(8 y.o.) and another one

from Ferdinand, Jr. (1 y.o.)

complete Oyie’s role as a

grandmother.

Oyie and Ferdinand were

active members of the

Couples for Christ commu-

nity since 1993. After his

demise, Oyie busied herself

with her current ministries

four times a week. She is

an active member of the

Lector/Commentator

Guild, Divine Mercy Apos-

tolate Group, and the

Mother Butler Guild which

is a community of women

disciples inspired by

Mother Marie Joseph But-

ler, a religious group of the

Sacred Heart of Mary. His

Eminence, Rufino Cardinal

Santos decreed the creation

of this service guild

(Continued on page14)

Gloria Ner-Intal: ‘My Life's Blessings’ By Josie Astorga-Campbell

Class ‘63 Digest


Let’s face it! Living life

and living in order to sur-

vive are two distinct and

separate things in our lives.

When I first saw the light

of this world, perhaps, my

parents were all full of joy.

I was the only child in the

family, because my kuya,

our eldest, died before I

was born. I grew up think-

ing that happiness was for-

ever. I would get every-

thing I wished and every-

thing I liked. I was the dar-

ling of the family and of

everyone in our household.

Then came the others, two

girls, and two boys and

poof, I lost being the dar-

ling of all. Instead I had to

help take care of my sib-

lings. ‘

I had my first taste of

schooling at P. Burgos El-

ementary School in Sta

Mesa, Manila. It was quite

an experience. I was sur-

rounded by many friends.

My father, my mother and

even my aunt and uncle

would send and fetch me

from school. Playing

patintero, piko and even a

few escapades when my

parents were not aware,

were the thrills of my life.

My teachers gave me the

attention I thought would

last. Such was my child-

hood life. I had hoped and

wished that it would never

end. But then came my

graduation, and I was all in

tears after bidding goodbye

to all I had - my friends,

my teachers, the attention

and my beautiful memories

as an elementary pupil.

To assuage my sadness, my

father told me that the hap-

piest day in a student’s life

is in high school. But I

didn’t pay attention to what

he said. I enrolled at V.

Mapa High School, a place

far away from our home.

My father was right. It was

here that I encountered so

many experiences that

made high school exciting

and a joy. It was also here

that I began to understand

the meaning of obligations

and responsibilities and of

the realities that I was no

longer a child. I had to

walk fast during breaks to

be in class on time. I had to

prepare materials for our

experiments. My parents

were no longer around to

fetch me. I had to wait for

the speedy jeepney with the

signage “Liberator” other-

wise I would be late for

school. I had to eat hurried-

ly the pandesal with pansit

filling I bought from the

panaderia because I needed

to be in class immediately

after.

Little by little, I began to

understand the meaning of

life. It was an awakening

experience. I found out I

was no longer the baby I

used to be. The high school

life was really the most

exciting part of the stu-

dent’s life, as my father

had said but it was also that

part of life where I had to

shed my innocence about

life. I had to face the reality

of growing up to become a

woman with the responsi-

bility of an adult. I could

no longer play and do as I

please. I had to be demure

and be the lady people

would like me to be. I left

high school, after my grad-

uation facing up to the

challenges in the adult

world.

I enrolled at Far Eastern

University, hoping to be a

teacher someday. I got my

wish. After passing the Li-

censure Examination, then

called Civil Service Exam-

ination for teachers, I was

hired at T. Earnshaw Ele-

mentary School in Punta,

Sta. Ana, where I began

and ended my stint as a

teacher. I will not tell any-

more the different experi-

ences I had as a teacher

suffice it to say that I be-

came so completely im-

mersed in an adult life that

I had completely forgotten

my student days. Life has

to go on – growth will con-

tinue in us. And as we

grow older we leave behind

the memories of the past

but not the lessons we

learned and have to teach

the next generation. Let’s

face it, this is the way of

life.

Do I have any regrets in

my life? None, except that

I am growing old and soon

will be out of this world. I

have lived my life fully. I

have a husband and chil-

dren who love me. My four

grandchildren are my joy

and my comfort as I relax

on my rocking chair. I have

fulfilled my career, ending

up being a Master Teacher

and now enjoying the fruit

of what I had worked for-

my retirement pay. And

what I thought of as retire-

ment is actually not at all. I

met all of you, my class-

mates and batch mates,

giving news, stories of the

past, and reliving the expe-

riences we had.

Let’s face it. This is life.

We do not know where

exactly we are going and

for how long we shall be in

this world, and what is to

come is still a mystery. But

whatever that is, life will

always be there to confront

us, to give us new experi-

ences and to relive that ex-

periences no matter how

long it will take. Whatever

that is, friends, lets face it,

we shall be together as long

as it take. And as long as

we can, let us make our

togetherness a life of hap-

piness and joy, full of

hopes and dreams. Let no

tears be shed because we

part. Instead let the parting

be a joy because we shall

meet again. Let’s face it,

this is our life so shall it be.

LET’S FACE IT By Carmelita Baylon-de Guzman


Growing up in a big family

of Mapa graduates, with

the exception of one sib-

ling, my relationship with

my Alma Mater becomes

more meaningful. Study-

ing in Mapa allowed me to

meet classmates and

friends who helped influ-

ence my life outside my

family. Both our parents

instilled in us belief and

faith in GOD.

My passion for a dangerous

yet unappreciated job of a

police officer may be

traced from my father, a

policeman himself who

showed me the ropes early

to acquire this noble pro-

fession.

My degree at the Philippine

College of Criminology in

1967essentially taught me

to have a strong sense of

discipline and resolve

which I readily embraced.

Needless to say, I encoun-

tered several “close calls”

while performing my duty

as a cop for 12 years. A

couple of situations literal-

ly saved me from being

blown up by a matter of

minutes! One of my unfor-

gettable moments hap-

pened at the Mendiola

Bridge where a large num-

ber of demonstrators pro-

testing before the Mala-

canang Palace. Rumors had

it that two of the empty bus

liners would be burned

down. I was right at the

front line at that time. From

what could be described as

an unexpected turn of

event, I suddenly remem-

bered my mother who was

in the States and her ad-

monition never to go hun-

gry while on duty. The

night was getting late so I

asked for replacement and

went home for dinner.

When I came back I was

shocked to find out that the

reliever-soldier who took

my post was killed, along

with three others thrown by

one of the demonstrators. I

could not stop thanking my

mother who I knew was

praying for me at that very

moment which was how I

survived. She always

prayed for all her children

and her 21 grandchildren

and 7 great grandchildren.

She passed away December

6, 2011 at the age of 94.

My reputation for standing

up to the gangs became

known in places where I

held duty. A PC Captain

once told me of an incident

where he responded to a

call about an impending

riot between two rival

gangs in Teresa, Santa Me-

sa. The captain was fully

armed to face the challenge

and when he arrived at the

scene someone shouted

“andiyan na si Boy Aran-

da”, and the two warring

gangs dispersed, and as he

put it: “It was as if Moses

had parted the Red Sea!”

In 1987, I accepted a new

assignment as an under-

cover (plain clothed) of-

ficer at the U.S. Embassy

Security where I had the

opportunity to meet and

rubbed shoulders with local

and international celebri-

ties. I met ambassadors,

senators and high govern-

ment officials and I was

truly proud to be of service

to them until 1990 when I

immigrated to the United

States with my family.

In Chicago, I found another

challenging career, as a

postal carrier in one of the

toughest suburbs called

Cabrini Green which could

be compared to that of Isla

Puting Bato in Tondo, Ma-

nila.

I enjoyed my work and the

years passed by until an-

other challenge came into

my life, when I was diag-

nosed with brain tumor in

2008. Immediately, I went

under the knife, and had to

undergo another operation

when some complications

developed two months af-

ter. But I thank God that

one month after my second

surgery, I was back to work

and have been working

since. My doctor told me if

I had a weak heart I

couldn’t have survived. So

my second life is a gift

from God and I am forever

grateful for His love for me

(continued on page 14)

Men in the Force – Part I Living with Faith and Courage

By Andres ‘Boy’ Aranda

Above: Andy in a casual US postal outfit. Right: The winning double bicep pose which won for Andy the 2ndd runner-up trophy for Mr. YMCA and as finalist for Mr. Philippinest in 1978.

Class ‘63 Digest


Danny Cunanan vividly

remembers the time spent

with high school buddies

after graduation. While

pursuing college studies,

Emilio Covacha, Voltaire

Domingo, Castor Silvestre,

Danny, and I,

often met at a

popular Chi-

nese restaurant

across Stella

Maris College

in Cubao, QC.

At times Ma-

nuel Tupaz

would meet up

with them and

reminisce old

times at Vol-

taire’s place on 20th Street

in New Manila, Quezon

City. It was during our ear-

ly days at UP in 1963 that

Danny acquired his driving

skills with Emilio as his

driving instructor (assisted

by back seat drivers – Vol-

taire and myself). The wide

roads in the UP Campus

and Project 7 served as his

driving course.

In 1966, Danny transferred

to PSBA while Emilio and

I continued on at UP. Vol-

taire was summoned by his

mom to join her at Univer-

sity of Manila, where she

was dean of arts and sci-

ences. We all became

members of the Beta Sigma

Fraternity in our respective

schools.

Danny graduated with an

accounting degree and

joined MERALCO in

1970. He supervised power

billing and cost accounting.

He left two years later to

join Manila Bank where he

managed credit accounts

(mostly

checking)

and became

the go-to

guy resolv-

ing bank

clearing is-

sues. The

day’s work

ends with

Danny sign-

ing-off on

the general

ledger report.

In 1976, with significant

experience in commercial

bank accounting, Danny

was invited by friends to

join the Industrial Finance

Corporation in an entirely

new field – assisting the

management of IFC’s criti-

cal reserve fund monitored

by the Central Bank to en-

sure that a safe and ade-

quate level is maintained at

all times.

In this office building

owned by the Yuchengcos

(RCBC) along Buendia

Ave., in Makati City, Dan-

ny and Juliet de Guzman,

(who worked at House of

Investments, Inc., a sister

company of RCBC-IFC)

reacquainted and remi-

nisced their Mapa days and

later called each other

“pinsan,” because Danny’s

middle name is also de

Guzman

Danny, however, couldn’t

resist the lure of a more

lucrative paying job with

the newly established In-

ternational Corporate Bank,

(spin-off of Continental

Bank and Allied Bank) led

by Rey Orosa (chairman).

His previous bank account-

ing and reserve fund man-

agement expertise catapult-

ed him to a dream job in

1978 becoming one of the

best dealers in Philippine

treasury bonds at that time.

His clients were mostly

institutional investors and

quick-profiting but rich

individuals. This became

the highlight of his Philip-

pine professional experi-

ence, where he was on a

first name basis with no

less than Rey David who

was then Interbank’s presi-

dent and was his boss and

mentor. Rey David became

DBP chairman during Pres

Arroyo’s presidency. It was

also during this time, that

he became friends (until

today), with Eldon Cruz,

the husband of Balsy

Aquino, P-Noy’s sister).

Danny thought then that it

was possible to “influence

the daily bank-to-bank loan

rate” and believed that the

bank rate and bond inter-

est/yield may easily be sub-

ject to “manipulation.” It

was in those days that

Danny brought huge eco-

nomic returns to Interbank

and therefore was recog-

nized for his significant

profit contributions, which

resulted in owning his first

and very charming home in

Merville, Paranaque. .

Danny migrated to the

USA in 1983 to give him-

self and his family a new

perspective while entrust-

ing his pawnshop business

to his elder sister. He ad-

justed well to his new

American environment,

and managed the culture

shock quite easily, but he

missed the excitement of

his daily grind at Interbank.

He returned to Manila in

1984 establishing a quasi-

engineering company do-

ing repair and construction

of Caltex gas stations

around Manila but it did

not prosper as planned. So

in 1986, he finally decided

to stay permanently in Chi-

no Hills, California to re-

join his family. Danny spe-

cialized in American cost

accounting system and be-

came a senior accountant at

one of California’s largest

furniture manufacturers (JR

Industries, Inc.) until his

recent retirement.

Danny has opted to be the

best day-care manager for

his growing brood of

grandchildren. Twice a

year, he shuttles between

California and Paranaque

to oversee the operation of

their janitorial and man-

power business in Makati

where he is Chairman of

the Board and CEO.

Danny is married to Verna

Jusay, whom he met at

PSBA during a joint Beta

Sigma Fraternity- Sigma

Beta Sorority celebratory

(Continued on page 14)

Danilo DG Cunanan By Gilbert C. Dulay


Every year as our nation

commemorates the death of

Benigno Aquino on August

21, I also commemorate

my wife’s untimely death

every August 20, a day be-

fore Ninoy Aquino was

assassinated at the Manila

International Airport in

1983.

Exactly a month after my

two months holiday in the

Philippines, I received a

telegram in my ARAMCO

office in Saudi Arabia in-

forming me that my wife

was in critical condition

due to ectopic pregnancy

and that I had to go home.

My elder sister requested

Aramco’s recruitment

agency (IPAMS) in Manila

not to reveal the truth that

my wife Annie had died.

She was afraid I would

have a heart attack in Saudi

if I received such news.

I fervently prayed to God

for my wife’s safety. I was

not a very religious man

but I had developed a very

deep personal relationship

with God while being away

from my beloved family.

The direct flight from from

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia to

Manila took nine gruelling

hours. I wished every mo-

ment I could reach Manila

in a wink of an eye so I

could reach Annie in time.

It was pure mental torture.

When I reached the Manila

International Airport on

August 22, 1983, the air-

port was in a big mess be-

cause of the previous day’s

assassination of Ninoy

Aquino. My elder brother

and two nephews were at

the airport to receive me.

My brother was hesitant to

answer my question about

my wife and when I in-

sisted, he told me “Johnny,

I am sorry, Annie could not

wait for you.” I have never

wept in my whole life, but

for almost one hour I was

weeping uncontrollably

like a child from the airport

to our residence in Sampa-

loc, Manila. It was as if my

world had just exploded!

Annie was a very stoic

woman and it was one of

her sterling qualities I truly

admire and love. My eldest

daughter who was only 8

years old then recollected

that it was Monday when

her mother started having

pain and Annie would ask

her to prepare hot tea to

ease the pain. By Friday

she still attended a program

at the Moises Salvador

Elementary School where

she taught. My elder sister

who was also a teacher in

the same school and a niece

brought her to the hospital

as she could no longer bear

the pain.

When I reached the funeral

chapel in Q.C., I was like a

mad man seeing her inside

the coffin. I could not be-

lieve she was dead because

she was very healthy and

was smiling at me the last

time I saw her at the airport

when she saw me off.

For a while I felt guilty

about her death. I regretted

losing the chance to serve

her in her last moments and

was not even able to thank

her for being such an ideal

wife. I felt so bad for being

a useless husband as she

died alone in the hospital

while I was so far away. I

also thought maybe I had

been an evil man that was

why God gave me such

terrible punishment.

As Annie was being buried,

I also wanted to be buried

with her. But then God

gave me the wisdom to ask

myself what about my two

little daughters? I could not

delegate my responsibility

to my other siblings who

also have their own fami-

lies. From then on, I quit

thinking of myself and I

started living only for my

two motherless daughters. I

was only existing because

of them.

It was not easy to be both

father and mother to two

little girls, maybe if they

were boys, it would have

been easier for me. It was

terrible but I had to accept

my fate with open heart.

God knows what is best for

me. And I am very thankful

to God for having given me

the wisdom and the moral

strength to pass God’s most

difficult test in my life.

Annie was a very devoted

grade school teacher from

1967 to 1983. She was

loved by everyone in her

school for being very

friendly, loving and peace-

ful. She was like a real

mother to her pupils. It was

so nice to see during An-

nie’s funeral some of her

loyal first pupils in 1967

with their respective fami-

lies in Loyola Memorial

Park in Sucat, Paranaque

City.

(Continued on page 14)

Annie, My Angel in Heaven By Johnny Villanueva

The Villanuevas: Johnny with wife Annie and the two kids.

Class ‘63 Digest


As I approach

my “twilight

years”, I look

back at the life

I have shared

with my hus-

band of 42

years, Freddie,

and cannot

help but think,

what would

have I done

differently

where I to re-

live my life

again? The

answer, abso-

lutely nothing!

Life was not a

“bed of roses”

for us, don’t

get me wrong,

we’ve had so much chal-

lenges and setbacks to

overcome throughout our

married life that I think

having to go through them

together, has made us

stronger as a couple, in-

stead of splitting us. Love

does overcome all obsta-

cles they say, I believe it.

One of our life’s greatest

challenges was simply sur-

viving. As a young married

couple in the Philippines,

on one income (albeit

Freddie was a Systems and

Programming Manager),

with a growing family, life

was hard. Freddie decided

that the best thing to do

was to immigrate, it didn’t

matter where to - Australia,

Canada or God willing, to

the USA. Not so easy to do

though, we soon found out

hahaha.

We were so excited when

our immigrant visa to Aus-

tralia was approved with

Freddie’s three years pro-

gramming experience. We

had visions of a wonderful

life awaiting us in Austral-

ia, with our own house, a

car and even a white picket

fence.

They processed our papers

then we were interviewed

and were given information

on life in Australia! We

only had to wait for our

schedule for medicals, then

Australia here we come!

The kids learned to answer

to the question “Where are

you going?” “Aulalia” my

3 yr. old used to say. Then

bam! We received a letter

informing us that unfortu-

nately, they raised their

programming requirements

to five years experience, so

that, Freddie did not quali-

fy anymore. That was a

very sad day in 1981.

However, because of that

single experience, our faith

that God’s hand guides our

life became stronger. If He

does not deem for you to

get something, it’s because

He has something better in

store for you. True enough,

a few months after, Freddie

was offered a consultancy

position in Canada and

from there, another posi-

tion in the US, and as they

say, the rest is history.

Life in the US definitely

allows you to have good

food, a decent roof over

your heads

and the little

extra for rec-

reation. But it

has also its

own chal-

lenges, one of

which is rais-

ing your kids

on your own,

with no ex-

tended family

to provide

you with

moral sup-

port, living in

a different

culture and,

of course, no

maids. Re-

member, this

was during

the time before magic jack,

Skype, Facebook, cell

phones and calling to the

Philippines would cost you

an arm and a leg. We had

to rely on writing letters

that took almost a month

just to get to the Philip-

pines. It was very lonely

those first months.

BUT, we survived those

few hard months, and then

the years went flying until

we found ourselves with

grown up children ready

for college. Now, that’s

another challenge! Sending

one is hard, sending three

at one point, is extremely

hard! Somehow we did it,

we scraped, pinched, and

Freddie and Chato took on life’s challenges together and reaped ‘a shower of blessings’.

September Birthday Celebrants

Our Life Together By Rosario ‘Chato’ de Jesus


worked hard. The day our

youngest graduated, as the

graduates tossed up their

caps, we felt like dancing

the jig!

However, we soon found

out that college graduation

was not the end of the ex-

pense trail for our daugh-

ters. Next came WED-

DINGS! Yes, if you are

lucky enough to have a

daughter in America, you

better believe that you will

be doing all the spending

for that dream wedding

your daughter wants. We

have three daughters. First

instinct is to tell them to

marry Pinoys because the

groom spends for the wed-

dings in the Philippines,

right? That is, if your

daughters listen to you or if

they know any Filipino

men who can be prospec-

tive husbands. That was too

much to hope for, because

my daughters didn’t.

So, our three daughters,

Jennifer, Tiffany and

Rhona, married Caucasian

men, and now, we would

not have it any other way.

My daughters married

wonderful men who are

loving, responsible,

thoughtful, educated, and

with great personalities.

We could not have wished

for better sons-in-law. We

all get along so well that

we go on vacations togeth-

er (yes, even to the Philip-

pines!) and just generally,

have a great time together!

Literally, we are one, big,

happy family.

My eldest daughter Jen-

nifer (40 yrs. old), an artist

by education and vocation,

is a full time house-

wife/mom with two ener-

getic boys, eight year old

Jarrett Jr. and five year old

Jordan. The kids keep her

on her toes but she still

manages to accept painting

or mural commissions

aside from her business of

one of a kind jewelry and

making custom cakes. Her

husband Jarrett travels a lot

in his position of being the

National Operations Man-

ager for a big logistics

company here in the US.

Our second daughter Tiffa-

ny (34 yrs. old), like Fred-

die, is an IT (Information

Technology) professional,

she is a consultant and un-

der contract as a Senior

Business Analyst for Bank

of America. She has a

daughter, 2 year old Bren-

na, and a dog. Her husband

Cody, works at the HQ of a

big grocery chain as a Price

Analyst. They both love the

Philippines and hope to

retire there someday.

Our youngest daughter

Rhonna, (33 yrs. old), has a

son Ronan (4 yrs. old), a

daughter Rosabel (2 yrs.

old), and a dog. Rhonna is

working from home. She is

also an IT professional

has a Masters degree in IT

focused on IT Security, she

holds an administrative

position at a federal agency

(DVA) in their IT Security

department. Her husband

Ryan, works with one of

the biggest banks in the US

as a Business Analyst.

Freddie still works as an IT

consultant but hopes to re-

tire late next year.

Throughout the years, he

has proven himself to be a

good husband, a good fa-

ther and a good provider.

He has pushed himself so

hard to achieve his goals in

life and has also achieved

the pinnacle of his profes-

sion. I was just lucky to be

hanging on for the ride. I

retired six years ago from

being an RN. I would say I

am now a full time wife, a

part time babysitter (on

emergency only!), and a

part-time traveler. We truly

cannot ask for more. We

have been showered by

blessings and only hope we

can be on this earth a little

longer to enjoy our family,

our grand children and es-

pecially our retirement.

God is good.

Class ‘63 Digest


“What’s in a name?” the

great Bard once asked.

“A pact of lasting friend-

ship”, if you ask Blondie

Silang, whose name may

raise some eyebrows. The

friendship was between

two soldiers of war fighting

in the same front: Benja-

min Silang, Blondie’s fa-

ther, and Tyron Fordson,

an American soldier who

fought in the country dur-

ing the Japanese invasion,

and whose life Benjamin

had saved. They made a

pact: their first born after

the war will have the same

name and will be called

‘Blondie’, as a tribute to a

lasting friendship born out

of a war that ravaged the

country.

And so the war came to an

end and true to their words,

the two war heroes (in my

dictionary, every soldier

who fought for his country

and its honor is a war hero)

named their first born child

after the war ‘Blondie’. It

didn’t matter that Benjamin

had a son, he was a man of

his words, and he had a

pact to honor. Blondie’s

counterpart, as they would

find out later, was a woman

living in Daly City in Cali-

fornia and they have not

only stayed connected, but

her family has visited the

country several times and

never failed to visit the

Silang family.

Thus post-war baby Blon-

die Silang was born in

Balic-balic, Sampaloc,

Manila on September 18,

1946. Few may have

known it, but in his bap-

tismal certificate his com-

plete first name was Mario

Blondie, but as history

would attest, Mario was

dropped out of his academ-

ic records and he felt com-

fortable and complete with

the name that was left be-

hind.

He went to Legarda Ele-

mentary School and re-

members among his class-

mates were Emilio

Covacha and Benjamin

Bartolome (a first year

Mapan who was recruited

to the first batch of the

Manila Science High

School). In Mapa, he first

went to Lipa Annex with

Romulo Tolentino, Johnny

Villanueva and Mandy

Vivar, among his class-

mates.

Blondie is a proud Mapan

and when asked what was

high school days like, “ec-

stasy” was the first thing

that came to his mind, “a

transition from ‘crayons to

perfume’ and ‘biting nails

are gone’ quoting “To Sir

with Love”, the song of our

era.

After high school, Blondie

went to UST, working his

way through college as li-

brary helper where he

earned his BS degree in

commerce, major in Ac-

counting. Years later, he

finished his MBA in the

same university on scholar-

ship from Emilio

Aguinaldo College. A Cer-

tified Public Accountant,

Blondie has earned several

units in Ph.D. but is no

longer enthusiastic in pur-

suing the course.

Blondie worked with the

Manila Broadcasting Co.

(the former ABS-CBN) as

accountant and with the

Philippine Air Lines as Ac-

counts Analyst. His work

experience includes a stint

in Saudi Arabia where he

consecutively worked as

Finance Manager in a Sau-

di travel agency, as Audit

Manager in McGlady’s

International and as Finan-

cial Analyst in US-based

Lucent Technologies, Intl.

Blondie also taught Ac-

counting and Auditing at

St. Paul College, Manila,

Philippine Women’s Uni-

versity, San Sebastian Col-

lege, and at the Emilio

Aguinaldo College. He has

received citations and

awards in teaching, one

of which was the Out-

standing Faculty Mem-

ber Award in PWU in

1988. He used to com-

mute two hours daily

from his residence in

Dasmarinas, Cavite, the

house that Saudi built, to

Manila. He has retired from

teaching and is currently on

consultancy basis as Bud-

get Officer of Emilio

Aguinaldo College.

“Teaching may not have

the financial benefits one

gets from the corporate

world, but it is a very re-

warding profession if you

consider the hundreds of

business graduates, a num-

ber of whom may have be-

come CPAs, who may have

contributed to the devel-

opment of our economy.”

Blondie recalls his growing


Blondie Silang: Rising Above the Name By Cesar G. Banaag

Blondie with daughter Rocheelle and grandchildren:

John Vincent and Johanna Mae.


September born Sr

Consolacion is a woman

on a mission: To share with

the world the teachings of

Jesus Christ as modeled by

the Apostle Paul, aptly de-

scribed by modern theolo-

gians as “a man of grace

and grit”.

The eldest among 5 girls

with her only brother as the

firstborn, Consolacion

Ducusin was born on Sep-

tember 13, 1946 in San

Fernando, La Union. Soon

after, the family moved to

Manila where she grew up,

graduated from Mapa High

School in 1963.

She finished her degree in

Banking and Finance at the

University of the East in

1968 but apparently dis-

missed the possibility of

joining the business sector

and instead followed her

real apostolic calling to

spread God’s Word.

Her conviction to follow

Christ grew deeper and was

manifested on February 2,

1969 when she declared

her calling before the

Daughters of St. Paul con-

gregation, an international

religious order with pres-

ence in 51 countries, dedi-

cated to spreading God’s

Words through the media.

Consequently she received

the Aspirantship status in

1970, the entry level to

joining the congregation

The following year, she

was promoted to

Postulancy, a stage where

she was taught to sharpen

her spiritual gifts at the

same time identify her

limitations in establishing a

personal relationship with

God.

After successfully reaching

the Novitiate program held

in Lipa City in 1972, she

pressed on to the next

course called First Profes-

sion in 1974 when she took

the vows of poverty, chasti-

ty and obedience.

Joining this divine sorority

is not something that most

women would entertain as

a life option because of its

intense level of faith and

commitment. But Sister

Consolacion’s fervent pur-

suit of righteousness has

remarkably taken her to

many places yet her cher-

ished reward came on Jan-

uary 25, 1999 – the day

she celebrated her Silver

Jubilee as a servant of

Christ.

Today, the Daughters of St.

Paul has extended an out-

reach program through ed-

ucation and social network-

ing which involves an or-

ganization called the Paul-

ine Institute of Communi-

cation in Asia. Its mission

is “to communicate Faith

through Media” that offers

programs to both clergy

and lay people using dif-

ferent communication plat-

forms such print, broadcast,

digital, mobile and social

mediums.

Sr Consolacion’s vocation

has been devoted to a

life-long commitment to

serving Christ and the

church.

In her own words: “My

journey for 42 years in re-

ligious life has been very

beautiful and challenging

despite the struggles, limi-

tations and weaknesses

along the way. God’s love

and faithfulness is always

there to sustain me. I pray

for the rest of my life, I

will continue to persevere

in serving the Lord believ-

ing that it is only through

this that my life can have

meaning.” To learn more about the

Daughters of St. Paul, visit

www.paulines.ph and

www.picafsp.org.

Sr Consolacion Ducusin, fsp: Communicating Christ By Racquel Magat-Sanchez

Sr Consolacion with Juliet de Guzman-Blackwell, in the bookshop

of the Daughters of Saint Paul in Pasay City.

http://www.paulines.ph/

http://www.picafsp.org/

Class ‘63 Digest


September Birthdays

Sr. Consolacion

Ducusin - Sept. 13

Blondie Silang – Sept. 18

Mandy Vivar - Sept. 23

Freddie de Jesus - Sept. 25 Quiz Contest

(Courtesy of Juliet de Guzman-Blackwell)

The correct answers will be published in the next

issue. Surprise gifts await lucky winners. The

first one to submit the correct answers posted on

our website gets the prize. Prizes will be pre-

sented at our batch63 outing in Loreland after our

Golden Jubilee.

Unscramble the following jumblers, one letter to

each line, to form four ordinary words.

EWELH - __ __ __ __ __

CTBHA - __ __ __ __ __

RIHNKS - __ __ __ __ __ __

WSRPAL - __ __ __ __ __ __

Rearrange the letters on red lines to complete

the following sentence:

CELEBRITY BATTLES CAN SOMETIMES

TURN INTO: __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__

Happy Birthday and Hello! August birthday celebrants Eddie Eusebio and Josie Astorga-Campbell (right,) jointly celebrated their birthdays with a welcome treat to Caloy Ollero (back of right row) visiting the US from Saudi Arabia. Others in photo from left: Juliet Mascarinas, Linda Tablan-Fernandez, Racquel-Magat-Sanchez and Gilbert Dulay. Photo taken at the Vegas Seafood Buffet in Glendale, Cali-fornia.


My journey through life

may be compared to climb-

ing a steep mountain, not

easy, with all the burdens

that go with it. I was born

to a poor family but this

did not hinder me from

pursuing my dreams, one

of which is to finish my

college studies. Being the

eldest among five siblings,

I had greater responsibili-

ties and sometimes sacri-

fices.

One day, my Dad had a

heart-to-heart talk with me

and regretfully informed

me that, much as he wanted

to, he wouldn't be able to

send me to college due to

financial constraints. Right

after high school gradua-

tion in 1963, I was left with

no choice but to find a job

to earn and save some

money for my tuition fees.

With my intense desire to

attain my goal, bearing in

mind that there is no room

to be choosy, I grabbed any

opportunity that came my

way. I worked as a laborer,

scraping rusted drums in an

open field under the hot

sun; a janitor in a tertiary

hotel; and a factory worker

in a drug company, to men-

tion a few odd jobs I had to

do to earn a living. Eventu-

ally, while employed in a

Chinese firm, and after 10

years after graduating from

high school, I was able to

enrol in a B. S. Marketing

course at San Sebastian

College, Manila. I had to

take evening classes so I

could continue my daytime

job, budgeting my income

between my expenses in

studying and helping my

parents pay the monthly

bills and other monthly

household expenses.

Indeed, it was an answered

prayer when I was granted

a San Miguel Corporation

(SMC) Scholarship, be-

came a Dean's Lister and

graduated as "Most Out-

standing Marketing Stu-

dent", receiving a Gold

Medal awarded by the Phil-

ippine Marketing Associa-

tion (PMA) in 1977. GOD

is good, HIS blessings

came pouring... job oppor-

tunities were within my

reach. I followed my par-

ents' advice and accepted

SMC's offer to be Con-

sumer Services Assistant in

its Public Relations Office,

a position I kept for 18

years until I opted for early

retirement and then joined

SMC's subsidiary, the

Magnolia Corporation as

Paralegal in its Legal De-

partment.

In 1996, Magnolia was ab-

sorbed by Nestle Phils. Inc.

(NPI) and I was re-

assigned to the Ice Cream

Division's Marketing &


Reaching My Goal

By Mandy Vivar

My Life in Nestle

By Mandy Vivar

Being a part of the NESTLE Family is one of the hap-

piest experiences in my life. Actually, I never consid-

ered it as a job because I was enjoying the activities

while I was earning a living. Not in my wildest dreams

would I have the opportunities to meet and work with

such famous movie/TV personalities, thanks to

NESTLE. It also gave me the opportunity to travel and

see places within the country as a result of all the pro-

vincial events and activities I handled and supervised in

my 10 years with the company.

Mandy with showbiz personalities from top left: Richard Gomez, Sharon Cuneta, Piolo Pascual, the young John Lloyd Cruza, and the candidates for Miss Earth Beauty Pageant.

Class ‘63 Digest


(continued from page 10)

up years: “I was the bread-

winner of the family and

that kept me aware of my

responsibilities to the fami-

ly. That made me strong in

facing life’s challenges

which brought about ‘suc-

cess’. We were three sib-

lings in the family. My

youngest brother died at an

early age. My eldest sister,

Adelaida, got married

when she was 18, so I was

left alone to take care of

my mother and father. My

being single is God’s gift to

my parents as I was able to

provide them my undivided

attention.” His father died

in 1995 while his mother,

Josefa, passed away in De-

cember of 2008.

In college, Blondie recalls

“madalas makasama ang

name ko sa list of girls and

when I get called like Miss

Silang, the class would

erupt in laughter. But they

stopped laughing and took

me seriously when in one

class discussion, I asked for

an extension to finish what

I have to say which made a

good impression on my

classmates.”

Blondie said he didn’t have

difficulties getting a job

after college as “My tran-

script speaks louder of my

achievement than my

name.”

Blondie is a single parent.

His biological daughter,

Rocheelle, is now 25, mar-

ried with two children: Jo-

hanna Mae, 10, and John

Vincent, 9 years old. “It is

nice to have your own fam-

ily. You have a true sense

of belongingness. They are

my wealth.”

(Continued from page 5)

and I trust Him with all my

heart.

I am now physically and

spiritually equipped to face

almost all tough challenges

in life. After all, I know in

my heart that my mother’s

unceasing prayers were

answered. My unwavering

faith in God has taken me

to several places that I

dreamed of. I also thor-

oughly enjoy the frequent

reunions with my siblings,

seven sisters and a brother

who is a head pastor at a

large Baptist church in Zi-

on, Illinois.

Looking back, there’s one

quite interesting part of my

life that very few people

know. I was a serious

bodybuilder and I used to

join contests, including Mr.

Philippines where I was a

finalist in 1978. I was also

once a 2nd

runner up in Mr.

YMCA.

That’s one memory I will

always remember with

fondness, so that to this

day, every time I’d look at

the mirror, I’d still see

those muscular biceps and

abs a few women swooned

over.

∞


organized on the parochial

level by Catholic lay

women as a means for their

sanctification. Their main

concern is to take care of

priestly vestments and altar

linens, as well as to ensure

the cleanliness and beauti-

fication of their respective

parish churches. During

summer, Oyie is also a

Catechist. She continues to

attend seminars and meet-

ings for her spiritual

growth.

Today, Gloria Ner-Intal is

very happy with all her

spiritual activities. She is

thankful to God for calling

her daughter to serve Him

through people in need of

physical, mental and spiri-

tual guidance. A visit to

her eldest daughter’s fam-

ily in New Jersey, U.S.A. is

in her future plans.

(Continued from page 13 )

Promotions Department as

Events Specialist until my

retirement in 2006, after

which, I had a short stint

with Trivecs Marketing

Services, Inc. as Executive

Assistant to the CEO and

HR Manager. With these

past experiences, I realized

that everything happens for

a purpose.

Now, I'm proud and happy

to serve VMHS Alumni

Class '63 as Public Rela-

tions Officer of the Philip-

pine Chapter.

"In GOD's time, whatever

we ask for, will be granted,

but it may not be in the

exact package we wanted

it, but it will be what GOD

thinks is best for us. To

GOD be all the Glory!"


have four grown-up chil-

dren, with one still com-

pleting his studies while

directly managing the day-

to-day operation of their

growing service enterprise

in the Philippines.

Danny believes life has

taught him well; that one

cannot control other peo-

ple, nor remake or change

one’s friends; that to be

good looking is no longer

important in adult life.

Danny divides his time into

somewhat “artificial phas-

es” to be able to handle

“crucial decisions” in busi-

ness and in life, and says

“I’m a happier person

now.”

(Continued from page 7)

Annie is gone only physi-

cally but in my heart she

remains alive and is always

smiling at me. I could al-

most feel her physical

presence whenever I re-

member her. Although I am

not a regular church-goer,

in my heart, I have that

blessed assurance that An-

nie and I will be reunited

someday in heaven in

God’s time.

Andy Aranda ….

Blondie Silang

Annie, My Angel….

Danny Cunanan.

Gloria Ner-Intal

Mandy Vivar


Sa opisina ng pahayagang

pangkampus ng UE (‘The

Weekly DAWN’) ko unang

nakita si Cesar Banaag

makaraan ang maraming

taon mula ng magtapos

kami sa Mapa. Napagala-

man kong dati rin pala si-

yang “Dawner.” Kilala

kong taga-Mapa si Cesar

pero hindi ko siya naging

kabarkada sa hayskul. Ka-

hit lumipat na kami sa

Main Building sa kalye San

Rafael.

Pero sino nga ba si Cesar

Banaag? Kailangang salik-

sikin pa ang mga lumang

isyu ng aming pahayagang

pangkampus at basahin ang

mga naisulat niya para

lubusang siyang makilala.

Wala na ako sa Dawn nang

muli kong makausap si Ce-

sar, naikuwento niya sa

isang pagtatagpo naming

mga taga-Mapa (2010 yata)

nang dumating sina Eddie

Eusebio at Danilo Morales

mula US, at nagsalo-salo

ang mga ka-batch sa

McDo, Galeria 4, Green

Belt, Makati. Nagyaya si

Danilo Morales ng dinner

sa isang Chinese Resto

pagkaraan ng "mini reun-

ion" o kumustahan sa Mc-

Do. Dalawa pang Danilo

ang narooon, bukod kay

Morales, sina Caceres, at

Belonia. Nakilala ko rin si

Gerry Limbo at ang esposa

pala ni Dan Morales ay

taga-Malolos, Bulakan, at

ako nama'y taga-Bulakan,

Bulakan. Nasa kaliwa ko si

Robert Jacinto at sa kanan

ay si Eddie Eusebio, katabi

naman si Cesar. Bilog ang

malaking mesa kaya ma-

sarap ang usapan. Dito

kami nagkakuwentuhan ni

Cesar nang magkapalit-

palit na nang upuan.

"Editor ka pala noon sa

Dawn," masayang simula

ni Cesar. "Oo, sa Pilipino

section, "ang nakangiti

kong sagot. "Sino ba ang

editor in chief ninyo

noon?" tanong ko sa kanya.

Nagsimula na siyang mag-

kuwento, "Si Caloy Llorin

ang editor namin.

Makaraan ang panahon

niya ay namasukan siya sa

isang kilalang advertising

agency bilang PR Director

at kinuha niya akong PR

Assistant na nagsusulat at

gumagawa ng mga publica-

tion ng mga multi-national

clients, mga 1972 ito.”

“Working student" ako sa

edad na 17, kaya medyo

nagtagal akong kinuha ang

AB English sa UE. Isa

kong clerk sa isang banko

sa Escolta, bale hanggang

1970 ‘yon.”

Sa kanyang Facebook na-

pagalaman kong nag-MA

in Journalism pala si Cesar

sa UP, “habang staff writer

ako non sa ‘Times Journal’.

Noong 1980 nagpasya

akong pumunta sa Vienna

na nung panahon na yon ay

hindi kailangan ang visa sa

pagpunta sa Europe.

"Madali akong nakapasok

sa UN. Nagsimula ako bi

lang Training Assistant sa

Computer Section ng Inter-

national Atomic Energy

Agency. Nagtrabaho ako sa

UN hanggang 2002 noong

nagpasya akong magretiro

sa edad na 56. Ang aga

yata ano?" nangiti ako sa

sinabi ni Cesar.

Ang aking huling trabaho

ay Senior Documentation

Specialist sa Safeguards

Dept. "Ang aming depar-

tamento ang na namama-

hala sa kaligtasan sa pan-

gangalaga ng nuclear en-

ergy sa buong mundo.

Nuong 2005 tumanggap

ang aming Ahensiya ng

Nobel Peace Prize at binig-

yan lahat ng staff ng Nobel

citation.

Maganda ang kuwento ni

Cesar tungkol sa kanyang

karanasan sa ibang bansa

bilang isang Filipino. Sa

kanyang paglayo ay nara-

ramdaman niya na lalo si-

yang napalapit sa sariling

bayan at lalong tumingkad

ang pagiging Filipino lalo

na sa kanyang pagbabalik

matapos magretiro sa UN.

Ganito ang damdamin ng

isang Filipinong nalayo sa

kanyang lupang tinubuan:

"Ang paninirahan sa ibang

bansa ay lalong nagpating-

kad sa aking pigiging isang

Filipino. Aktibo ako sa

komunidad ng mga Filipino

na pinapanatili ang ating

kultura sa banyagang

bansa. Gumawa din ako ng

mga newsletters at isang

coffeetable book para sa

kommunidad ng Filipino.

Nag contribute din ako sa

“Filipinos Abroad” maga-

zine na base sa London.

Hinahanap ko ang puta-

heng Filipino at anumang

bagay na katutubong atin.

kaya't lagi akong umuuwi

kapag buwan ng Disyem-

bre upang maranasan ang

May Kabuluhan ang Paglayo

Ni Teo T. Antonio

"Paano makalalapit ang isang tao nang di lumalayo."

- Khalil Gibran

Sa bakuran ni Cesar sa Vienna kung saan buong summer ang hardin ay puno ng mga rosas.

Class ‘63 Digest


init ng pagmamahalan ng

pamilya at kaibigan."

Itinuturing ni Cesar ang

pagtira niya sa Vienna at

ang kanyang pagiging

isang "international civil

servant" na may diplomatic

status na isang pribilehio.

"Ang Austria ay napaka-

gandang bansa na may Old

World Charm. Ang na-mis

ko sa lahat ay ang aking

antigong bahay, na di kala-

yuan sa opisina ng UN,

may maluwang na hardin,

at maraming namumulak-

lak na halaman at mga

punong namumunga. Kaya

pag summer ang mga kai-

bigang Pinoy at kasamahan

sa opisina ay nag-iihaw ng

barbecue. Alam naming

hindi dapat aksayahin ang

tag-araw dahil mabilis

itong matatapos."

"Ang magtrabaho bilang

international civil servant

sa loob ng mahigit dala-

wang dekada ay nagbibigay

ng habambuhay na alaala.

Naalpasan ng pagkakaibi-

gan ang anumang hang-

gahang pangkultura.”

Pero nangibabaw kay Cesar

sa mahabang pagkakalayo

sa sariling bayan ang pani-

indigan na manatili ang

pagiging Filipino sa kan-

yang pagbabalik. "Ang

pagiging Austrian o pagi-

ging mamamayan ng Euro-

pean Union, ay nakatu-

tukso pero nanindigan

akong panatilihin ang aking

pagiging Filipino.

Nagbalik si Cesar na gi-

nugunita ang kinalakhang

lugar, "Ipinanganak ako sa

boundary ng Mandaluyong

at Sta. Ana, Manila. Nag-

aral ako sa T. Earnshaw

Elementary School sa

Punta, Sta. Ana (kasama ko

sina Juliet Mascarinas,

Evelyn Teodoro, Meny

Segura, Marieta Bautista,

Erlinda Yuzon, Elena Re-

goso at Wilfredo Neis.)

Ang aming bahay ay isang

bloke ang layo sa ilog

Pasig (ang ilog na nagpa-

paalala sa aking kamus-

musan hanggang grade

six.) Dito ako unang natu

tong lumangoy at patawid-

tawid. Minsa'y lulundag

kami sa tulay Lambingan

sa Sta. Ana at lalangoy ka-

sabay ng malakas na agos.

Pag tag-araw ang maalat na

tubig mula sa Manila Bay

ay hahalo sa ilog at magi-

ging alat."

Ang paghahalo ng tubig-

alat at tubig-tabang sa ilog

Pasig ay isang maalamat na

simbolo sa buhay ni Cesar

Banaag ang batang-

Mandaluyong at Sta. Ana.

Ipinadpad ng alon ng ka-

palaran sa Vienna, Austria.

Sinagap ang banyagang

hangin at karanasan sa

banyagang lupain upang

muling magbalik at lalong

umibig sa nilakhang ilog.

Maunawaang walang pi-

nagkaiba ang ibang lahi sa

mundo pagdating sa

pakikipagkapwa-tao, pag-

ibig, paninindigan at pag-

mamahal sa sariling pagka-

tao at sariling bayan.

Ang makabuluhang pag-

layo ay makabuluhan ding

pagbabalik sa Lupang

Tinubuan. Inihahatid ng

alon ang tula ng Dakilang

Supremo at Anak-Dalita,

ang hinabi niyang:

"Aling pag-ibig pa ang hi-

higit kaya/sa pagkadalisay

at pagkadakila./Gaya ng

pagibig sa tinubuanglupa/

aling pag-ibig pa, wala na

nga,wala./

Lumayo ang isang Filipi-

nong tulad ni Cesar Banaag

upang mabanaagan at higit

na mapalapit sa Lupang

Sinilangan.

READERS’ FORUM

Katatapos ko lang basahing ang 2 isyu ng Digest 63. Iba

ka talaga at ang grupo. Naririto ang propesyunalismo sa

pamamahayag. Muling nanariwa ang maraming alaala

sa mga kaklase tulad ni Evelyn Teodoro na kaklase ko

noong 1st year sa Rizal Annex na maganda ang naging

karanasan sa Nauru. Kayo pala nina Victor ang nasa

patnugutan ng Mapazette ayon kay Moreno David. Sina

Josie Astorga, Erlinda Tablan, at Raquel Magat ay

kaklase ko sa II-2.

Gayundin sina Precioso Domingo, Regie Lauzon,

Benjie Andres at Gil Abadines. Sina Eddie at

Carlos O. ay kaklase ko sa III-3 sa Main Building na ito.

Sina Juanito Villanueva at Carlos Guanlao ay kaklase

ko sa 4th year. Sana nga ay nasa glossy paper ito at

maipamahagi natin sa mga ka-batch 63.

Sinasaluduhan ko ang grupo ninyo Cesar hindi sa

dahilang halos lahat ay kaklase ko. Pakisabi kay Eddie

na ikumusta ako kina Josie, Erlinda, at Carlos na

UNICEF Awardee pala, ang batang Quiapo. Napaka-

raming impormasyon, pati si Gilbert Dulay ay taga

Mapa pala. Sana makakuha tayo ng isponsor para ma-

imprenta ang Digest 63.

Isang pagpupugay,

TEO T. ANTONIO

Documents

VMHS Class '63 Digest Issue #5