The 45th: An Affair to Remember

By Joey Austria (Montreal ’76)

A Varrons anniversary celebration, whether it is in August or January,  is something each of us looks forward to excitedly.  Several months before the event, organizers try their best to free themselves from their work and plan how the celebration can be a memorable one with the aim of encouraging the most number of alumni members to attend.

This year’s preparation for the celebration of the 45th  anniversary was no different. As early as the celebration of the 40th  anniversary of the UPVL Forestry Chapter last January, plans were already being discussed by the UP Varrons Alumni Association (UPVAA) officers and UPVL undergraduate members.

My task as overall coordinator was made easier through the help and cooperation of many dedicated Varrons, both alumni and undergraduates.  It was made much easier through the UP Varrons egroup and the UP Varrons website (Tudla), which serve as the centers of virtual contact among all Varrons. Through the internet, it was easy sending out of invitations and requests for assistance and asking for comments and suggestions. We received a lot of positive responses.

The attendance during the anniversary ball was a big surprise. Vrod Tancho De Guzman (Humane Batch ‘74) reported that there were 132 Varrons who registered. Including family members and guests, the total number of attendees was more than 200 based on the number of plates served during the dinner.

The celebration started at 6:00 a.m. Saturday through a Thanksgiving Mass as St. Therese Chapel. It was followed by a Sportsfest at 7:00 a.m. at the Splash Mountain Resort covered basketball court.

Early that day, I hitched ride with Vrod Wilbur (Batch With No Name ’74) in his brand-new Toyota Fortuner.  Before that, I received a text message from a Sis (I think it was Sis Carla Cariño-Onza, Batch Reparian ‘79) who said that their delegation from Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has just arrived in Sampaloc, Manila. She asked if they could hitch a ride with any Varron on the way to LB. I told her they can ride with us in Wilbur’s vehicle. Since, Katipunan is far from Sampaloc, her group decided to take the bus instead. Almost at the same time, Sis Dix Bravo (DST ’77) texted me if she can travel in convoy with us. She was coming somewhere near the SLEX. However, she decided not to join us upon seeing the traffic that was building up at SLEX. The two text messages that I received early in the day were a welcome relief to me because these were sure indications that a lot of Varrons were starting to be on their way to Los Baños that day. I was not wrong.

To view more pictures of the 45th anniversary in a slideshow, please click this link.

Wilbur and I arrived at Splash Mountain before 10 a.m. The first basketball game was going on.  The faces I immediately saw included Dodie Torres (Victorious Octavians ‘89), Tancho, Pola Credo-De Guzman (Interaksyon ‘75), Abe Mandac (Batch ‘66), Verong Vergara (Batch ‘68), Mae Macariola (FQS ’78), Ericson Jacinto (FQS ’78), Emerson Jacinto (ESQ ‘80), Mutya Quintos-Manalo (Batch With No Name ‘74), Nestor Manalo (Batch With No Name ‘74), Rod Fuentes (Montreal ‘76), Pat Malabrigo (BUTA ‘91), More Santander (Batch NAME ‘93), Deo Palacpac (Tanglaw ‘96), Persie Guevarra-Tubig (The Circle of Three ‘82), Vic Nazareth (Twin Stars ‘84), Cathy De Guzman, BUTA ‘91), Myla Gucilatar (Youth of Liberty ‘89), Kevin Latiza (Philantrophist ’05), Bonnie Pasion (Anino ’05), and Jhonber Castillo (V-TEC7). There were many other alumni and undergrads whose faces I failed to match with the names that I have memorized from the egroup.

Vrod Wilbur did not play basketball this time but opted to stretch his muscles through his bike at the UPCFNR road networks. The star of the first basketball game was Vrod Verong who was able to score several basket points.  Who says oldies can no longer play a physical game?

And there was Sis Belinda Apuya-Lalap (Batch ‘81) who introduced herself to me as the sister of Vrod Nestor Apuya (Flood Victims ‘72). She was helping out in the registration table.

Later, a charming lady introduced herself to me as Sis Belle Vilela-Chua (Crystal ‘77) who came all the way from Davao City. She told me about her egroup problem which I was able to resolve the following day. Then there was Sis Agnes Perez-Bartolome (FQS ‘78) who came from Los Angeles, California and timed her Philippine vacation with the UPVL anniversary.

Last Updated on October 12, 2016 by Tudla_Admin