BATCH ’97 REUNION DEC. 2010
I’m so glad to see all of you here gleefully joining our batch reunion today...and I feel honoured for giving me this opportunity to speak infront of you again after 13 long years...
My dear batchmates.., friends.., and guests...
A very pleasant afternoon!
High school reunion, as what we’re having right now, is perhaps one of the most exciting, surprising, and much-awaited occasions we have in our lives, most especially when we hold it during the Christmas season like now, while we joyfully celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.
High school reunion is not only about meeting our old friends and making new ones... It’s more than dancing, singing, and speeches... It is about remembering our beloved Alma Mater - the MMSU-LHS Paoay Campus. It is about reminiscing the good old days and the not so good memories we had during our high school days.
Looking back to the time when we initially entered the portals of MMSU Paoay, we were then the young and innocent boys and girls, excited to experience high school life. We were then called “the freshies,” or “the freshmen” – the small but terrible ones. I know you can still remember when we won in the different contests held by the different organizations in the campus. Inspite of our young age and frail bodies, we were already achievers in the different fields like singing, dancing, acting, writing, poster-making and of course sports.
I can still remember when we had our first skit in Social Studies I... the gorgeous Joseph Rebadulla playing Lapu-lapu, the gentleman Tom Tabije III acting as Magellan, my friend Jehmar Tabili, one of the most talkative persons in the class yet very smart, playing as Datu and the others who played as Spaniards and Filipinos. Friendships and camaraderie were built and nurtured and so with courtship, I guess, among several of our batchmates.
1 year after, we were then called the “sophomores”. I remember the graceful folk dancers and modern dancers of our batch like Anthony, Anmi, Apy, Arione, Tom, Gen, Vladimir, Emi, Marieflo, Donna, Irine, Linda, and so on, trained by our D.I.s in the batch like Cat-cat and Ronald, known as “Rada” today. Again, we actively joined the different contests and we proved our “manongs” and “manangs” in the campus that inspite of our very young age, we were like tumors that were rapidly growing as a team honing our talents and skills.
Then came our Junior year which was filled with excitement, laughter, and perseverance. Do you still remember your first dance during our JS PROM? So do I... What about the exhausting yet fun-filled COCC training we had? – the dog tags we wore, the merits and demerits we got from Mr. Lino, the tiring undertakings we had? Those experiences contributed to what we have become now.
Plus... what really I missed the most during our 3rd year was the group called “the Pansy Pearls” – the first lady band formed in MMSU Paoay, with Lanie as the lead guitarist; Genamae – the base guitarist; Joylene, the organizer of today’s batch reunion, played the keyboards; Helen, Tessa, and Farah Grace – the vocalists, and yours truly as the lady drummer. How I wish we can perform again!
Our 3rd year in the campus was not only fun-filled but also a naughty year...Remember the sensational “the clock” directed by Jehmar and produced by Joylene...which made a mentor got angry, and it was so famous that it even caught the attention of our guidance counsellor. Well, that should not be taken as a purely negative remark against our batch but rather, it was just a spice and gave color to our being so adventurous adolescents back then.
Days flew fast until we finally reached the peak of our high school life – the senior year... It was a tough year for most of us for it was during this year that we were reshuffled and thrown away to our respective planet. There was Venus, Jupiter, Neptune and Mercury (where I belonged) – the hottest section for I and my friend Jehmar, have been branded most of the time as rivals for four consecutive years...
Then came the commencement exercises... I knew all of us had mixed feelings then - Happines for we had finished our secondary education with flying colors, pride and gratitude for the unending support of our parents and mentors, and at the same time, sadness for we and our best friends were parting ways, and had worries of what path we’re going to take. Maybe some of us would have even questioned themselves “What’s life after high school?” or “What course am I going to take?” or maybe...“Where in the world am I going” Well, I for instance, asked myself if I’d be going to pursue my ambitious dream...It was a tough decision I made...I followed my dream – that is, to pursue medicine and become a physician. I knew, it was really hard mentally, physically, and financially. I knew, I needed a sound mind and soul. And I was persistent…Now I believe that dreams do come true!...we have our own dream...we have our own ambition... no matter how small or how big that dream is, what’s important is its realization and the fulfillment it brings. If your dream has not come into reality yet, it’s important that you tried reaching it...you enjoyed and learned. Some of us may have not reached the peak of success yet,...but keep on trying...Continue to dream on and hope...
And before I forget, to those who got married and have kids at an earlier age, don’t worry too much about how you look now. What’s more important is the happiness you have, the love you feel with your husband, and the responsible parenthood you render to your kid/kids.
And lastly, to the “singles” like me, I congratulate us for staying single up to now... There’s probably a better perspective ahead of us. Cheers to the “singles”!!!
Well, I still have so many stories to share with you, my batchmates but I guess I have to cut it short to give chances to others to speak and share their experiences. I know each of us here has his/her own story to share. And I’m eager to listen...
Happy reunion!!! Enjoy and have fun!
And I want to greet everyone a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
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Dr. Mia
