DECEMBER 29, 2011 REUNION: OUTREACH BY DAY, MERRIMENT BY NIGHT

The last few days of the year were a busy time for school homecomings and class reunions among the many schools in our province of Camarines Sur.  For us of the Ateneo de Naga High School Class of 1983, we have been at it for the past four years, taking advantage of the positive energy generated from the successful 2008 school homecoming where our batch was the host.  

For this year 2011, the batch reunion is something special and sweet.  Why? Because this year’s reunion is the first time that we celebrated it in collaboration with the  lovely ladies of Colegio de Sta. Isabel (CSI) HS Batch 1983, and handsome gents of Holy Rosary Minor Seminary (HRMS) Batch 1983.         

Held on December 29, 2011, it was an enjoyable  and meaningful celebration.  No surprise  as this triple joint reunion was the brain child of CSI leader, Bitang Llacer-Sanchez, a dear friend, with exceptional organizing skills.   She coordinated this with HRMS members Fr. Rey Caceres, parish priest of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish, Bombon and  Raul Relloso. 

 The outreach lead organizer Bitang Llacer-Sanchez of     CSI with Fr. Alex Badiola, SJ of Ateneo and Fr. Rey of     
                               Caceres of HRMS                                  

The December 29 reunion was two-part.  Held in the morning was the first part which was an outreach  effort focused on the town of Bombon. The second part was a dinner reunion in Champagne Garden in Naga City. 

The December 29 outreach activities included the following :

1.      Medical/Dental Mission for 450 residents of the municipality of Bombon

Colegialas manning the medicine distribution

Nurse volunteers at the medical mission

Doctor volunteers at the medical mission

    Our classmate, Dr. Batoy Claveria of Buhi, in action at the medical mission

   Colegialas outnumber Atenistas 2 is to 1  at  the medical mission

2.      Feeding session for 600 chidren of  Bombon

Eager to start the feeding

Colegialas’ turn at the feeding session

Colegialas and Atenistas helping each other at the feeding session

Cooperation

Ed Balcueva with our batch scholar Carlo Reburiano

Our classmate, Fr. Alex,  in the thick of things

Enjoying the food with the kids

Trying my hand in the feeding

Young ones at heart

3.      Gift giving for 100 families of Bombon.

In front of the altar for gift giving

   Lorenzo Cuyo of Ateneo and Evelyn Bellen of Colegio    handing over the gifts

Val Gonzalez, Fr. Rey and Jun Cereno lining up to give

Bec Brillo at the gift giving

The outreach would not have been a success without  the support of Mayor  Ma. Luisa Angeles and her staff, plus the many nurses, social workers,  doctors and dentists who volunteered.  Of course, many Colegio, Seminario and Ateneo classmates (local and abroad) donated money, medicines, food and gift items to the endeavor.

With Fr. Rey and Bombon Mayor

       With colegiala Angelica Belgado, a grade school         classmate  at La Consolacion, who came from Canada

83neans with Bec Brillo, who came from California

The dinner reunion was ably emceed by Nannah Zaens of CSI. The dinner party started at 6pm and lasted until the early morning hours (3am) of the following day.  Proof positive that many, if not all,  enjoyed.  More than the usual number  classmates attended the dinner reunion.  I counted more than 60 Colegialas and more than 30 Ateneans. HRMS had 7.  On the part of the Ateneans, we have Ed Ventura (thru his radio program) and Allen Tolledo (for his constant kakulitan)  to thank for mobilizing our classmates.  Plus, we have our North America-based classmates (Gerry Cortez, Dan Espiritu, Jonel Villegas, Vic Perez, Joseph Navera and many more) for their contributions in making the dinner financially feasible. 

Nannah with the early birds of the dinner party

The lovely ladies of Colegio de Sta. Isabel HS Batch 1983

The handsome few of the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary

The cool gents of Ateneo de Naga HS Batch 1983

With Fr. Rey, Jovy Tataro and Pinky Villasenor

With such an enjoyable reunion, we have a lot to thank for in 2011.  Foremost among them is the gift of friendship, without which the cooperation from the 3 batches for this joint undertaking would not have been possible.

   Friends in high school, friends in outreach : Joel Tresvalles, Butch Concon, Ruben “Fards” Fajardo  and Art Abonal        

Maraming maraming salamat.