UP Cebu High School Class 1985: Celebrating 25 great years

CEBU, Philippines - The four years we spend in high school have often been considered as the best years of our lives. Why not? We learn and experience many new things in high school, which makes reunions with your classmates quite special.

It has been a quarter of a century since my classmates and I left the University of the Philippines College Cebu High School, but those years that we spent in our Alma Mater were more than enough to bind us for life.

Early last month, we came together once again for our silver jubilee celebration without forgetting to look back where we came from.

We have taken different routes in life, pursued varied careers, had loved and lost, and yes, lived to the fullest, but there is one thing that always binds us together – our school.

Dedicating the event also to the Almighty, the celebration started with a Holy Mass celebrated by our classmate Fr. Rogel Anecito L. Abais, S.J. at the UP Cebu conference room. This was followed by the Most Well-Informed Student Quiz participated in by the high school students and then later that day, a dinner at the clubhouse of Maria Luisa Estate Park.

While some of us had to go back to our regular schedule after one day, many among the class continued to celebrate that weekend, island hopping and spending much time underwater.

Though the reunion activities did not stretch for days, its brevity also made it sweeter. Thanks to those who travelled many miles like Carl Bugarin, Richard Villaceran and Alvin Guangco, who came from the US; Dominic Chan (Ylaya) from Australia; and Ermin Cabrera from Hong Kong.

The ladies who made it to the activities were led Carla Ybañez-Veloso, Michelle So, and Dr. Geraldine Alcarez-Co, who were also among the most active in organizing the event.

Then there was Carmela Costales, who brought with her their famous Mama Gie pancit palabok. Other ladies present were April Tudtud-Ramos, Amor Parangan-Flores, Geraldine Sia-Alunan, Cristina Pacis-Ouano, Dean Nona Bacatan-Suerte of CIT and Asuncion Astor-Aloben.

Our class has produced over 20 doctors and those present were Drs. Vicente “Inting” Avanzado Jr., Conrado “Junie” Salonga and Raul “Rocker” Trasmonte. Lawyer Ernest “Cogs” Montecillo was also on hand along with his companyero Joel “Yeyin” Seno.

Our warrior classmate Lt. Col. Antonio “Mango” Magoroban Jr. of the Philippine Marines found time to join us along with Gene Cagas, who is actively involved in social work that had taken him as far as Cambodia.

We must mention the indefatigable tandem of Apollo Oriel and Robert Hipolito, as well as PLDT’s William “Manok” Sienes II, Joel Tolentino, Eleodoro “Nonoy” Mongaya Jr., Ralph Daitol and our star athlete Kerrwin “Swan” Sanchez.

The event would not have been complete without those who helped mold us into what we are now – our teachers Prof. Iluminada Mercado, Prof. Fe Reyes, Dr. Elisa Lapa, Dr. Josefina Carvajal, Prof. Sofia Aliño-Logarta, Prof. Ligaya Rabago-Visaya, Ms. Portia Dacalos and the forever loving couple Prof. Daniel Nellas and Mrs. Marcelina Nellas.

To quote a line from our graduation song, we did “…fulfill the promise, never to forget the memories.”