In the vibrant month of February 2024, the air will be filled with nostalgia as school reunions will unfold in Naga City, Philippines. Among them, the Ateneo de Naga High School and the Universidad de Sta. Isabel (formerly Colegio de Sta. Isabel) stand out, but it is the Ateneo de Naga High School Batch 1969 that will take center stage, commemorating its 55th graduation anniversary.

Delving into the etymology, “alumnus/alumna” translates to “foster son/daughter,” while “Alma mater” signifies “nurturing mother.” Beyond mere educational institutions, these entities become “the symbolic parent who instills a social script in their progeny to guide them through society after graduation… the ersatz children are expected to return briefly… to demonstrate how well they’ve been living up to their alma mater ‘s teachings… a sort of pilgrimage to a site of seminal importance,” as Aimee Dyamond aptly describes in her piece, “The Social Pageantry of High School Reunions,” published in The Post-Grad Survival Guide, December 5, 2020.

Like obedient offspring of a vast family, members dutifully gather at their former high school, once a haven for scholastic pursuits and extra-classroom civics. The concept of high school reunions is often portrayed as an American tradition, leading some to perceive it as the quintessential product of individualistic, status-driven societies. If its sole purpose were such, many view it as outdated in the era of social media, because if “we wanted a temporary insight into our former classmates’ lives and make a quick check on their supposed progress as they navigate adulthood, a visit to their social pages would somehow suffice,” quoting Aimee Dyamond, supra.

The Ateneo de Naga High School Batch 1969 defies these stereotypes. Having surpassed the realm of mere adulthood and embraced seniority, we have transcended Western cultural norms, forging our unique purpose for these gatherings.  Among us, individuals have maintained close connections over time, regardless of their duration; hence, our reunions take on an exceptionally intimate nature. Our members form a tightly knit group, and as a rule, we are well-aware of each other’s life journeys throughout the years without having to resort to checking their social media platforms. Crucially, our reunions are not centered around mundane social reasons but are, arguably, dedicated to significant social missions.

In our former high school, we adhered to the typical alphabetical class sectioning, ranging from A to D. However, upon completing high school, positive re-alignments unfolded at the college level. Those who pursued education in Manila formed close bonds, transcending their high school sections. A similar phenomenon occurred among those who remained in Naga. I vividly recall an incident in 1970 when the late Choy Estiva and Chito Bisana (A), attendees of Ateneo de Naga, hitched a ride in a truck transporting goods from Naga to Manila, accompanied by Rolly Armea (C). Their purpose? To spend a weekend with us, residing in a dorm on the UP Diliman campus, including Chito Irigo (B), Ato Enojado, Will Villanueva, and myself (A). Art Manalo (B) engaged in a similar practice, visiting us on specific days for lunch in the UP cafeteria. On one occasion, Art and I immersed ourselves the entire day and night at Mike Nosce’s home in Mandaluyong. We shared stories, enjoyed beer, and smoked until we exhausted our cigarette supply, resorting to picking up the unspent stubs from the ashtray to salvage the remaining tobacco.

In the U.S.A., a significant group of batchmates, known as NorCal guys, exceeds a dozen members. Residing in the surrounding areas of Northern California, U.S.A., this group is predominantly composed of former U.S. military men, along with a few civilian batchmates. Regularly, they convene in fellowship and merriment, forming a tightly knit and united band.

The formation of this unique social unit and the relationships within were cultivated by the batch, enabling them to conceive and develop meaningful undertakings or projects. These projects played a pivotal role in creating a “buzz” for the reunions that have unfolded over the 55 years since high school graduation. The inaugural initiative, dating back to 1991, was a scholarship program. This program, in its initial stages, supported two high school scholars at the Ateneo de Naga high school, both of whom have since earned their college degrees and embarked on their respective lifelong careers.

Subsequently, another significant undertaking took shape and continued annually for several years – the medical/dental mission program within and beyond Naga City. This initiative, a staple at each reunion date, became an eagerly anticipated event for barangay residents. The batch actively sought various types of medicine from established pharmaceutical companies. Health professionals, including doctors from the batch members’ families, collaborated with the batch members to provide free medical and dental treatments to the beneficiaries from selected barangays identified for the mission.

However, the challenges associated with aging and the accompanying health concerns among the members gradually increased, prompting a deceleration in their activities. Eventually, they were compelled to discontinue the regular medical and dental program. In its stead, Oxie Occiano introduced a religious organization called the Missionaries of the Poor, based in the Bahamas. This initiative was passed on by Oxie’s mother, who had long been involved in supporting the missionaries through her own personal advocacy. In collaboration with the priests, the batch organized a live concert in Naga City, raising a substantial amount of funds for the missionaries.

After a brief pause in the batch’s charitable works followed the fundraising for the missionaries, a new opportunity emerged through friends from Colegio de Sta. Isabel and the Ateneo de Naga college. Edna Morales Weisser and Inez Javellana, along with batch member Larry Santelices, learned about the Joseph Gualandi School for the Hearing Impaired in Las Pinas City and about its plan to expand to Naga City. The school was facing a pressing need for books, and Larry, inspired by his previous book donations to Caritas, felt compelled to help.

The Gualandi School, established about 20 years ago by Msgr. Joseph Gualandi from Bologna, Italy, started as a school for the hearing impaired. Historical accounts about the formation of the school state that “after Fr. Gualandi’s first encounter with the deaf, a great apostolic fervor to serve them was born in him, he and a brother, Cesar, studied the problems connected with the instruction and education of the deaf, contacting institutes for the deaf, which were already existing in Italy and in the neighboring countries.” Sr. Clarisinda Cagang, now the mother superior of the congregation running the school, was a young student in the Philippines when she listened to an inspiring talk on vocation by a priest from the Gualandi Fathers of Italy. She sent her application letter to Italy. It was forwarded to the Sisters of the Little Mission for the Deaf. The Vatican instructed the congregation to establish a mission in the Philippines. The first missionary nuns arrived on October 30, 1988. Presently regarded as a Venerable figure, Fr. Gualandi stands as an exceptional educator, a paternal figure for the deaf, and a compassionate priest.

In 2018, Larry enlisted other batch members –  Marz Abad, Tom Cecilio, and Carlo Brusas – to join him in supporting  the Gualandi School. Collaborating with counterparts from the Colegio de Sta. Isabel, Rosie Mumpar-Buzon, a medical doctor, who provided medical services, and Lumen Duran, a retired educator, designed and gifted the school with a customized curriculum for the deaf. The most significant impact from the batch members was the assistance that facilitated the congregation’s acquisition of property in Naga City. Today, a dedicated school building for the hearing-impaired children stands in Balatas, Naga City, serving a growing population of 250 students, far beyond the handful Gualandi initially started with.

Upon the establishment of the school, Marz Abad generously gifted the missionaries an exceptional sculpture he personally crafted. This sculpture depicts the Biblical miracle of Jesus restoring hearing to the deaf, known as the Ephphatha. Positioned at the school entrance, the sculpture serves as a significant focal point, welcoming and captivating guests as they enter the school yard.

The commitment to aiding Gualandi has evolved into a permanent advocacy embraced by the batch. Notably, the school’s population has experienced substantial growth. Today, the school consistently produces successful graduates each year from its initial handful of impaired wards, showcasing remarkable progress since its inception not so long ago.

Based on limited social data, it becomes evident that high school reunions are not inherently part of our culture; rather, Filipino society has adopted them due to the prevailing social and cultural influences from other cultures. However, we need not confine ourselves to the limiting influences of such practices, avoiding the shallow purposes assigned to them by others. Instead, we can draw upon our own imagination and creativity, imparting more meaning and significance to these events based on our unique cultural circumstances.

The AdeNU HS batch 1969 has risen above the simplistic Western traditional sense of high school reunions, imbuing it with a decidedly serious and socially relevant essence. This transformation alone renders its 55th reunion and graduation anniversary a genuinely joyous occasion for its members to celebrate.