Snippets of the ’80s

Cyril

The UPLB students, including the Varrons, were highly politicized during the Dekada 80, (of course, second only to Dekada 70!). The mass mobilization of UPCF students, who participated in the EDSA revolution that eventually toppled the conjugal dictatorship of the Marcoses, was spearheaded by the Varrons. Liza Morales, Cres Ines, Ding Contreras, Tina Urag, Rannie Arbiol, Nilo Endoso, Jhun Sasuman, Noel Salcedo, Antonio Pega and many more alternately joined the three-day mass action in EDSA. Everyone hoped for a fundamental change and to benefit from it.

The UPVL also experienced a significant organizational development in the 1980s. It was the decade where several batches of member recruitment were conducted, up to 4 per year. Winning various academic and sports competitions was pretty common. Who would have the guts to compete academically with Sol Almario, Edna Arcillas, Rey Ofren, Genny Austria, Conrado Bravante, Rico Gazal, Cecille Tuico, Kent Apostol, Angelito Rutaquio and Uchie Planas? Or run against our sprinters Beth and Anna Eleazar, Emma Castillo, Coral Opulencia, Aymeeh Mendoza and Tambe; or spike volleyballs with Tagata Uli, Nimarota Leti, Fita Bavia, Bong Baybay, Edu Braganza, Allan Manjares, Carl Estano, Dodie Torres, Babes Pabillar and Mylene Gucilatar, or dribble basketballs with  fanatics like Jhun Sasuman, Boyet Edralinda, Alex Lapis, Ramil Gata, Rodel de Asis? Ang Varrons, hindi lang pang acads, pang sports pa!

Kahit daanin sa pagandahan, may hihigit pa ba kina Sol Almario, Karen Pamplona, Hayley Venida, Elaine Crisostomo, Aymeeh and Bernalisa Mendoza, Evelyn Saludo, Nerissa Karikitan, Cathy del Mundo, Dotty Vitor, huh…marami pa!!! Of course, some of the Varronettes had no time for our resident pablings like Tolits Ofrecia, Mario Ramos, RJ de Lara, Fergie Taca, Jimson Solatre, Delogs, Allan Manjares, Alexis Lapiz, Boyet Edralina. …Tama na!!! Who can ever forget the sweetness of three delicious chocolates? Boyet, a former seminarian, got an eye for our beautiful Karen, and one time visited her at the UPCF Ladies Dorm, bearing three pieces of chocolates. He waited patiently (for centuries) at the dorm terrace. Finally, Karen came out of her room, had a little chat (for a brief 30 sec) with the hopeless Romeo, and bade him good night. What happened to the chocolates? Boyet ate them all while nervously waiting outside.

The Varron chess addict, the Vrod from Down Under (Hi, Pega!) always roamed around with his precious chessboard. One time, he had an LQ with his Varron sis partner (that time hah?! Dotty, hello!) at the ladies dorm. After the squabble, Pega dashed away, sobbing and throwing his favorite chessboard along the way. Later that day, he was seen picking up the chess pieces one by one. Alas! one little black pawn was missing, and was never found up to this moment. (Vrod, the chessboard is still with me,wala pa ring black pawn).

Who would ever forget the Varrons’ counterpart of Joe D’ Mango or Dr. Love? Are you mad? Lonely? Need somebody to talk to or some shoulder to cry on? Our sis from the UPCF Ladies Dorm who often had problems (personal, political, organizational or subject- related) always turned to Vrod Hipolito “Pol” Velasquez, a BFD aficionado, for words of comfort and wisdom. He was always there to help with open arms … and his usual greetings? “Come to papa, make love to papa”!

These jokes had been the pulutan during our tagay sessions or kuwentuhan sa tambayan, or after playing the Di sagidi sagidi popo…..Paint me a picture… till the wee hours of the night. Subconsciously, they had also been the little pieces of joy that eventually were neatly kept for years in the Varrons treasure chest of wonderful memories.

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*Editorial notes: The following are the full names of Varrons mentioned in this article (in alphabetical order with batch name in parenthesis): Soledad “Sol” Almario-Reyes (D’ Authentic Twelve), Kent Apostol (Youth of Liberty ’89), Edna Arcillas (D’ Authentic Twelve), Genevieve “Genny” Austria-Padilla (Kutitap ’83), Fita Bavia (Dreamers ’88), Eleazae “Bong” Baybay (The Queen and the Jesters), Edu Braganza, Conrado Bravante (D’ Authentic Twelve) , Emma Castillo (Zealots ’85), Elaine Crisostomo (Thorn Among D’ Roses ’84), Rodelio “Rodel” de Asis (Five Stars), Rodolfo “RJ” de Lara (Searchers ’85) , Catherine “Cathy” del Mundo (Victorious Octavians ’89), Edelito “Boyet” Edralinda (D’ Lucky Nine), Ma. Anna Eleazar (Devaluation Square ’84), LiliBeth Eleazar (Suhay), Carl Vincent Estano (Czar and the Viscountees ’87), Ramil Gata (Youth of Liberty ’89), Rico Gazal (Admirable Sixers ’88), Mylene Gucilatar (Youth of Liberty ’89), Nerissa Karikitan-Maralit ((D’ Authentic Twelve), Alexis Lapiz (Dreamers ’88), Nimarota Leti (Five Stars), Allan Manjares (D’ Determiners ’88), Imelda “Aymeeh” Mendoza-Diaz (Thorn Among D’ Roses ’84), Bernalisa Mendoza (D’ Mask), Pablito “Tolits” Ofrecia (The Queen and the Jesters), Ma. Theresa “Babes” Pabillar-de Luna (Thorn Among D’ Roses ’84), Carina “Karen” Pamplona (Searchers ’85), Mario Ramos (D’ Determiners ’88), Rey Ofren (Suhay), Ma. Roselle “Uchie” Planas (Youth of Liberty ’89), Coral Opulencia (The Renegades ’87), Angelito Rutaquio (Searchers ’85) , Ma. Evelyn Saludo(Youth of Liberty ’89) , Anacleto “Jhun” Sasuman (Kutitap ’83), Jimson Solatre (Youth of Liberty ’89), Fernando “Fergie” Taca Jr. (Zealots ’85), Jocelyn “Tambe” Tope-Briones (D’ Determiners ’88), Alfredo “Dodie” Torres (Victorious Octavians ’89), Cecille Tuico (Dreamers ’88), Tagata Uli (FiveStars), Hipolito “Pol” Velasquez (Searchers ’85) , Hayley Venida-Manipol (Searchers ’85), Dorothy “Dotty” Vitor-Pega (Czar and the Viscountees ’87)

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Cyril is currently the Officer In Charge of Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) in Calauag, Quezon. He is married to Ester R. Coliflores, with two kids (7-year-old Cyra Ellaine, 7 and 3-year-old Paul Cedric).