MEMORIES OF A GOLDEN JUBILARIAN AND HER CLASS '59 CLASSMATES

THE SIERVAS DE SAN JOSE SISTERS HAVE NOW DONE AWAY WTTH THEIR VEILS; THEIR SKIRTS ARE NOW MUCH SHORTER, THEY'RE NOT TOO PRIM AND PROPER ANYMORE. THEY EVEN DANCED TO "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL" IN THE DIAMOND JUBILEE PRESENTATION OF STA, COMPLETE WITH COSTUME AND MAKE UP' CAN YOU PICTURE MADREALFONSA WITHOUT A VEIL?! MADE UP AND DANCING!! THE TERROR OF STA !!! QUE HOROR! MAYBE SHE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN SO FORMIDABLE AND INTIMIDATING!

ONCE UPON A TIME, UNDER THE PORTALS OF OUR DEAR ALMA MATER, THE THERESIAN LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS WERE OH, SO CUTE, OBEDIENT AND. . .WELL-BEHAVED, AT LAST IN MY RECOLLECTION, THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES, WELL, THATS ANOTHER MATTER. THE BOYS, SOME OF THEM, AT LEAST, GOT TIRED OF ANGEL WINGS AND SMALL HORNS SPROUTED. WELL, NOT ALL THE TIME, JUST MOST OF THE TIME. THAT IS, IF MRS, PERALES DID NOT CUT THEM OFF WTTH HER "GURIPAT, WOW, THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN WE HAD SCHOOL SKITS IN SPANISH. REMEMBER THE PLAY WITH MELANiE, THE CUTE AND PRETTY "RATON" REJECTING HER SUITORS, AMONG THEM AS “ASNO" (Can't remember who ft was who had that role, I just remember the animal) AND THE "GALLO" WHICH I PLAYED. I DONT REMEMBER WHAT OTHER ANIMALS THERE WERE. THE “PAKIPOT RATON" CHOSE THE SUAVE "GATO* MARIBEL, WHO CHARMED HER AND FLATTERED HER AND PROCEEDED TO RUN AFTER HER TO EAT HER UP! MADRE CARMELA WAS OUR MENTOR AND SHE MADE US WEAR THOSE PAPIER MACHE HEADS OF ANIMALS! IT WAS SOOOO HOT, ITS GOOD IT WAS A SHORT PLAY OR WE WOULD HAVE SUFFOCATED! OF COURSE OUR PARENTS WERE THRILLED TO WATCH THEIR "BABIES" DO A PLAY IN SPANISH! ACTUALLY THE DIALOGUE WAS MORE ANIMAL SOUNDS THAN ACTUAL WORDS. LOOKING BACK, I WONDER IF SPANISH ROOSTERS ACTUALLY MAKE THE SOUND “KIKIRIKIKI.” HAVENT HEARD OUR ROOSTERS MAKE THAT SOUND. DONT YOU AGREE THAT OUR ROOSTER SOUND OF "TOKTORO-OK" IS MORE REALISTIC THAN THE "KSKJRIKIKI" OF THOSE SPANISH ROOSTERS AND THE "COCK A DOODLE DOO" OF THE AMERICAN ROOSTERS IN OUR READING PRIMERS?

THE GIRLS ALSO LOVED TO PLAY JACKSTONES, SITTING ON THE STAGE WHICH IS STILL THERE AND LOOKS THE SAME. I HEAR THE GRADE SCHOOL GIRLS STILL PLAY JACKSTONES, PROVING THAT THE LOVE FOR THE GAME HASNT CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARS. WHAT HAS CHANGED, THOUGH .... 1 THINK THE CHILDREN NOW LINE UP ALONG THE CORRIDORS TO GO THEIR CLASSROOMS. DURING OUR TIME WE HAD TO LINE UP IN FRONT OF THAT STAGE UNDER THE HEAT OF THE SUN AND WOE TO YOU, IF MRS. PERLA GAMBAN, OUR PRINCIPAL, CAUGHT YOU DOING SOMETHING AGAINST THE RULES OR YOU WOULD HAVE TO STAND THERE SO MUCH LONGER WITH BEADS OF SWEAT POURING FROM YOUR PORES LIKE THE WATERFALLS OF PATAG.

AND THE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL .. .THE BEST YEARS FOR US.

WHO CAN FORGET TIA INQUE'S UTUKON (HAVENT SEEN ANY OF THAT SOLD ANYWHERE ANYMORE) AND BUDJAWi (ALSO VERY SELDOM SEEN TOO*)-REMEMBER .. .SITTING AT THE EDGE OF THE CANAL WHICH BORDERED THE SCHOOL GROUNDS TO EAT, ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF CLASSMATES- ONE CENTAVO CANDIES , . .SOLD IN A SARI-SARI STORE WHERE THE BDO STANDS NOW. IS THERE SUCH A THING STILL . .SOMETHING YOU CAN BUY FOR ONC CENTAVQ? AMD DIRTY ICE CREAM FROM JUMBO'S CART.. .SIMPLE WANTS.. .WALKING TO SCHOOL AND HOME. (NOW, KIDS ARE SUCH SOFTIES, ONE BLOCK AWAY, YOU HAW TO RIDE A TRISIKAD OR TRICYCLE). POOR MERLE, HER HOUSE WAS THE FARTHEST SO ONE BY ONE, CLASSMATES ARE DROPPED OFF AT THEIR HOUSE, LUPING FIRST, THEN MERCY, ETC. ETC. MERLE WALKS THE REST OF THE WAY ALONE. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN WALKING AND CHATTING WITH FRIENDS. I EVEN HAD CIRIACO, OUR DRIVER, FOLLOW WTTH THE CAR, AS I PREFERED WALKING WITH FRIENDS.

AH, CIRIACO, THE EVER FAITHFUL DRIVER, OUR PARTNER IN CRIME, HE COVERED FOR US WHEN WE DID ALL OUR MISCHIEF. WHEN OUR GROUP SPENT THE NIGHT AT HOME WHILE PAPA AND MAMA WERE IN MANILA AND OUR AUNT NEXT DOOR WAS ASKED TO LOOK AFTER US, WE WOULD PUSH THE CAR OUT AND CSRIACO WOULD RUN THE ENGINE WHEN WE WERE ALREADY OUTSIDE THE GATE SO SHE WOULD NOT HEAR THE CAR. THE GREAT ESCAPE!
OH, THE UNFORGETTABLE DAYS OF ALMOST WEEKLY BARN DANCES AND PARTIES; SILLY NAMES (I DONT KNOW IF OUR OTHER CLASSMATES HAD NAMES FOR THEIR GROUPS) BUT WE CALLED OURSELVES "THE GAY JITTERBUGS" WITH INDIVIDUAL NAMES LIKE "FASCINATION", "CHUCKLE DEE", "APRIL LOVE”, "COLD COLD HEART AND I FORGOT WHAT ELSE.

ALL GIRLS' JAM SESSIONS AND PROMS IN SCHOOL, WOULD YOU BELIEVE! MOTHER ASCENSION WOULD SCOLD US FOR DOING THE ROCK AND ROLL. AND HAVING BOYS HOLD US. . THAT WOULD BE INDECENT!! OUE BARBARIDAD? WEEKENDS, THOUGH, WE WERE FREE TO GO TO BOY-GIRL PARTIES AND DANCE OUR HEARTS OUT? THE FISHERIES SCHOOL, WITH THEIR MALE STUDENTS OF COURSE, WAS A FAVORITE VENUE SINCE ELSIE'S BROTHER OWNED IT AND WE COULD USE THE PLACE FOR OUR WEEK-END PARTIES. SOMETIMES WE PARTIED IN BAGROY AND WERE OFTEN AT HACIENDA ADELA AND PATAG FOR OUTINGS, SWIMMING AND JUST HAVING FUN. MONI WOULD INVITE HER CRUSHES, ESPECIALLY THE BASKETBALL PLAYER BIDOY ALDEGUER.

IN SCHOOL, THE POPULAR GAMES WERE VOLLEYBALL (WHEN THERE WERE 9 PLAYERS TO A TEAM) AND "BATTLE16, WHERE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THERE WAS A PILE UP OF BODIES. OUR STAR PLAYERS IN VOLLEYBALL WERE MONI, AS CAPTAIN BALL, NONA, ANA, THE TWINS, SALLY AND MERCY, AND WELL, MOST OF OUR GROUP, NOT BEING ATHLETIC, I CONTENTED MYSELF WITH BEING A CHEERLEADER (WITH ELSIE AND ALSO NONA MID HER UKELELE). BUT CHEERING THEN WAS SO MUCH DIFERENT THAN THE CHEER DANCE NOW. IT WAS JUST YELLS, SONGS DONE WTTH SIMPLE STEPS AND FORMATION. NOW ITS MORE COMPLICATED AND ACROBATIC!

AND OFCOURSE, THE MOVIES AND THE MOVIE STARS! WE WERE SUCH FANS AND GOT SO EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT. THE FANS FOR ELVIS LED BY MONI AGAINST OUR PAT BOONE; AMALIA FUENTES VS. SUSAN ROCES, ZALDY ZSHORNACK AND THE LOW-WAIST GANG AND SO MANY OTHERS.

AND THE MISCHIEFS : WE HAD DAILY ROSARIES AND BENEDICTION, THE ROSARIES SAID IN SPANISH YET. IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT WE WOULD SOMETIMES SNEAK OUT TO GO TO THE MOVIES INSTEAD, OR TO JUST SKIP THE "BORING RECITATION OF SPANIUSH PRAYERS 'CAUSE WE OFTEN JUST NODDED OFF TO FALL ASLEEP. VICTORIA, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, EVEN JUMPED OUT OF A WINDOW JUST TO GET AWAY. I DON'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS EXACTLY, I THINK NONA AND SOME OTHERS, WHO WOULD STEAL THE FRUITS FROM THE SISTERS' TREE. ONCE, WHILE CLIMBING A GUAVA TREE TO REACH FOR THE FRUITS, THEY HEARD A VOICE BEHIND THEM: "THOU SHALT NOT STEAL!" THEY WERE CERTAINLY CAUGHT IN THE ACT AND WE CERTAINLY REMEMBER ONE OF THE TWINS, I THOUGHT IT WAS MERCY BUT SHE SAYS IT WAS SALLY, BREAKING A SMALL SQUARE OF GLASS IN THE WINDOW ALONG THE CORRIDOR TO THE CHAPEL, THEN ON THE SECOND FLOOR. MADRE ALFONSA DEMANDED SHE PAY FOR THE WHOLE WINDOW, SO SHE TOOK HER UMBRELLA AND BROKE ALL THE GLASS SINCE SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE WHOLE ANYWAY. TONTA GID NO!"

IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE TWINS WHO WOULD RAP THE HEAD OF A TEACHER'S SON, (A TEACHER SHE DID NOT LIKE), WHILE IN A LINE FOR CLASS.
THE "INTERNAS" HAVE THEIR OWN STORIES TO TELL. THEY COULD NOT RUN AND MAKE NOISE, OTHERWISE, THEY HAD TO KNEEL IN THE CORRIDORS IF CAUGHT. ERLINDA SAID SHE TRIED TO BE QUIET TO ESCAPE THIS PUNISHMENT OR AT LEAST TRY NOT TO GET CAUGHT, HUH, LINDA?!

AND WE WONDERED WHY WE COULD NEVER ENTER THE CLAUSURA OF THE SISTERS - JUST MADE US MORE CURIOUS AND WE TRIED OUR BEST TO PEEP IN AMD SEE WHY IT HAD TO BE SO SECRET. IT WAS ALSO A CHALLENGE TO CATCH A SISTER WITHOUT HER VEIL ON!

AND HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT BEING SUSPENDED FOR DRAWING A SISTER? WELL, THE DRAWING WAS NOT EXACTLY A "MQNA UZA" OF MICHAELANGELO. IT WAS DONE WITH SOME NAUGHTINESS AND MISCHIEVOUS INTENT, A DRAWING IN PROGRESS SINCE AS THE PAPER WAS BEING PASSED AROUND EACH ONE ADDED TO THE "ART WITH LABELS LIKE “BUTI”, "BIKI", ETC. THE PAPER WAS THROWN IN THE WASTEBASKET WHEN THE BELL RANG BUT A WORKING STUDENT TOOK IT AND PRESENTED IT TO MADRE ASCENSION. “SlPSIP!” WE WERE IN HOT WATER! NONA, ELSIE, VICTORIA AND I (THE SC PRESIDENT THEN), ff WASN'T TOO BAD THOUGH, fT WAS ALMOST CHRISTMAS VACATION AND WE HAD A LONGER TIME OFF, ALTHOUGH OUR DEPORTMENT GRADE SUFFERED. OUR PARENTS WERE CALLED TO SEE MOTHER SUPERIOR AND WE WERE SCOLDED BUT THE SCOLDING WAS CUSHIONED WHEN I OVERHEARD MY PARENTS TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DID AND LAUGHING ABOUT IT. WE HAD AN EARLIER AND LONGER CHRISTMAS VACATION IN MANILA, I LIKED THAT.

AND WHO COULD FORGET ESTER MARAVILLA SNEAKING OUT OF THE CLASSROOM TO MOVE THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK AHEAD OF THE REAL TIME SO MADRE TERESA WOULD RING THE RECESS BELL EARLIER. AND PASSING OF KERNELS OF CORN TO CLASSMATES IN THE CLASSROOM. . .IT WAS ALWAYS FUN TO EAT.. .WHEN YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO.. .AND GETTING AWAY WITH IT.

I WAS THE FIRST IN SCHOOL TO HAVE A TRANSISTOR RADIO 'CAUSE MY FATHER WENT OFTEN TO JAPAN FOR BUSINESS. I WOULD BRING IT TO SCHOOL AND MY CLASSMATES WOULD TURN IT ON, LISTENING TO MUSIC. MR. JAVELONA, DURING PHYSICS CLASS, WOULD WONDER ALOUND WHERE THE MUSIC WAS COMING FROM AND SOME WISE GUY WOULD TELL HIM, "ITS FROM TIO AGUINALDO GAMBOA'S HOUSE. HE WOULD ACCEPT THAT. MR JAVELQNA WAS SUCH A GOOD, PATIENT AND KIND TEACHER, OFERING HIS SERVICE TO STA FOR A TOKEN SALARY AND HE HAD TO PUT UP WITH US! HE LOVED US, WE KNEW THAT, BUT 1 GUESS HE HAD ENOUGH WHEN HE WALKED OUT, VOWING NEVER TO RETURN? BOY, WERE WE SCARED! IF HE DID NOT RETURN, WE WOULD NOT HAVE A TEACHER AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GRADUATE- A HUMBLE AND CONTRITE GROUP, WE ALL WALKED TO HIS HOUSE, PROFUSELY APOLOGIZED SO THAT "INDI NIYA KAMI MATIIS," IN CURRENT LINGO. HE CAME BACK BUT WE LEARNED OUR LESSON.

AND FR. DEOGRACIAS BONGON! HE WAS A GIFT TO THE SCHOOL AND US! WHAT WE LEARNED FROM HIM IN SPEECH CLASS WAS GREAT HELP IN COLLEGE. WE WERE MADE TO HOLD A PIECE OF PAPER IN FRONT OF OUR LIPS AS WE PRONOUNCED THE WORDS AND ENUNCIATED THE CONSONANTS TO HIS SATISFACTION. OUR COLLEGE PROFESSORS COMPLIMENTED US ON OUR DICTION, THANKS TO FR, BONGON. HE WAS REALLY SPECIAL AND LOVED BY ALL HIS STUDENTS.

THE YOUNGER GENERATION WOULD PROBABLY DISAGREE BUT WE LONG FOR THOSE YEARS WHEN LIFE WAS SIMPLER, WANTS WERE LESS, MISCHIEF WAS HARMLESS, UNLIKE THE DRUG AND DRINKING PROBLEMS FACING THE YOUTH TODAY. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS COULD GO OUT AT NIGHT AND BE SAFE. THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN TEACHING WAS A VOCATION, NOT JUST A SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD, WHEN SCHOOL MEMORIES BRING JOY TO THE HEART AND LOYALTY TO OUR SCHOOL WAS GIVEN WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND WITHOUT BEING ASKED.

50 YEARS AFTER GRADUATION, WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER AND THANK THE SISTERS AND TEACHERS WHO HELPED MOLD US TO WHAT WE ARE TODAY, WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE VALUES WE NOW LIVE AND WHO MADE US FEEL LOVED! THANK YOU, OUR GRADE SCHOOL TEACHERS : MOTHER PURA, MRS. ABADA, MS. VILLANUEVA, MS. OFELIA MEDROCILLO AND MRS. PERALES, MADRE CARMELA, MADRE IRENE, MADRE ASCENSION, MADRE ALFONSA, MOTHER JOSEFA, MOTHER MAGDALENA, SISTER EDITH, MOTHER FELISA, MOTHER ALMUDENA, MRS. ULARIOLA, MS. VUANDRE, MS. ALLIC, MS. GAMBAN (NOW MRS. LEGARDE), WHO WAS A SPITTING IMAGE OF LOLITA RODRIGUEZ, MS. SEVERING (NOW, MRS. MGNFGRT), MS- DEL CASTILLO, MS. PAQUIT SIERRA (NOW MRS. MEDROCILLO), MS, MARETTE MARAVILLA, MS. MARIA DE LA SERNA, CHAPLAIN FR. MAC FR. CAVANAUGH AND OF COURSES MR. JAVELONA AND FR-BONGON. TO OTHERS, OUR MEMORY FAILS TO REMEMBER, WE KEEP YOU IN OUR HEARTS ALWAYS!!!