A sincere remembrance will do

How does one begin this belated piece to atone for the many years one hasn't doffed his hat, or sung paeans for the teachers? In self-flagellation and mea culpa, one hasn't also kept tabs of when World Teachers' Day had been so designated and so observed.

A thousand and one alleluias and hosannas from pupils and later as students and, ultimately, become graduates and settle down in their chosen fields, or whatever, just often sounds taking for granted. In other words, the fact that they had molded the minds of the youth, that fact is gratitude enough, or par for the course. But gratitude has to be said and conveyed.

And so, on World Teachers' Day on October 5, one silently prayed to thank them as his heroes and heroines, and honor their memory for molding one's mind and personality in varying ways. Starting at the Compostela Central School, then Miss Lucena Morre who was one's Grade I teacher and adviser, was bright, stickler to the right-hand Zaner Bloser writing as much better than left-hand awkward counter-flow writing, and very meticulous in basic English phonetics.

One's Second Grade teacher was the beauteous and dignified Mrs. Dativa Saniel whose husband was the Principal, Mr. Saniel, who had the prettiest signature one has ever seen until now, and whose younger son Deodato was one's best friend then.

Caught by the outbreak of World War II in December 1941, our Grade III class under Mr. Pedro Casia - close friend of one's father and a very good mentor - had to close. He turned out a reserved military officer then, and so, just shifted to the Cebu Guerilla Command.

The post-war Grade Four class was an automatic acceleration of the pre-war Grade Three, upon return of classes with Mr. Bartolome Bacalla as class adviser-teacher. He was a scrupulous music teacher and talented in voice culture and classic music, like, "Blue Danube". He was so finicky as regards the English language in its correct usage and diction.

Our Grade 5 class had as adviser Mrs.Cristina Calo who was a superb disciplinarian, and an ace teacher in Arithmetic and other subjects. Handling the Industrial Arts subject was Mr. Mariano Gomez from Danao, and a jolly good fellow.

Mr. Paulo Durano of now Danao City was our youngish class adviser-teacher. The Sixth Grade class was well-disciplined. Mr. Paulo Durano was smart, very knowledgeable, and good motivator with his witty anecdotes and practical jokes. While at first he seemed very strict, it turned out he really had a big heart.

With the Grade 6 class also accelerated - at least some 10-15% of the upper echelon - to High School sometime in November, 1946, the accelerated few had to enroll in a First Year special class from November to June, 1947 in Cebu City mostly.

Enrolled in November, 1947 in the Visayan Institute as Freshman had been a new experience and inter-mingling sets of classmates, and adjusting to new teachers, up to higher secondary years until high school graduation in school year 1949-1950. Our Freshmen teachers were Atty. Dominador Mordeno, Miss Patrocinia Vasquez, Miss Nanny Vasquez, Mrs. Vasquez, and Atty. Cesar Cabahug; then, followed Mrs. Lilia Tabotabo, Mr. Isidro Pacaldo, the Misses Tago sisters, and Miss Isidora Sanchez as the Sophomore faculty when the VI became the University of the Visayas (UV) as Cebu's first university sometime in 1948.

Our Junior year faculty members were Mrs. Isidora S. Pastor, Miss Teresita Joaquino, Atty. Elias Mendoza, Mr. Eugenio Labella, and Engr. Castillo. In the Senior Class, our teachers were Mrs. Carmen V. Seno, Mr. Arturo Cuizon, Mrs. Pacifica V. Cuizon, Miss Lilia Casas, Mr. Ismael Pastor and Mrs. Marcelina Samson.

It's a crowing matter that one's teachers in the elementary and the secondary levels - the basic education - were professionally proficient, experienced, and academically well-grounded. Thanks a lot, sirs and ma'ams!

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