Arriving six days before the mega reunion, I was impressed with  the striking MANING RIVERA'57-designed "Walastic sa Subic" banners all along EDSA and this time, the Upsilon Sigma Phi monthly Bulletin Board at UP meant something to me! 

On a balmy  Friday morning, November 21, 1997,  I rode  with VIC PUYAT of the Batch '57 and'67-Hosted  "Walastic sa Subic" Over-All Coordinating  Committee to Pampanga after a stop in Quezon City to pick up his'57 Batchmates "Aussie" FRED SESE'57 & "Swiss" ELI ILANO, only Fred came along.  

NYC's REG QUITORIANO '55 and Detroit's PETE REYES'55 who stayed Thursday night at the Holdiday Inn were nowhere to be seen, they had teed off with  younger Brods  like  MICHAEL LIAMZON'83.Needless to say we arrived on time for the"official tee off"of the IF Romy Liamzon Memorial Golf Tournament by USP Co-Chairs DION DE LA SERNA'57 &DANNY GOZO'67.

A non-golfer like Dion,I represented Sigma Delta at the Tee-off &Lunch.Vic Puyat-the only golfer of Batch'57 had Fred & me driven around Clark so we went and had the "Walastik'97 banner" put up in front of Sis MENG TAYAG's restaurant "Four Seasons",venue for the post-game luncheon. 

We ran into a Sis NANCY REYES, who was there on business and didn't stay for lunch.  Good thing Fred & I returned to the Mimosa Golf & Country Club as Eli arrived by taxi from Manila International Airport, while all the Brods were at the tournament! Eli's flights from Zurich, Switzerland were delayed 15 hours! What does a Brod or Sis do when they see another Sis or Brod they hadn't seen in 39 years,three weeks, couple of years or 8 months? Even European-style greeting of exchanging  "tres besos y abrazos", does not really allow people in company to privately express joy or pleasure,but that was only the first morning! 

When we went ahead of the golfers to the restaurant, another group of non-golfers were there led by  USP Prez CHITONG RIVERA, GARI TIONGCO,  BOY LOMETILLO. We reminisced over luncheon with San Miguel beer,with our "Swiss"Brod not eating beef nor salmon but asking for Philippine appetizers. Afterwards,some Brods took Eli with them to buy Duty-Free booze,as a new international arrivee he could have bought'em $2000 worth! 
  
All other Sigma Deltans and most of the Upsilonians and their families were at the Cocktails with warm Hors d'Ouvres at the elegant Subic Bay Yacht Club.And this was when all the host Batchmates like 10 of USP'57 Diliman Chapter and  3 other'57 of LB Chapter, '67 USP and Sigma Deltans'57and'67 and all other Brods  and Sis met,many for the first time in months,majority close to 30 or 40 years! 

'57 Brods present were Dion de la Serna, Vic Puyat,Maning Rivera,Eli Ilano,Fred Sese,Sydney,Australia;Eddie Perez,EDDIE DAVID,ROLLIE CARLOS from Lucena,Quezon; MIKE NAVARRA,Butuan,Agusan;Freddie Ramirez,from LB:RUBEN VILLAREAL,CELSO ROMERA and JOSIE NATIVIDAD from the U.S. 8 of the 10"Lucena boys"of Batch'57[specially FREDDIE RAMIREZ were a sight for sore eyes! 

Freddie's Homily  on Sunday touched everybody,what a profile of courage this brilliant surgeon is"Mabuhay Freddie"! 

Batch'57 Brods in their dashing red & blue vests easily stood out in the crowd. Just one Sis represented LB Batch'57, BELEN MORALLO REJESUS, who Saxso Navasero '55 in the Los Banos bus left stranded in Subic, & Vic & Nenette Puyat rescued. Missing was ANGEL"AA" ARANETA'57, BABES ALVAREZ'67 from Bacolod didn't explain. Although AA wrote me early November his letter arrived a week after "Walastik". 

ALFIE KWONG'67 FAXed a beautiful poem,received in SFO's NONI MENDOZA's'61 room. Recently from Vancouver,Canada also, TOM FIRME'74 & brother formerly of SFO, CA were among the Brods taken out to the biggest Subic  Videoke  club "Neptune" by INKY REYES'78 two nights running. An Upsilon wife confided to me, the reason why I couldn't come though I was invited is that there are "chicks" in those clubs! 

The big Davao or maybe Mindanao contingent, as TINGGOT SAN AGUSTIN'67 came all  the way from Zamboanga,led by USP Prez REY VILLARICA & wife, Brod  MILITANTE's wife and JOE CONFESOR'55 and wife came with wonderful news of Joe's successful  cancer surgery. Nevertheless, I gave him the two bags of pure  Brazilian anti- cancer Pau D'Arco tea sent by Chicago Brod JOMER INGLES'82. Confesors had five fresh Durian fruits flown in by PAL and  delivered to me in Fort Bonifacio  on  Monday evening.Thanks a lot Joe,also to those from Davao for past hospitality! 

If the Brods who went to Pansol without me on Friday ate Lanzones,I'll be mad, as I was just able to eat so little of Lanzones,Chico,Suha & Papaya that other friends from Laguna gave me before I had to drive with the Puyats to Subic ... 

With LOVELY TECSON ROMULO as Co-Chair of the mega reunion,the tireless Batch'57 Sis of the Over-All Coordinating Committee were JULIET LAZO RIVERA, ARLIE OREN- DAIN JAVIER,BECKY GUERRERO ABAGON,FLORY ADVINCULA SAN JUAN&SUSAN VALERA who had terrific support fr.ALLEN RAMOS CASTRO'55 at the Secretariat[really Vic Puyat's Office]&Brods in Dick Gordon's staff:LOUIE PAWID '90 & 1 whose name escapes me. 

Condolence to Allen,BABY RAMOS'55 & daughter BOOBOO,Sonny & EMMA JULIANO RAMOS' 53 of Chicago[founder of SDP Los Banos Chapter]on the Ramos matriarch's demise. 

Larry & DEE MARQUES LITCHFIELD'57,recently of NYC came. Dee had the lead in SDP '57's musicale "Gay Thirties. Very much missed was NENA RUTH BELLOSILLO JUVE'57 of New Hampshire USA, who was the leading lady of USP '57's cavalcade "Aloyan". 

Led by Batch 1967 Co-Chairs Danny Gozo & MILA DE GUZMAN ALIPIT,among'67 there: ABONG TAYAG,Tinggot SanAgustin,Babes Alvarez,PETE MAGSUCI,RUTH NGUYEN CARPIO & Mila's Sister.

Unfortunately for Brods,midnight was last call for booze,the bar  closed by the time DICK GORDON'68 got there and met Brods who didn't go to the  best Videoke nightclub-the Neptune Bar. They drank all night Friday,the reason  for their absence at the Tree planting at 7:00 AM Saturday morning.

Registration and breakfast followed at the Leaders Hall and "reunion-meetings" started/continued.The most senior couple was GREG IMPERIAL'41 and his lovely wife, NITA'46, he's the uncle of"Lucena-boy" BERT DY-LIACCO'57& brother of Gen.Timmy Imperial. 

The youngest-future Sigma Deltans,identical twin daughters of ANDY GREGORIO'88, came with their proud Grandma DEANNA LORENZANA GREGORIO'56, and two great-aunts SDP Prez BETH LORENZANA DIAZ'56 & PEACHY LORENZANA ORTEGA'59, in mourning black for the recent demise of father Solomon,patriarch of the clan. 

When you vote in May 1998,after your Congressman under secular please vote for Deanna who's running for the office of national Representative for the Disabled. When you support a Brod for the highest office of the land,remember also to vote for a Sis to represent a huge national constituency of disabled-never before represented! 

Moving to a different venue for the Sigma Delta Phi-sponsored luncheon,everyone drove to Summit Hall for the scrumptious Filipino luncheon with Lechon and all! 

It was a pleasure to see long-lost PEPOT ENRIQUEZ'58 and the most romantic news was:the daughter of Lorna and TONY QUISUMBING'56 dating the youngest son of Sis LOVELY TECSON ROMULO '57 the SDP Co-Chair of the Mega Reunion! I couldn't help  but reminisce especially about academic year 1957-1958 and think"what if"Lovely didn't go to Spain to study at Universidad Central de Madrid[Bert forgive me!]? 

I enjoyed  meeting Brods and Sis who had requested or replied to informational  E-mail from me,especially medical couple Shelley & POPOY MANGAHAS'70& daughter. 

The doctors SESE, EPOY'53, wife and son ANAN'82 flew in and out of Subic  in a private helicopter and stayed at one of the APEC Villas.How do former Vice IFs stay handsomely recognizable like Epoy has-a secret of the medical profession? 

We probably have to inquire from neurosurgeons like SLATS DONESA'52,MAT CASTRO  '55 and LITO MILLAN'57 in the US, or Sis MAY GOSE,the PGH Neurology Dept.Head. 

MetUSP-SDP AGUSTINS:VILL'58,son LEO JOHN'84, ARLENE TANJUAQUIO-AGUSTIN'86,JANE  AGUINALDO-AGUSTIN'86,QUEENIE AGUSTIN-ALVAREZ'87 & LEO PAUL'87.Loved seeing 3rd generation male descent:CALOY REYES'91-son of HP'58,GOOGOO PUYAT'89-son of Jing '61 & one of the twin sons of Baby & Dion de la Serna'57:DAVID DE LA SERNA'91! USP-SDP offspring of Juliet Lazo & Maning Rivera'57 were in Subic Bay as well. VIC VELASCO'60 and son CHRIS'93 represented many Velasco Brods & Sis DOLLY'60. 

The Bingo was a huge success, I even played some of the three sets of games for a Brod, but as always I was unlucky at cards!  It was a pleasure to see former SDP Prez TINA TURRALBA, and be introduced to her daughter  JEANETTE MARIE, the new Grand Archon of Sigma Delta Phi! The Brods had their usual "fellowship" in the afternoon so Sis could return to our hotels,shower & change for the dance. 

Rest was cut short when international Brods picked up their luggage and my 5th of Chivas to bring to their room for our pre-& post-Hobo Dance private"Inuman". We rode with the shuttles to the venue for the fireworks, dinner and  dance at  the Fisherman's Wharf. From the first dance recording that inspired Ka-Batches  REG & DIANE to start the dancing before the band arrived to the last recordings played when the band left,many danced the dances of the 50's & 60's among ourselves without benefit  of DIs, several of which were seen  dancing  with each  other!The"most wanted Super-DI was naturally: EDI PEREZ'57-"Mr.Coffee"himself.  

At any rate, Sis YAYING and RENE DRAGON'56 are to be thanked for providing DIs to some Sis whose hubbies weren't so keen on ballroom dancing or a few widowed  or otherwise single  Brods or Sis and simply  older Brods without their wives. 

The "Hobo Dance" crowd was a thousand strong, counting Jose de Venecia,III the precocious grandson of LUZBELLA JAMOSIN'59 & ROMY GECOLEA, and the very young,  but computer-literate BEA,only-daughter of Jing'61 & BEBENG PIMENTEL PUYAT'64. 

The fireworks were fabulous,and the roasted cows(or were they big black bulls?) delicious. That was a most memorable"Hobo Dance" topping those of the old days! 

The Brod who had the most fun without dancing much was ELI, who with his Swiss Army knife and the permission of '57 Ka-Batch USP CEO DION DE LA SERNA  cut so many designer shirts or USP T-shirts of Brods who failed to heed Dion's earlier warnings about traditional "Hobo" shenanigans.What do younger Brods & Sis know, when they hold a "Hobo Dance" after the Lantern Parade  instead of  the evening after Arbor Day when everybody wore jeans? A younger Brod reported seeing  wife WINNIE COLLAS '56 "cringe" when the Armani shirt of Chris Monsod '55 was torn.  Batches older than the senior host '57 outnumbered the junior host - Batch'67.  

Batch'56 led by NENETTE TIONGCO PUYAT,were PRISCILLA REYES PACHECO with Nandy, ANNIE DONESA MONTEMAYOR and Michael,JULIE LIM ESCUETA,and my dorm roomie in her "dragon days"-ANGIE LAZO,Beth Diaz,Deanna Gregorio,Winnie Monsod, Rene Dragon, MANNY ESTRELLA -who represented Batch'56 in the golf tournament,ED ABCEDE & TQ Quisumbing.

After the senior host Batch '57, Batches with the highest number of  attendance:Batch'56 with 12 &'55 with 10 attendees.But'55 had 3 golfers & most number of awardees-3!1955 attendees from abroad were Reg Quitoriano,Pete Reyes  and Diane Ebro; Allen Ramos Castro,Fely Bragado, MICHAEL MONTEMAYOR, CHRISTIAN MONSOD,from Davao Joe Confesor; from Los Banos:Dolly Ramirez & SAXSO NAVASERO. '55 Brods danced with HAZEL B.MADAMBA'84, daughter of Ka-Batch MARCIE BOUCHER. 

The Mass at Leaders Hall was said in Tagalog, thank God, FELY BRAGADO '55 knew all prayers and replies and responded accordingly.Just the same,everything was  solemn till the roll-call even when the Grand Archon forgot to mention the one deceased Sis'name 3 times.Maning was a wonderful conductor,DICK ZAMORA'49 would be proud of him, so good was the singing that American-style, applause followed the rendition by Brods & Sis onstage of Dick's composition"Ama Namin".

Dick once thanked me for being in the cast of"Linda"& doing the opener and a walk-on solo part in"Aloyan". What he didn't know was I sent food through the movieman Thursday nights when the cast of "Stag 56" serenaded us in the South Women's Dorm & that the entire frat sang Happy Birthday & "First Noel"to me after the Lantern  Parade that year, my most unforgettable college experience!  Singing all other Cavalcade songs brought tears if not the right voice to many.

The Brunch hosted by DICK GORDON'68 was Fil-American, yummy! Seen eating Carne Norte besides myself was LA's DITAS TIPTON'64 - we don't cook that in the U.S.,likewise a Brod  who took a plateful of bacon, whose regular diet is probably cholesterol-free. 
  
Millenium awardees were EDDIE ESPIRITU'55 [in absentia] whose name is  synonymous to the Philippine Banking Industry and Sis Dr.DOLORES RAMIREZ, Charter LB '55 who was named national scientist for her award-winning work in cytogenetics of rice,"Macapuno",Mongo,banana and other crops. Most senior-MADKI ALONTO'38 at the Brunch presented Eddie's award to Prez Chitong Rivera.NITA IMPERIAL'46(Mrs. Greg)assisted Lovely Romulo in giving the award to Dolly.Other senior Sis there were BELLA YAN (Mrs.Freddie) RAMIREZ'51, MYRNA DIZON '52 and CHARITO PLANAS'52. 

A complete surprise(to me) was the 3rd award,the Loyalty Award to DIANE EBRO'55 for"...unwavering fidelity and unstinting support...for dutiful facilitation of communication and tireless dissemination of information via the Internet to the Sis and Brods all  over  the world ... and  dedication  to  Sigma Delta Phi and the Upsilon Sigma  Phi", all the more sweeter to me for being truly unexpected. From the bottom of my heart,I thank you Brods and Sis for honoring me this way! 

Other USP awardees: JUAN LIWAG'27, CORBAN K. ALABADO'37,  CAMILO D. QUIASON'47, ALFREDO V. ESTRADA'57, MELITO GLOR'67, SIMPLICIO A. ROXAS'77 and JUAN PABLO P. BONDOC'87.Bondoc Kid didn't get his award,his Dad had a fatal accident that day Congratulations and Condolences to Taipan Rimpy'87,future Pampanga Congressman! 

I was with a special group of Batch'57 who stayed around Leaders Hall after the award ceremonies,Dick Gordon took us out to lunch at the Mongolian Restaurant. Still hanging around with the Puyats at their the Tiara Hotel suite with  the Riveras, we were joined by Belen who drove back with us, Eli Ilano, Fred Sese and Boy Lometillo who left Subic even much later. It's as if we didn't want the Mega Reunion to end.

Brods who left Subic on Monday due to car trouble were Reg  and Pete Reyes but luckily, they went home with 3 banners.  

Though we attended the Over-All Coodinating Committee luncheon at "Ima" on Thursday November 27th, Fred, Eli and I didn't make it to the Batch'57 Farewell Dinner at "Cafe Rizal", Nov.29th.The 2 had a quiet"Inuman"at the Sheraton, and I was enroute to the US. 

For us all,it was a truly fabulous and fantastic experience,talagang WALASTIK! 

GA ALELI ALVAREZ is so pleased,the late USP IF ROMY LIAMZON in whichever booze  heaven Upsilonians go to,would be proud."Good night sweet prince" & fave Brod! KUDOS to the Batch '57 Ruby and Batch '67 Pearl jubilarians, don't make it too long till "Walastik sa Subic II" and thanks very much for the lovely memories!