Background information on this undelivered piece, Impressions
Four days before the homecoming schedule, I was told that I was one of those who shall deliver an impression on Alumni Night. I obliged. But on that fateful night, I was not able to do so because the emcees inadvertently forgot to call on me. So, I decided to just enjoy the rest of the night. And honestly, I had great fun.
Before I went home, however, I left the copy of my piece and the copy of Leanie's Opening Remarks on a souvenir program which I thought was owned by Ernesto (presumably, since we were seated next to each other whenever not busy fixing little things while the program was going on). For his personal reading at home, I thought. But judging from his emails, likewise from those we received from well-meaning batchmates, unitedly asking for its publication, it is now evident that my piece went to somebody else's souvenir program and not Estong's, he, he!
Very unfortunate, indeed, but we all know it is nobody's fault.
Sorry, batchmates, I was not able to immediately post my impressions. I got very busy when I returned to work, reviewing among other things, legal frameworks such as the provincial Tourism Code, Investments and Incentives Code, and the Environmental Code, being a technical working group member thereof. All sorts of office tasks I left behind during the holidays.
My apologies in particular to Ernesto who sincerely apologized and who first floated this idea of posting the unread piece; and, for Tisha who requested for the posting for quite sometime now. I'm so sorry for not responding immediately.
Pare 'Stong, I think there's no harm done. 'Twas nobody's fault that the portion alloted to me was left out. As the Tagalog maxim says: "Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din." So here it is--read on!
Looking back at the emails...
1
----- Original Message ----
From: LINDA M. TEJADA
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 2:09:47 PM
Subject: Re: [aklancollegehs83] Apologies to Felix
2
Zealous Penumbra
Hi Lex,
Please accept my apologies for the greatest blunder
made in the program by leaving out your part in the
impressions. My goodness, I really feel bad for what
happened since you prepared for it. I know that
everything you wrote on that piece of paper for your
impressions would have been the best comment on that
BIG night. Those words could have been best shared to
all and enjoyed by those who were present, our
batchmates and our dear teachers.
I can only emphathize with you now and feel the
emotions you had that night when I said "that ends my
closing remarks"! Somebody should have called my
attention. Lex, I sincerely would like to extend my
apologies for the lapses.
Since I know you prepared hard to write your
impressions, may I humbly request you to post what you
have written for everybody on our yahoo group list?
I'm sure everybody would enjoy to read it, again and
again.
For all the recipients of this e-mail: Would you like
to read what Felix had written and could have spoken
that night? Please send your comments now and help me
convince Felix to share with us what was in his mind
that night.
Truly remorseful,
Estong
3
RE: [aklancollegehs83] piece of Felix
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 3:11:35 AM
To:aklancollegehs83@yahoogroups.com
Hi Batchmates, Nei Ho ma! Yap, same here, I’m waiting for that piece as well pareng Lex. Meanwhile, just enjoy searching yourself in this 360 degrees panoramic shot (attached). To those who didn’t make to come, this shot will make you feel you are there with us. All the photos I took in this events is in the process for editing and I'll upload this in U-Tube afterwards.
cheers,
aris
4
To: aklancollegehs83@ yahoogroups. com
From: zumbra@yahoo. com
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:47:27 -0800
Subject: Re: [aklancollegehs83] piece of Felix
Hi All!
Huo ngani Lex... sige eon, paki post man imong
impression. Abu gid a nagabantay karon. Bukon eang it
kami ni Tisha ag Leandra, Andy, Linda, etc. Owa eang
it oras ro iba mag-reply sa atong yahoogroup e-mail.
Thanks,
Estong
5
--- tisha taytayon <tbtaytayon@yahoo. com> wrote:
Mr. Felix, am waiting for the posting of your
master piece since last week of January until now
as am your avid fan when comes to delivery of master
pieces and gosh your brilliant mind..Actually
inaabangan ko yong part na yon during our big night
but surprised when you were not called, i should
have called up the attention of Estong but then I
just thought there's changes on the program . Sabi
ko parang kulang yong night for the absence of your
impression. So, please post it now .
__
Impressions
Felix A. Jizmundo
Alumni Night, ACHS Batch ’83, 17 January 2008, A. Garcia Building, Kalibo, Aklan
A word of caution: this sharing will last 3 hours, 58 minutes, 45 seconds, and will self destruct thereafter. So be prepared to listen and hold on. (Of course, I'm just joking!)
Once more, good evening everyone.
My task this evening is never to impress you, but to impress upon you, my personal impressions of this Silver Jubilee Alumni Homecoming. Impressions which, I hope, are also shared by our fellow batchmates.
So sit down. Relax. Don’t worry. Be happy. I will not bore you with my antics. I will, just concentrate, if you will allow me please, on the word “impress”.
Well, what can I say, we are all here—enjoying good food, good accommodation, and most importantly, good company. All courtesy of your good will and generous spirit, you who have been aching to come home after 25 good years away from the College. And every time we gather together in a homecoming, our batch seems to be the largest in attendance ever. Don’t you think of these as impressive? And because these are impressive, don’t we deserve a loud round of applause?
So tonight, I stand in awe—utterly impressed—that the two stars we have had the pleasure of listening to as toastmasters four years ago have returned unscathed, unperturbed, even unshaken by the experience of the introduction I made of them during the alumni night of 2004.
The truth of the matter is that they are back. This time with a vengeance. This time spewing hot lava. This time proving to all and sundry that they cannot be relegated to the sidelines. Why? Simply because, just like you and me--they are ever-changing, ever-glowing. . Of course, I’m not talking here of Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino. I’m referring to Mr. Antonio Boy Li and Mrs. Claire P. Tioco.
Did you ever know that on my way to this reunion, I was bombarded with questions why Sir Boy here never seems to grow old? With bated breath, they waited for my answer, but to no avail. But now I can tell you for a cost of S50 donation to the alumni fund. Any takers? None? So I will be obliged to reveal without remuneration.
The secret actually is allowing himself to be called “Boy” even if he reaches the age of 245, and I tell you—that makes him stay young and yes, he will never grow old. Indi baea, Sir Boy? Sir, rest assured that you will never grow old in our hearts. Ditto as to the rest of you, dear mentors.
As for the beauteous Ma’am Tioco, our very own Aklanon soprano discovered long before Celine Dion had her titanic career sky-rocketing, I’m so impressed and happy to report that in her latest interview with another “Boy”, Private Conversations and The Buzz TV Host Boy Abunda, her musical track entitled “The Aklan College Hymn” has now sold millions of copies, reaching even the deepest recesses of the earth.
With this unparalleled success, Ma’am, we can definitely say goodbye for good to our flying-table experience way back in sophomore class, can't we? And our batch’s record as the only batch to make you cry in utter disgust can now be changed into: the only batch that has brought you fame and millions—I mean, of fans all over the world.
Her record now in DVD sold like hotcakes that Video Regulatory Board Chair Edu Manzano had to stop performing in the middle of his papaya dance one afternoon, when he heard of this phenomenal sale! He was so afraid to lose his job because he cannot stop the reproduction of the pirated copies now flooding the market.
So, my advice to you is to grab a copy now and help donate other worthy projects to our school in addition to those steel-cased cold-water drinking fountains which our generous alumni have already decided to donate early on.
And by the way, those who will buy the videooke version of the Aklan College Hymn get a bonus track—this time the saxophone version of The Prayer, not the one performed by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, but The Prayer Before Class and The Prayer After Class, performed and co-produced by the husband of Aklan Collegian Mary Jean Castillo-Barkley, Jonathan Barkley.
I am also impressed that our beloved mentors, who have become our respected friends as well, led by the present young, very much able, energetic and vision-driven Father Rector, Rev. Fr. Joebert Villasis, are here with us, enjoying the pleasure of our company, very much alive and kicking.
Fr. Joebert is just too happy to receive his gift I handed him
from Leanie. As to the content of the gift, I jested it's the lot ACC
needed. He informed the batch earlier in his welcome
speech, the present lot where ACC main campus is located
is not owned by the school.
I am impressed by the solidarity and assurance of our new Father Rector—the youngest rector we’ve had in a span of 25 years away from ACC. As a former rector of the Sto. Niño Seminary, we only know too well that he brings with him bountiful years of experience and expertise, and a new era vision for a stronger Aklan Catholic College. Thank you Father, not only for your time, but for your truly being one with us.
What used to be our high school building, now repainted
For fear of missing one mentor or the other, and the probable howling protest that might come from your end, I beg off to mention your names one by one. But please know Fathers, Sirs and Mesdames, that you occupy a very special place in our hearts—and no one can take that away from us.
There they are--our mentors! It's amazing to note that many of them have not seen each other for years!
We love you, and that love remains solid, liquid or gas, but surely ever-growing, and everlasting. We shall forever be thankful for your sacrifices to help us become what we are now, and we express our indelible gratitude. Thank you for honoring us with your loving presence and God be gracious to you always.
But I’m sure that you will all understand if I mention our respondent honoree, Engr. Cecilia Calizo, who is now the school registrar. There is just so much to thank you madam, and the rest of our mentors here. You made our college courses easier and our professional lives better, simply because you were the best foundations we ever had.
formidable woman I have ever met, prepares to read
her sonnet, inspired by the book given to her by Caridad
25 years ago after our graduation.
And of course, I know you wouldn’t mind if I acknowledge our former high school principal, Ms. Froilana T. Malilay, who at 83, is for us an icon of integrity. I would like her to know she holds our deepest respect and admiration. There are no exact words in the dictionary that can ever describe our indelible gratitude to you, Miss Malilay. Thank you for adding color and meaning to this already colorful occasion.
Wow, I am just so impressed by God’s most wonderful gift to all of them. Let us give them a big round of applause for their longevity and staying power!
(Note: This portion would have been read had Budong and Jomar Villaurel arrived from the US.)
Tonight I am likewise impressed and honored to see our batchmate, the former Rotary Exchange Scholar Peter Faust D. Qualliotine. I remember he liked to be called “Budong”. I hope that after a year of spending with us in high school, and 24 years thereafter, you have fully recovered from your cultural shock, because on our part, we already had.
I wonder if you could still memorize the lines of the Aklanon song Balinghoy, or sing without getting maoy with cocowine or jungle wine or simply tuba in our dialect, the Ilonggo song Dandansoy (Inom Tuba Laloy).
I hope you still can because that’s another potential hitmaker which our licensed customs broker batchmate Anielyn Carreon or big-gunner Jomar Villaruel can venture for production. Who knows? The recording might land to Billboard’s No. 2 list, next only to Ma’am Tioco’s Aklan Catholic College Hymn.
In the same way, I am impressed by the performance of your local alumni core group here.
They are your indefatigable workhorses who met regularly, eat regularly, chat regularly, laugh regularly. They did the “dirty job” in making this momentous occasion a truly fruitful one!
As for your part, batchmates, you should be impressed by some personal results onthe committee members themselves. Would you like to know some?
All right. Some sidelights.
Big Momma Jing did not lose her voice this alumni year. Just gained some eyebags. Sleepless in Seattle, that sort of thing. Your endless calls and texts kept her waking. But rich—with friends.
the raffles winners.
Prizes included free supermeals at Jollibee
and pre-paid lotto tickets, exclusive of the P1,000 each for
25 lucky batchmates and the money for lucky mentors
from Leanie and Anelyn--whew!
But Big Papa Estong lost some very precious hair especially on the latter part of last year. He got his hair a little receding trying to bring things and people together.
Caridad slimmed down to the sexy figure you now can see. That’s the wonderful effect of viewing and reviewing our bank account every now and then, hoping against hope that every time she opens the passbook, some big time batchmate out there who might be a wife of an Arab prince or a monarch may deposit a million dollars to our account.
Recell , our fine arts and graphics artist, has mastered reunion program production. He is now eligible to produce an alumni coffeetable book entitled: “ACHS Batch ‘83—The Never –Ending Story.” Calling all producers and advertisers!
Mary Anne, best friend of Madeleine, takes their bond of friendship one step higher, I mean tighter, as you can obviously see
Madeleine lost a romantic date trying to scribble and transcribe each word and laughter, sigh, or chikka we’ve made during meetings. But her alumni tasks developed her to be an excellent scriber, she is now better than your medical or legal transcriptionist. She’ll surely give them--the professional transcriptionists-- a run for their money!
Rhea makes your food the very best!
Dominic controls the plane when you land; he works with the Air Transportation Office
Tisha, Rhea, Dominic, Orville, and the rest of the committee members have now become communications and transportations savvy, checking up mails, following up food, accommodation and all other preparations ad nauseam. They are ready to put up a Reunion Planner company.
Me? I had to see my doctor to check on my sanity once in a while.
As for the major donors and contributors which made this reunion a resounding success, I will leave that to my very good friend and classmate for ten years Ernesto. I am glad I didn’t follow him to Mapua for my civil engineering degree, or our classmateship would go for all eternity. How about a big round applause in appreciation to this silent worker who chaired this homecoming?
But the biggest impressive thing is this—batchmates from all over never left us alone in this five-year journey preparation. Everyone lent a helping hand; some would not even want their names announced! In a world which cries for fame and recognition? That’s pretty impressive. So the credit really goes to you batchmates, congratulations and Viva Batch 83!
For its entirety now, let me share with you what really impressed me with this batch:
1. This is a batch who knows, and takes to heart, the Filipino saying taught by our mentors: “Ang sinumang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hinidi makakarating sa paroroonan.” Can we just repeat that one more time? Thank you. In English, now that would simply be translated as: “Those who do not know to look back from whereof they came… simply have stiff neck.” (laughter)
2. This is a batch who knows how to have fun; or better still, who knows how to enjoy life to the fullest! I am more than sure that our batch is a contributing factor in making the Filipinos ranked as the second happiest people in Asia. That is the result of a survey made known more than a month ago as conducted by an independent foreign entity.
3. This is a batch that can transcend the boundaries of time and space. It has a big heart for everyone, especially our economically struggling batchmates. It is a batch that can concentrate on its commonalities to overcome its differences. And for that, I congratulate you again.
Aris tells batchmates: "If you happen to be in Hong Kong, give me a visit, and I will tour you to Disneyland Hong Kong."
In closing, let us therefore impress upon ourselves the very same tenets we learned from this prestigious learning institution that we may continually overcome and become
a pride to our parents,
a model to our children,
a joy to our teachers,
a prestige to our school,
an example to our people in the community,
a spectacle to angels,
and a true child of God.
In short, ACHS Batch ’83, let us be ever-glowing!
Viva kay Sr. Sto. Niño!
Viva Aklan Catholic College!
Viva Batch 83!
Thank you and enjoy the reunion till the wee hours of the morning.
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