Dr Manny Dagala, Batch 73 president, closing the batch’s 40th
anniversary celebration held recently in Mambulao.
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
IT WAS YEAR 1973 again and Manny Dagala was on the podium donned in a
white graduation gown and toga.
He was making his supposed closing remarks after witnessing the
distribution of mock diplomas to the Batch ’73, the alumni members of the then
Jose Panganiban High School, a community high school elevated later to its
national level.
Dr Dagala, now a medical practitioner at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital
said: “We were deprived of the pleasure of coming up the stage in white gowns
when we graduated in 1973 from our Alma Mater, the Jose Panganiban High School,
and so at this moment, we tried to relish the pleasure of a real high school
graduation –white gowns and all.”
The Batch ‘73 mounted the graduation stage in old school uniforms as their names were called.
It was in 1973 that then President Marcos declared the much loathed
Martial Law, turning upside down everything in and outside every school campus
from the way every student behaved himself to the conduct of the school
curriculum under the watchful eyes of soldiers in battle gear.
The mock graduation, participated in by close to 50 members of the
Batch ’73, highlighted a reunion that was both nostalgic and roaring, having
relived amidst the sights and sounds of the “Hippie Generation”.
It was held last April 26-27 under the theme “Blast from the past, back
to the 70’s”.
Joining the fun with sheer abandon were two prominent members of the
JPNHS faculty Madam Editha G Chavez and Madam Delia Floranda.
The two teachers conspired to hack the fun to the fullest by lending
their presence on the stage to distribute the rolled white bond paper.
The weekend reunion was held at the multi-purpose hall at JPNHS campus
where parlor games and a mini-conference were held.
It culminated at the Milagros Hall at the poblacion where the members
gathered once more for a sumptuous dinner and for a quick blast of fun and
thrill, courtesy of the roaring ‘70s dominated by the sounds of rock and roll
bands led by The Beatles.
One important icon treasured by the batch was the so-called “touring
tarpaulin”, which was nothing but the much-travelled banner proclaiming the
batch’s 39th year in 2012.
Actually, it was post-parcelled from Japan
several weeks earlier by batch member Arnel P Hernandez, who works as civilian
personnel at the US Naval facilities at Yokosuka,
Japan.
The tarp has become famous for being much-travelled in the sense that
it went around the world with Hernandez, its custodian, whenever he was sent
overseas on official work-related errands.
To date, the tarp has gone to more than 15 cities in about 10 countries
and was pictured against the backdrop of famous landmarks such as the temples
in Bangkok or the famous battle ships docked in
a US naval facility in California.
Unfolded in public places, the Batch ’73 tarp had been photographed
with Hernandez donning Filipino native attire while posing next to it.
In its 40th anniversary souvenir program, the batch paid tribute to 18
members who have joined their Maker over the past few years, and they were
truly missed at the reunion.
Phids Advincula (center) “receives” his diploma from JPNHS
faculty members Madam Editha G Chavez and Madam Delia Floranda during a mock
graduation rites to highlight the batch’s 40th year anniversary celebration in
Mambulao.
The Batch ’73 pose for a family picture with the anniversary
banners.
The much-travelled tarp banner … touring about 16 countries. – MWBuzzpics by AP HERNANDEZ
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