K88 Reunion Bulletin No. 17 - Fund And Expense Report

by Jeff Sulit
20th Year Homecoming Chair

Dear All,

We would like to thank everyone for the support to our most recent successful 20th Grand Reunion.

As we have committed in the past, we will be transparent in the fund generation as well as the utilization of the fund gathered.

Before anything else, we would like to acknowledge the following people who volunteered to be Special Patrons on the day of our reunion:

FATHER ERICK SANTOS
DENNIS PALACIO
JOEL ANGELES

We truly appreciate your generosity and support. Same goes to those who have been previously acknowledged, many, many, many, thanks.

Final tally of the attendees, its not 99 anymore but after the review of the registration sheet as well as the pictures, it was 101 warm bodies who at one time or another was present at Jay's place last February 16.

*Attached is the Fund and Expense report I prepared and reviewed/audited by Cocoy, Jay and Arnold and approved by Joey.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring support you gave.

The remaining fund will be our seed money to facilitate new fund raising activities as well as the proposed setting up of a foundation for our batch. This excess fund will definitely be not enough to accomplish these forthcoming activities, but with your continued support we can proceed not only in setting up the foundation and facilitate fund raising activities for the Grand Centennial Homecoming but also to realise some long-term projects that is currently being planned.

Again, we thank you and long live K88.

Sincerely,



_________________________________
The Organizing Committee
Kumbento 88: TWENTY RIGMAROLIN' YEARS
February 16, 2008

*Attachment was sent thru the K88 Email Distribution List.

Thanks

by Jobet Lara

Fellow Rigmarolers,

Hoorah! to all PCC High School batch 1988. Congratulations to all of us for making our 20th year celebration a success. Pictures, videos and posts on our yahoogroup show how much excitement and adrenalin filled our celebration. I saw it and felt it.

I just had my chemotherapy session 2 days before our party so I had to take my steroids (chemo drugs suppress adrenalin). Steroids pump up adrenalin back to my veins to make me strong and enable me to move about. Without steroids, siguro di ako
naka-attend ng celebration natin.

Ako lang siguro naka-steroid during our celebration. But I'm sure the same adrenalin rush was felt by everybody at the party.

I also take this opportunity to thank everybody for all the continued prayers and support. I thank specially Joey Manalad and Jeff Sulit, members of the committees who organized the celebration, and of course, our generous patrons and sponsors for sharing with me their blessings to support my medical treatment. I will have my next chemotherapy session come February 28.

Thanks very much and God bless us all!

K88 Reunion Videos Part 3

The Arrival




Square Rooms + Beatles Medley

K88 Reunion Videos Part II

The Night Before




Hernan's Alma Mater Song




Jeff Sulit's Speech




Joey Manalad's Roll Call




Audi and Regan Singing Ako'y Sa 'Yo




Chunky and Gary Singing Ipagpatawad Mo




Jay Ravalo Singing Come Together

Time to crush the term PILOT like the Berlin Wall

by Joey Manalad
Kumbento88 President

pi•lot [pahy-luh t]
–adjective
serving as an experimental or trial undertaking prior to full-scale operation or use: a pilot project

Noong grade 3 ako, ang sabi nung teacher ko ay pagbutihin daw namin kung sakaling mailagay kami sa pilot sa susunod na taon. Hindi ko naman naintindihan kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin sa salitang pilot. The following year, I learned from my other classmates that it was the same message given to them by their grade 3 teachers. Noon ko lang nalaman na pilot na pala yung section na ‘yon, and our teacher, Ms. Cruz officially informed us that Sapphire was THE pilot section.

Honestly, I never felt the difference from the grade 3 class to this new one in grade 4. If not for the official announcement by the class adviser, I really wouldn’t know the difference. Ganun din naman ang atmosphere – maingay, makukulit ang kaklase, may iba’t-ibang subjects, may iba’t-ibang teachers, pareho lang basically. Siguro ang medyo pinagkaiba lang ay mas malakas ang boses nung nagre-recite kapag may itinanong yung teacher. Yung tipo bang huling sagot na niya kaya todo-bigay na ang pagsagot sa isang napaka-simpleng tanong ng teacher.

Over the years, unti-unting na-establish na kapag pilot pala, this is supposed to be the “cream of the crop” and I suppose, students from the other sections somewhat look up, if not envy our class. Or worse, they probably thought of ganging up on us once in a while. The sharp stares we get along the Carlos Building corridors, the ugly side remarks we hear in the canteen during recess time, are just some few things that made me uncomfortable being in the pilot class. Unti-unti ko nang nararamdaman na may kakaiba silang nakikita sa pilot. Hey, wala namang ganyanan. Sa tingin ko, pare-pareho lang tayo ng pinagdaanan. I should know, I was one of the pranksters of the pilot class. Ang kulit ninyo sa section niyo ang siyang kulit din namin dun sa loob ng pilot class namin. Walang pagkakaiba. We answer the same periodical exam questions inasmuch as we buy the same yema from Mrs. Chavez. I don’t think na mas sinasarapan ni Mrs. Chavez ang yema niya dahil ibebenta niya ito sa pilot class. And I also don’t think papatulan namin ang yema niya kung mas mahal niyang ibebenta ang mga ito sa amin dahil taga pilot kami. Talagang pareho lang.

Another year passed and I was with Grade 5 - Lapu-lapu, then Grade 6 – Sultan. Noong high school, I was with 1st Year Cardinal, then 2nd Year Cardinal. As you and I already know by this time, 3rd Year saw the disbanding of the original pilot. Robin became the pilot class while Cardinal became one of the regular sections. Yung detalye nitong kuwentong ito ay isinulat na ni Gary Devilles , paki-balikan na lang.

One good thing that came about with this disbanding of the original pilot was the warming up of poles for those from the other classes who finally met and made good friends with people who used to stay in their comfort zone in the pilot class. Isa na ako doon. At least kahit papaano, naipakita ko na wala namang kakaiba sa amin. Pareho lang. “Burog” din ang tawag namin kay Mr. Roberto, “Bitoy” kay Saguisag, “Superman” si Mr. Soriano. Of course we give high regards to the original owner of the moniker “noo”, no less than our dear high school principal, Mr. Antonio B. Cruz. Sino ba ang hindi nakurot ni Lelith Adriano? Pero siguro yung sakit ng kurot ni Lelith ay depende na lang kung gaano kalaki ang atraso mo sa kanya, or kung gaano ka niya ka-crush. Peace Lelith!!! Pero definitely, walang pilot-pilot dito. At ika nga ni Arnold, we buy the same 2-pc. Barbeque with rice sa canteen and dip the same choco flavorings sa ice cream ni Mang Alex. Talagang pareho lang.

Fast forward circa 2000. Whenever we have K88 gatherings, whether big or small, di pa rin naaalis ang issue ng pilot at non-pilot. Other people are still aloof blending with the “taga-pilot”. Yun bang tipong parang bakang manunuwag or kabayong maninipa. Walang ganon sa batch natin kaya’t iwaksi na natin ito sa isipan natin. Our recent success in the 1st Kumbento Boys Basketball League is one tangible proof that barriers have finally been removed. Our players were in various shapes and sizes and yes, came from a good mix of our various sections from High School - - some came from Hawk, Oriole, Robin, Lark, Eagle, and Cardinal. During our reunion last Saturday, ninety-nine K88 warm bodies came up and were proudly counted during the big event. Masaya ang lahat, kitang kita naman sa mga uploaded pictures, hindi ba? Unfortunately, 20 long years after we moved on, mayroon pa ring nagbibigay ng pilot label. Wala na nga lang sigurong sharp stares and I am sure the remark was done in a jesting context. But please let us put a closure to this. Wala nang pilot at non-pilot. We should act and move as one, as Kumbento ’88. Huwag na nating lagyan nang ganitong label ang samahan natin. Malalim na ang pundasyon nito at sa tingin ko ay hindi na ito matitibag nang kung anumang pagsubok.

Just to share to you one story from Mrs. Bulangit that I really paid attention to in High School was the story of the Berlin Wall - - the barrier that separated the West Berlin from East Berlin for 28 long years from 1961 until its demolition in 1989. As she discussed in class in 1988, the Berlin Wall was still up.

If I still remember right, West Germany developed into a western capitalist country while East Germany established an authoritarian government. Despite its progress, the East still looked up to the West as it gained political freedom. The Berlin Wall served as a barrier to prevent the Easterners to cross the border and reunite with the Westerners. The fall of the Berlin wall paved the way for the German reunification.

Let us learn to appreciate history and apply its good lessons. It is time to crush the term PILOT like the Berlin Wall and let the Easterners in us join the Westerners of the batch in whatever context you may wish to put it. Let us move on as one and rigmarole if you want; just never add another brand to the only brand we will forever know– THE Kumbento ’88.