Christmas 2011

Christmas Greetings to All! :)

First Ever Reunion Abroad

Gipadad-an ta ni Marrah ug mga pictures niadtong nag-reunion sila ni Vangie, Cecille ug Marrah sa ila ni Vangie niadtong 20 August 2010. Dugay-dugay na pero just to think ha, first reunion 'ni sa atong mga batchmates abroad nga sila-sila ra nag-organize. Ang report ni Marrah kay nangaon ug nag-piktyur-piktyur ug ang pinaka-highlight of their get-together kay nagtabi hangtod ala-una sa kaadlawon. Mora'g ladies nite-out diay to nahitabo. Sundi 'ni ninyo mga miga be unya imbitara mi tanan, as in NOHS-Batch 79 Grand Alumni Homecoming, USA Chapter. Na kamo na lamang ang mag-identify hain diha si Vangie, Marrah ug Cecille. 

At LA CA Restaurant, healthy foods ra ang gidalit diha, mga miga.

Tres Marias at Vangie's house.

Welcome Rosela Trono

Para sa atong batchmate nga gwapahon unya sige ra tabangon ug kuyapan niadtong high school pa ta, dayon diri sa atong balay-tapokanan kay dia diri ang daghang doktor nga motabang nimo. Naa si Dr. Acle Luzuriaga nga bag-o kaayo ug clinic diha ra duol sa provincial hospital ug naa pud si Dr. Ruel Quisel nga macho kaayo sa picture niya. Ug ang imong problema sakit sa kasing-kasing, naa si Lourdes, si Giovanni, si Joelito, ug uban pa; maayo na silang mohatag ug tambag sa imong mga suliran. Ang usa pud nga maayong motambal sa sakit sa kasing-kasing si Julieto Aranas; sige ra ka pakataw-on ana. 

Si Rose Trono nanimuyo ug nagtrabaho karon sa Makati City. Dia nay nadugang sa mga batchmates nga natrapik diri sa Manila. Kusog ra bang mogimik ni sila. Gimik na ta Rose, kay batan-on pa gud ta.

High School

Karon

Notes on the Negros Oriental High School

An eminent alumnus of this School, Dr. T. Valentino Sitoy, Jr., chronicles that Negros Oriental High School opened in Dumaguete on September 1, 1902 with Miss Rebecca E. Berry as Teacher-in-Charge.  Simply referred to as the "Provincial School," it started with an enrollment of some 40 pupils, mostly from Dumaguete and the rest from the various towns.  At that time, the Negros Oriental "Provincial School" was one of the 23 high schools in the country.

NOHS was established during the American occupation of the Philippines, a year after the first American school, Silliman Institute (now Silliman University), was founded in the Philippines. It is no wonder that its first teachers were Americans from the batch of educators called "The Thomasites". Here are some of the pioneering principals of the NOHS:

Mr. W. J. Scruton    since 1906*	Mr. Paul Osborn    1916-1917	Mr. Charles Woodall  1917-1918

*source:  www.scribd.com/doc/45574155/Bureau-of-Education-1901-1906                   
                                                                                                      

Welcome Amabelle Rey ug Alice Asaldo!

Duha sa atong mga gikamingawang mga batchmate ang nakaplagan sa atong pagbulobordahe niining internet: Si  Alicia Asaldo ug Amabelle Rey. Si Alice Asaldo-Joguilon mahinhin kaayo ni niadtong high school pa ta, si Amabelle Rey-Smith opposite niya. Si Alice naa karon nanimuyo sa Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. Si Amabelle tua nagtikaw-tikaw sa San Antonio, Texas.  Si Alice naa connected sa Namei Polytechnic Institute, a maritime academy. Si Amabelle, ayaw ra ug katingala anang iyang picture kay tag-iya na ug beauty salon sa Texas. (Taym pa mo-salute 'sa ta sa ang atong Corps Commander nga kumander na ni Mr. Smith karon.)

High School

Karon

High School 

Karon

Inday Marrah's Love

Kini si Marrah Tijamo wala ni nagpahibalo nato nga mitugpa na diay siya sa salag sa kaminyoon. Gikasal na sila si Marrah ug ang iyang long-time nga palalab nga si Dr. Dale Butler niadtong ika-18 sa Disyembre 2010. Usa ka dakong tawo sa politika sa Bermuda si Dale Butler, astig kaayo nga tawo pero diri ra siya nisurender sa usa ka maanyag nga binuhat gikan sa Dumaguete. Tan-awa di ba gipasol-ob gyud ni Marrah ug Barong Pilipino ang iyang bana; wala ka ik ang taga-Bermuda. 

Mahimo na unya ning official first lady si  Marrah Tijamo-Butler sa nasud sa Bermuda pila ka adlaw gikan karon. Sud-ong lamang mo ug unsa ka malipayon ning atong batchmate sa dihang gihiusa na ang ilang duha ka kasing-kasing. Boss Marrah, manganha unya mi diha.

Hello Kanatong Mga 79ers!

Ayaw baya ingna nga gumikan kay wala malihok ning atong blog nga wala na ta magka-bonding ha. Ang Facebook ang sad-an ug nganong, kun sa tagay pa, nigamot na kining atong blog.  Sukad nauso ang Facebook, tua na ta tanan didto nagistambay, manglili ug pictures, magtabi, magplano ug gimik --- hasta na ang magkuhitanay.

Pero ubay-ubay na baya atong kalihokan sukad atong kataposan ta nga nagtapok diri. Morag inauguration pa man to ni Pnoy ang last nato nga post. Ayaw kabalaka kay nitunga na pud ang tigpanalipud sa mga dinaugdaug sa valentine. Nia na sad ang mga balita kabahin sa gugma gikan sa gawas ug sa sulod ning ating pinalanggang Pilipinas nga gisibya sa inyong kabos nga reporter sa kahanginan.


"Kung Hei Fat Choi!" matud pa ni Venus Yongco. "Pong Choi La!" matud pa ni Yoyoy Villame. 

Yehey Welcome, Evangeline Pepico-Odeyemi!

"Mga Ga, Ra, Dear, Ging, Honeydear, nia na usab ang inyong higala sa kahanginan si Manong Mar nga nagsibya niining radyo DYRM dinhi sa dakbayan sa Dumaguete. Pagtimba na ug kahoy, pagbugha na ug tubig... kay nia na niabot ang atong klasmeyt nga sekret agent sa amerika... si Evangeline "Femi" Pepico."

Vangie, kaila kaayo mi nimo, ma'am.

Atong gipatapot diri ang iyang email para naa gyud ebidensya. Kamo na la'y tugkad ug unsa ang iyang gipangyamyam diha kay iningles na. Kaila ni silang Venus Yongco nga mao ang atong majorette sa NOHS band atong first year. Pero ang dako gyud ug katawa ani mao si Joel Dayao nga nalipayan kay naay information nga gihatag si Evangeline kabahin sa iyang expalalab nga si ... hehe... basa lang diha mga, boss.

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"Hi Tim! How are you? I am not so sure if you can remember me. We were in the same freshman class at NOHS and the glee club until our senior year. My name is Evangeline Pepico. I was also with the band playing the drum. I just happen to stumble into the site that you have started. That was very nice of you trying to bring everybody together."

"I left Dumaguete almost 26 years ago. I went to Northwestern U and completed 2 BS degrees and a masters. I should have proceeded to law school instead of graduate school. Anyway, no regrets. I still have accomplished my goals in life. I am currently here in Los Angeles. Prior to that I was in Houston, Louisiana, and North Carolina."

"Well, I have heard a lot about you from other classmates. You are a big time attorney now...... That is great! I work with attorneys all the time on job as a federal agent."

"Anyways, when is the next reunion? I would love to come home. I still have families in Daro. By the way, do you remember Amabelle? I later found out through my Mom that she is my cousin. She always visit my parents in Houston. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas."

Email: Odeyemi@att.net

Congratulations Mayor Marcella!

Wala na'y makapugong pa. Mayor na g'yud atong klasmeyt sa lungsod sa Sibulan, Negros Oriental. Ang atong klasmeyt nga konsehal sa dugay nga panahon ang nakadughit sa pinakataas nga posisyon sa lungsod niadtong niaging piniliay. Giunsa kaha to niya? Sigurado nga ang pagkakugihan niya ug ang dako niyang pagsalig sa Diyos mao ang nituboy kaniya. Congratulations, Mayor Marcella Grampon-Bartoces. We are so proud of you.

Welcome Beth Abrio!

Hello Beth, Welcome ka kaayo diri sa atong blog. Naa man diay ka Manila. Magkita ta kay ubay ubay baya pud ta diri sa Manila. Sayang wala ka makauban sa atong Reunion last May 15, 2010. Tua ang pictures sa atong site sa facebook. Pahimo kuno diha sa imong anak ug account nimo sa facebook. Tua pud didto ang atong mga classmates nga puro kahibalong mo-chat. Just search NOHS-Batch79. Basa-basa lang 'sa, sa mga articles diri. (Thanks to your bro, who wrote about you in the Comments section of this blog.)

Welcome Amalia Obligado!

High School	Karon

Dia pa'y laing nasakpan nga nagpahipi ra diri sa Manila. Usa sa mga matahom nga mga angeles nga daghang layhan mosikop apan wala'y makaduol. Ang uban moingon nga snob siya pero wala lang sila kahibalo nga Ms. Tubod, Dumaguete ni siya. He he, welcome diri sa atong blog, Ming.

Welcome Raquel Panuela!

Kinsa pa man diay lain? Si Raquel ang katunga sa Panuela twins, nag-comment siya dinhi pero wala magbilin ug email address; nagpahibalo nga motambong ang iyang twin bro nga Ariel sa atong reunion-dalang pamista.

Paki-email kuno sa imong bulubag-ong hulagway diha ma'am Raquel kay ang dia namo kato pang diha mo sa Pepsi katong gatapad mo ni Tina Turner. Email sa timcalumpong@gmail.com or pwede pud mag-abri ka ug account sa Facebook kay tua ta didto; i-search lang ang NOHS Batch 79 sa facebook.

Welcome Cecilia Violeta

High School	Karon

Let's welcome our long lost batchmate, Cecilia Violeta now Miller. Tua na ni 'ron nanimuyo sa Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Nasakpan ni sa Facebook. (Ingna kuno inyo mga anak nga i-update ang inyong Facebook, ha.)

Tan-awa di' ba gwapa ra gihapon. Mopauli ki siya sa atong reunion karong petsa 15 sa Mayo. Mao nga ato g'yud nga dugokan ang atong panagtipon kay atong hangpon 'ni si Cecille.

Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=769679554&ref=mf

Marcela Grampon 4 Mayor!

Dili unta nako butangan ug politika kining atong blog pero ato pud kini nga ibandilyo kay dili baya sayon ang gitaak pagka-karon niining atong batchmate. Si Marcela Grampon-Bartoces nga wala kaayo mailhi niadtong high school pa 'ta, mopalawig na sa dagat sa politika. Siya ang natuboy sa iyang partido sa pagka-mayor sa lungsod sa Sibulan. Dili tanan gihatagan ug higayon nga mosalmot sa ingon niining kalihokan ug dili tanan adunay lig-on nga dugokan aron molahutay niining bugnong lugaynon.

Sa three terms, consistent si Marcela sa pagka-No. 1 nga konsehal sa Sibulan. Maingon nato nga hinog na siya para sa pinakataas nga posisyon sa maong lungsod. Ug madayon, siya na sa atong tanang batchmate ang nakakab-ot sa pinakataas nga ranggo sa gobyerno pinaagi sa piniliay. Mao nga dako natong garbo kay siya usa kanato: si Marcela Grampon-Bartoces, pagka-mayor sa Lungsod sa Sibulan karong ika-10 sa Mayo 2010.

Mars, sa imong pagpakli sa bag-ong panid niining kinabuhi, hinaut giyahan ka kanunay sa atong Labaw nga Makagagahom.

For Complete List of Candidates Click: http://www.negor2010.com/?page_id=54

Hello Ug Usab

Sa atong pagbaktas niining dalan sa kinabuhi, usahay dili ta makabantay nga nitipas na diay ta ug nisohot sa kakugnan nga mao ang kalimot. Bisa'g asa na lang nahasiril-siril kining atong lapoy nga lawas; nagsalimuang nga nagbugtaw sa mga damgo; usahay moampo na sa pagdani sa mga butang sa kalibutan...

Apan may panumduman nga kanunay mokablit ug mobutad. Dili diay 'ta makabalibad ug ang kamingaw na ang moagda. Sama sa ambongang ulitawo nga miagda sa mapahiyomong dalaga aron sila mosayaw sa bayle sa pagsaulog. Sa walay pagukon-ukon, atong hinumduman ug tagamtamon ang kagahapon.

Wehehe, intro ra na, parts... pahinumdum ra nga sa Mayo 15, 2010 sa lapyahan sa Zamboanguita, mag reunion ta. Andam daan mo ha, especially mga taga-abroad. Suggest daan ug unsa'y mga potahe nga lutuon, unsa'y kolor sa bikini ang dad-on. Mora'g sinaw atong simod ani kay pista kaayo sa Zamboanguita. Magplano dagway ta ug overnite didto sa bisperas, noh?

From Viva Films

NOHS '79 High School Reunion 30 Years After

I could think of a thousand reasons not to attend the reunion last August 29, 2009. My days are always busy with very important concerns in family, business and community, but my conscience tells me to go because this event may not repeat again (it is my prayer that is will but with a different but happy circumstance) so I canceled all my "other important" assignments and bought my ticket and went. And I am truly grateful that I did, the joy and happy feeling experienced cannot be expressed words and images but stick to your heart for the rest of your life.

High school was a transition and a formation, preparing you for something challenging and serious college and the real world. It was a time of firsts, (you know what were your firsts) a time of loving a lot of things (music, dancing, girls, etc.) , trying something new and many other energies we focused ourselves to. The memories of those years are still vivid and clear, from the banana cue to the many escapades and adventures taken in the course.

I am so grateful of the friendships that developed during those days which still continues and grows even today. Though we thread different paths in our life journeys we are connected by a common bond of experience nurtured in the four corners of our beloved high school alma mater.

The reunion reminded me that happiness and success is not measured in how much wealth you have or how accomplished you are in your profession but by the satisfaction of what you are today and how God and your past has molded you as a person.

The reunion will be etched eternally in my mind and heart and I already long for the next gathering/s, may it be joyful and fruitful as we extend beyond ourselves,beyond the boundaries of our homes and classmates to those whose needs we can fulfill.

May the Lord grant good health, wisdom, resources, graces and mercy to all of our batch mates, may we glorify Him in our efforts individually and as a group.

See you May 15, 2010.

Joel

The Journey

*Pakigpulong ni Lourdes Nga Wala Mahatag Niadtong Reunion Kay Nagkaguliyang ta sa Kasadya.


"Perhaps a stable order can only be established on earth if man always remains accurately conscious that his condition is that of a traveler”, one author says in his essay.

Salamat sa Dios! We made it today! With grateful hearts, we have come to stop for a while after 30 years! We just heard the introduction of batchmates, the memoir and the account of our journey. Indeed, there is reason to be grateful and to celebrate what the Lord has done for all of us in these 30 years.

Looking at your faces, I can tell that everybody is happy to be here. But, I don’t know how you felt before coming here. I don’t know the situations of your homes, your marriage, your families, your job, your business, etc. Are you in crisis? I don’t know. Are you in good health? Some of us, maybe, sakit na ang tuhod ug payod. I don’t know. But, I know German (Infante), our classmate, has one year to live because of cancer. He would have wanted to come but he is unfit to travel. And we, who are present, who can tell how long will we live? Some of us here, maybe, are afraid about tomorrow, when the 30 years anniversary celebration is over, when we continue the journey. We are thinking that, perhaps, everything that we have now will not mean a whole lot in the future with too many uncertainties we are facing.

Despite this, I am still very excited about the future, not because, maybe, I will find a husband. I invite you to be excited also. I will tell you why, but why? It is because there is God. I believe that here on earth man does not have a lasting city, that his stability and security consist in being rooted in God. That here, we are just travelers.

Looking back, we went through the ups and downs in life. Without knowing it, the “down” moments were the best times of my life and yours because we became mature and better persons. We learned that there is Someone stronger than us. We came to know the Lord in a most profound way.

Classmates, we live in hope and we do not get discouraged in present situations, trials and difficulties. From the knowledge of the present gifts: the gift of life, that fact that we are still here, the gift of families, children and loved ones, the gift of friendship, for widows and singles, like me, though we are alone, yet we are not lonely, the gift of our work, professions, the many, many graces which cannot be counted, and most of all the gift of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our true treasure and source of joy, the certainty of the future can be deduced.

In the meantime, therefore, let us pray that we may be able to do the will of God. If you are a teacher, teach well; if you are an engineer, an entertainer, a doctor, a lawyer, a traffic officer, a housewife, a businessman, a public servant, etc. do your share for love of God. According to St. John of the Cross, “In the evening of our lives, we shall only be judged on love”. Let us be faithful servants then, even if it entails sacrifice. Let us not be impatient or focused on immediate rewards. One can be truly happy if he accepts and enters into the will of God.

There was a story of three friends who started a journey. The three heard the church bell rang. The two wanted to go to church for they know that the trip would be long. So they asked the other one to join them. But the other one replied: “What is the point of going to church when we should be traveling and what gain God has if we do go? You two may go if you like but I will not go. While you are there I will have gone a long way and I am in a hurry to get home.”

One of them said, “Look, don’t predict how God will arrange things!”

The two went to church and the other one headed for the road. After the Liturgy, the one who went ahead came back running, all out of breath. “What happened?” the two asked. He said that he went to a store to get some change and a drink. After he walked a few kilometers away, he decided to count his money to see whether he had all of it. He found it all there, but he discovered that his passport was gone. He almost lost his head. But then it occurred to him that he probably had dropped it while he was getting the change. So he ran back, he found it on the floor of the store, still folded. He was very happy. He came back to tell them what happened and to ask for some ointment for his foot. With so much running he rubbed his foot, he could hardly walk.

The friend said: “No doubt it happened because you refused to come to church with us to pray before beginning your journey. You wanted to be ahead of us but you came back, and disabled at that. I warned you about your prediction, and you see how things turned out”.

Of course, God does not need prayer from us sinners, but in His love for us He likes to see us pray. God, in His love, rewards man a thousand times more than his actions deserve. If you will only decide to go to the Father, He will come to meet you.

One of my favorite Psalm is Psalm 127. It says: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders toil. If the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain do the watchmen keep vigil. In vain is your early rising, your going late to rest to earn your daily bread. God gives it to His friends while they sleep. xxx”

Classmates, our journey must continue. Be not afraid because we do not travel alone! The Lord is with us every step of the way! He loves you and me!

See you again soon! God bless us all!

Reunion Beach Activities

...Ug sa takulahaw lamang niagi ang katloan ka tuig. Nipakgang sa atong pagtadlas niining hagip-ot nga dalan sa kinabuhi ang pagplano ug unsa'y buhaton sa atong High School Reunion. Ang tanan naghinam-hinam sa pakipaghimamat sa usag-usa. Ug dihang mi-abot na ang gikasabotang adlaw, Agosto 29, 2009, sa Maxino Beachhouse kilid sa lapyahan sa Cangmating, Sibulan, nagkit-anay, naghangop, nagbeso-beso, nagaksanay, nakataw-anay, nag-uban sa pangaliya sa Ginoo, nagsalo sa pagkaon ug naghudyaka ang mga klasmeyts sa NOHS Batch 79; miduyog sa atong mga talidhay ang kinaiyahan.

Mga kuha 'ni sa beach atong adlawan pa, kay pagkagabii diretso mi sa ilang Mila haron ipadayon ang pagdimdim sa dugos sa Reunion. Pastilan pagkakulang diay sa tibook adlaw para sa celebration. (Pero unya ra 'tong mga pictures sa pagkagabii.) Tan-awa ra ug unsa'y atong kalihokan diha. Sa mga wala'y anteohos, paki-click na lang ang kada picture para makita ang mas dako nga version.