"Gahom 100" means Grand Alumni Homecoming of the University of the Visayas' 100th anniversary. This is a very auspicious and memorable event to be attended by no less than one thousand alumni coming all the way from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and all Asia-Pacific countries. The one thousand confirmed attendees will represent more than one million alumni who studied in UV from 1919 to 2019, one hundred years. The former governor of Cebu, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and four-time congressman, now Talisay City Mayor Atty. Eduardo R. Gullas, together with Dr. Jose “Dodong” Gullas, and their sister Mrs. Gliceria Gullas Lucero, and all the Gullases, will grace the occasion and meet the alumni from all generations.
Gahom 100 will be highlighted by a literary musical extravaganza and shall be climaxed by the proclamation of 100 most eminent UV alumni, topped by the Ten Most Outstanding Visayanians on July 27 this year to be held in a five-star hotel. The criteria for the choice of eminent alumni and most outstanding Visayanians are; character, competence, commitment, and core principles. Character includes probity and integrity, proven records of honesty in the exercise of his profession, business and field of endeavor. Competence includes academic and professional excellence, civic awards and achievements, and other recognitions. Commitment is shown by concrete contribution to community, country, and profession. And core principles include being godly, just, peace-loving, and charitable.
Gahom 100 was launched by the UV community last January 12, the birth anniversary of the University's great founder, Don Vicente A. Gullas. There will be a series of lectures to be given by well-recognized Visayanians in the fields of law, medicine, education, commerce, accountancy, engineering, architecture, nursing, dentistry, criminal justice, maritime education, and other fields. One confirmed symposium to be held on April 13 this year is one that shall tackle the topic on Education Laws and their Relevance in the Millennials' Era of VUCA (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, and Ambiguous). Speakers shall include three UV alumni, Justice Portia A. Hormachuelos, Justice Pampio Abarintos, and former undersecretary Josephus B. Jimenez.
Gahom 100 will also feature a “Misa Cantada” on the morning of July 27, to be solemnized by a number of Visayanians who are now religious and secular priests. There will also be an exhibit in 100 booths to be manned by the satellite units of UV, including Danao, Compostela, Mandaue, Pardo, Toledo, and others, and also by the different academic departments, the various levels of education, kinder, primary, elementary, junior, and senior high school, and all the different colleges in UV. There will be a special booth for the Gullas Free Legal Assistance Group (Gullas FLAG), which shall be launched on that day. It shall provide free legal advice for UV alumni with some legal problems. This will continue as a regular project of the UV Gullas Law School.
UV is the fist and the oldest university in Cebu. It has already graduated Supreme Court and Court of Appeals justices, a senator (Ernesto F. Herrera), a number of congressmen, many provincial governors, a lot of city and municipal mayors, and hundreds of board members, councilors and other community leaders. It is an institution that has always remained faithful to its credo: Love, Leadership, and Service. Gahom 100 is a fitting celebration of such a monumental achievement.