The title of this blog sums it all up!

Yes, folks, out of the 200+ members of the 4 sections of St. Theresa's College-High School Class of 1997, for the Aluminum Homecoming, only 7 gals were die-hard enough to turn up... And I'm proud to be one of them, and the only representative of Section B (Well, at least all four sections had at least one representative)...

So, what were we up to? We decided not to attend the Eucharistic Celebration as it was already late when all of us were together. We had photo sessions by ourselves (initially right underneath the chapel... then our former SS Teacher sort of reprimanded us so we transferred to the quadrangle--Some things never change!). After that, we decided to check out the high school building and found the brand new faculty room where we found... our former THE teacher! ->she hasn't aged a bit in 10 years!!! She showed us the fountain (aha, so that's where our tuition fees went to!) behind our 1st year classrooms (presently the third year classrooms), and the new sewing room.

Afterwards, since 4 of us didn't pay for the dinner, we went to Mango Square for more chika, snacks for some and dinner for the rest. We then headed back to STC, first for more pics (with St. Theresa's statue at the oval near Mango gate, then in front of the Suarez display->yes the pins, medals, nameplates, metal works).

We then saw the program participated in by all the batches... except for us! Yup, sort of embarassing but we did get ideas already for what we can come up with in 5 years time. Two of us left before the program ended. After the program, we finally got hold of the official photographer (He happened to be the same person who took our class photos, ever since.... Prep!!!!) for our official photo and also had a photo op with our former Math teacher.

We then bade goodbye to those who already had dinner at Mango Square which left three of us to enjoy the Cafe Laguna catered dinner and the great music (no dancing for us though, we three still made chika galore shouting over the music, which happened to be right beside us!) I pleasantly surprise to see our THE teacher do a mean swing with one of the Platinum Jubilarians. At around 9pm, we called it a night and bade each other goodbye.

I guess the rest of my class missed a lot! We're hoping that come 2012, for our 15 year reunion, we could at least number around 1 section (50+), or better yet almost 200! But even if we number only 12 in 2012, I'm sure that it would still be a blast just like July 28, 2007 when only 7 turned up from STC-HS '97 for Homecoming '07!

I'm still a jobless doctor for the meantime, and I spent the morning of July 17 cleaning up my "writer's drawer".... and look what I dug up! A copy of my batch's prophecy (USC-BS Biology and Marine Biology) which I wrote way back in early 2001! I'm not sure now if it's the same one that I wrote for our JS prom, but it might be a copy of one I wrote about everyone in our batch (except myself of course, hehehehe!) for the CAS yearbook (which never materialized)..... Anyway... enjoy and apologies in advance to those of my classmates and friends who may not find their names below...BTW, made some very minor editing changes as well...Kabuang lang gyud ni!!!!

PS. To my classmates: this is the same thing I posted in our yahoogroups. You don't have to read it all over again... Unless you want to!

Prophecy

It is the year 2011. The biology and marine biology graduates of the year 2001 are holding a grand reunion of sorts in the occasion of the wedding of two of their own: Dr. Eugene Gabuya and Ms. Janice Tocao. So, how far have the class of 2001 traveled on this road of life? Let us then look into the lives of these individuals to see how much the Fates have favored them. Dr. Euge, as he is fondly called, has been enjoying tremendous success in coaching the USC Biology basketball team to its record 4th straight victory in the annual biolympics. Toki has just recently given up on pharmaceuticals and is now deeply involved in seaweed farming and processing with Jenny Lyn Melgo, PhD. Dr. Melgo also owns a world-reknowned catering business on the side.

Gwendolyn and Angelika, the batch's singing divas now jointly own a cyberaoke joint, "The Daydreamers", which is now the hottest craze in town. They sometimes perform duets in front of their clients to much applause and adulation. Gika also helps out divemaster Honeyluz's newly established "DIVE Shoppe". Aside from conducting dive lessons and renting out dive equipment, Honey is also the accomplished head coach of a promising group of young swim champs. Jehllean is another of the enterprising members of Batch 2001. She is now the proud owner of an up-and-coming disco joint dubbed the "Jabongga-jabongga", which rivals Zero Below and H2O. She is currently planning another similar venture with batchmates Rhea and Juliet to put up "Rodent House" in Mandaue City. Juliet, former Ms. Biolympics is now the most sought-after image model of all sorts of beauty products. She is also assisting Dr. Negapatan in the field of medical research involving cloned rodents as test subjects. On the other hand, reknowned psychiatrist Dr. Formentera has established a cutting edge communications industry, recently establishing its first international head office near Pune University, India.

Among its ranks, the batch has produced two of its own who are members of the noble teaching profession. Professor Chester Brazalote, fondly called Sir Oblong by his students has been teaching biology to sophomore high school students for eight years now at a certain exclusive school for girls. Although considered as the "kilabot ng mga highschoolers", this family man is surprisingly devoted to his pretty and loving wife. Dr. Sherryl Lipio, on the other hand had been assistant professor teaching advanced college biology subjecta at MSU-IIT. but was just recently fired from her position...Rumor has it that a group pf concerned parents filed a joint complaint when it was discovered that her male students just couldn't concentrate on the subject matter since they were concentrating on her in class... She is now weighing the option of taking another round of post-graduate studies either in Harvard or in Oxford University.

Dyosa Marie Poquita, M.Sc. and Maria Lourdes Docoy, M.Sc. have been quietly engaging in their prawn farming business when Ms. Poquita discovered a new species of sea slug. After careful taxonomic studies, she named the new species Didinus slugisimus after her business partner. Meanwhile, Dr. Cabaitan is now the Cebu Chapter head of the Philippine National Red Cross. His beloved wife Kareen has just retired from her modeling career after giving birth to her fifth child. She plans to collaborate with Jenny and Jehllean in their present business ventures.

James, known to the batch by his surname Saso, is now peacefully setting up home with his wife on a deserted tropical island. Their only means of communicating with the world is through a single two-way radio unit. On a nearby island, Mark Dimzon, PhD. and Mike Joshua Palomar, PhD. are now deep into their top-secret research ventures. Nobody really knows what they are exactly up to for the sake of science... Deaver Merin has migrated to the US to fulfill his repressed rockstar dreams... People are still trying to determine exactly how many hearts he has broken along the way... Frankie Ligas now has double PhD.'s and is putting up a military science training facility right next to the Ligas School of Biophysics. Fritzie has been practicing medicine in Cavite for the past couple of years... Her husband's foremost complaint is the havoc her 13 pet iguanas bring to their otherwise normal household.

After finishing medicine on scholarship at Southwestern University, Dr. Angelica Logarta began to teach in Gullas...after a year though, she opted to teach at Cebu Doc., where she has been instrumental in molding the minds of young aspiring doctors. Dr. Joy Adolfo is a fellow in the field of psychiatry like Dr. Formentera. She has been taking care of patients the "Patch Adams Way". Due to the high demand for her services in the field though, she is also a practicing pediatrician. Dr. Abe Montejo has surprisingly opted not to practice after passing the medical board exams... He was last seen digging throught the muddy substrate in the middle of the Kawasan Falls after having discovered still another new species of polychate. He is said to be looking for other waterfall sites to start digging in. The malpractice suit against Bimbo Tequillo has just been dismissed. It involved a patient in the waiting room who died after a case of excessive laughter. Dr. Elmer Kent Lopez, an obstetrician-gynecologist who holds office next door to Dr. Tequillo was named and accessory to the much publicized "laughter crime". That case has also been dismissed. Dr. Lopez is also often chosen as a keynote speaker on events honoring the National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

So many achievements in a decade of time... Surely, there is more in store for Biology and Marine Biology batch 2001 in the years ahead... Only time will tell what greater heights these favored mortals would be able to reach as Time unrolls its thread of life...

I picked this up in one thread of the Catholic Answers Forum. I Find it interesting since aside from being a medical doctor, I also took a bachelor's degree in biology as an undergraduate course. Here's the article link: Birth-control pills poison everyone?

Kind acts of any sort are

Indeed rewarded by more kind acts in turn.

Be a giver of joy to others

And you shall receive joy in return.

We seem to be all connected in some way...

Everyone is part of the full circle.

Be able to

Understand the different

Kinds of

Individuals around you for in

Doing this, you shall

Not be lacking the understanding

Of others too.

Never be afraid to be of service to others.

-jara- (c.2000, re-edited 2007)

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This was the first rural service project I volunteered in, way back in the summer vacation before my senior year in college. Aside from the poem, I also found a longer article I wrote about my experiences. Unfortunately though, I only have a few pictures of that memorable week (alll in print form).

My other concern, Banilad Study Center's official newsletter, FOCUS is finally at the printers!!!I'm expecting to get the draft print by tomorrow and 500 copies by late next week! Hooray!