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Join our monthly
get-together!

By Ben Umali Jr.

Members of the QCHS Batch 70 based in Manila are holding their monthly Get Together every last Saturday of the month.

Current attendees are:

Charo Acero-Sequia, Lito Burgos, Chato Cabalquinto, Marlyn Daza, Romy de la Cruz, Florife Escobar-Santocildes, Armin Fernandez, Irving Gallardo, Thelma & Evelyn Hilado (twins ), Felix Manalang, Elvyn Marasigan, Matt Ondevilla, Bogs Patio, Leynita Reyes-Beltejar, Tino Rivera, Jose "Gigi" Sanchez (now in Japan), Ana Sicam-Verdey, Manny Tabunda, Epi Tambal ( just visiting ), Leo A. Deocadiz (when he's in town) and me.

Other contacts are Danny Abasalon, Ellen Baltazar-Tan, and Edmund Sacramento.

We are targetting to contact/add at least one batchmate every month - quite a modest target considering the difficulty in finding/contacting the others.

Right now the reunions are focused on bonding, updating each other on family circumstances and, of course, reminiscing our QCHS experiences.

Later our plan is to do some activities to help one another, to assist the school in its activities, and hopefully do worthwhile social work.

Hopefully in the future the Philippines-based and US-based Batch 70 can meet and have activities for the common good.

By the way, if you still do not know, the Grand Homecoming is now being held every year -- on the first Saturday of April - I hope I got that date right.

It is being held at the campus on Kamuning, with the basketball court as the focus of activities.

Our Batch has not been represented well in the past - hopefully many of us will be there in the future.

For those who have the opportunity to read this and want to join our group here in Manila, or you know somebody here, or coming here for a visit, you may contact me at the following numbers: res - 681-5745, office - 831-1797, cellphone - 0918-9212765, or e-mail - benumali@hotmail.

You may also contact our batchmates mentioned above.

Click here if you want to know their email addresses.

SEPTEMBER UPDATE:
More classmates coming
The Manila group is set to meet on the 27th for our September get together. Aside from the regulars (not that we are getting tired of each other) we also expect the following to attend : Susan and Jennifer San Miguel, Lorelei Cataylo and Ben's brother who is a '73 alumnus.

Ben, the "Tatay" of the group (not because of his age or looks but because he's the most responsible and dependable, ehem ) has assigned each one with food to bring and insists that we bring our minus one, cd's and vcd's and take our vitamins so we'll be ready for a lot of dancing.

I hope the husbands will give good explanations so the wives will have no unnecessary suspicions (bato bato sa langit , ang tamaan . . . may bukol siyempre). More updates later. Keep smiling and stay healthy. God bless everyone!-- Ana Sicam

We had a great time viewing the tape and seeing your pictures that Ben brought along with him. Manny Tabunda gave us a big treat at his office, and i mean BIG. Even with the great appetite that we brought along with us, we just couldn't take a single bite more of the next course - inihaw na talakitok at bariles, halabos na sugpo (XL), roast beef, pinakbet, steamed blue marlin, sisig, pinapaitan - with red wine and mild champagne (ba yon?) to go with them. I think Manny overestimated our capacity for food ("O walang mag-ta take home ha, ano nakalusot ang lacatang saging? Naibulsa rin? Bakit nawawala ang natirang pistachio nuts at bite-sized snickers?").

The viewing was expectedly interrupted by two overseas calls - from Portia and Amie. We were so happy to hear their voices. We also viewed our website through Manny's high tech equipment with no less than the creator of the website himself, Leo Deocadiz. "Hoy ang mga family pictures ninyo ha, wala pa!" - that was his favorite line that evening.

It was so good watching all of you having a great time and looking so well. The viewing took quite some time so when Portia showed the GAP plastic bag and announced that "and these are for all of you", that was the time Ben brought it out, everybody gave a big smile - caps for the guys and cologne and lotion for the gals. We appreciate this thoughtfulness. We are now preparing the choc nut, cornick, butong pakwan, dried pusit (what else do you want?) that we plan to send you in case somebody here goes there.

We were able to make contact with two more '70 alumni - Susan San Miguel-Palisoc and Remedios Candado-Martin (ok so her name now sounds like the familiar drink). We hope they can join us in our next gathering. "Kanino na ngang asawa ang nagtatanong kung bakit ang dalas ng reunion natin?"

Here is a list of those who were present that Saturday evening - Manny Tabunda (host) with his assistants who were so eager to serve us (siyempre, si Boss yata), Ben Umali, Leo Deocadiz, Lito Burgos, Bogs Patio, Matt Ondevilla, Felix Manalang, Marilyn Daza, Charo Acero, Florife Escobar, Leynita Reyes, Papa Ben (with Bogs), Felix's friend and Ana Sicam (maiden names na lang ha para hindi mahaba). Let's keep each other updated with our activities or anything that the whole alumni should know. Keep smiling, everyone!