Aklan College High School Batch 1983 Silver Jubilee Alumni Homecoming Part 2

Front cover of the souvenir program designed by Recell

Background information on Leanie's Alumni Program Opening Remarks

A look back at the e-mails...

1
----- Original Message ----
From: Leanie Amante
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 3:18:09 AM
Subject: RE: [aklancollegehs83] Season's Greetings!

Hi Felix -

Attached please find my write-up for the 2nd night's opening remarks. I apologize for the late submission but Jing only told be about it last night and I was unable to get to it until just now.

I will send Jing a text to let her know that I have sent it to you. Would you do me the favor of reading it at the dinner for me? I know that you will do a marvelous job! I wanted to keep it light and fun but with some emotional impact as well, trying to capture the essence of the reunion.

Thanks Felix! Let me know how it turns out!

-Leanie


2
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
From: fajizmundo@yahoo. com
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:01:15 -0800
Subject: Re: [aklancollegehs83] Season's Greetings!

Hello Leanie--

Oh, lady--we certainly miss you here!

You should have seen them play again like little children and dance as if they owned the streets. Surely, from today's performance, Caridad and Anielyn went away--hands down--with the winning trophy. Don't worry, they have been captured in photos and videos--you will enjoy seeing them later.

Well, I have just downloaded your opening remarks. Golly, thanks for the trust but i do pray that I can do justice to you and what you have written during its delivery. But it shall always be an honor and a pleasure to speak for you.

Really, it's quite painful not to have you here physically. We've been working on this for sometime together, and oh boy... anyway distance cannot deter our group bond, and the commitment, respect and affection for everyone stay strong, and as we say on this silver year--ever-glowing!

God bless us all! Viva kay Sr. Sto. Nino! Viva ACHS Batch '83!

3
----- Original Message ----
From: Leanie Amante
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 5:30:58 PM
Subject: RE: [aklancollegehs83] Season's Greetings!

Hola Felix!

I am confident that your delivery of my remarks will be just fine. I trust you!

It is a major "bummer" not being there. Bing and I are texting and calling one another, burning the lines betwen Canada and U.S. wondering "What could they be doing now? Parang sobrang saya sila!"" I'm sooooo jealous! :-)

I'm looking forward to the video and photos. Have a great time tonight. Rhea is running all my errands and I have A LOT for her to do. I'm surprised she's on her feet today - I heard she was a teeny-but incapacitated last night after imbibing "one too many"!

Take care and talk to you soon...

-Leanie

4

----- Original Message ----

From: Felix Jizmundo
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 2:23:48 AM
Subject: Re: [aklancollegehs83] Season's Greetings!

Hello again Leanie--

Mission accomplished! I arrived just a few minutes before your part should be delivered, and eureka! You made it.

I made it sure 'twas done crystal clear, light, fun and emotionally impacting--gee, they were howling about the 2013 reunion thing, laughing about Jing's recuperation. Our mentors were all eyes and ears when I read that part about them. They sure know how to listen unlike us in high school, he he.

So don't worry. We made sure your message got through, even if the emcees failed to call me for my impressions as indicated in the program later in the night. Honestly at that time, I felt quite uneasy as Estong was already up there dishing out the closing remarks. Goodness, I sure prepared for it and it got stuck in the dustbin! Waaaah! anyway, it happens, what's important is that everybody is happy!

The 1-thousand per envelope you raffled for the batchmates went to good hands. And the mentors, the Father Rector, the present principal, and the Father Treasurer were amazed--kasama sila sa recipients of your gifts. I jokingly told them what's inside those boxes--house and lot.

But again--we really wish you were here. Please accept our sincere thanks. The reunion is better because of your generosity and those of many others!

More stories from the others later.

(End of emails)

Now, for you batchmates, here's the full text of Leanie's message that I read:



Opening Remarks
Leandra Rembulat-Amante
Vice President, External Affairs
2008 Silver Jubilee Homecoming
Delivered on Alumni Night, 17 January 2008
A. Garcia Building, Kalibo, Aklan

To tonight’s honored guests and to my fellow alumni of Aklan College High School’s Batch of ’83: Good evening and welcome to our 25th high school reunion!

I wish with all my heart that I could be there with all of you tonight! However, I have been given the privilege of providing the opening remarks for tonight’s festivities, so it’s almost like I’m there: almost, but not quite.

From all accounts, I hear that you all are having a wonderfully fun time. This is very satisfying to hear! It is due, in no small part, to all the hard work our reunion committee members have put forth all throughout 2007 continuing until the conclusion of tonight’s festivities.

A lot of planning and discussions, down to the smallest details, have gone on behind the scenes. Numerous meetings were held (although I think some of them were just excuses for the committee members to get together and EAT! J) and I had the opportunity to be present at one meeting via cell phone technology. There were a lot of laughs but there were some serious moments as well as members pondered how to accomplish each task and responsibility to ensure the success of the reunion.

I was gratified to observe how well they worked together and without any complaints. So at this time, I would like to ask all our reunion committee members to stand up so that we may acknowledge you with a warm and loud round of applause to show our appreciation for all of your hard work! Thank you!

There are other individuals who also gave generously of their time, talent and financial assistance. In the event that these individuals do not wish to be singled out, I will not ask them to stand (unless they want to) but I again ask everyone to give these generous spirits a warm round of applause to show them our appreciation for their equally important contributions to ensure the success of the reunion. Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo!

I would also like to acknowledge our teachers and home room mentors. I say “Thank you” for providing me and my fellow alumni the educational foundation instrumental in our successful pursuits of higher education. And yes, we thank you for all the funny and goofy memories, too! Mine includes beakers exploding and litmus paper strips being used by the boys in lieu of tissue paper in Mrs. Sermon’s chemistry class, Ms. Tioco’s endless choir practices in junior year (talk about torture!) and those useless French knots I had to learn in Auntie Marlyn’s Home Economics class! Ay sus!

To the current educational and spiritual leaders of ACC, I applaud your commitment in continuing the school’s 60+ year tradition of providing all that come through your gates a strong educational foundation. My hope is that you will continue to move the school forward with your pioneering spirits and visions.

And lastly, to the alumni, I leave you with these final thoughts:

Remember these past two days and nights. Remember and cherish the feelings of how you felt reconnecting with old friends and classmates. You will come to realize that the connections somehow seem much more sweeter and that your relationships are more meaningful with one another than they were 25 years ago. I also hope that you will find time to connect and make new relationships. After all, this is our ACHS family.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend our 20^th reunion and how I wish I was there amongst you tonight. So what do you say about doing this again in five years? I think Jing-Jing (Erenia) needs that much time to recuperate! Just joking, Jing!!!

I send you all my love and affection. Enjoy the merriment, food and surprises the night has in store for you and I hope to see you all in 2013 for our 30^th reunion! May God keep us all in His care.

Aloha and mabuhay!

Leanie (Rembulat) Amante