The Divine Word College High School Batch 1974 celebrated its Golden Jubilee on May 3-4, 2024, during the 34th DWCL Grand Alumni Homecoming at the School Gymnasium in Legazpi City.
With the theme, “SUMPAY High: Reconnect and Give Back”, the Batch 1974 Golden Jubilarians sponsored laudable alumni homecoming events to highlight their 50th Anniversary: the first ever Sumpay Art Exhibit, a Lecture Series for Junior/Senior students and faculty, and a Tribute to Departed Batch ’74 Classmates and Teachers, officiated by Batch ’74 Priest Fr. Kiks Armario. All these were held on May 3 at the same venue.
Hosted by the High School Batch 1999 Silver Jubilarians and supported by the DWCL General Alumni Association (GAA), the alumni events were well attended with high school and college alumni from within the country and abroad filling up the DWCL gymnasium.
Sumpay Art Exhibit highlighted the talents of accomplished artists from HS Batch 1974. Through the display of their artworks, the artists hope to inspire the students, teachers, and fellow alumni in the appreciation of artistic expression and creativity as well as awaken their artistic passion.
The featured Batch 1974 artists were: Al Espineda, Joker Buan, Tito Encinas, Randy Jaucian, Boy Lanuzo, and Chito Aguilar – Project Chairman. Tito Encinas donated his artworks to DWCL school administrators and officials. View the gallery of artworks below.
The free Lecture Series, titled “Teeniors to Teens: 5 Profession Tips from 50 Years of Experience,” sought to plant seeds of knowledge and aspiration among the young students and their teachers through interactive lectures by esteemed HS Batch 1974 resource speakers. The seeds hopefully will germinate to fruition and give justice to the school dictum: “Duc in Altum.” The Latin phrase which means “put out into the deep” were Jesus’ command to Peter to lower his fishing nets into deeper waters for a greater catch.
The Batch 1974 lecturers and their topics were:
- Dr. Eric Tayag, MD, PHSAE, FPSMID, CESO ІІІ; Former Undersecretary, Public Health Services Cluster, Department of Health (DOH) — “Sa bagong Pilipinas, bawat buhay mahalaga”
- Dr. Romulo Lindio, Former Academic Provost, Vice President For Academic Affairs; Dean, College Of Business Administration, UST, Legaspi; Foundation Dean, Business And Informatics, Divine Word University, Papua New Guinea; Dean, College Of Business Education, Bicol College & Tiwi Community College; Current Vice President For Administration, Tabaco College; Scholar, Asian Institute Of Management; Doctor Of Business Administration, Masters In Business Administration, BS In Business Administration, UST, Legaspi — “Transformational Leadership: The Call for Genuine Leaders”
- Ms. Bernadette Balde-Doran, Retired Pediatric Nurse, Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York City; Masters in Pediatric Nursing, Lehman & Hunter Colleges, New York City; BS in Nursing, Bicol University — “Sweet 16 to Sweet 66: My Nightingale Story”
- Dr. Rodrigo Romero, Former Bank of the Philippine Islands Business Development and Regional Manager; Mentor, “Go Negosyo”; Former President, Ayala Business Club, Bicol Region; Current Dean, College of Business Administration, Southern Luzon Technological College Foundation, Inc.; Doctorate In Business Administration, UST Legaspi, MBA & BS In Commerce, DWCL — “From Singko to Singkwenta: My 50-year Story in Customer Care”
- Arch. Tito Encinas, President & CEO, Principal Architect, Mohri & P.A. Associates, Inc.; Architect-of-Record of Prominent High-Rise Edifices; Fellow, United Architects of the Philippines, College of Fellows; First 100 ASEAN Architects, Philippine Registry Number AA/PH071, The 71st ASEAN Architect in the Philippines; BS Architecture, University of Sto. Tomas — “Why Architecture?”
- Mr. Rafael Rañeses, formerly with DENR-Region 5, now doing selling ornamental plants for landscaping and décor — “Gardening for Healthy Environment and Healthy Living.” He filled in for Prof. Gerry Peralta who unfortunately was unable to travel and attend the homecoming.
- Prof. Gerry Peralta, Project Chairman. Founder, Confident World Speech Center, Facilitator, John Robert Powers, Speechpower; Voiced Hundreds of Radio & Tv Ads, Documentaries & Corporate Events; Assistant Professor, Bachelor of Arts & Master of Arts in Communication, University of The Philippines — “How to Speak World-Class English Confidently”
The golden and silver jubilarians topped off their celebrations with a Group Stage Presentation during the Grand Alumni Homecoming Event on May 4, 2024.
Musings of a Golden Jubilarian
Chito Aguilar of HS Batch 1974 reflected on the afterglow of the homecoming:
“SUMPAY reconnects us all. After five decades here we are now. It should be worthwhile (and enjoyable) indeed. The DWCL Alma Mater Hymn enjoins alumni to do their best together to live for eternity. This Golden Jubilee event hopefully gives more meaning to the Grand Alumni Homecoming.”
An accomplished artist and a poet, he exulted the homecoming celebrations in verse:
Epilogue
The gleeful toasts cease
Empty goblets and glasses are
Turned upside-down
The Homecoming Hall, silent now
Mutely echoes a Golden Celebration
Albeit, sans the revelry and cheers
Euphoric still, we tryst some more
In mini-meet-ups by and with those
Still in town, to savor the aftertaste
To recount the colorful reverie
Of the 3-day Jubilarian Event
And revel in analog friendship
Of 50 years.
Before we return to homes, abodes
Or other destinations, domestic
And overseas
We gather still, in packs or packets
To relive (or revive) vintage times
With lovers (secret-exes or crushes)
And real friends (then and always)
Amidst the timbre of familial voices
Singing familiar tunes, old melodies
When videoke was yet unheard of
Or to simply feel and enjoy the caress
Of the cool seabreeze at the Boulevard
Where we had campings then.
The goblets, glasses and beer mugs
Are empty, yes; and yet, our hearts and
Minds are full of a sweet, lingering
And fervent hope to reconnect again
Beyond fond memories of 5 decades
Beyond tomorrow, sooner or later
At some other time. . . perhaps.
A look back at the founding of DWCL
By Chito L. Aguilar
The Divine Word College of Legazpi (DWCL) sprang into existence from a small school named Liceo de Albay (LDA), a diocesan school for boys. In 1947, the LDA was entrusted to Fr. Juan Carullo, a retired army chaplain. The school had a Board of Trustees. The school building was located at Corners Rizal St. and Maria Clara St. (now Fr. Joseph L. Bates St.), Legazpi City. The lot was donated by the Calleja family of Legazpi City.
In 1952, the LDA was ravaged by Typhoon Trix. Financial limitations became a major problem for its survival. To save the school from possible closure, series of negotiations to take over the management of the school were done between the then Bishop of Legazpi, Bishop Flaviano B. Ariola, D.D. and the Societas Verbi Divini (SVD) Congregation. Coming to an agreement, the Liceo de Albay was officially turned over by Bishop Flaviano B. Ariola, D.D. to the Provincial Superior of the SVD, Fr. Alfonse Lesage, SVD in 1961.
The Society of the Divine Word appointed Fr. Joseph L. Bates, SVD, to administer the school with Msgr. Honesto A. Moraleda, a diocesan clergy, as Principal. The new school was exclusive for the education of boys and renamed Divine Word High School.
In 1965, the Grade School Department started its operation, and got government recognition in 1966. The High School Building at the North Campus was established in 1970. (In 1991, the Pre-School and the Grade School Department was also opened here.)
The job of the school administration was initially handled by Fr. Joseph L. Bates, SVD, who became the director of the institution from 1961 to 1970. Fr. Donald Mulrenan, SVD became president from 1968 to 1970 when Fr. Bates went to the United States, in compliance with the move for the Filipinization of educational institutions in the Philippines.
The original South Campus was then totally dedicated to the College Department, which eventually expanded from the initial business courses to engineering and other curricula. Since then, DWCL has grown significantly into a distinctive academic institution in the Bicol Region.