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Tia
Nena Parial turns 80
Ms. Josefina "Nena" Parial
of Gapan City celebrated her 80th birthday on May 16 -- on a Saturday
threee days before the actual date for everybody's convenience -- with
a thanksgiving Mass and luncheon at the Three Kings Parish Center. Aside
from family members, among the guests were high school classmates
from Nueva Ecija South High School-Batch 1948, former co-teachers, co-church
workers and close friends. Her birthday party invitation carried a specific
request -- instead of gifts, donations for the improvement
of the National Shrine of the Divina Pastora would be greatly appreciated. The wellwishers
were only too glad to oblige. ###
NESHS
Class 1959 Golden Jubilee
The Nueva Ecija South High
School Class 1959 marked its Golden Jubilee last February 7 with a Filipiniana-themed
reception at a Gapan City restaurant.
The jubilarians offered
a Thanksgiving Mass the following day at the Divina Pastora National Shrine.
(Contributed
by Al Parial)
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Retired
Ecijano diplomat among country's 'New Heroes'
Celso
Abesamis Lacuna, a retired Novo Ecijano diplomat, is featured as one
of the country's modern-day heroes in the book “Mga Bagong Bayani – 200
Filipino Achievers Overseas”.
He is cited for his “35 years
of loyal and meritorious services with the Philippine Government and for
his dedicated work at the Philippine Embassy, Bonn from 1966 to 1997, dutifully
attending to the needs of Filipinos and Germans alike in the course of
his work”.
While serving in Bonn, Lacuna
-- a member of the Order of the Knights of Rizal with the rank of Knight
Commander -- retraced the travels of Dr. Jose Rizal in Germany and several
other European countries. He promoted Philippine history through three
websites on the Internet: “Rizal Heritage Trail in Germany”, “Rizal Heritage
Trail in Switzerland” and “Rizal Heritage Trail in Austria”.
He initiated and authored
ten resolutions to name, designate and declare the routes traveled by Rizal
in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy,
Great Britain, Spain and the United States as “Rizal Heritage Trails” which
were approved by the Supreme Council of the Knights of Rizal
In 1995, Lacuna was awarded
the Distinguished Service Medal of Rizal for his "meritorious and extensive
research on Rizal's stay in Germany and the memorable voyages of Rizal
on the Rhine River" and for his "tireless efforts in promoting friendship
and understanding among the German and Filipino people in the manner of
a true Rizalist".
During the 30th founding
anniversary of the Bonn chapter of the Knights of Rizal on October 20,
2007, he was conferred the highly coveted Distinguished Service Cross of
Rizal.
Lacuna was born on January
9, 1932 in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija where he spent his childhood and
took his basic education. He was the editor-in-chief of the official Peñaranda
High School organ "The Golden Leaves" and an honor graduate of Class
1951.
He finished Foreign Service
at the University of Manila.
He joined the Department
of Foreign Affairs in 1962, serving the Philippine Mission to the United
Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland from
1963 to 1966. He was transferred to Bonn, Germany in 1967.
He served as member of the
working group for the state visits to Germany of President Corazon Aquino
in 1989 and President Fidel Ramos in 1994.
Lacuna retired in 1997 after
35 years of continuous service.
He and his wife Helen have
two children, Annabelle and Christine Lacuna-Holland. ###
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The
First Divina Pastora College Reunion-USA
Contributed by Teofilo D.
Estrella
(Pioneer class of 1959)
Del Corro St., San Lorenzo,
Gapan City and La Puente Rd., La Puente, California Los Angeles County
Indeed, the first DPC Alumni
Reunion held at the Windmill Banquet & Catering facility, a prominent
landmark in the coastal Carlsbad community, in Southern California, on
October 25, 2008 was a huge success. More than eighty people (alumni
and their spouses) showed up. Yet the number did not matter because
there was never a shortage of reminiscences going back 49 years ago (Pioneer
class 1959: Tessie Valmonte Concepcion, Danny Zabat Garcia, Teofilo De
Leon Estrella) from those in attendance. The class years 1962 thru
1979 except 1963 were represented. The banquet hall was reverberating with
laughter and story telling. The atmosphere was simmering with enthusiasm
to meet whoever showed up from their class year.
The organizers, the fact
that they were from both ends of the U.S. (one from New Jersey and the
other from California) did a wonderful job. Kudos to Irma Zabat Marco
(NJ) and Merle Alfaro Quinsaat (CA)! We also acknowledge Del Salaysay
for the slideshow, his sister's act spoof, and his music, Mary Ann Liwag
Hilado who emceed the affair and made the night livelier thru her journey
back to memory lane, the DJ (I think he's the son of Miram Alfaro
Rabanza), and Irma and Merle who tried their best to entertain the crowd.
They politely brought their stage performance to a close. Their laughter
preceded their acting. The dance floor was smoking with stomping
feet to the tune of the 60s, 70s and Electric Slide.
Each class found its
own corner of the hall for picture taking. The camera flashes never
stopped. Some were table-hopping saying, "I remember you" or "Your
brother/sister was my classmate." Each class was introduced and each
alumnus was given a minute to talk about what he/she remembered most about
his/her Divina Pastora College days. Almost everyone was speechless.
Was it the age? The room was filled with the spirit of camaraderie.
Even the spouses seemed to have been part of the school because of their
absorption of the occasion. They served as photographers to the group
picture.
Everybody was having
a tremendous fun and would not want the affair to end. But goodbyes,
adieus, farewells were inevitable. Before the split, an echoing word
was up in the air.. 2010. The consensus then was to hold the second
reunion in 2010. The venue, Los Angeles, California. So, calling all the
products of Divina Pastora from the pioneer year to the present around
the globe. Better yet, this invitation is also extended to all the
educators of our Alma Mater. Spread the word.
The get-together continued
the following day in a picnic at Mission Bay in San Diego. It was
a never-ending chitchat of the good old days at Divina Pastora College?..
retelling their story to a different group of alumni. The organizers
prepared home cooking muy delicioso. Irma's chicharon was a hit together
with two courses of balaw-balaw. Do I have to name the mouth-watering list
of Pilipino cuisine and desserts served?
To experience an unforgettable
comradeship, come and join us in 2010. Two years away, in all probability
also in October. Plenty of time to save, and hopefully, the global
economy would have recovered by then.
Plan, save, and come!
See you all in 2010!
DPC alumni and educators
can respond to this article by e-mailing Randyestrella@msn.com)
Open for ideas and suggestions!
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WU-P
nurses cruise to the Bahamas for reunion
The
Wesleyan University-Philippines Nursing Alumni Association International
(WU-P NAA) held a reunion recently by taking a cruise to the Bahamas.
Hosted
by the Florida Chapter, it was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of
Class 1983 and 30th anniversary of Class 1978, and the holding of the WU-P
NAA Third Annual Conference and induction of officers of the Florida Chapter.
Dr.
Dominador Z. Cabasal, chair of the WU-P Board of Trustees, served as the
guest speaker, while Romeo Grospe, WU-P Board of Trustees member, inducted
the Florida Chapter officers.
*
Contributed by Elenita Bautista-Malicse, Class 1980
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Nueva
Ecija South High School Class 1967
In celebration of its 40th
graduation anniversary, the Nueva Ecija South High School Batch 1967 held
a reunion at Villa Antonio Resort, Barangay Mangino, Gapan City last December
29. Out of some 200 surviving members of the batch, 47 attended, among
them Rolando Medina, this year's reunion president, members of the steering
committee led by Yoly Cabungcal-Jarlego, and Nueva Ecija Journal publisher/editor
Ramon R. Valmonte (third row, extreme right).
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Nueva
Ecija South High School Class 1970
The Nueva Ecija South High
School Batch 1970 held its grand reunion last December 8 at the Gapan City
Hall auditorium, hosted by the class valedictorian, Mayor Ernesto L. Natividad.
The batch president for 2007
was Bernardo Castro, Land Bank of the Philippines AVP for auditing.
Contributed
by Redencion M. Ignacio
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Divina
Pastora Academy Class 1969
The Divina Pastora Academy
Class of 1969 held a reunion on February 17, 2007 at the Gapan Parish Hall.
Front row (from left):
Cmdr. Ike Malgapo, US Navy Ret., Engr. Danny Dela Cruz (2007 Reunion Chair),
Vicky Enriquez, Dr. Cely Enriquez, Ms. Tolentino, Violeta Valmonte, Merle
Alfaro, and Ms. Sebastian. Second row (from left): Miguela Malgapo, Gloria
Malgapo, Cita Jose, Milagros Tinio, Guia Perez, Virma Genuino, Marilyn
Valmonte, Alice Cantre, Juliet Chico, Bert Uytingco. Back row (from left):
Rodolfo Pahati; Mario Tuazon; Manager Freddie DelaCruz (2008 Reunion Chairman),
Narcy Belardo, Grace Fernandez, Myrna Agacaoile, Engr. Arthur Frias, and
Arthur Vasquez.
| In
Memoriam
CIPRIANA
RAMOS-VALMONTE
March 28,
1923 - September 15, 2000
Mother
of Ramon R. Valmonte and surrogate mother to thousands of public school
children of Gapan City whose lives she touched during her 40 year career
as a teacher. |
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