Celebrating six decades

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. – Former TOYM awardee Victor Barrios–with the help of wife Aida and their children–celebrated his six decades of "God’s borderless love" by gathering friends and family together for dinner and dancing at Patio Español in The City.

The Barrioses are active in social, political and religious circles and so it was but fitting that the celebratory activities of the evening would reflect these aspects of their busy lives. Rev. John Ceferino Ledesma officiated the Mass, with Victor Emille amd Raymond Rizal Barrios doing the first and second readings. Daughter Valerie (who is studying at Northwestern University in Chicago) would have read the Responsorial Psalm, except that her plane came in late and she was still feeling the weakening effects of the flu. However, Valerie caught up with the action an hour later by presenting her Dad with a lovingly-prepared album containing the greetings and fond recollections of Vic from former classmates, family and close associates.

A brief slide presentation chronicling Vic’s growing-up years and career triumphs as banker, economist and World Bank consultant, was also put together by the Barrios boys.

The guest list also reflected the Barrioses’ wide range of relationships–old friends and kumadres Lisa Yuchengco and Yvonne Revilla, prayer breakfast meeting organizers Andy Belarmino and Alice Bulos, immigration lawyer Ted Laguatan, Edna and Rodel Rodis, interior decorator Guia Lina Mercadio, Corazon Castaneda, insurance brokers Yolly and Roger Cayabyab, Peaches del Rosario, Fe and Marico Enriquez.

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Well-known poet and Tagalista Jose Villa Panganiban has been gone several decades now, but his poems and stories are still being studied in Filipino classrooms. To honor his place in Philippine literature, a post-humous award was given to the poet by Thomasians USA, a UST alumni group based in the Bay Area during the association’s 15th anniversary ball last Saturday at the plush Clarion Hotel. Panganiban’s award was received by his son and daughter-in-law, Peping and Nini Villa Panganiban, long-time South San Francisco residents.

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No fear of flying for this intrepid group. Travel bugs are just raring to go to far away places, and these days China seems to be the lure because of its perceived safety, antiquity and history and inexpensive cost. Chita and June Belmonte are flying in from Las Vegas on March 21 to join an exclusive package tour that will be going to Beijing, Suzhou (said to be the Venice of Asia), Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Ed and Jean Fabian will be coming to SFO from Los Angeles, while close friends Corazon Castaneda, Remy Brooks and their "leader," Aida Barrios, will be waiting for them at the airport for the 13-hour flight to the Chinese capital. The travelers have been honing their walking skills for the long trek up the Great Wall, the visits to the Forbidden City and Tienanmen Square, where Mao-Tse-Tung is refrigerated and shown to the public four hours a day.