Pergola E-dyaryo, July 2009

July 2009

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS . . . Steering Committee  Daisy Barawidan  Lala David  Sherry David  Marita Legaspi  Cecile Lowlicht  Sol Oca  Mike Palileo  Emma Villa­Real    

Communications  Committee Rose Constantino  Gilda Fule­Prael  Sylvia C.Leonard  Salve Neelankavil  Ronie Nieva  Giocky Oca  Lulut Valte          Editors  Mike Palileo  Yvette Jarencio               

Opening Event

A L U M N A PR O F I L E

Dinner at Enrile Home in Henderson, Nevada

Cecile “Babes” Mandanas-Enrile By Eleanor Topacio-Long Cecile Mandanas  graduated  from  St.  Scholastica’s  College in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Commerce, one of the first in the batch of commerce graduates from St Scho. After college, Babes flew to the States to further her studies in Lansing, Michigan. After only one semester, she visited New York and stayed. In 1970 she married pathologist Dr. Fernando Enrile, currently an Emergency Room physician in Los Angeles.

Grace before meals led by Sr Josefina Nepomuceno

Fernando and Babes have three children—Edwin, Jonathan, and Pamela. A stay-at-home mom, Babes devoted her time to raising her children in Long Island, New York. Tragically, Babes lost her middle child Jonathan when he was killed in a robbery at his Florida State University dorm. He was 21 years old and a junior college student. Her son Edwin, now 39, lives in Las Vegas; so does daughter Pamela, 33. Her grandson Marcus Jonathan is 6 weeks old and is Edwin’s son. Babes and her family moved to Las Vegas about eight years ago. For the last five years, she has been nurturing her love for dancing. She dances two hours a day, five days a week, and has been competing in ballroom dancing. Her passion for dancing inspired her to challenge her committee of nine dancers to perform for the reunion dinner dance. And dance they did to the song “Big Spender.” These ladies were show  stoppers!

What a spread!

Two nights before the dinner dance, Scholasticans caravanned  to  Babes  Enrile’s  home  for  the  opening  event – a buffet dinner for close to 100 guests. The Mandanas  sisters’  hospitality  and  planning  turned  a  casual invitation to dinner into a graciously elegant gourmet  feast.  “Sumptuous”  and  “tasty”  do  not  adequately describe the extraordinary dishes prepared from scratch by Babes and her sister Nymia, from the refreshing sago with gulaman to a variety of barbecued meats, seafood, a cornucopia of fruit, and delicious Filipino desserts.

Mandanas sisters Babes and Nymia with Sr Jonep

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Babes, who had served as SSAA East Coast president in 1989-1990, chaired the 2009 Las Vegas Host Committee.  Together  with  Precy  Almonte  (HS  ’59),  Girlie de Guzman (HS ’59), Tere Borja (HS ’64), Bing  Chong  (College  ’63),  Melanie  Persson  (College  ’63),  Orchid  Sideco  (HS  ’68),  and  Mona  Misa  Cladis  (HS  ’71),  the  committee  gave  Scholasticans a most unforgettable reunion. To Babes and the host committee, a million thanks for a wonderful time.

July 2009

SSA SECOND GRAND REUNION - LAS VEGAS PHOTO SPREAD

SSC singers hit the high notes (Sol Oca on right) Young and Old alums breaking bread (Teresa Feria-Nieva HS 39 at left)

Reunion planners dressed to the 9’s

Fan those Fans!

Scholastican husbands and one happy nun

Before Sunday Mass with Fr Ben

HS Class of ’70 – Big Reunion Grins before losing at casino

“Big Spender” – Babes Enrile’s dance team

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The Las Vegas Host Committee HS 62/Coll 66 at the Ball (Jonathan and Lourdes Wooley at right)

Group photo with HS ’65 (includes Eleanor, Patty, Sherry, Eva) At Saturday Forum (Lala David-Amoros and Dada Javier-Tan, right)

Emma Fernandez Villa-Real and family at Dinner Dance

Nymia, Prissy, and Remy at Saturday conference Dolly Tirona-Fenix (below) takes notes at conference

Eva Pascual-Cullen (West Coast organizer) welcomes all

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July 2009

“MAY YOU BE PROUD OF THE NAME SCHOLASTICAN” First Keynote Speech – Las Vegas Reunion

The Sisters took in poor girls as boarders who helped in the housework and were given elementary and religious instruction.

by S. Josefina G. Nepomuceno, OSB I feel wonderful to be with you this morning and during the days of the 2nd Grand Reunion of St Scholastica here in Las Vegas. I didn’t expect this and I still can’t quite believe that I’m here with  you to enjoy the company of women, most of whom I knew as young girls in their early teens. Now you are women of accomplishment, competent and efficient each in her own area of work or activity. A good number of you are past Ruby jubilarians, still full of energy, stamina, good looks, and passion for life. You’ve come a long way!

Thus, St. Scho became a school for young girls and young women of the upper class. Although care for the poor was part of their practice from the beginning, it was to be an adjunct, not a mainstream activity like the school for wealthy girls.

“Giving back . . . moving forward together” is the theme for your  reunion. I find this theme very appropriate for women like you who have such a great passion for life. Taking stock of all you have been given may make you realize that this is the time to share the good things you have received and enjoyed, so that your satisfaction in life will rise a notch higher than the mere accumulation of things, honors, and achievements, and you will feel the value of things of the heart and spirit.  It’s the time to give  back.

A vital part of the Scholasticans’ formation as Catholics was the  development of awareness of the condition of the poor and the responsibility to help them. Visits to the poor were made part of the experience of the girls from the upper social levels. Welfareville was one of the places still in the memory of students. The annual Christmas drive for the poor was instituted quite early and was eagerly awaited by the students.

No doubt you have worked and worked hard to have what you have and to be where you are. Without denying that or diminishing it a bit, you still recognize the blessing. Sharing is a way of saying “thank  you,”  a  way  of  acknowledging  that  now,  your time, skills, talents, gifts, blessings can be given back to the community and society that has in some way supported and nurtured you. St. Paul in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians said: “God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything at all times, and  may  give  abundantly  for  any  good  work.”  (2  Cor  9:7b-8) “God who provides the sower with seed will also provide him with  the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interests of your good works. Become rich in every way, and give abundantly. What you give will become through us, a thanksgiving.” (2 Cor 9:9-11)

Another part of the Catholic formation of the students was the sharing of their faith by the teaching of catechism to children in public elementary schools. Many a young boy or girl was prepared for First Communion by Scholasticans under the supervision of the Sisters.

Quickly it was realized that the education of young women in the Philippines was very significant because of the role of women in Philippine society. Women occupied an influential position in their parental home and were highly regarded Social Awareness

Formation in Sharing

As missionaries, the Sisters fostered mission consciousness and support in their students. There used to be the figure of a little black child sitting on a box; when one dropped a coin as donation,  the  child  nodded  its  head  as  if  to  say  “thank  you.”   Broom drives for the missions in the Mountain Provinces and sewing church linen were some of the ways the students were exposed to helping the poor and the missions. In the 50s and 60s, there was the drive for funds for the Propagation of the Faith. For several consecutive years, SSC brought home the flag as highest in contribution so that it found a permanent home in the school.

This is actually very Scholastican. In preparing for this talk, I went back to the talk I gave to the American Studies Association of the Philippines in 2004. This piece has been published as one of the articles in the centennial book, Daughters True. I wanted to trace the line of development of the value of sharing and giving back.

There was thus a tradition from the first years of St. Scho of forming the students in serving, giving and sharing. You yourselves will remember your own experiences of service, sharing and giving.

A School for the Upper Class

Education for Participation in Mission (Post War Years) Social Action and Social Responsibility

When the pioneer German Missionary Benedictine Sisters first came to the Philippines in 1906, they were full of zeal for the new mission of education that became theirs in the Philippines. Their imaginations were full of the tales of missions in Africa, and as missionaries they wanted to serve the poor. But for practical economic reasons, in the Philippines they had to quickly modify their initial aim and established instead a school for the daughters of upper class families.

After World War II, as part of the reconstruction, a Social Action Center was set up to revitalize work with the poor. More than just doling out material assistance, the work was the organization of the poor to fight for their rights. Then there was action on behalf of justice for the poor which was concurrent with the activism of the First Quarter Storm in the late 60s and early 70s. Scholastican student leaders were actively involved in the protest movement and joined the political rallies, often with the sisters. Some of you might have been there. This was a different kind of service and giving.

Archbishop  Harty  appreciated  the  Sisters’  disappointment  in  not  being able to open a school for the poor. He tried to console them  with  the  argument  “that  any  accomplishment  with  our  students will have its repercussion on the poorer classes, for parents of our children keep a number of housemaids who in turn can  be  taught  by  our  graduates.”  (The Missionary Benedictine Sisters in the Philippines 1906-1980, S. Caridad Barrion, OSB, 1982, p. 105). Remember, that was the thinking in 1906 and we cannot make a judgment in 2009 on how they thought then.

The big flood of 1972 challenged the Sisters and their students to mobilize. They gathered and transported relief goods to the stricken towns in Pampanga. They initiated an outreach project of rehabilitation, bringing students and parents to experience the way of life of the farmers and to actually work side by side with them. Thus did social awareness become a reality, as Scholastican education became a dialogue of life with the 4

farming class. Only the declaration of Martial Law put an end to this unique educational experience that could have been effective in bridging the social and economic gap for the teachers, the students, their parents, and one may daresay, the farmers.

My parting words to you: Grab the opportunities to make a difference in your communities, parishes, places of work. May you all be graced with deeper appreciation of your gifts in health, family, career, and success.

Then, in 1975, St. Scho took the lead among the Benedictine schools in defining itself as a socially oriented school. The theme Education for Justice was adopted. The curriculum, methodology, and co-curricular activities were re-oriented towards social awareness and commitment to social justice of the whole academic community (from SSC College Faculty Manual, 1998, pg 2).

May you reap the blessing of gratitude for the ways God has been with you and supported you. May  you  be  proud  of  the  name  “SCHOLASTICAN”—known not only for ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE and OUTSPOKEN MINDS—but for LOVE, CARE, and COMPASSION.

Education for Justice

Finally and especially, dear Scholasticans, may you sustain the Benedictine orientation of glorifying God in all things.

In 1985, on the tenth year of social orientation, St. Scho took its awareness  of  women’s  issues  and  concerns  a  step  further  by  offering  women’s  studies  in  college  and  gender  sensitivity  seminars. The Institute of Women’s Studies was established as a  training and resource center for women of all walks of life and from different cultures to come together and share their experience. St. Scho is a pioneer in women empowerment. Since 1975, Scholastican education has been guided by a yearly theme.  Thus “Education for Justice” for many years was followed  by themes on the self awareness of the Filipino woman, women and environment, women in national development. Justice and peace have been the recurrent themes as well as Benedictine values. From 2000 until 2006, transforming communities of peace was the main theme, reflecting the response of the Benedictine Sisters to the world situation of conflict, injustice and oppression. Seeking peace, building peaceful relationships, and strengthening effective witness to Christ have been the focus in different years which were communicated to all sectors of the community: students, teachers, personnel and parents. These themes were incorporated into the syllabi as well as in the various school activities. The social involvement activities took on the color of the themes. There were Peace rallies, Peace camps, and Peace fora.

“We just raised $6000!”

Around the year 2000 when the National Service Training Program became mandatory for College Year I, the Lay Apostolate started to merge with NSTP so that now the program is credited as NSTP under the organizational guidance of the Social Action Center. Here are some of the programs: Work in parishes, linking with Gawad Kalinga, Munting Barangay Learning Center, medical missions, skills training, religious instruction, outreach recollections and retreats, and distribution of relief goods to victims of disasters and calamities. The message that the Scholastican realizes in all the exposures and experiences of commitment to service to the less privileged and to the country is that she who has received so much through her education is expected to give back of herself, her time, gifts, skills, energies, and earnings.

Patty Villanueva-LeMay with Sr Jonep and Roman soldiers

The message is also for all Scholasticans. In particular, Scholasticans like you who have made good, you who have bloomed where you were planted. What return can you give to the society that has nurtured you, challenged you, rewarded you? What can you contribute to the Church that has tried to continue to nourish you with the gift of eternal life? How can you invest your vast pool of talent of every imaginable facet to make a difference in your community, your church, your organization, your network of relationships? What can you give back to the country of your birth? What can you do for St Scho at this time of necessary projects with limited resources? Of diminishing enrollment, to whom to sow the seeds of Scholastican formation for personal and societal transformation?

She likes to boogie! (who knew??)

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July 2009

“NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO RETREAT OR RETIRE” My job was to work with malnourished children. There were thirty-three American women volunteers sent and I was the only Filipino. We partnered with government workers in an effort to alleviate malnutrition.

Second Keynote Speech, Las Vegas Reunion by Cayan Topacio I am humbled, and truth be told, quite embarrassed to be up here today speaking to such a distinguished group. I was asked to share with you some of my life experiences, particularly those that relate to volunteerism, citizenship, political action, and being a Scholastican. I think the intent is to motivate and inspire.

In one of my home visits, I found a woman living in a small, dark, putrid cave-like space with the ground as her floor and the bottom of someone’s home as her roof. She had nothing . . . no  furniture, no light . . . nothing. She had three naked children, crouched in the dark, and she was feeding her baby from a bottle of Royal Tru-Orange. They were living like rats. I went into shock! I managed to take them to Philippine General Hospital. And that very afternoon, I went to my program manager and demanded to be transferred out of Santa Ana. I threatened the Peace Corps and said if they did not transfer me then I would terminate and go back to the States.

Quite frankly, I am not a motivational speaker so I will not even try. Instead, what I want to do is share with you a couple of stories, lessons learned in life, and talk about possibilities. The first lesson is that money is not the answer. It helps, but it  doesn’t  solve  everything. So rest assured, I will not end my speech by asking you for money.

I asked to be transferred to the rural areas. I reasoned there at least with rural poverty people still had hope, even though it might be false hope. I spent the remaining twelve months in Cebu

In 1968, a month before my high school graduation, our house in Pasay burned down. My older sisters Gloria and Eleanor and my brother were already living in the States so our parents decided not to rebuild and instead move to the States. My younger sister Kathleen, Mom, Dad and I found temporary housing at an apartment in Vito Cruz close to St. Scholastica. I graduated, my parents gave away all their household stuff saved from the fire, and with just our clothes, moved to the Manila Hotel for a few days prior to our departure.

Fast forward twenty years later. I married a public official and when Nelson Mandela visited Seattle to raise money for his foundation in South Africa, my husband and I were invited to a small dinner party to honor Mandela, who with his wife were the guests of Craig McCaw, a pioneer in the cell phone industry. McCaw sold his business to what later became AT&T Wireless for billions of dollars. Included in the dinner party were the Governor of our state, Bill Gates and his wife, and several couples from the executive ranks of Microsoft, and other high tech companies. With the exception of Nelson Mandela, the governor and his wife, and of course my husband and me, the average net worth of individuals in that room must have been about 250 million dollars.

I’m not sure whether my classmates felt sorry for me or were glad  I was living in a hotel. Regardless, there was a constant stream of visitors and many of them were hanging out at the hotel restaurant enjoying the free food offered by my uncle who happened to be the hotel manager. My first few years in the States were difficult years. I missed my friends, and even though as a middle class Filipino I was familiar with American culture, I still found it very difficult to navigate and break through the social and cultural order. My mother gave me the best advice. She said, “Keep the good that is Filipino and  learn  the  good  that  is  American.” This became my guiding philosophy. I made some new friends, finished college, and then in an act of defiance– I didn’t particularly like the fact that I got uprooted and  separated from my friends, or maybe guilt that I managed to escape the poverty of the Philippines, or idealism or just being naïve, or just plain stupidity, I decided to join the Peace Corps and specifically requested to be sent to the Philippines.

I sat there realizing that now I was witnessing extreme wealth. I mean, here was the richest man on earth. No one else exceeds him. No one has one more penny than him. What an overpowering fact. As I sat there at the dinner party, the image of the woman in Santa Ana with her naked children flashed before me. I was witnessed to extreme poverty and extreme wealth and the distance between the two is unimaginable.

I was assigned to the slum areas of Santa Ana. The Peace Corps manager thought that because I grew up in Manila, I would easily adapt.

Fortunately for the world, Bill Gates has decided to use his wealth to narrow the divide by providing among other things health care and education to the poorest of the poor. And he has admitted that it will take more than his foundation to solve the problem. I have conceded the space of fighting poverty to Bill Gates, as I think he is better equipped than I to do it.

Sr. Jonep, and maybe some of you know about working in the slums. But, I tell you, nothing in my life prepared me for what I saw. The abject poverty, people living in cardboard houses, catwalks that spanned over open sewer, the squalor was so overwhelming. Seeing extreme poverty so close was too much for me. The despair, the hopelessness was too raw. These were people who had dreams of a better life but did not find it. For the urban poor this was the end of the line. I thought, how can there be life with no hope?

My second lesson is there is no such thing as a free lunch. After having failed miserably to eliminate poverty in the Philippines, I went back to the States and worked as a community organizer. My boss was a young Filipino American 6

who believed a responsive government would make a difference in  people’s  lives.  Our  mission  was  to  help  Asian  American  immigrants, especially new Vietnamese refugees and Korean housewives of military personnel. My boss reasoned that since America was rich in resources, it was the distribution of wealth that was the problem. Public resources, he argued, should benefit those in need and we were the advocates for the voiceless poor.

We should invest in those that are behind us. If not tuition assistance, then we should provide support for curriculum enhancement and make St. Scho a world class institution. We can support students. We can support teachers. We can provide mini-grants; we can provide full scholarships. The possibilities are endless. I hope that each one will begin to think about what we can do.

Our job was to insure that politicians and local officials were made sensitive to the needs of the communities we were serving. And if politicians and local officials were not sensitive to our communities, then the next logical step was to elect officials who would be. I’m  an  admirer of good government. When government works, positive things happen. Honest and hard-working government types and citizen volunteers make it possible for us to have clean air, running water, neighborhood zoning, reliable electricity, public education, transportation, libraries. The list of public goods that influence the quality of life is long. A year after we arrived, my parents saved enough money to buy a house. It was only a few years later when I learned that there was a time in America when people of color could not buy a house anywhere they wanted. And I learned there was a time when banks did not extend credit fairly, schools did not admit affirmatively,  and  women’s  wages  were  less  than  men  for  the  same kind of work.

East Coast/West Coast organizers speak…

Laws that require fair housing, equal access to credit, affirmative action, and gender equality made it possible for me to advance in America. I learned these things just didn’t happen by themselves.  Good citizens fought for these rights. Whenever I can, I encourage people to get involved with their government and their community. Please volunteer. Contribute your time and energy. Others before us fought for the things that we now enjoy. We should do our part to ensure the next generation’s quality of life is  not diminished. My last point is about education. Allow me to talk about possibilities.

…and participants sing fealty songs 

John Adams, founding father and second Vice President of this country said, “There are two educations. One should teach us  to make a living and the other how to live.” I think we got both types of education at St. Scholastica. Don’t lie,  don’t cheat, don’t steal, and all other Catholic moral codes guide  us how to live. But think about how well we have all done considering the difficulties that life threw at us. We have succeeded because of our excellent education. Whether we chose to be stay at home moms or women working outside the home, St. Scholastica provided us with the tools to succeed. So in thinking about possibilities, and what more we need to do, I suggest  we  don’t  look  too  far.  For  the last hundred years, St. Scholastica has been a great institution training women to be successful, productive human beings. We should continue to support this wonderful institution. A hundred years is already quite a history. I suggest we look at the next hundred years. The excellence of our life should not rest on our past; it should lie in what’s  ahead.  Now  is  not  the  time  to  retreat  or  retire.  No R&Rs  for a group as dynamic as this! Yes, we can focus on eliminating poverty, but recognize that is such a monumental challenge. We could work on government action, but I would guess only a few are politically inclined.

Dolly Tirona-Fenix writes Las Vegas Diary (pg 8-9)

What we share in common is the institution that gave us our education. We should examine what is being done now and where we can provide support and enrichment.

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July 2009

LAS VEGAS DIARY: “THOSE DAYS TOGETHER WERE VERY GOOD DAYS” The HIGHLIGHT of the day was the dinner hosted by Nymia and Cecile Mandanas at Cecile's place in Henderson. Three vans driven by Scholasticans arrived at Ballys to take us there. We arrived at a beautifully appointed home filled with Scholasticans, all the way to the patio and pool. Talk about an EXPLOSION of greetings and hugs!! How could one not be taken up by all the excitement and joy? Before we got our name tags we peered smilingly at each other, mustering up recognition. Questions of... Where do you live now? ... What do you do?.... How many grandchildren do you have? ... were repeated with each renewed acquaintance. ...... The name tags made things much easier. And then the exclamations were, "I know you !!!!" Someone came up to me and said, "Oh, you used to be so tall." .... Yes, I was in college when they were emerging from grade school. Memories of "Fanchong," the hero of "Crimson Eyebrows," the operetta were very much remembered ... as was Charry in "Lady's Lash", Judy and Celeste in "Bells are Ringing" and the inter-school production of "Camelot". Thanks to Fr. James Reuter and Buddy Paez, "legends" were made in our heyday. Hey, at 65 to be a legend is high compliment! But time evens out everything. Most of those there were batches behind us, but they had all come into their own right and being, and it was wonderful to witness.

by Dolly Tirona-Fenix

Well,  we  cannot  believe  that  after  months  of  emails,  a  bunch  of  us  from  HS'62/College  '66  actually  made  it  to  Las  Vegas  and  that  the  time  of  being  there has come and gone ... but not without capturing precious moments. Some  of us had not seen each other in 25, 30, 40­some years!!!! How magical to lay  eyes  on  each  other  after  so  much  time.  Girth  had  changed  for  all  of  us  regardless.  But  the  faces,  the  person  remembered,  was  the  same,  so  very  much the same! Judy Calvo (Olson) from Groveland CA, Nenita Chan (Tee with  her  husband,  Paul)  from  Lewisville  just  outside  of  Dallas,  TX,  Tessie  Cruz  (Villacorta)  from  Manila,  Marivic  "Kit"  Gomez  (Tully)  from  Pleasanton,  CA,  Lourdes  Uy  (Wooley)  from  New  York,  myself  from  Sarasota,  FL  ...  and  of  course the  Dynamo Scholastican who spans all class years ... Gloria Topacio  (Caoile  and  her  husband  Ben)  from  Springfield,  VA.  So  we  had  East  Coast,  West Coast, and the Philippines covered. After the first excited sitings, ecstatic  hugs, and the ever present mirth, one could also just sit back, watch, listen, and  just take it all in ...as quietly as possible. 

Something has to be said about the grand hospitality of the Mandanas sisters !! There must have been at least 80 guests, closer to a hundred. And the array of food! ..... Many of us couldn't wait and went for the dessert table first.... what with the bowls of icy sago-gulaman, the perfectly sweet and crunchy "turon na saging", the chocolate fountain for the luscious strawberries, Sans-Rival - Manila style, and other cakes. After Sr. Jonep said the thanksgiving prayer and blessed the feast before us, it was time for heavenly Filipino food!! .... Large platters and chafing dishes of Inihaw na Baboy, Spareribs, Pancit Bihon Guisado, mounds of Halabos na Hipon, Adobo, Inihaw na Isda, Menudo and more. Mind you these dishes were all excellently home-cooked. We couldn't thank Cecile and Nymia enough for the combination of company and food that made for a fantastic evening. There was the happily chaotic group picture taking, and the on-key, off-key singing of our SSC school songs. After all these years our voices were scanning for the tunes and our brains wracking for the words! But the sound of us singing was loud and happy! That was what counted. Gloria with her inimitable candor and fun-filled ways finally gathered everyone for final announcements about the center point of the reunion on Saturday. Breaking up at past 10 p.m. and leaving such a successful party, one could not help give credit to how we were trained at SSC ... those classes in interior home decorating and social graces with Mrs. Paez, the cooking classes with Ms. Ronquillo ... the lessons and tenets learned have been handily applied and enhanced by experience over the years. And I bet this is apparent in many of your homes as well.

Nenita Tee, Dolly Fenix, Gloria Caoile, Lourdes Wooley (HS 62), with Guest of Honor, Sr Josefina Nepomuceno JULY 7, TUESDAY: Lourdes and Jonathan (Wooley) arrived around the middle of the day. I came in later in the evening. We just wanted to settle in and be the ones waiting for the others to arrive. Gloria (Caoile) was already in full swing with the APALA conference she was simultaneously holding at Ballys ... this group was having an inter-generational gathering of Asian-Pacific islands alliance of people in the work force. But even with that hefty undertaking, Gloria made herself completely available to her classmates and the Scholastican group. JULY 8, WEDNESDAY: Gloria broke from her busy schedule to join Lourdes, Jonathan and me for lunch at the Paris arcade. We couldn't quite make out whether it was a boon or a bane to be transported to "Paris, France" with just a few meandering steps. Man-made settings have become so amazing, one easily forgets what is real. .... In the evening Lourdes and Jonathan caught an "oldies but goldies" show and I went to catch the Cirque du Soliel's "O" at the Bellagio. Our venues were accessible from Ballys by walkways and overhead pedestrian bridges along the main avenues. These, together with the Monorail, linked the different casinos on the Strip. ... The pedestrian bridges in the Ayala-Makati business/commercial area will give you some idea of this.

JULY 10TH, FRIDAY: After lunch Judy came to my room to chat and catch up on each other. Kit had just arrived and came up to join us. Judy brought her album of pictures taken at school and at parties and we had such a howling time naming each friend in the picture and reminiscing the occasions. -- Did we know then in the 60s that we were having the time of our lives?! ... It had been a long time since we just lay around in bed talking like "young girls" and not like the grandmothers that we were. It was nice ....really nice to

JULY 9, THURSDAY: 8

see, hear, feel ourselves bridging the years from then, to the moment we were in. That we were in Vegas was beside the point. We were together, that was it. And as Kit said to Judy...."Drop by for coffee on your way to Livermore." That type of casual encounter is good for our women-souls. Would that we can make it possible on a more often than not basis.

She mentioned the example of John Adams who said there two types of education - one is on how to make a living, and the other more important one is on -- how to live. And one last reminder to bring us out of our complacent, comfort zone ... the excellence of lives is not in the past --- it is in the present and the time yet to come. We still have a lot of work to do and we are so lucky to be equipped for it. .... Mind you, Cayan is first and foremost a devoted and very supportive wife to a man of great responsiblities and mother to her brood, on top of her commitments!

At 6:00 p.m. Lourdes, Jonathan, and Kit went to the cocktails hosted by the Topacio sisters, Gloria, Eleanor, Cayan and Kathleen. If there ever is a model for "sisterhood" .... the Topacios are it !! They are a Gang! ... a reliable back-up system for each other! .... they are an outreach group to all and each other. Their Mama should be so proud of these 4 women, her daughters. The rest of us had to leave for the Cirque's "KA"

For those of you who do not know CHARMAINE MANANSALA, she is the Senior Legislative Officer of the Department of Labor. She is the highest-ranking Filipino under the current administration. She is young, she is effective. For those of us who live in the U.S., we were reminded that being in the U.S. is not a pit stop --- it is home. And the same parallel is true for you, our dear friends there in Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines. Wherever it is ..... WE ARE HOME. We have to become involved in the politics of our home-grounds. Whether it is ourselves or those in governing offices-- we have to be reminded that: ... our hearts must feel for and get in touch with the people ... we must remain humble in our effectiveness ... we have to stop just being spectators and be involved.

at the MGM Grand as that was the performance we could catch during our stay in Vegas. JULY 11TH, SATURDAY: ---- FEAST OF ST. BENEDICT 8:00 a.m. found us all at the Las Vegas I conference room at the South Tower of Ballys - registering and having breakfast. The organizing committee had everything set up for the day. Let me tell you, these ladies are professionals ... Gloria HS'62, Eva Pascual Cullen HS'65, Cecilia Mandanas Enrile Coll'68, Mila Alvarez Magno Coll '67, and Emma Fernandez Villa-Real HS'65, Coll '69. We had three speakers for the morning: Sr. Jonep, Cayan Topacio, and Charmaine Manansala.

It was time to break-up into our class groups and synthesize what we are going to be about. I have to mention here that to his great credit, Jonathan Wooley sat by Lourdes and stayed with us for that day's conference. When it was time for our batch HS'62 / Coll'66 to give our report on the visual recording screen, we were identified as "The Group of John". We reported that we hoped that our batch's collection of $300 could get someone started and that we would continue to raise funds. We also said that we would stay connected to our SSC Amigas group and tie in what they can do more directly in Manila ... NOW COMES THE GALVANIZING MOMENT. ... Jonathan Wooley made a "Challenge grant" that if the whole group present at the reunion could come up with a $1000 collection by December of 2009, HE and LOURDES WOULD MATCH IT WITH ANOTHER $1000. Oh that got everyone awake and figuring out how to gather funds by December. ... THEN JONATHAN GAVE ANOTHER INCENTIVE --- IF THE GROUP COULD COME UP WITH THE INITIAL $1000 BY MASS-TIME THE NEXT DAY, THE WOOLEYS WOULD MATCH IT BY $2000!!! --- The frenzy of cajoling and coaxing contributions from each other was more fun than the games planned. --- I volunteered to gather the funds. Under an hour, the various contributions of cash and checks from the various class batches present reached $3000 ... we completed the initial $1000 for the challenge match ... so with Jonathan's check, in all we had $5000 to send home with Sr. Jonep earmarked for the scholarship program of SSC. .... SO THINGS CAN BE MADE TO HAPPEN IF WE OPEN OUR MINDS, OUR HEARTS AND OUR RESOURCES TO OTHERS.

SR. JONEP recapped for us how our Benedictine mentors raised us within our Filipino culture and with that special brand of Scholastican education that they hoped would prepare us not only to do well, but to do good. Remember the catechism classes we taught at the Pio Del Pilar public school and at Culi-Culi, our visits to hospitals, Welfareville and the home for the aged, the Singalong project, sewing altar vestments, visits to the poor. The Sisters knew what they were doing. They were training not only our minds, but developing our souls. as well. An ending reminder was a frequent quote from Sr. Mary Sylvester that it is not so much what we may have done, but the things we may have left yet undone. ... There is still so much before us. Our lives have brought us to levels of empowerment and competence ... we must seize the opportunities that abound to reach out and give back. We have been blessed, we have become more capable, and with all the advancements, even more connected now than ever before. We were lucky to have grown up in a setting of academic excellence. We now must exercise our options for the good of others, with outspoken minds and courageous action. It is not yet time to retire. CAYAN TOPACIO came next. You should have heard Gloria introducing her sister. The pride and joy she shared with us was because Cayan had, on her own, become a woman with a commitment to seizing opportunities that made a difference for others. The gem in listening to Cayan is that she could very well be anyone of us. But she learned to overcome her trepidations and face up to the challenge to make a difference no matter how heartbreaking or scary. These are what Cayan gave us to take home and use: .... Money helps, but it is not the answer. But we need to be involved in getting the right people to channel the resources to where they are really needed .... We must exercise our civic rights, seeking out public officials who are truly sensitive to needs of the people and help them get into office. .... We must recognize the fight of the people before us who brought us to where we are and continue their fight for the sake of those who will come after us - our children and grandchildren. ...

JULY 12TH, SUNDAY: IN CLOSING ... We had to come together to look into each other's eyes, to hear  each  other's  voices,  to  hold  on  in  tight  prolonged  hugs!  We  had  to  tell  each  other  of  our  gallant  husbands,  our  beautiful  children,  and  wonderful  grandchildren  ...  and  yes,  our  good  selves.    We  shared  disappointments  and  travails that beset each of our lives but after the telling, we didn't linger in those  dark  nights.    We  constantly  emerged  into  the  light  of  our  gratefulness  for  our  blessed lives ... our happy memories of being young ... what we might still be  able  to  look  forward  to  ...  promises  to    keep  in  touch  more  often  and  be  encouraging in challenges and commitments for the good of others ... promises  to  take  care  of  ourselves  and  those  we  love,  which  include  each  other.

9

July 2009

REUNITIS ATTENDIS door.  The room quickly filled up and soon the meeting started. We  had three speakers.  Charmaine  Manansala, the young woman who  talked  about  her  interest  and  involvement  in  DC  politics,  was  all  spunk  and  so  inspiring  that  I  wished  her  the  best.  The  second  speaker  was  Cayan  Topacio.  If  you  heard  her  speech,  you’d  wish  that  there  were  more  compassionate  people  like  her,  selfless  and  dedicated to all the  causes that  give hope  to the less fortunate.  Sr.  Josefina  Nepomuceno,  OSB  also  gave  a  short  talk  on  the  school’s  projects  for  alleviating  the  plight  of  the  poor.  That  gave  me  very  disturbing visions of a tiny second grader almost five decades back,  lugging a bag of rice almost half her weight.  

By Louella Pena Rosete (HS 70)

Reunitis is a very infectious disease and it comes in two categories:  reunitis  organizis  and  reunitis  attendis.  The  severity  of  the  infection  manifests different signs and symptoms. Reunitis organizis is more  virulent than the latter because the infected individuals with all good  intentions in mind and fevered by the desire to succeed in their cause  latch  on  to  a  single  potent  host,  unconsciously  or  consciously  building an impenetrable barrier of exclusivity. Reunitis attendis, on  the  other  hand,  is  the  milder  form  of  the  disease.  Manifestations  of  the  illness  range  from  curiosity,  an  uncontrollable  desire  to  bond,  reconnect, relive and rejuvenate, and express filial loyalty to an alma  mater. Most common treatments for reunitis are 500 mg capsules of  indifference  or  100  mg  tablets  of  insecurity.  Anti­social  pills  can  be  purchased over the counter from any hermit­owned pharmacy. 

We  were  divided  into  several  groups  and  asked  to  choose  the  program  we  wanted  to  support.  Almost  everyone  chose  the  scholarship  program  and  it  would  cost  about  $1,500  per  year  per  student. Now, we all know that asking for donations, especially in a  casino,  is  tricky.  You  have  to  play  your  cards  right.  Somehow  peralysis  makes  you  tongue­tied  and  budget  conscious.  You  don’t  mind losing $500 on a slot machine, but it is difficult for you to give a  hundred  dollars  for  a  cause.  One  manifestation  of  the  symptom  of  this disease is the sudden tightening of your grip on your Hermes or  Louis Vuitton wallet.  

Afflicted  by  the  aforementioned  malady  and  manifesting  all  the  signs  and  symptoms  of  the  disease  in  its  milder  form,  I  hastily  accepted  and  RSVPd  my  assent  to  an  INVITATION  to  attend the SSA Second Grand  Reunion in Las  Vegas.  Two  weeks  before  the  momentous  event,  hands  sweating  from  a  chronic,  uncontrollable desire to bond, reconnect and fit  in,  I  went  on  a  shopping  spree  at  Ross  and  Walmart  which  resulted  in  a  mild  complication  called overdraftis.  If I had indulged at Saks or  Neiman  Marcus,  it  would  have  been  a  serious  case of delusiongrandis.  

With  everyone  struck  down  with  the  disease,  a  gentleman  ­  a  non­ Scholastican ­ but married to one, Lourdes Uy, stood up gallantly and  made  an  offer.  “This  is  solely  coming  from  the  goodness  of  our  hearts. I will match any amount you can come up with not later than  today, and I am willing to match it till a thousand!!” Not content with  what he said, John Wooley raised the challenge to $2,000. That  got  the  ball  rolling.  With  Gloria  Caoile’s  donation  of  $500,  the  total  amount collected that day was more than $6,000, all to go to SSRDF  Manila in support of a poor scholar. 

  With only one small piece of luggage, I flew to Vegas to join nine of  my  batchmates  (HS  70)  and  about  sixty  other  Scholasticans,  every  single one infected with reunitis. 

After the conference we all went back to our rooms to freshen up and  change  into  our  ballgowns.  It  was  going  to  be  a  formal  sit­down  dinner  with  a  live  band  and  dance  instructors.  Not  light  on  my  feet  and  averse  to  THE  IDEA  OF  HAVING  TO  TIP  A  STRANGER  TO  DANCE  WITH  ME,  I  spent  most  of  the  evening  watching  my  fellow  Reunitis  dancers  perform  on  the  dance  floor.  For  three  hours  I  watched  the  spectacle  of  female  bodies  in  advanced  rigor  mortis  being  swirled,  flipped,  turned,  swung,  and  tossed  by  hapless  male  dance instructors. The poor men really worked hard to earn sizeable  tips  for  their  herculean  efforts.  Even  when  the  song  played  was  a  slow  waltz,  the  dance  instructors  would  toss  or  drag  these  ladies  around  like  petrified  logs.  If  the  ladies  were  partially  alive  at  times,  they would fling their arms in the air like driftwood. Well, you all might  be relieved to know that it was not you. The visual torture ended after  the band played its last song for the night.     The next day Fr. Gem Bandivas celebrated Sunday Mass in one of  the  hotel’s  function  rooms.  Since  most  of  my  classmates  were  leaving  that  Sunday  afternoon,  we  went  to  the  Rio  Casino  for  a  champagne brunch. The Rio’s buffet remains as one of the best on  the Zagat list. I left the following day, thinking of the people who were  not there but who played a major role in shaping my destiny. To all  my teachers, I wish you well and forever will be indebted. 

A  sumptuous  dinner  was  hosted  by  Cecilia  ‘Babes’  Enrile  in  her  elegant Henderson home, situated in a gated community. The buffet,  all  prepared  by  her  two  very  able  helpers,  consisted  of  about  eight  kinds  of  food  from  fresh  lumpia  to  bistek.  The  pancit,  which  must  have been sotanghon guisado drizzled with chicharon, was the best  I’ve  ever  tasted  in  this  country.  The  Korean  barbecued  ribs  (kalbi)  also  had  me  swooning.  Entertainment  was  an  impromptu  performance  by  soprano  Stella  Adriano  accompanied  by  Patty  Villanueva­LeMay  on  the  baby  grand.  An  hour  was  spent  having  group  pictures  taken  by  a  throng  of  amateur  paparazzi  and  photography enthusiast Virgie Tiburcio­Dudasik. A pleasant treat for  me  personally  was  seeing  familiar  faces  and  hearing  Scholastican  last names like Topacio, Crisologo, and Oca.   Day Two saw my classmates Sylvia Penalosa Dizon, Wilma Villareal  Nabong,  Elizabeth  David  Amoros,  Socorro  Salvacion,  Socorro  Sevilla,  Stella  Adriano,  Aurea  Galang,  Dada  Javier  Tan,  and  me  going  to  the  newest  and  swankiest  casino  off  the  strip,  The  M.  I  played the slots for a while and I was on a winning streak.  After a  few machines, my luck changed and my B Franklins were gone.   Day  Three  was  the  day  I  was  waiting  for.  It  must  have  been  so  important to me that I woke up at 5:30 in the morning. Five minutes  to  eight,  we  (Sylvia  and  her  sister,  Sharon)  were  at  the  conference  10