The Alumni Waves debuts
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
Batch ‘65
GIVE it to
Pareng Percy A Ostonal, of Michigan, USA (Batch ’66).
The idea of creating a venue where our beloved fellow Alumni
could ventilate their views without feeling jerky about it is one initiative
that the editors-administrators of your online news tunnel MWBuzz have just
rolled out.
And Pareng Percy, a retired marketing man, has all been behind this, believing that your
first-ever bulletin board – The Alumni Waves – could be one tool that would
spur the alumni of the Jose Panganiban (National) High School (JPNHS) to come
out of their Facebook comport zone and put in officially – this time on TAW –
their cherished wishes, aspirations, views, frustrations or simply a spur of
the moment take on vital issues that confront, concern and affect our beloved
hometown Mambulao and its people.
We knew too well that despite our having an association –
the so-called Jose Panganiban National High School Alumni Association
(JPNHSAA), we continue to grope in the dark for things that we value most –
news from home, which we, at MWBuzz, painstakingly put together to bring to the
world where our Kababayans are holing up.
For all we know, the JPNHSAA caters to a bigger goal, which
is finding ways to give back to the community – to our beloved Alma Mater and
to our less-privileged Kababayan – by way of initiatives that have endless and
overwhelming support from the members, whether they are locally-based or
overseas, financially or otherwise.
Meanwhile, we, the alumni, continue to thirst for
information only our own people could provide, either through the Internet,
email and social media.
The Alumni Waves, which is a spin-off from the JPNHS campus
newspaper The Waves and of course, the original Alumni Waves printed by the alumni association, will strive to put them together here on the pages of TAW.
We – that is Percy and
I – will strive to encourage alumni at-large to come out now and share
what they think would help push some more Mambulao’s agenda for development and
progress.
But I just would like to clarify that your new tunnel – the
MWBuzz, or the Mambulaoans Worlwide Buzz – is an online news site that deals
with important development obtaining in our beloved community.
The Alumni Waves will be your pro-active bulletin board – a
sounding board – where you can “pin” whatever concerns you may have.
Enjoy connecting with fellow Global Mambulaoans through your
online tack-your-message board, The Alumni Waves.
By the way, i have a personal and natural affinity with the campus paper The Waves. From first year till I graduated, I had been an active member of the staff and was named "Journalist of the Year - Batch 1965".
By the way, i have a personal and natural affinity with the campus paper The Waves. From first year till I graduated, I had been an active member of the staff and was named "Journalist of the Year - Batch 1965".
New info website for Mambulaoans
By PERCY A OSTONAL
Michigan, USA
Acknowledging our role as a responsible and responsive bulletin board catering exclusively to our Alma Mater (JPNHS) and alumni, we will strive to reflect wide range of viewpoints, ideas, recommendations/suggestions with care and respect and position ourselves with neutrality at all times. We certainly look forward for your participation as writers and contributors and together, we will work the same passion by the often-amusing results of words and creating what seems to be difficult at first to achieve but feasible to do at the end by connecting ourselves to our readers.
Please join us in our journey.
For inquiry or information, kindly send in your email to:
Alfredo P Hernandez ( Batch '65 ) Email address:
ahernandez@thenational.com.pg......alfredophernandez@y7mail.com.....mwb2011@yahoo.com
Editor-in-Chief, Administrator, website
creatorPapua New Guinea
Percy A Ostonal ( Batch '66 ), Email address: ostonal@outlook.com
Co- Administrator, News contributor, Advertising & Marketing
Director Michigan, USA 
EDITORIAL
The Alumni Waves
and the Alums’ need to be informed
WITH barely 10
months to the next Grand Alumni Homecoming next April 2015, the members of our
Alma Mater’s alumni association are quiet excited to know what to expect and
how they can participate during the homestretch to the big party.
As of now, they
have only a vague idea—that the next alum homecoming set in 2017 has been
advanced two years to next year – 2015.Recently, the hierarchy of the Jose Panganiban National High School Alumni Association Inc (JPNHSAAI) had an out-of-town meeting regarding the fast-tracked event.
We gathered that the meeting took up many issues pertaining to the holding of this big event – from funding to what activities to do before, during and after.
It’s been more than two months now since but the bone or flesh of that event has never been announced, keeping thousands of fellow alums in the Philippines and overseas clueless as ever.
However one looks at it, it was plain oversight on the part of the leadership to keep us guessing, considering that they talked about spending big money for the party and the collateral activities, and all this directly hits the pockets of thousands of alumni, who chipped in to raise these funds, and who would have to do again to beef up the coffers.
Those people directly responsible and who should have been the source of information conveniently ignored how important it was for them to lead. Sadly, they rather opted to stay under the radar.
How unfair of them, no doubt about it.
Such plans for that kind of outlay should have been made known to the members after a reasonable time gap, and it should come directly from the president for the needed weight.
It never happened.
But we are quite fortunate that what did transpire in that meeting, and the one held at the president’s residence just a few days ago, have been shared with The Alumni Waves.
And while it has not been made official as yet, the alums reading this bulletin board are now appraised – more or less -- of what is to happen starting from now (please see JPNHSAAI email in this bulletin edition, which was circulated to the core group officers).
One is inclined to ask: why is it that the JPNHSAAI leadership seems invisible, or somewhere atop their totem poles for most of the years of their governance, for the global members to reach, get updates on and appraised of what is to come.
There’s Facebook on which almost all alumni are hooked, where such information could be disseminated. Posting such should not take much effort.
But aloofness comes in the way - always.
They only become blood and flesh before the poor members because there’s fund to be spent and this has to come from their pockets.
But anyway, we at The Alumni Waves will find ways to get the news about the homecoming and other stuff that our readers needed to read.
And we will do this in partnership with the international alumni groups recently organized in the US, Europe, East and Asia-Pacific. Very soon, alumni in the Middle East would have their regional chapters.
So, stay posted, dear fellow Alumni.
The beach of Parang emerging
Beach clean-up … villagers gathering rubbish that washed
into the beach in Parang during high tide the night before, believed to have
come from nearby coastal baranggays that included Malapayungan, Sta Milagrosa,
Calero, Pag-asa, Osmena and from houses along the pakatan river in Parang. The
alumni association has included the clean-up of this beach as part of planned
activities for its grand reunion-homecoming set in April 2015. –
TheAlumniWavespic by AP HERNANDEZ
The WAVERIDER
Early grand alumni homecoming is good for all
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
Batch '65
THE grand alumni homecoming scheduled in 2017 will be held instead next year – 2015.
It would surprise many, but they will understand why.
Usually, a grand homecoming is held every five years.
One reason is that there are lots of changes that happen during that span of time – changes that would see one alum succeeds in his profession, or fails in his chosen undertaking or career.
It is even possible that one wouldn’t make any change at all for the better – professionally or otherwise -- which could also mean there’s no improvement in the way his family lives.
Does he have a new car? Did he move from a house to a condo? Did he lose his shirt after a series of chemo treatment for his lingering cancer? Was he promoted? Did he go bankrupt after making bad investment and bad business decisions? Has he divorced, remarried, or is he/she in a new relation? How does he or she look now after five years?
Many alums would like to have a first hand on these changes and a five-year gap makes such a possibility.
However, fast-tracking the big party to next year has a more urgent reason.
Recently, I read a Facebook posting from a Batch ’73 alum, saying: “I just realized that waiting for another four years (to 2017) for the next GAH is quite a long wait.”
He said many of their batch members may not be physically well by then, with some of them bed-ridden, to be able to make it to the next in 2017.
He suggested to his own batch that they meet again next year – 2015 – and make it really grand. Who knows? Some of them would no longer be around after that.
Batch ‘73 alums and the rest of the batches before them would be in their senior years.
And by 2017 -- the original homecoming date – Batch ‘64 would have members in their 70s, a time when many of them would no longer be physically well, owing to a number of health issues confronting them.
What about those in Batch 1950 and those before that, who would be in their 80s. It could be that many of them had already joined their Maker.
Health issues have been the main concern for many of the batch members, especially those who have gone into retirement without the benefit of a pension that could help them out paying for healthcare – a commodity that has gone out of the reach for the many.
Effectively unproductive, many alums are in this predicament, especially those who are economically deprived and are just leaning on the family of one of his children just to get by.
If the son or daughter’s family is doing well, then his healthcare needs would surely be looked after. If not, the poor retiree could just pray for Divine Intervention.
The leadership of the Jose Panganiban National High School Alumni Association Inc (JPNHSAAI) is aware of this, and after a few meetings here and there, agreed to hold it next year – during the month of April.
An early homecoming would be a chance for the well-off alums to extend help to those in need. This has been the spirit that drives them.
It is also good for our Alma Mater.
Grand homecoming is the time awaited by members who are in the Philippines and overseas.
As always, they are generous enough to chip in for a number of projects and initiatives designed to benefit our school and the community as well.
Right now, the association is looking at spending big for the facelift of the school facilities that included repairs of toilets and roofing, re-tiling of some floors, fixing the school’s water system, just to name a few. (See JPNHS memo down this page).
Home-comers could also do a medical mission/dental mission for the less-privileged members of the community and a clean-up of the nearby beach and the surroundings.
Association chapters in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific are being tapped for funding to pursue these objectives.
An alum would not mind coughing up big money as his way of giving back to the community. Many of us would like to do this again, as we did in the last homecoming in 2012.
So, an early gathering is one event to get excited about and this shows on Facebook postings by overseas members, who are raring to come home for this big event.
Such a event is something we look forward to. It is when our teachers, mentors, friends, buddies, classmates, ex-lovers, ex-girlfriends and former enemies would be around in flesh and blood.
We would like to hug them tight and warm. We would like to bond with them.
And we pray: Hey guys, please come to the party!
For comment, email: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg or alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
Alumni target school facelift in 2015
Michigan, USA
THE FIRST thing that came to my mind when told of the forthcoming 2015
JPNHS Grand Reunion was a project I have
been thinking about since my last school homecoming in 2002.
As we go to the homestretch less than a year from now, updates and full details of said school project would be known thru THE ALUMNI WAVES information bulletin.
Dwindling catch … During our days in the 60s and 70s, catch from our
bay – the Mambulao Bay – was aplenty. And fish, like the one in the basin held
by this boy, was normally thrown away by the fishermen, seeing that they were
not of the quality they need to bring to the market. However, these days,
everything that is landed on the net, including rubbish, has its worth against
the peso whose value has dwindled several times over. Taken one morning last
April at the beach in Parang. – TheAlumniWavespic by AP HERNANDEZ
From the JPNHSAAI:
Memo No. TAW2014-001
On May 13, 2014, at 11:27 PM, Mateo Ella Espana <mc_espana28@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Jun, Percy, Beth, Thine, Cynch, Eunice,Dondin, Ernie, Fred, Ariel, Pong,Fr. Ronnie, Ruby, Hilda,Sonny, Cito, Seen, Elsa, Bilit, Cristina and all:
Me thinks it is a good idea to have the REPAINTING proposal become the centerpiece project of the umbrella organization (JPNHSAAI International) and what a way to launch our expanded international organization....
Yesterday, I had a phone conversation with Percy, and we discussed among others how to make this project more "doable" and at the same time maximize the participation and involvement of all our stakeholders (ie all the members, men and ladies of our international association)....
As a starter, we tried to convert the Php 250K cost in US dollar terms (for the reference purposes lang and pasensya), and is approximately equivalent to US$5,600 more or less ... And if we were to translate this into a chapter target (MMla, USA and Canada); each one will only need to raise and chip US$1,866 among themselves (Php82K each in peso reference) ... Furthermore, we already have 7 decade groups (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90's, 00s,10s) and this will in turn translate into approx. Php12K (US$300) per decade group ... So we would notice, that as we break the task into smaller terms, the more the project seemed to more than at sight...
Though we did not include our JP/Bicol based fellow alumnus/alumni in the calculation, it is because I am made to understand from Eunice mail, that their participation is by providing the LABOR component of the project.....
At ang suggestion ko din, should we ultimately adopt this project, sa JP na natin bilhin ang pintura,brushes, and others (yung balanse sa proposed solicitation ng pintura ng B72,73 & 75) ... This is what we call the X-Factor ng alumni homecoming....ie bringing in money in circulation sa JP. .. From an overall perspective kasi, in every homecoming we hold, there at least 1,200 attendees and if only half of that will spend Php1,500 in two days, we have around Php0.9M in money circulation in JP... At sino ang beneficiaries nito? Tricycle drivers, fish, meat and vegetable dealers, the market, etc.
Let us all unite and push the homecoming and repainting project into reality
Best regards,
Matt
Memo No. TAW2014-002
Please your stuff to:
Memo No. TAW2014-003
A MONTH ago, Matt E Espana,
(current Philippines/overseas senior adviser, JPNHSAAI and former president,
2001-07) and myself had an enlightening and productive chat on Facebook.
Ernesto "Ernie " Pena (Batch '64)
Interim Executive
Vice-President, East Coast, New England states, Central, Midwest, Mid Southern,
Southern states (JPNHSAAI-USA )
Salvador "Buddy" Fusilero
(left) Overall Coordinator, (Batch ‘71 )
Fr Ronnie Tangnines (Batch ‘81)
Interim Executive Vice-President, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arlene Grace Suzara
Overseas Alumni Group Number of members as of May 22, 2014
JPNHSAAI-USA 138
JPNHSAA-CANADA 69
JPNHSAAI-Australia, Asia Pacific, Middle East-Europe 100
As part of the network search
objective and building up the alumni data bank originally conceptualized in
2001, and with today's advance communication technology and process, new alumni
migrants coming to America, Canada, Australia and Europe will have better and
speeder access opportunity to seek help
and assistance from fellow alumni thru stored data of information such as
e-mail address, phone number and
directory.
The JPNHSAAI perspective
By MATEO ELLA ESPANA
THE JPNHS Alumni Association began its roots from a
core group of fellow alumni who met in 1984 and elected Rudy Grajo (Batch ’60)
to become its pioneer and first ever president, who in turn presided the first
alumni homecoming the following year in 1985.
But for one reason or another, the organization hibernated until 1996, when the Batch of 1966, led by Tessie Ebriega, Joel Torregoza, Cesar Schneider, Vangie Cereno, Sam Tatom, Ante Veleña and Ludy Buere, among others, revived the association.
The idea was the brainchild of Madam (Principal) Lilia Octa-Ella, as her legacy to commemorate and celebrate in a momentous event the 50th year foundation of the school, which, as we all know, was founded in 1947.
A great idea, the Batch of 1966 enthused and the only way to do this was to hold a grand alumni homecoming in which ALL graduates from the pioneer Class of 1951 to the youngest Class of 1997 would be in attendance.
Great event too, because it would likewise be a fitting occasion to pay tribute to Madam Lily Ella, who was to bow out from dedicated service on the same year and to welcome the passing of the baton to another distinguished lady, Madam (Principal) Edith Geneblazo-Chavez, the salutatorian of JPHS Batch ‘59 and the first alum to occupy the esteemed position.
So, in June of 1996, Batch ‘66 core invited the representatives from all batches in a unification meeting at the Marco Polo restaurant in Quezon City.
In attendance were Mameng Custodio (Batch ’58), Hermil Bunao (Batch ’59), Pam Opeda (Batch ’62), Adelfa Buaquña (Batch ’62), Lito Torregoza (Batch ’65), Minnie Regaldia (Batch ’68), Matt España (Batch ’70), Melo Ebriega (Batch ’73), Ato Rafon (Batch ’77), Cora Belisario (Batch ’80), Cathy Book (Batch ’84) and Joey Torregoza (Batch 086), as well as the core of Batch ‘66: Tess Ebriega, Joel Torregoza, Cesar Schneider, Vangie Cereno and Ludy Buere.
Next task was to organize the counterpart group from the home base in JP, where Banong Defeo (Batch ’51), Romy Rada (Batcg ’56), Edna Riñon (Batch ’59, deceased), Lily Grajo (Batch ’65), Ruben Delica (Batch ’66),Hinan dela Cruz (Batch ’72, deceased), Gary Formalejo (Batch ’72), Melai Velasco (Batch ’82),Carlo Maranan (Batch ’83) responded to the call of duty.
Thus, the 1997 Golden Jubilee Alumni Homecoming kicked off the formal organization of the JPNHSAAI as the umbrella association of all graduates of the Jose Panganiban (National) High School.
To give the new group legal footing, it was later registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Joel Torregoza (B66) was elected as its new president. After serving his term with distinction, Joel relinquished the position to Hermil Bunao (B59 [1997-98]), who during his term , sponsored the first alumni association scholar, Richelle Habitan (Batch ’99), who later on graduated with a BS Education degree from the Camarines Norte State College in Daet.
Hermil was succeeded by (deceased ) Tem Villareal (Batch ’79 [1998-99]), who led the improvement of the school’s water reservoir system.
Then another class member of 1966, Cesar Schneider, to held the reins in 1999-2000.
It was during this period, that the association lent its helping hand to the school by donating 20 units of ergonomic swivel chair to the school’s computer room, one of the pre-requisites of the the Department of Education and Culture (DECS) “Computer for Every School” project, before the computer units were to be turned over to the school.
The alumni association became one of the stakeholders together with the school and the local government unit.
As an added bonus the then incumbent board of directors, donated six executive swivel chairs to the office of the principal as well as one each for the faculty’s department heads. Fund for this was not sourced from the alumni coffers but from the selected fellow alumni.
During the ensuing election of 2001, Matt España (Batch ‘70) succeeded Cesar Schneider as president.
It was time for Matt to accept another task, obligation and responsibility having been a member of the board of directors since 1997.
Being in the inside track of the association by virtue of his being a long time member of the board, Matt continued the programs of his predecessors and expanded the role of the association.
Together with a cooperative board, it drew up a road map for the organization with an overlying mission: TO PROMOTE THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS, THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY, in their descending order.
So in 2001, the association asked ALL member batches to abide on one of provisions of the association’s by laws where each batch is ought to pay Php10,000 membership fee for it to be formally inducted into the organization (see list)
The seed money in turn entitled the member batch to privileges set by the association.
During the following year in 2002, after the overwhelming support of the concerned batches on the membership fee campaign, the association broke grounds on a Micro Lending Program for qualified batches, where a batch member was given a Php3,000 soft loan, payable in four months but extendable to a two-year term, to jumpstart an existing or a new livelihood project.
By modest standards, the program was a success because the 40 beneficiaries lives where somehow changed for the better, restored their self-esteem and except for a few individual beneficiaries, there was more than 90% re-payment mode.
And with its modest profits from the Micro Lending Program plus the interest earnings accrued from the time and savings account of the association on its depository bank, whose branch manager was a fellow alum (Gina Mariano, Batch ’77), the association started a Bereavement Assistance Program, where the nearest kin of a deceased member was provided a Php2,000 cash assistance.
At the end of 2007, there were seven beneficiaries of this program.
2002 was capped with a general alumni homecoming.
The next year – 2003 - was also a banner year, when the alumni association, by call of duty, wholeheartedly supported Madam (Principal) Edith G Chavez’s Student Welfare Assistance Project (SWAP).
The project was conceptualized because of the alarming statistics that there was high incidence of school dropouts from the less-privileged, primarily because they did not have the financial means to spend for school projects.
The SWAP is a social outreach program to assist the less-privileged students of the school thru a “pay for work scheme”.
Under the scheme, the selected beneficiaries rendered menial tasks (photocopying, library assistant, housekeeping, etc) for a maximum of two hours on weekdays and a maximum of eight hours on weekends and in exchange, are provided an equivalent stipend of P10-20 per hour for the duration of the assigned task.
At the end of 2007, there were 35 beneficiaries of this program, each one receiving an average of Php100/week.
Meager as it may seemed to most, to the beneficiaries, however, it meant a lot as the extras on the project were possibly additional kilo of rice or noodle and eggs on the family table, a luxury of a new cheap shoes, slipper or torn shirt from hand me down.
Thus, during the school’s recognition ceremonies, these beneficiaries were also asked to come up on the stage, together with the honor students, to convey a message that there is dignity in labor and that the JPNHS is not only an institution that imparts technical knowledge but also an institution that builds character and well being as well.
Notable too, was that the fund for this program was not sourced from the alumni account but was thru the courtesy and generosity of fellow alumni who believed in a noble cause.
On the same year, the school forged a mutual agreement with the alumni association, to institutionalize the outsourcing of career guidance, recognition and graduation day resource speakers exclusively from the alumni pool.
Under the agreement, the alumni association was given the exclusive privilege of nominating the aforementioned resource speakers for these school events; the batch members in turn, were requested to nominate their candidates for the pool.
2005 and 2007 were capped with an alumni homecoming.
In 2010, Beth Alvero (Batch ’82) assumed the presidency and continued the projects and programs on the pipeline.
In 2012, an alumni homecoming was also held. On the same year, the alumni organization held its bi-yearly election, re-organized its structure and elevated a chairman in the person of Jun España (Batch ’72) and Beth retaining the presidency.
This was a prelude to the mid-term program of the association to go international by creating semi-autonomous, semi independent chapters in JP, Metro Manila, the USA, Canada, Australia/ Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
So, in the early months of 2014, the USA Chapter and Canada Chapter was formed and Percy Ostonal (Batch ’66) was selected as the Interim USA Chapter president; Ariel Lazaro as the interim Canada Chapter president, respectively.
Because of geographical size, the USA and Canada Chapters were subdivided into sub-chapters.
The USA into West Coast, consisting of California, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada and neighboring cities, and headed by Dondin Relos (Batch ’72) as executive vice- president; and the East Coast, covering New York, New Jersey, Washington, Michigan and the neighboring cities led by Ernie Peña (Batch '64).
The Canada chapter is subdivided into the Toronto area, headed by Pong Ostonal (Batch ’78) as executive vice-president with Vancouver being headed jointly by Buddy Fusilero (Batch ’71) and Ronnie Tagnines (Batch ’81).
The organization of the Australia/Asia Pacific Chapter is underway as well as the expanded Europe and Middle East Chapter.
The alumni association, since its formal organization in 1997, is not complete without mentioning the many other men and women who served as board members and made their contributions with their talent, blood, sweat and tears in making our organization grow where it is now: Mameng Custodio (Batch ’59), Jorge Maligat (Batch ’59), Aurora Lorenzo (Batch ’60), Nelia Sentin (Batch ’60), Norming Jordas (Batch ’61), Ruben España (Batch ’62), Adelle Boaqueña (Batch ’62), Lily Arcilla (Batch ’63), Vir Chavez (Batch ’67), Annie Poblete (Batch ’69), Miel Defeo (Batch ’73), Raffy Bañares (Batch ’74), Cesar Brondia (Batch ’75), Bong Bravo (Batch ’75), Grace Brizeula (Batch ’76), Ato Rafon (Batch ’77), Elmer Madolid (Batch ’77), Linnie Malagueño (Batch ’78), Dette Velasco (Batch ’80), Melai Velasco (Batch ’82), Tony Diares (Batch ’83), Bong Arriola (Bath ’83), Rica Delfinado (Batch ’84), Bong Grajo (Batch ’85), Joey Torregoza (Batch ’86), Leng Tuibeo (Batch ’86), Ethel Lonizo (Batch ’87), Mylene Rosales (Batch ’89), Mae Rosales (Batch ’93), Reagan Rada (Batch ’97), Janice Evia (Batch ’99), Tinay Tiburcio (Batch ’00), Edelyn Lonizo (Batch ’01) and Cora Recto (Batch ’03).
And the current holdover board members Thine Book (Batch ’84) - VP-Manila; Artem Andaya (Batch ’94) - VP-JP; Ma. Cristina Tamayo (Batch ’83) and Eunice Lonizo (Batc ’89) - secretaries; Cynch Ybarola (Batcg ’86) and Chris Abano (Batch ’04) - treasurers; Robert Cam (Batch ’05), Jan Guzman (Batch ’03), Remy Puerto (Batch ’67) – auditors.
The directors: Joel Torregoza (Batch ’66) – vice chairman; Chuck Rada (Batch ’80), Emma Icatlo (Batch ’74), Merlin Tonic (Batch ’79) and Cesar Brondia (Batch ’75).
In the near future, the alumni association envisions to build an alumni hall of its own on the school grounds and where we can store memorabilia, photo, souvenirs, mementos which will showcase the past , the present and the future, an edifice where every alumni/alumnus can proudly identify himself with.
The alumni association is also working to create a master list of all JP(N)HS graduate from 1951 to present ( and future) in a computer data base and use this network for cross reference in locating whereabouts, referral for possible job openings , business opportunities and for other purpose it may serve.
Ultimately, the alumni association wishes to eventually become self reliant and self sustaining on its own.
Our Alma Mater ... founded in 1947
History of Jose Panganiban (National) High School
EDUCATION is vital in poverty reduction.
With this maxim, the Philippine government in the 1940s established the secondary education system to lessen illiteracy among the Filipinos.
Educated Filipinos have, therefore, a better chance to rise above poverty.
With the required education, they can find jobs from which they can earn a living, not only for themselves but also for their family. It is an economic chain reaction and this is not a myth.
Mambulao was among the eager and enthusiastic communities that valued education as precious life time inheritance to very Filipino child; it is considered a golden gift.
It was in 1947 that a makeshift school gradually emerged in an abandoned compound then owned by the defunct Mambulao Lumber Company next to the banks of the so-called Parang mangrove river.
This would be known later as the Jose Panganiban Jr High School, named after the local hero Jose Maria Panganiban y Enverga.
Born in the mining town of Mambulao on February 1, 1863, Panganiban was recognized as "Avenger of Filipino honor", a Legislator during the pre-Commonwealth period and a "Champion of Liberty, and Patriotism".
For a start, the makeshift high school was just a two-curriculum affair, with 200 students and seven teachers under a principal named Mrs Romero (full name unavailable), who was in charge from 1947-1948.
In 1947, coconut haciendero Ramon A Adea Sr was the town mayor and from 1949 to 1954, Agripino Floresca was the school principal.
The school was fully supported by parents until it was nationalized in 1977 - an upgrade from being a mere community high school.
It was in 1950 when the school was officially known as Jose Panganiban High School; it offered a complete secondary curriculum.
An improvement ... A mini park on the campus honoring the National Hero Dr Jose P Rizal.
In 1951, the school site was transferred to Parang upon the request of
the municipal board, then headed by town mayor Jose Y Arriola.
By virtue of Resolution No 156 dated June 18, 1949, the Provincial Board of Camarines Norte granted the school a property the size of two hectares, acquired from the Defeo family of Mambulao for K5,000 -- a big sum those days.
Incidentally, coconut haciendero Ramon Adea Sr offered for only P4,000 a 1.5ha lot, alongside a donation of half-hectare to come from an adjacent property he owned.
In effect, the school now had a total area of four hectares for school campus, which were later covered by a Transfer Certificate of Title No T-42 from the original Certificate No 581 under the Tax Declaration No 00978.
The Registry of Deeds in Daet released the Title No 2325 and 2261 last September 30, 1986 and the Transfer Certificate Title No T 25903, October 23, 1989.
Hopefully, the process of transferring the title in the name of JPNHS would begin this year under the current school principal -- Dr Severo Salgado, Jr.
In 1954, Vicente dela Cruz was the high school principal, who was succeeded by Beatriz B Villaluz two years later. Villaluz, who was lovingly referred to as Miss Villalluz by everybody – from vendors to students, from fishermen to laborers -- stayed on as the principal till September 1984.
As a provincial high school, JPHS catered to the students from the 26 barrios of Mambulao and enthusiastically welcomed students from the islands of Polilio and Jomalig in the neighboring province of Quezon who sailed to Mambulao in “bankang de sagwan” and those from Batobalani and Capacuan, two barrios of the neighboring town of gold-mining Paracale.
As the school population grew, the number of teachers also increased.
Campus icon ... A giant wall
showing the name of the school.
In 1972, Jose Panganiban was classified as Class A municipality under
Mayor Roy Padilla, Sr, who adopted JPHS as a municipal high school.
But with the closure of the Philippine Iron Mines (PIM) in 1975 after becoming unprofitable to operate, JPHS suffered a lot.
The municipal government could no longer shoulder the salary of the teachers. During those days, students paid tuition fees of at least P20 every grading period to the municipal treasurer. Those who failed to pay were denied taking the period examinations.
So in 1975, the Provincial Board of CamNorte adopted JPHS as provincial high school following the complete closure of the iron mines that year. Until its shutdown, PIM was the biggest employer in Mambulao.
It was at this time that one of the faculty members -- Felix de Vera -- initiated the move to ask the Philippine government to nationalize the school.
Through the combined efforts of Miss Villaluz, De Vera, and Pedrito Dacanay of the Budget Commission in January 1977, and by virtue of Presidential Decree No 1250, the school became "Jose Panganiban National High School".
Operating under the national government, JPNHS received substantial funding that enabled it to build new classrooms.
However, the benefits of better-built classrooms were short-lived as the building housing them was destroyed by Typhoon Whelming three years later.
On September 5, 1984, Miss Villaluz retired after serving the Alma Mater for 28 fruitful years. To these days, she has been very well-remembered by every student who passed under her archway.
Through her stewardship, Ms Villaluz honed great men and women who are now well in place not just in the Philippines but overseas -- as economic heroes.
From 1984 to 1997, Lilia O Ella, a former member of the high school faculty, was the principal.
With her at the helm, the school enjoyed substantial improvements in facilities and in academic performance, thus producing many students with top scholastic records.
Then in 1991, the school saw the opening of classes for Science-Math Oriented (SMO) and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC).
Learning facility ... A science and technology classroom donated by DOST
These two schemes - SMO and NSEC - did wonder to the school's math-and-science instructions that in 1993, JPNHS was named the "Division Leader School in Science and Social Studies".
Following this, the teachers in Science and Social Studies were given scholarships by DOST-SEP and granted the Science Building with equipment and materials alongside computer sets.
In 1997, Edith G Chavez succeeded as principal and governed the school till 2008.
By now, the school had more than a hundred personnel and the teachers continued to attend seminars, trainings, conventions and post studies to upgrade their skills.
During the years 2000-01, JPNHS was chosen as the "Most Effective Secondary School" in the Division of Camarines Norte, and "First Runner-Up in Bicol Region (Region 5).
In 2002, it was declared the Regional Winner and the following year, Chavez was named the Regional Awardee for the "Gintong Ilawan" sponsored by Department of Education and Avon, the cosmetic company.
But of course, even before being nationalized, JPNHS was already a top high school to deal with by other schools in terms of scholastic and academic achievements, both in regional and national levels.
We could claim that from 1984 to the present, school graduates have dominant levels of performances.
Under the governance of Mario Garino as principal from 2008-11, the students continued to win titles in every competitions they joined while the graduates went on to collect honors and positive reputations in their careers.
The 65th foundation day was celebrated on April 27-28 April, this year.
Indeed, it was a great day for the alumni of 65 batches to reminisce vigorously their youthful days.
Alumni who are based across the globe came to attend the homecoming -- all grateful of their achievements and successes won from hard work as professionals and something else.
Many had attended for the first time.
Pride of the campus ... One of
the prominent buildings on campus.
Thanks to our local economic heroes for their laughter and cheers, for their hugs and kisses. Indeed, everyone felt just sweet sixteen.
What a joyful day it was - this homecoming.
The days was made more significant by the assistance and donations from different batches towards the school and community --- like books, school supplies and bags of cement, just to name a few.
The current principal, Dr Salgado Jr, thanked everyone for their presence and for the donations from alumni towards the improvement of the school facilities.
Indeed, he has many great things to work on. And he needs a lot of little help from a lot of people - starting with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters from different alumni batches.
Many years from now, we would see the alumni of JPNHS making history, just as they did in the past and just like what they are doing these days --- they could be sitting as one of the justices of the Supreme Court, as members of the Senate or, someone wielding power from the Executive Office.
The way to go ... A road leading to more classroom clusters on campus.
Just always remember that over the past 65 years, our Alma Mater has
instilled in us a simple maxim: "Honesty is the best policy".
Let's keep it that way - though it may prove to be the hardest to deal with, especially nowadays when the living gets tough for the many among us.
Blame it on "economic malfunction".
But one thing is certain: The golden education that we received from JPNHS will keep us upright - and proud, as always.
The WAVERIDER
Early grand alumni homecoming is good for all
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
Batch '65
THE grand alumni homecoming scheduled in 2017 will be held instead next year – 2015.
It would surprise many, but they will understand why.
Usually, a grand homecoming is held every five years.
One reason is that there are lots of changes that happen during that span of time – changes that would see one alum succeeds in his profession, or fails in his chosen undertaking or career.
It is even possible that one wouldn’t make any change at all for the better – professionally or otherwise -- which could also mean there’s no improvement in the way his family lives.
Does he have a new car? Did he move from a house to a condo? Did he lose his shirt after a series of chemo treatment for his lingering cancer? Was he promoted? Did he go bankrupt after making bad investment and bad business decisions? Has he divorced, remarried, or is he/she in a new relation? How does he or she look now after five years?
Many alums would like to have a first hand on these changes and a five-year gap makes such a possibility.
However, fast-tracking the big party to next year has a more urgent reason.
Recently, I read a Facebook posting from a Batch ’73 alum, saying: “I just realized that waiting for another four years (to 2017) for the next GAH is quite a long wait.”
He said many of their batch members may not be physically well by then, with some of them bed-ridden, to be able to make it to the next in 2017.
He suggested to his own batch that they meet again next year – 2015 – and make it really grand. Who knows? Some of them would no longer be around after that.
Batch ‘73 alums and the rest of the batches before them would be in their senior years.
And by 2017 -- the original homecoming date – Batch ‘64 would have members in their 70s, a time when many of them would no longer be physically well, owing to a number of health issues confronting them.
What about those in Batch 1950 and those before that, who would be in their 80s. It could be that many of them had already joined their Maker.
Health issues have been the main concern for many of the batch members, especially those who have gone into retirement without the benefit of a pension that could help them out paying for healthcare – a commodity that has gone out of the reach for the many.
Effectively unproductive, many alums are in this predicament, especially those who are economically deprived and are just leaning on the family of one of his children just to get by.
If the son or daughter’s family is doing well, then his healthcare needs would surely be looked after. If not, the poor retiree could just pray for Divine Intervention.
The leadership of the Jose Panganiban National High School Alumni Association Inc (JPNHSAAI) is aware of this, and after a few meetings here and there, agreed to hold it next year – during the month of April.
An early homecoming would be a chance for the well-off alums to extend help to those in need. This has been the spirit that drives them.
It is also good for our Alma Mater.
Grand homecoming is the time awaited by members who are in the Philippines and overseas.
As always, they are generous enough to chip in for a number of projects and initiatives designed to benefit our school and the community as well.
Right now, the association is looking at spending big for the facelift of the school facilities that included repairs of toilets and roofing, re-tiling of some floors, fixing the school’s water system, just to name a few. (See JPNHS memo down this page).
Home-comers could also do a medical mission/dental mission for the less-privileged members of the community and a clean-up of the nearby beach and the surroundings.
Association chapters in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia-Pacific are being tapped for funding to pursue these objectives.
An alum would not mind coughing up big money as his way of giving back to the community. Many of us would like to do this again, as we did in the last homecoming in 2012.
So, an early gathering is one event to get excited about and this shows on Facebook postings by overseas members, who are raring to come home for this big event.
Such a event is something we look forward to. It is when our teachers, mentors, friends, buddies, classmates, ex-lovers, ex-girlfriends and former enemies would be around in flesh and blood.
We would like to hug them tight and warm. We would like to bond with them.
And we pray: Hey guys, please come to the party!
For comment, email: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg or alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
The JPNHS administration building
Facelift needed … This is the administrative building of the JPNHS, which also houses facilities like laboratories and classroom. The Alumni association is raising money from its global members to repaint the building, alongside other classrooms on the campus. – TheAlumniWavespic by AP HERNANDEZ
Facelift needed … This is the administrative building of the JPNHS, which also houses facilities like laboratories and classroom. The Alumni association is raising money from its global members to repaint the building, alongside other classrooms on the campus. – TheAlumniWavespic by AP HERNANDEZ
Alumni target school facelift in 2015
By PERCY A OSTONAL
Batch ‘66Michigan, USA
You see how our school did not looked so appealing, attractive or
welcoming at all and except for the joy and
fun seeing your former classmates
and few of our mentors and reminiscing the olden days past quite honestly, my Alma Mater's beauty was chronically
colorless.
With the theme “Re-painting our Alma Mater for the longest time ... in
day", a full one-day of giving
facelift to school fences and building interior and exterior, windows
and doors, re-planting perennial
flowering plants, cleaning toilets and canals, cutting protruding
branches of campus trees and tall grasses and other worthy and meaningful
"school spirited" service
activities, next gathering shall provide
productive time.
As early suggested, this will be JPNHSAA- International project
centerpiece but as it gains acceptance, popularity, excitements and favorable
support from our fellow alumni back home
in the Philippines as well as overseas, the project itself may seem after all becoming a unified school project.
As we go to the homestretch less than a year from now, updates and full details of said school project would be known thru THE ALUMNI WAVES information bulletin.
I will keep you all posted.
Nostalgia… nostalgia… nostalgia
From the JPNHSAAI:
Memo No. TAW2014-001
On May 13, 2014, at 11:27 PM, Mateo Ella Espana <mc_espana28@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Jun, Percy, Beth, Thine, Cynch, Eunice,Dondin, Ernie, Fred, Ariel, Pong,Fr. Ronnie, Ruby, Hilda,Sonny, Cito, Seen, Elsa, Bilit, Cristina and all:
Me thinks it is a good idea to have the REPAINTING proposal become the centerpiece project of the umbrella organization (JPNHSAAI International) and what a way to launch our expanded international organization....
Yesterday, I had a phone conversation with Percy, and we discussed among others how to make this project more "doable" and at the same time maximize the participation and involvement of all our stakeholders (ie all the members, men and ladies of our international association)....
As a starter, we tried to convert the Php 250K cost in US dollar terms (for the reference purposes lang and pasensya), and is approximately equivalent to US$5,600 more or less ... And if we were to translate this into a chapter target (MMla, USA and Canada); each one will only need to raise and chip US$1,866 among themselves (Php82K each in peso reference) ... Furthermore, we already have 7 decade groups (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90's, 00s,10s) and this will in turn translate into approx. Php12K (US$300) per decade group ... So we would notice, that as we break the task into smaller terms, the more the project seemed to more than at sight...
Though we did not include our JP/Bicol based fellow alumnus/alumni in the calculation, it is because I am made to understand from Eunice mail, that their participation is by providing the LABOR component of the project.....
At ang suggestion ko din, should we ultimately adopt this project, sa JP na natin bilhin ang pintura,brushes, and others (yung balanse sa proposed solicitation ng pintura ng B72,73 & 75) ... This is what we call the X-Factor ng alumni homecoming....ie bringing in money in circulation sa JP. .. From an overall perspective kasi, in every homecoming we hold, there at least 1,200 attendees and if only half of that will spend Php1,500 in two days, we have around Php0.9M in money circulation in JP... At sino ang beneficiaries nito? Tricycle drivers, fish, meat and vegetable dealers, the market, etc.
Let us all unite and push the homecoming and repainting project into reality
Best regards,
Matt
Memo No. TAW2014-002
Email, Thu 5/15/2014 12:12 AM
Dear Pareng Fred & fellow Alumni,
It was once a fantasy and wild thought when both of us created and
co-founded MAMBULAOANS WORLDWIDE BUZZ Online NEWS in November of 2011.
The first and only online community news for our town and people of which by
now, commands some eleven thousand plus (11,000 plus) readers across the world
over. Measuring its remarkable achievement of readership every single
circulation was fun and exciting and truly, it amazes me and I continue to
wonder "how could we do more " and keep growing the number of
readers. The answer is simple: we need more writers/news contributors with
interesting, useful, enjoyable, engaging, unique, caring, challenging diverse
viewpoints and opinions.
The same perspective, dynamics and approach, THE ALUMNI WAVES
will certainly need all of the above to create impeccable loyalty and affinity
amongst its alumni. Please join us with this "historic day" in
welcoming our alumni worldwide news tunnel and extend our utmost and sincerest
thanks to Pareng Fred P Hernandez making this possible.
My kind regards to all,
Percy A Ostonal
Please your stuff to:
Alfredo P Hernandez
(Batch '65)
Editor-in-chief, administrator, website creator, e-mail: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg or alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
Percy A Ostonal
(Batch '66)
Co-administrator, news contributor, director for advertising and marketingE-mail address: ostonal@outlook.com Michigan, USA
Co-administrator, news contributor, director for advertising and marketingE-mail address: ostonal@outlook.com Michigan, USA
Memo No. TAW2014-003
From: jun_espana@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: requests of dr.severo l.
salgado, jr. principal 3 of jpnhs
Date: Wed, 14 May 2014 04:37:32 +0800
To: mc_espana28@yahoo.com;
ostonal@outlook.com
Hi Bro/Percy,
Apart from project launching as the
highlight of every alumni homecoming, I suggested in our last meeting with Ate
Monying et al, if we can have a theme that shall be the basis/guide in
preparing activities. For instance, if the theme for 2015 is "JPNHS
Alumni: Galing (meaning talent,
expertise, blessing, accomplishment, etc) Galing (meaning from) sa JP",
activities shall focus on the conduct of community projects such as med and
dental missions, environmental clean ups etc led by alumni from the medical and
dental professions. In the case of environmental clean ups, alumni with
backgrounds on the field will provide the leadership. The theme can also be
"JPNHS Alumni: From Local to Global (or Glocal) to suggest unity of alumni
regardless of locations. It can also denote expansion of an alumnus from the
JPNHS campus to the world. I have always been fascinated by the fact that our
alumni have truly been world class with graduates serving in various capacities
around the world.
Both the project and themes for the next
homecoming can be decided and announced during the homecoming in 2015.
Finally, B74 shall also be part of the
lead group to the repainting project (B72-75 is the group that comprised
students from first year to fourth year during our time.) We hope that the
acquaintance and camaraderie (perhaps having grown up together) between members
of said batches shall facilitate completion of tasks.
Mabuhay ang alumni!
Jun
Facebook chat turns productive
By PERCY A OSTONAL
Michigan, USA
It was about the sentiments and concerns as to why overseas JPNHS alumni was neither a
part of any homecoming planning in the past nor being "asked" to
participate in any project deliberation whatsoever.
"it wasn't the distance but rather more on leadership,
cooperation, coordination and initiative that matters and I think it's the
right time for us to reignite such momentum and make it happen this
time'", said Matt with excitement.
"As a courtesy, let me rely this discussion of ours and my
recommendation to my brother ‘Jun’ (Florentino E Espana, Jr, chairman, JPNHSAAI
) and find out his opinion and decision,” Matt continued.
On his own free will, decision and authority being the senior
Philippine and overseas adviser of
JPNHSAAI, Matt E Espana recommended me to take over the USA Chapter presidency
on an interim capacity until an official position confirmation/election has
been made by the incoming members of the board of directors.
The office of the president will have tenure of two years as mandated
by the association's rules and regulations not prejudiced for re-election.
Jun E Espana, in return, sent
email to Matt, copy furnished to some of the core group members, and said: "Just an update on the program
for our alumni association to go International, I just texted Beth, Cynth and
Cathy to confirm our meeting later this afternoon.
“Personally, I have no objection. In fact it is very laudable. I also
agree with the idea to allow Percy constitute the communication and have free
hand to initiate next steps.
“I shall bring this matter up with Beth, Cynthia and Cathy when we meet
later today (April 6, 2014).”
With such appointment to the position, I was told as well thru
succeeding email that I was authorized to also organize/establish chapters for
Canada and the Australia, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe.
Starting with the USA chapter, I appointed Lourdes "Dondin"
Relos (Batch '72) of Los Angeles, California to be the executive vice-president
for the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington), southern states of
Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, central/mountain states of Arizona,
Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Idaho , Wyoming,
Kansas , Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii and
Island US Territories.
Ernesto "Ernie " Pena of the state of Pennsylvania (Batch "64) is the executive
vice-president for the East Coast New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania , Maryland, West
Virginia, Virginia, North/ South Carolina), New England states of Vermont,
New Hampshire , Maine, Massachusetts, central states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Mid-west states of Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, mid southern states of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee,
southern states of Georgia, Arkansas ,
Mississippi Alabama Florida.
Gloria "Glo"
Abrina-Fulong (Batch "65 ) is the overall coordinator for the East Coast
area.
At the same time I was
organizing the creation of Canadian
chapter, I had in mind as well the
"rest of the world " alumni group which consists of Australia, Asia
Pacific, Middle East and Europe.
Except for Canadian chapter, which is headed by Ariel Lazaro (Batch ‘69 ), the "rest of
the world " chapter has no president yet and still under my care and
supervision.
Listed below represents the JPNHSAAI International officers and number
of memberships:
Percy A Ostonal ( Batch '66)
 |
| Ostonal |
Interim President, JPNHSAAI-USA
 |
| Pena |
 |
| Relos |
Lourdes "Dondin” Relos (Batch '72)
Interim Executive Vice-President, West
coast, central, mountain, part of Midwest, part of Southern states, Alaska, Hawaii and Island territory
Ariel "Aye" Lazaro (Batch '69)
CROP.jpg) |
| Lazaro |
Interim President, JPNHSAAI- Canada
 |
| Fusilero |
(left) Overall Coordinator, (Batch ‘71 )
Fr Ronnie Tangnines (Batch ‘81)
Priscillano "Pong" Ostonal Jr (Batch ‘78) Interim Executive Vice-President, provinces of Ontario, Quebec (Montreal)
Maau Panol Badiola (Batch '82)
Interim Executive Vice-President, Province of Alberta, Canada
Julius Lim (Batch '82)
Interim Executive Vice-President, Vancouver, British Columbia
Maau Panol Badiola (Batch '82)
Interim Executive Vice-President, Province of Alberta, Canada
Julius Lim (Batch '82)
Interim Executive Vice-President, Vancouver, British Columbia
 |
| Suzara |
Honorary Alumni
West Coast coordinator
West Coast coordinator
Current membership
Overseas Alumni Group Number of members as of May 22, 2014
JPNHSAAI-USA 138
JPNHSAA-CANADA 69
JPNHSAAI-Australia, Asia Pacific, Middle East-Europe 100
Total..... 307
By networking, it would also enable someone's job search easier by
reconnecting to fellow graduates long years of employment experience thus,
giving him/ her pointers on how to get hired.
New life in strange land is difficult and most of the time lonely.
New life in strange land is difficult and most of the time lonely.
Hard to believe but it's true and aiding someone by being a neighbor
would certainly be uplifting by all means.
Gateway to knowledge ... The famous gate of JPNHS
The JPNHSAAI perspective
 |
| Espana |
But for one reason or another, the organization hibernated until 1996, when the Batch of 1966, led by Tessie Ebriega, Joel Torregoza, Cesar Schneider, Vangie Cereno, Sam Tatom, Ante Veleña and Ludy Buere, among others, revived the association.
The idea was the brainchild of Madam (Principal) Lilia Octa-Ella, as her legacy to commemorate and celebrate in a momentous event the 50th year foundation of the school, which, as we all know, was founded in 1947.
A great idea, the Batch of 1966 enthused and the only way to do this was to hold a grand alumni homecoming in which ALL graduates from the pioneer Class of 1951 to the youngest Class of 1997 would be in attendance.
Great event too, because it would likewise be a fitting occasion to pay tribute to Madam Lily Ella, who was to bow out from dedicated service on the same year and to welcome the passing of the baton to another distinguished lady, Madam (Principal) Edith Geneblazo-Chavez, the salutatorian of JPHS Batch ‘59 and the first alum to occupy the esteemed position.
So, in June of 1996, Batch ‘66 core invited the representatives from all batches in a unification meeting at the Marco Polo restaurant in Quezon City.
In attendance were Mameng Custodio (Batch ’58), Hermil Bunao (Batch ’59), Pam Opeda (Batch ’62), Adelfa Buaquña (Batch ’62), Lito Torregoza (Batch ’65), Minnie Regaldia (Batch ’68), Matt España (Batch ’70), Melo Ebriega (Batch ’73), Ato Rafon (Batch ’77), Cora Belisario (Batch ’80), Cathy Book (Batch ’84) and Joey Torregoza (Batch 086), as well as the core of Batch ‘66: Tess Ebriega, Joel Torregoza, Cesar Schneider, Vangie Cereno and Ludy Buere.
Next task was to organize the counterpart group from the home base in JP, where Banong Defeo (Batch ’51), Romy Rada (Batcg ’56), Edna Riñon (Batch ’59, deceased), Lily Grajo (Batch ’65), Ruben Delica (Batch ’66),Hinan dela Cruz (Batch ’72, deceased), Gary Formalejo (Batch ’72), Melai Velasco (Batch ’82),Carlo Maranan (Batch ’83) responded to the call of duty.
Thus, the 1997 Golden Jubilee Alumni Homecoming kicked off the formal organization of the JPNHSAAI as the umbrella association of all graduates of the Jose Panganiban (National) High School.
To give the new group legal footing, it was later registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Joel Torregoza (B66) was elected as its new president. After serving his term with distinction, Joel relinquished the position to Hermil Bunao (B59 [1997-98]), who during his term , sponsored the first alumni association scholar, Richelle Habitan (Batch ’99), who later on graduated with a BS Education degree from the Camarines Norte State College in Daet.
Hermil was succeeded by (deceased ) Tem Villareal (Batch ’79 [1998-99]), who led the improvement of the school’s water reservoir system.
Then another class member of 1966, Cesar Schneider, to held the reins in 1999-2000.
It was during this period, that the association lent its helping hand to the school by donating 20 units of ergonomic swivel chair to the school’s computer room, one of the pre-requisites of the the Department of Education and Culture (DECS) “Computer for Every School” project, before the computer units were to be turned over to the school.
The alumni association became one of the stakeholders together with the school and the local government unit.
As an added bonus the then incumbent board of directors, donated six executive swivel chairs to the office of the principal as well as one each for the faculty’s department heads. Fund for this was not sourced from the alumni coffers but from the selected fellow alumni.
During the ensuing election of 2001, Matt España (Batch ‘70) succeeded Cesar Schneider as president.
It was time for Matt to accept another task, obligation and responsibility having been a member of the board of directors since 1997.
Being in the inside track of the association by virtue of his being a long time member of the board, Matt continued the programs of his predecessors and expanded the role of the association.
Together with a cooperative board, it drew up a road map for the organization with an overlying mission: TO PROMOTE THE INTEREST OF ITS MEMBERS, THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY, in their descending order.
So in 2001, the association asked ALL member batches to abide on one of provisions of the association’s by laws where each batch is ought to pay Php10,000 membership fee for it to be formally inducted into the organization (see list)
The seed money in turn entitled the member batch to privileges set by the association.
During the following year in 2002, after the overwhelming support of the concerned batches on the membership fee campaign, the association broke grounds on a Micro Lending Program for qualified batches, where a batch member was given a Php3,000 soft loan, payable in four months but extendable to a two-year term, to jumpstart an existing or a new livelihood project.
By modest standards, the program was a success because the 40 beneficiaries lives where somehow changed for the better, restored their self-esteem and except for a few individual beneficiaries, there was more than 90% re-payment mode.
And with its modest profits from the Micro Lending Program plus the interest earnings accrued from the time and savings account of the association on its depository bank, whose branch manager was a fellow alum (Gina Mariano, Batch ’77), the association started a Bereavement Assistance Program, where the nearest kin of a deceased member was provided a Php2,000 cash assistance.
At the end of 2007, there were seven beneficiaries of this program.
2002 was capped with a general alumni homecoming.
The next year – 2003 - was also a banner year, when the alumni association, by call of duty, wholeheartedly supported Madam (Principal) Edith G Chavez’s Student Welfare Assistance Project (SWAP).
The project was conceptualized because of the alarming statistics that there was high incidence of school dropouts from the less-privileged, primarily because they did not have the financial means to spend for school projects.
The SWAP is a social outreach program to assist the less-privileged students of the school thru a “pay for work scheme”.
Under the scheme, the selected beneficiaries rendered menial tasks (photocopying, library assistant, housekeeping, etc) for a maximum of two hours on weekdays and a maximum of eight hours on weekends and in exchange, are provided an equivalent stipend of P10-20 per hour for the duration of the assigned task.
At the end of 2007, there were 35 beneficiaries of this program, each one receiving an average of Php100/week.
Meager as it may seemed to most, to the beneficiaries, however, it meant a lot as the extras on the project were possibly additional kilo of rice or noodle and eggs on the family table, a luxury of a new cheap shoes, slipper or torn shirt from hand me down.
Thus, during the school’s recognition ceremonies, these beneficiaries were also asked to come up on the stage, together with the honor students, to convey a message that there is dignity in labor and that the JPNHS is not only an institution that imparts technical knowledge but also an institution that builds character and well being as well.
Notable too, was that the fund for this program was not sourced from the alumni account but was thru the courtesy and generosity of fellow alumni who believed in a noble cause.
On the same year, the school forged a mutual agreement with the alumni association, to institutionalize the outsourcing of career guidance, recognition and graduation day resource speakers exclusively from the alumni pool.
Under the agreement, the alumni association was given the exclusive privilege of nominating the aforementioned resource speakers for these school events; the batch members in turn, were requested to nominate their candidates for the pool.
2005 and 2007 were capped with an alumni homecoming.
In 2010, Beth Alvero (Batch ’82) assumed the presidency and continued the projects and programs on the pipeline.
In 2012, an alumni homecoming was also held. On the same year, the alumni organization held its bi-yearly election, re-organized its structure and elevated a chairman in the person of Jun España (Batch ’72) and Beth retaining the presidency.
This was a prelude to the mid-term program of the association to go international by creating semi-autonomous, semi independent chapters in JP, Metro Manila, the USA, Canada, Australia/ Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
So, in the early months of 2014, the USA Chapter and Canada Chapter was formed and Percy Ostonal (Batch ’66) was selected as the Interim USA Chapter president; Ariel Lazaro as the interim Canada Chapter president, respectively.
Because of geographical size, the USA and Canada Chapters were subdivided into sub-chapters.
The USA into West Coast, consisting of California, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada and neighboring cities, and headed by Dondin Relos (Batch ’72) as executive vice- president; and the East Coast, covering New York, New Jersey, Washington, Michigan and the neighboring cities led by Ernie Peña (Batch '64).
The Canada chapter is subdivided into the Toronto area, headed by Pong Ostonal (Batch ’78) as executive vice-president with Vancouver being headed jointly by Buddy Fusilero (Batch ’71) and Ronnie Tagnines (Batch ’81).
The organization of the Australia/Asia Pacific Chapter is underway as well as the expanded Europe and Middle East Chapter.
The alumni association, since its formal organization in 1997, is not complete without mentioning the many other men and women who served as board members and made their contributions with their talent, blood, sweat and tears in making our organization grow where it is now: Mameng Custodio (Batch ’59), Jorge Maligat (Batch ’59), Aurora Lorenzo (Batch ’60), Nelia Sentin (Batch ’60), Norming Jordas (Batch ’61), Ruben España (Batch ’62), Adelle Boaqueña (Batch ’62), Lily Arcilla (Batch ’63), Vir Chavez (Batch ’67), Annie Poblete (Batch ’69), Miel Defeo (Batch ’73), Raffy Bañares (Batch ’74), Cesar Brondia (Batch ’75), Bong Bravo (Batch ’75), Grace Brizeula (Batch ’76), Ato Rafon (Batch ’77), Elmer Madolid (Batch ’77), Linnie Malagueño (Batch ’78), Dette Velasco (Batch ’80), Melai Velasco (Batch ’82), Tony Diares (Batch ’83), Bong Arriola (Bath ’83), Rica Delfinado (Batch ’84), Bong Grajo (Batch ’85), Joey Torregoza (Batch ’86), Leng Tuibeo (Batch ’86), Ethel Lonizo (Batch ’87), Mylene Rosales (Batch ’89), Mae Rosales (Batch ’93), Reagan Rada (Batch ’97), Janice Evia (Batch ’99), Tinay Tiburcio (Batch ’00), Edelyn Lonizo (Batch ’01) and Cora Recto (Batch ’03).
And the current holdover board members Thine Book (Batch ’84) - VP-Manila; Artem Andaya (Batch ’94) - VP-JP; Ma. Cristina Tamayo (Batch ’83) and Eunice Lonizo (Batc ’89) - secretaries; Cynch Ybarola (Batcg ’86) and Chris Abano (Batch ’04) - treasurers; Robert Cam (Batch ’05), Jan Guzman (Batch ’03), Remy Puerto (Batch ’67) – auditors.
The directors: Joel Torregoza (Batch ’66) – vice chairman; Chuck Rada (Batch ’80), Emma Icatlo (Batch ’74), Merlin Tonic (Batch ’79) and Cesar Brondia (Batch ’75).
In the near future, the alumni association envisions to build an alumni hall of its own on the school grounds and where we can store memorabilia, photo, souvenirs, mementos which will showcase the past , the present and the future, an edifice where every alumni/alumnus can proudly identify himself with.
The alumni association is also working to create a master list of all JP(N)HS graduate from 1951 to present ( and future) in a computer data base and use this network for cross reference in locating whereabouts, referral for possible job openings , business opportunities and for other purpose it may serve.
Ultimately, the alumni association wishes to eventually become self reliant and self sustaining on its own.
The JPNHSAAI International Organizational Structure
Legend:
1. (*) Headed by a Chairperson, elected by the Boar of
Directors
2. (**) All chapter presidents, including past two
presidents elected by the board, Madam Edith Chavez by virtue of being the
first Alumnus to become JPNHS Principal plus current school principal
3. (***) Headed by an Executive Vice-President
(About the author: Member of JPHS (Batch ’70), member
of the board of JPNHSAAI 1997-07;
three-term JPNHSAAI president (2001 to 2007); migrated to the USA with family
in 2008 and made California his home base. He is currently serving the alumni
association as adviser and ex-officio member of the international board.)
History of Jose Panganiban (National) High School
By SONIA B BANARES
(Batch '66)
(This article first appeared in MWBuzz on June 11, 2012)
With this maxim, the Philippine government in the 1940s established the secondary education system to lessen illiteracy among the Filipinos.
Educated Filipinos have, therefore, a better chance to rise above poverty.
With the required education, they can find jobs from which they can earn a living, not only for themselves but also for their family. It is an economic chain reaction and this is not a myth.
Mambulao was among the eager and enthusiastic communities that valued education as precious life time inheritance to very Filipino child; it is considered a golden gift.
It was in 1947 that a makeshift school gradually emerged in an abandoned compound then owned by the defunct Mambulao Lumber Company next to the banks of the so-called Parang mangrove river.
This would be known later as the Jose Panganiban Jr High School, named after the local hero Jose Maria Panganiban y Enverga.
Born in the mining town of Mambulao on February 1, 1863, Panganiban was recognized as "Avenger of Filipino honor", a Legislator during the pre-Commonwealth period and a "Champion of Liberty, and Patriotism".
For a start, the makeshift high school was just a two-curriculum affair, with 200 students and seven teachers under a principal named Mrs Romero (full name unavailable), who was in charge from 1947-1948.
In 1947, coconut haciendero Ramon A Adea Sr was the town mayor and from 1949 to 1954, Agripino Floresca was the school principal.
The school was fully supported by parents until it was nationalized in 1977 - an upgrade from being a mere community high school.
It was in 1950 when the school was officially known as Jose Panganiban High School; it offered a complete secondary curriculum.
An improvement ... A mini park on the campus honoring the National Hero Dr Jose P Rizal.
By virtue of Resolution No 156 dated June 18, 1949, the Provincial Board of Camarines Norte granted the school a property the size of two hectares, acquired from the Defeo family of Mambulao for K5,000 -- a big sum those days.
Incidentally, coconut haciendero Ramon Adea Sr offered for only P4,000 a 1.5ha lot, alongside a donation of half-hectare to come from an adjacent property he owned.
In effect, the school now had a total area of four hectares for school campus, which were later covered by a Transfer Certificate of Title No T-42 from the original Certificate No 581 under the Tax Declaration No 00978.
The Registry of Deeds in Daet released the Title No 2325 and 2261 last September 30, 1986 and the Transfer Certificate Title No T 25903, October 23, 1989.
Hopefully, the process of transferring the title in the name of JPNHS would begin this year under the current school principal -- Dr Severo Salgado, Jr.
In 1954, Vicente dela Cruz was the high school principal, who was succeeded by Beatriz B Villaluz two years later. Villaluz, who was lovingly referred to as Miss Villalluz by everybody – from vendors to students, from fishermen to laborers -- stayed on as the principal till September 1984.
As a provincial high school, JPHS catered to the students from the 26 barrios of Mambulao and enthusiastically welcomed students from the islands of Polilio and Jomalig in the neighboring province of Quezon who sailed to Mambulao in “bankang de sagwan” and those from Batobalani and Capacuan, two barrios of the neighboring town of gold-mining Paracale.
As the school population grew, the number of teachers also increased.
But with the closure of the Philippine Iron Mines (PIM) in 1975 after becoming unprofitable to operate, JPHS suffered a lot.
The municipal government could no longer shoulder the salary of the teachers. During those days, students paid tuition fees of at least P20 every grading period to the municipal treasurer. Those who failed to pay were denied taking the period examinations.
So in 1975, the Provincial Board of CamNorte adopted JPHS as provincial high school following the complete closure of the iron mines that year. Until its shutdown, PIM was the biggest employer in Mambulao.
It was at this time that one of the faculty members -- Felix de Vera -- initiated the move to ask the Philippine government to nationalize the school.
Through the combined efforts of Miss Villaluz, De Vera, and Pedrito Dacanay of the Budget Commission in January 1977, and by virtue of Presidential Decree No 1250, the school became "Jose Panganiban National High School".
Operating under the national government, JPNHS received substantial funding that enabled it to build new classrooms.
However, the benefits of better-built classrooms were short-lived as the building housing them was destroyed by Typhoon Whelming three years later.
On September 5, 1984, Miss Villaluz retired after serving the Alma Mater for 28 fruitful years. To these days, she has been very well-remembered by every student who passed under her archway.
Through her stewardship, Ms Villaluz honed great men and women who are now well in place not just in the Philippines but overseas -- as economic heroes.
From 1984 to 1997, Lilia O Ella, a former member of the high school faculty, was the principal.
With her at the helm, the school enjoyed substantial improvements in facilities and in academic performance, thus producing many students with top scholastic records.
Then in 1991, the school saw the opening of classes for Science-Math Oriented (SMO) and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC).
Learning facility ... A science and technology classroom donated by DOST
These two schemes - SMO and NSEC - did wonder to the school's math-and-science instructions that in 1993, JPNHS was named the "Division Leader School in Science and Social Studies".
Following this, the teachers in Science and Social Studies were given scholarships by DOST-SEP and granted the Science Building with equipment and materials alongside computer sets.
In 1997, Edith G Chavez succeeded as principal and governed the school till 2008.
By now, the school had more than a hundred personnel and the teachers continued to attend seminars, trainings, conventions and post studies to upgrade their skills.
During the years 2000-01, JPNHS was chosen as the "Most Effective Secondary School" in the Division of Camarines Norte, and "First Runner-Up in Bicol Region (Region 5).
In 2002, it was declared the Regional Winner and the following year, Chavez was named the Regional Awardee for the "Gintong Ilawan" sponsored by Department of Education and Avon, the cosmetic company.
But of course, even before being nationalized, JPNHS was already a top high school to deal with by other schools in terms of scholastic and academic achievements, both in regional and national levels.
We could claim that from 1984 to the present, school graduates have dominant levels of performances.
Under the governance of Mario Garino as principal from 2008-11, the students continued to win titles in every competitions they joined while the graduates went on to collect honors and positive reputations in their careers.
The 65th foundation day was celebrated on April 27-28 April, this year.
Indeed, it was a great day for the alumni of 65 batches to reminisce vigorously their youthful days.
Alumni who are based across the globe came to attend the homecoming -- all grateful of their achievements and successes won from hard work as professionals and something else.
Many had attended for the first time.
Thanks to our local economic heroes for their laughter and cheers, for their hugs and kisses. Indeed, everyone felt just sweet sixteen.
What a joyful day it was - this homecoming.
The days was made more significant by the assistance and donations from different batches towards the school and community --- like books, school supplies and bags of cement, just to name a few.
The current principal, Dr Salgado Jr, thanked everyone for their presence and for the donations from alumni towards the improvement of the school facilities.
Indeed, he has many great things to work on. And he needs a lot of little help from a lot of people - starting with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters from different alumni batches.
Many years from now, we would see the alumni of JPNHS making history, just as they did in the past and just like what they are doing these days --- they could be sitting as one of the justices of the Supreme Court, as members of the Senate or, someone wielding power from the Executive Office.
The way to go ... A road leading to more classroom clusters on campus.
Let's keep it that way - though it may prove to be the hardest to deal with, especially nowadays when the living gets tough for the many among us.
Blame it on "economic malfunction".
But one thing is certain: The golden education that we received from JPNHS will keep us upright - and proud, as always.
(Matt Ella Espana, former president of JPNHS Alumni Association, said
there are more than 14,000 members of the association so far as of 2012. –
Editor)
Welcome, Atty Freddie A Venida
By PERCY A OSTONAL
Batch '66, Michigan, USA
"READING it from you, I am inspired to take away some of my time in law practice and dedicate a portion of it to fellow alumni,” says Atty Freddie A Venida (pictured) to me during our Facebook chat some three weeks ago. A graduate of JPHS, class of 1967, Freddie was a former school teacher at San Juan National High School in San Juan, Rizal (now a city in Metro Manila).He obtained his Bachelor of Laws at Arellano Law Foundation in 1983 and since then, his legal profession has gone a long way.
In 2012, his quick and skillful knowledge of the law and teaching experience enabled him to get appointed as member of the Board of Directors of CamNorte Water District (CNWD) representing the education sector.
There are five sectoral representations therein at CNW -- Education, Business, Civic, Women and Professional.
Atty. Venida represented the education sector and was selected to be their spokesperson.
I was informed by him as well that he is now the CamNorte Water District director but his jurisdiction will only covers seven towns of the province namely, Labo, Talisay, Vinzons, Daet, Mercedes, San Vicente and Basud.
Jose Panganiban and Paracale has its own respective Municipal Water Districts while Capalonga, Sta Elena and San Lorenzo Ruiz are maintained by their municipal government.
Anticipating future interpretation and complexity of legal matters and requisites for our alumni association, I asked and invited him if he can be our JPNHSAA -International Legal Adviser.
Without reservation and hesitation, he said and I quote: "Okey lang Percy.”
Let's welcome Atty Freddie A Venida and thank him for his service and commitment for common good and benefits towards his fellow alumni and Alma Mater.
Fil-Am science teacher chosen for national ‘green school’
training program
SAN PEDRO, California: San Pedro High School scienceteacher Jennifer Cheng was named a faculty fellow at a prestigious program of the Green Schools Alliance and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Ms Cheng is the younger sister of Arlene
Grace Suzara, of California,USA, who is an honorary alumnus of the Jose Panganiban (National) High School
(JPNHS).
Described by colleagues as “passionate about environmental
issues and works to increase environmental literacy among students,” Cheng will
participate as a US Green School Faculty Fellow at the 2014 Student Climate
& Conservation Congress.
Cheng is one of about 20 Faculty Fellows who has been
selected from across the US to represent San Pedro High School at the congress
hosted by the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) of the US Department
of the Interior, the nation’s premier conservation training facility.
She will be traveling to Washington DC in late June with four
San Pedro High students who have been honored as delegates to the program:
Nicholas Rojas, Genavieve Mather, Brianna Carman and Christopher Figuracion.
Cheng and the student delegates said they plan to implement a
Green School model that will include funded projects such as garden,
composting, recycling, community service and and aquaponics.
The school will add native garden species, vertical
gardening, air quality monitoring and solar panel installation.
The congress will help the delegates acquire skills and ideas
in running cohesive and integrative projects of an “Environmentally Friendly
Model School on the West Coast.” - inquirer
New teacher in the making ...
Cum Laude … Jim Ryan Hernandez (center), the only son of JPNHS alumnus Arnel P Hernandez (Batch ’73) and wife Mariles (left), has graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts (English Major) at the San Diego State University, in California, USA. Jim Ryan, who won a distinction of Cum Laude, will continue his studies this fall (in the US) to earn teaching credentials. Wanting to be a teacher, he is seeking a teaching position with the US Department of Defense. His dad wants him to pursue a teaching career in Europe. Hernandez is a civilian employee at the US naval facility in Yokosuka, Japan. – Picture contributed by ARNEL P HERNANDEZ
Senior learns new livelihood skill
Swiss roll cake … Alumnus Helen P Hernandez-Cortes (Batch ’67) displays a newly-shaped cake – a swiss roll – a product of her group’s effort in a bid to earn high marks during their baking class practical test at the Pasig City Institute of Technology. Cortes, along with her batch, is about to earn a certificate in baking and pastry, a new skill she hopes would launch her into a new career. – Picture contributed by HELEN P HERNANDEZ-CORTES
The long journey together
A
new milepost … Romeo “Romy” Ramos (Batch ‘53) marks his 80th birthday with his
wife Lita Loveria-Ramos (Batch ’55) with a gala cake from their children.. A long time resident of California, USA,
the Ramoses welcome The Alumni Waves. – Pictured contributed
Bonding time ... “Our congratulations and warm welcome to The Alumni Waves.” From left: Coleen Bamba (Batch '08), Edgar “Egay”Aler (Batch 64), Jose “Joe” Uchi (Batch ’73) and wife Candi Uchi (Batch ‘74). Right row: Ruperto “Pert” Dumangas (Batch ’68), Lourdes “Dondin” Relos (Batch ;72). Matt E Espania (Batch /70) and Inday (Batch ’77).
Mabuhay! Welcome to the new project of our kababayans for the good and benefit of fellow alumni across the world. My prayers for the success of The Alumni Waves. --Teresita Ebriega-Escuadro (Batch 66) Laguna, Philippines
Mabuhay to The Alumni Waves! Greetings from the mystique and incomparable hula girls of Batch ‘72 during their Hawaiian cruse last June 1, 2013. From left: Unnamed female hula dancer, Cynthia Ombao, Arlene Cahola, Arlyn Espinosa, Loures “Dondin” Relos and an unnamed cruise employee.
(Because of time constraint, we were unable to include
some of the greetings and pictures that should have been included to the maiden
issue. We will make sure that those greetings/pictures will be posted
with the next issue. - The Administrators)
Tambayan avenue... The Kalye Artista, aka Tulingan St in Parang … in the 60s, there were carinderias along this road where habitual stambay would spend class hours outside the classrooms. This road leads to the high school campus. – Picture by AP HERNANDEZ
The Principal's spy
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
DURING my four years in JPHS (1961-65), the student population was somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200.
With such a huge family like the JPHS,
keeping wayward students under check had become a big concern among the members
of the faculty.
“Alfredo,”
Ms Villaluz preambled. “I have something for you to do …”
“Yes,
Ma’am…”
I grabbed a bowl of “ginataang
bilo-bilo”, engaged one bummer in a chat and stayed on a few minutes more.
As expected, the same idling activities were taking place. Nothing is new, after all.
I had no problem with the gate. It was
opened for me by the school janitor, Mang Joe, the moment I showed up.
Just before I knocked off for the day, I would drop by at the Principal’s office and leave with the office secretary a sealed envelope – addressed to the Principal.
Armed with shovels and picks and a
wheelbarrow, they began getting rid of the nasty mounds of grass that carpeted
the area, under the watchful eyes of the janitor.
Those who got their comeuppance returned
to their senses and stayed on with their classes, but only to be replaced by
new ones.
And that would be my doom.
Elsie Dimaunahan (second from left) supervising the first day of the co-op store's operation.
This co-op, a first in about 20 years to be put up, is the Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc (MMPCI), which was born on February 8, 2014.
The spawn from which this humble initiative took roots was just a random Facebook postings by OFWs Jessie Lumapag, Arlene Grace Suzara (they are honorary alumni of JPNHS), alums Aldrin Toribio (Ireland) and Samuel Tatum (MetroM), with some comments from alumni, who were mostly based in the Middle East.
The exchange of postings began sometime last year, with Jessie and Arlene proposing to form a group that would discuss what project could be taken up that would benefit the less-privileged members of the Mambulao populace.
Joining the core chat group later, I was asked to give a name from which the discussion group would take off.
I suggested “Mambulao’s On A Roll”, which was subsequently adopted as the Facebook group that would serve umbrella for alumni–OFWs who will join the project.
The first proposal was the setting up of a livelihood through the bodega scheme, which would service the needs of businessmen needing space for their goods.
But one group member doubted the viability of such project as it would require big capital start-up and land property.
This one was dropped along the way, while the core group came up with more possible livelihood projects.
The creation of a cooperative logically came up later, with a number in the core group agreeing to look into its practicality – meaning, that it should not require much money to kick off and other concerns such as place of business, the type of business activities to carry and others that included overhead, salaries and wages, rent and all.
But since all of the guys discussing the co-op are overseas, is there somebody we could tap to anchor all these discussions and become the prime mover – so that the nitty-gritty of organizing a business concern could take off?
A few more weeks had passed during the search and one name came up: Elsie Dimaunahan, an engineer by profession but has retired to look after her family in Mambulao.
The “Mambulao’s On A Roll” group was quite elated as it turned that Elsie is a well-versed in cooperative undertakings, and has knowledge of how to go about it – from the very first document to be produced to the last money to be paid to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
The name chosen for the upcoming co-op was Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC), which was subsequently registered with the CDA after meeting the requirements that included capitalization, funds and purpose.
Fundraising was started after explaining to potential shareholders how the financial aspects of the business would be handled.
Many OFW-alums responded positively - financially - that by the end of December 2013, the required funds needed to register the co-op with CDA was met.
Local members chipped in P500 as shares plus membership fees and other incidentals. OFWs willingly sent via Western Union their minimum contributions of P5,000 each, plus other expenses.
There were heartaches, so to speak, that had to endure along the course of organizing the yet-to-be-born economic endeavor, and these were borne by Elsie herself, who had to endure intense kakolitan of some of the core group’s members who wanted to know how feasible this project could be.
But to fast-forward the events, towards December of 2013, things were shaping up clearly for a business venture – a grocery store operation -- with the co-op board of directors being elected. Alumni Arthur Canlas was named chairman.
At the launch of the store last February 8, the co-op had more than P100,000 in a rural bank, raise from the shares and contributions from more than 100 overseas and local members- all of them alumni.
Right now, the store was averaging daily sales of more than P3,000, whose customers included mostly the families of members and other walk-in clients. Many alumni with sari-sari stores sourced their paninda from the co-op as it offered them a cheaper price than what those trading establishments in Mambulao could offer.
The co-op grocery store has become very popular among overseas Mambulaoans, who would drop by the store once they were in town to see how things are going.Obviously, MMPC has become a "must stop" for "abroad alums" who came to visit their hometown.
When I came to Mambulao for few days’ vacation, I paid a visit to meet Elsie for the first time.
Thanks to the alums, who have seen the need to put up one business venture such as this co-op.
One day, it would benefit the less-privileged Mambulaoans, who have been the targeted beneficiaries of the co-ops livelihood projects to launch in future.
This is because the co-op has been partnered by the local government on certain livelihood projects being pushed by Mayor Ricarte “Dong” Padilla, and this included a fish-cage tilapia project in Larap and a pinyahan farm in San Jose.
The MMPC will provide the needed input for the fish projects as well as the pinyahan farm.
For the OFW-alums, their involvement with the co-op is one investment that they could draw financial returns from in the future.
The name “Mambulao’s On A Roll” is indeed an appropriate name to label a highly-potential economic venture such as the Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
For comment,
email: ahernandez@thenational.com.pg and alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
A customer browsing the shelf for goodies.
Elsie (right) with two new customer-friends who drop by to have a look.
REMINISCENCE
Alums donate to Mambulao LGU
Senior learns new livelihood skill
Swiss roll cake … Alumnus Helen P Hernandez-Cortes (Batch ’67) displays a newly-shaped cake – a swiss roll – a product of her group’s effort in a bid to earn high marks during their baking class practical test at the Pasig City Institute of Technology. Cortes, along with her batch, is about to earn a certificate in baking and pastry, a new skill she hopes would launch her into a new career. – Picture contributed by HELEN P HERNANDEZ-CORTES
The long journey together
Alumni welcome The Alumni Waves
Mabuhay to The Alumni Waves! Greetings from the mystique and incomparable hula girls of Batch ‘72 during their Hawaiian cruse last June 1, 2013. From left: Unnamed female hula dancer, Cynthia Ombao, Arlene Cahola, Arlyn Espinosa, Loures “Dondin” Relos and an unnamed cruise employee.
Commitment … “Teaching profession will always be the noblest and my commitment to it shall never end or fade. Happy maiden launching of our The Alumni Waves. – Gloria “Glo” Abrina-Fulong (Batch 65), Jersey Cit Community Charter school, New Jersey, USA
She belongs … I considered JPNHS as my Alma Mater because I
spent my early years of schooling there in the late 60s though I completed my
high school education in Nothern Luzon. With the birth of The Alumni Waves online bulletin board, I will be one of the many
who will look forward for more school spirits like Grand Reunion, latest
updates and news, or even simple “hi” and “hello” from long-lost friends and
former classmates. The Alumni Waves … you’re warmly welcome! -- Ms Rose
Romero-Hollis (Batch ‘68) Australia.
Jubilant ... Mabuhay ang The Alumni Waves. – Ms Loures “Dondin” Relos
(Batch 72), Los Angeles California, USA
Troika bonding ... Joe Uchi (Batch ’73), Buddy Fusilero (Batch ’71) an Egar “Egay”
Aler (Batch ’64): “We look forward to reading The Alumni Waves bulletin
regularly… welcome and we wish your success.”
Greetings to The Alumni Waves! Welcome and be a part of our
lives…”says the gang (from left): Buddy Fusilero (Batch ’71), Maribel Brizuela
(Batch ’71), Letty Aler-Piorecki (Batch ’58), Arlene Brizuela-Cachola (Batch ’72),
Edgar M Aler (Batch ’64), Evelyn Rinon-Fusilero (Batch ’71). Mr & Mrs Buddy
Fusilero are residents of Toronto, Canada.
Nostalgic … My congratulations to the forthcoming maiden issue
of The Alumni Waves and to all the
great people who work behind this and
make me nostalgic. Thank you very much for making a wonderful bridge to
connect us once again to our dear Alma Mater and our beloved Mambulenos. – Ruby
Teves (Batch '72) Pasay, Philippines
Reconnecting
… My sincere congratulations and welcome to The ALUMNI WAVES. I commend and salute both
of you for such pioneering works. Thru this online news bulletin, every alum
around the world will have the opportunity to be connected/reconnected once
again to their old friends and classmates at the same time get the latest
school news updates. Its creation was an excellent idea … awesome!!! ... regards.
-- Letty Aler-Piorecki (Batch '58), Los Angeles, California USA
Elated ... Excel Dasco-Palomo (Batch ‘66) Los Angeles: “Greetings to my fellow
alumni all over the world… special thanks go to Mr Alfredo P Hernandez and
Percy A Ostonal for their vision in creating The Alumni Waves
online bulletin.. congratulations and best wishes on its maiden issue.”
online bulletin.. congratulations and best wishes on its maiden issue.”
Happy smiles ... Clockwise: Cesar Schneider, Abner Arenal plus Manny Pacquiao and Mr and Mrs Renato "Ato" Gimeno ... "Another way to link up with our fellow alumni ... welcome The Alumni Waves... infomation conduits are getting better and better..."
Great outing …
The Vancover, Canada Chapter says hello to The Alumni Waves. This group picture
was taken at Alouette Lake, Maple Ridge, British Columbia recently. From left: Bernie
Cadiz (Batch ‘68), Ariel Lazaro (Batch ’69),
president JPNHSAAI-Canada Chapter; Jun
Espinosa (Batch ’75), Ramon Obico (Batch ’74), Rosanna Obico Ward (Batch ‘74), Henry
Gomez (Batch ’87), Julius Lim (Batch ‘82),
VP Vancouver, Canada Chapter; Angie
Obico Garrido (Batch ‘86), Emerson Ibarlin (Batch ’87), Jean Azana Lukban (Batch
‘88), Rachel Sarmiento Williams (Batch ‘89), Analee Tan Gaw (Batch ’89) and
Erwin Obico (1989).
Nostalgia, nostalgia… nostalgia
Tambayan avenue... The Kalye Artista, aka Tulingan St in Parang … in the 60s, there were carinderias along this road where habitual stambay would spend class hours outside the classrooms. This road leads to the high school campus. – Picture by AP HERNANDEZ
The Principal's spy
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
DURING my four years in JPHS (1961-65), the student population was somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200.
A large chunk was accounted for by
students from the mining community of Larap.
It was understandable because all the
families there had money from the iron mines – the Philippine Iron Mines -- and
therefore, paying for the tuition fees was never a problem.
They came to school and went home, in
buses, especially arranged with the transport company by the PIM management,
their parents’ employers. So it was really cool for the Larap gang.
Other students came from the town of
Jose Panganiban itself, whose parents (not all actually) were also employed at
the mines, including my father. A sprinkling was accounted for by baranggays
around it. The rest came from the neighboring towns that included Paracale and
Labo.
The bulk of the burden, however, sat on
the shoulder of the principal, who, at that time, was Ms Beatriz Villaluz.
Many boys were problematic, especially
those in the upper years – 3rd and 4th years. It was very common to see a
number of them bumming around at the carinderias in front of the campus, just
across the dusty road that leading to the mining camp.
And inside, it they were not, smoking,
they were gambling, drinking tuba or reading komiks. Cutting classes had become
a worthwhile trade among them.
Since the two campus gates would be shut
immediately after the bell was sounded for the start of the morning and
afternoon classes, those who were off campus wouldn’t be allowed to come in
unless they were able to present good reasons to the Office of the Principal.
A number of parents had complained of
the low grades that their students had shown them every grading period,
although they were in school every time, complete with books and notebooks and
snacks money.
I was in my third year and, like the
rest of my batch mates, had become familiar with most of the faces that
littered the campus.
One day after school hours, I was
summoned to the Office of the Principal. Things like this did not startle me
anymore, having been almost a permanent fixture at the office, where I did
occasional office jobs like filing documents, typing some notices for
thumb-tacking on the school bulletin board and all, along with two other senior
students.
But this time, I was sent straight to
the Principal’s office.
“But
this is strictly confidential … understood?”
I forgot to respond, hearing the word
“confidential”.
And then she told me.
The next day, during an hour-long
afternoon class break, I set out for home, quickly took some snacks and left,
walking straight to one of the carinderias where some of the “tambaneros” had
engaged themselves in a card game, with others smoking or reading “komiks”.
I knew most of them. After a while, I left
and moved on to the next eatery, chatted with some who bothered, left and went
on to the last store.
As expected, the same idling activities were taking place. Nothing is new, after all.
Just before I knocked off for the day, I would drop by at the Principal’s office and leave with the office secretary a sealed envelope – addressed to the Principal.
On the many mornings that followed,
several boys would be herded off by Mang Joe from the Office of the Principal
straight to the grassy area around the campus.
Having cleared that spot after an hour
of sweating under the 9 o’clock sun, they marched back to the Principal’s
office for some chat – with no-one else but Ms Villaluz, who gave them the
dressing down.
The scene was repeated everyday –
Mondays to Fridays – as the names of the “tambaneros” continued to flow into
the desk of the Principal, straight from the secret list that I provided.
Lasting until I graduated, this secret
service had never reached my mother.
I was afraid that once I shared it with
her, it would not take long for her to spill the beans to her
“amigas-lavanderas” in the neighborhood.
For comment, email the blogger:
ahernandez@thenational.com.pg
alfredophernandez@y7mail.com
DURING my years in JPHS, the school’s four-hectare campus had classrooms built with wood, concrete and GI roofing sheets and they dotted the ground’s backside along the perimeter fence, at the foot of the mountain covered with coconut trees and bushes.
At the center of the school ground was a long, tall-posted building built of wood and roofed with GI sheets, which housed the library, biology lab and a number of classrooms.
This building, then referred to as the “Main Building”, faced the dusty, rough road that stretched to Larap. A wide ground covered with carabao grass separated this structure and the concrete fence that lined along the road.
The Office of the Principal and the Home Economics building sat on the edge of the four-hectare property that faced an ancient cemetery. Between these two buildings and the graveyard sat a modest-sized rice field, which we farmed and planted with rice, as part of the activities in our agriculture subject.
On the other side of the campus just next to a huge coconut-covered property owned by Don Ramon Adea was a poultry house, also part of our course in agriculture, and it was then surrounded by vegetable plots laden with pechay, bush sitao and other fast-growing vegetables.
Of course, I still remember the school canteen that stood at the back end of the Main Building.
This is where I treated my girl friends to a bowl of ginatang saging-kamote-langka-kangos at least three times a week, usually in the afternoon.
My girl buddies and classmates (we belonged to Cadena de Amor, popularly known as CDA, section), of course, included Margie Navaja, Aurora Arnobit, Munying de la Cruz, Gloria Abrina, Emma Lasala, Merlie Salcedo, Yolie Jamito, Mila Regaldea, Paz Rodrigo and Josie Litong.
I can afford to treat them to that ginatan snack.
During those days, I always had more than enough for my pocket money.
You see, I had a little weekend money-maker – that is making cartolina drawings for a number of students every week.
As had been the practice, our literature teacher or the Pilipino teacher (I suddenly remember Mrs Arenal and Mrs Aldaba) would assign some jobs for the students to do on weekends – that is to pick one particular stanza in a poem and have it visualized through an illustration on a one-fourth cartolina, for submission the next Monday.
Obviously, many of them did not know how to draw, or sketch.
They turned to me.
And each one-fourth cartolina of illustrations picked from short stories or poems from our English Literature and Diwang Ginto books earned me 50 centavos.
On weekends I would normally be very busy till the wee hours of the night, trying to figure out how I could visualize one whole poem and sketch it on the white paper-cardboard. I normally produced at least 10 drawings, banging on them the whole day of Saturday and Sunday.
On Monday, at school, my clients would chase me for their projects, ready with their 50 centavo-fee.
I began doing this when I was in Second Year, after a sister of my buddy Ruben Villarosa – Violeta – came to our house for one specific thing: she wanted me to illustrate one scene from a short story which she picked from our literature book.
I did not know then if I could do it, although that summer prior to my entering second year, I took a summer course in commercial arts at the Arellano Vocational School in Sta Cruz, Manila, on the urgings of my second-cousin Ate Elsa de Mesa, who was then taking up a course in cosmetology that time.
Now, when Violeta submitted her drawing to the Literature teacher, she got high marks for an accurate visualization of the assigned story.
From then on, and by word of mouth, I began to receive “commissioned works” from students in different years - rivaling senior year artists that include Francisco “Kiko” Osorio, who were also into cartolina illustration jobs.
One day, many years after I graduated in high school and was already making a living as a journalist in Manila, I happened to visit the classroom of my former teacher, Ms Octa, who was my Pilipino teacher.
And to my pleasant surprise, I saw something pinned on the bulletin board that looked very familiar to me: a cartolina illustration from a Pilipino poem.
It was initialed "APH, 1965".
Nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia
CADENA
de AMOR (CDA) Section Batch '65
Front row seated, from left: Mr Bermundo, Mr De Vera, Mrs Mariano, Mrs Arenal, School Principal Ms Betty Villaluz, Ms Lilia Octa, Ms_Atillo, Mr Crispulo Dominguez and Mr Navarro.
Second row (back standing, from left): Urbano Lagriada, Margarita Navaja (deceased), Teresita Evia, Yolanda Jamito, Zenia Campos, Erlinda Gacus, Irma Sanglay, Aurora Arnobit (batch 65 valedictorian), Josefa Litong, Carmelito Venida (deceased).
Third row (back standing, from left): Alfredo P Hernandez (Journalist of the Year), Bella Bellen, Luzvinda Suarez, Isabel Caldit, Carmelita dela Cruz, Fredisminda Sanggalang, Rebecca Valles, Herminia Omana, Merle Salcedo and Maximo Baylon (aka Manny Baylon)
Fourth row (back standing, from Left): Andreo Romero (deceased), Milagros Regaldea, Lydia Toliao, Wenifreda Abad, Milagros Cruz, Enelita Grajo, Erlinda Baylon, Noeme Niebres, Estrella Manjares, Gloria Abrina and Ruben Villarosa (deceased).
Fifth row (from left): Asterio Ramoso, Juanita Roldan, Paz Rodrigo, Emma Lasala, Incarnita Espiritu, Mercedes Defeo,Marietta Zentin and Sergio Ariola.
Last row back: Melvin Ico, Ernesto Abadiano, Nelson Heraldo, Miguel Gazmin, Pablito Villarin and Alfredo Irang. – Photo courtesy of NOEMI NIEBRES, with AURORA ARNOBIT
Front row seated, from left: Mr Bermundo, Mr De Vera, Mrs Mariano, Mrs Arenal, School Principal Ms Betty Villaluz, Ms Lilia Octa, Ms_Atillo, Mr Crispulo Dominguez and Mr Navarro.
Second row (back standing, from left): Urbano Lagriada, Margarita Navaja (deceased), Teresita Evia, Yolanda Jamito, Zenia Campos, Erlinda Gacus, Irma Sanglay, Aurora Arnobit (batch 65 valedictorian), Josefa Litong, Carmelito Venida (deceased).
Third row (back standing, from left): Alfredo P Hernandez (Journalist of the Year), Bella Bellen, Luzvinda Suarez, Isabel Caldit, Carmelita dela Cruz, Fredisminda Sanggalang, Rebecca Valles, Herminia Omana, Merle Salcedo and Maximo Baylon (aka Manny Baylon)
Fourth row (back standing, from Left): Andreo Romero (deceased), Milagros Regaldea, Lydia Toliao, Wenifreda Abad, Milagros Cruz, Enelita Grajo, Erlinda Baylon, Noeme Niebres, Estrella Manjares, Gloria Abrina and Ruben Villarosa (deceased).
Fifth row (from left): Asterio Ramoso, Juanita Roldan, Paz Rodrigo, Emma Lasala, Incarnita Espiritu, Mercedes Defeo,Marietta Zentin and Sergio Ariola.
Last row back: Melvin Ico, Ernesto Abadiano, Nelson Heraldo, Miguel Gazmin, Pablito Villarin and Alfredo Irang. – Photo courtesy of NOEMI NIEBRES, with AURORA ARNOBIT
Batch ‘65 missing … Remnants of the batch 65 of
JPHS alumni pose for a posterity picture. From left: Danny Aban, unidentified,
Emma Lasala, Yolie Jamito, Letty Cu, un-Id'd, Lydia Tuliao and Paz Rodrigo.
Taken during the 65th general alumni homecoming at the Jose Panganiban High
School (JP CamNorte) on Saturday, April 28, 2012. Of the entire batch 65, only
11 showed up for the reunion. Not in pic is Urbano Lagriada, who was lost
around the school campus. APH was the fotog of this picture.
Reliving my campus years, circa 1961-65
By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ
(Batch ’65)DURING my years in JPHS, the school’s four-hectare campus had classrooms built with wood, concrete and GI roofing sheets and they dotted the ground’s backside along the perimeter fence, at the foot of the mountain covered with coconut trees and bushes.
At the center of the school ground was a long, tall-posted building built of wood and roofed with GI sheets, which housed the library, biology lab and a number of classrooms.
This building, then referred to as the “Main Building”, faced the dusty, rough road that stretched to Larap. A wide ground covered with carabao grass separated this structure and the concrete fence that lined along the road.
The Office of the Principal and the Home Economics building sat on the edge of the four-hectare property that faced an ancient cemetery. Between these two buildings and the graveyard sat a modest-sized rice field, which we farmed and planted with rice, as part of the activities in our agriculture subject.
On the other side of the campus just next to a huge coconut-covered property owned by Don Ramon Adea was a poultry house, also part of our course in agriculture, and it was then surrounded by vegetable plots laden with pechay, bush sitao and other fast-growing vegetables.
Of course, I still remember the school canteen that stood at the back end of the Main Building.
This is where I treated my girl friends to a bowl of ginatang saging-kamote-langka-kangos at least three times a week, usually in the afternoon.
My girl buddies and classmates (we belonged to Cadena de Amor, popularly known as CDA, section), of course, included Margie Navaja, Aurora Arnobit, Munying de la Cruz, Gloria Abrina, Emma Lasala, Merlie Salcedo, Yolie Jamito, Mila Regaldea, Paz Rodrigo and Josie Litong.
I can afford to treat them to that ginatan snack.
During those days, I always had more than enough for my pocket money.
You see, I had a little weekend money-maker – that is making cartolina drawings for a number of students every week.
As had been the practice, our literature teacher or the Pilipino teacher (I suddenly remember Mrs Arenal and Mrs Aldaba) would assign some jobs for the students to do on weekends – that is to pick one particular stanza in a poem and have it visualized through an illustration on a one-fourth cartolina, for submission the next Monday.
Obviously, many of them did not know how to draw, or sketch.
They turned to me.
And each one-fourth cartolina of illustrations picked from short stories or poems from our English Literature and Diwang Ginto books earned me 50 centavos.
On weekends I would normally be very busy till the wee hours of the night, trying to figure out how I could visualize one whole poem and sketch it on the white paper-cardboard. I normally produced at least 10 drawings, banging on them the whole day of Saturday and Sunday.
On Monday, at school, my clients would chase me for their projects, ready with their 50 centavo-fee.
I began doing this when I was in Second Year, after a sister of my buddy Ruben Villarosa – Violeta – came to our house for one specific thing: she wanted me to illustrate one scene from a short story which she picked from our literature book.
I did not know then if I could do it, although that summer prior to my entering second year, I took a summer course in commercial arts at the Arellano Vocational School in Sta Cruz, Manila, on the urgings of my second-cousin Ate Elsa de Mesa, who was then taking up a course in cosmetology that time.
Now, when Violeta submitted her drawing to the Literature teacher, she got high marks for an accurate visualization of the assigned story.
From then on, and by word of mouth, I began to receive “commissioned works” from students in different years - rivaling senior year artists that include Francisco “Kiko” Osorio, who were also into cartolina illustration jobs.
One day, many years after I graduated in high school and was already making a living as a journalist in Manila, I happened to visit the classroom of my former teacher, Ms Octa, who was my Pilipino teacher.
And to my pleasant surprise, I saw something pinned on the bulletin board that looked very familiar to me: a cartolina illustration from a Pilipino poem.
It was initialed "APH, 1965".
Cooperative endeavor
The Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative beng launched on February 8, 2014.
The MMPC signboard
Elsie Dimaunahan (second from left) supervising the first day of the co-op store's operation.
Alums gave birth
to a consumer cooperative
By ALFREDO P
HERNANDEZ
Batch ‘65
IT WAS a group of
overseas Mambulaoans who paved the way for the recently-launched consumer cooperative in
Mambulao to become a reality.
This co-op, a first in about 20 years to be put up, is the Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc (MMPCI), which was born on February 8, 2014.
The spawn from which this humble initiative took roots was just a random Facebook postings by OFWs Jessie Lumapag, Arlene Grace Suzara (they are honorary alumni of JPNHS), alums Aldrin Toribio (Ireland) and Samuel Tatum (MetroM), with some comments from alumni, who were mostly based in the Middle East.
The exchange of postings began sometime last year, with Jessie and Arlene proposing to form a group that would discuss what project could be taken up that would benefit the less-privileged members of the Mambulao populace.
Joining the core chat group later, I was asked to give a name from which the discussion group would take off.
I suggested “Mambulao’s On A Roll”, which was subsequently adopted as the Facebook group that would serve umbrella for alumni–OFWs who will join the project.
The first proposal was the setting up of a livelihood through the bodega scheme, which would service the needs of businessmen needing space for their goods.
But one group member doubted the viability of such project as it would require big capital start-up and land property.
This one was dropped along the way, while the core group came up with more possible livelihood projects.
The creation of a cooperative logically came up later, with a number in the core group agreeing to look into its practicality – meaning, that it should not require much money to kick off and other concerns such as place of business, the type of business activities to carry and others that included overhead, salaries and wages, rent and all.
But since all of the guys discussing the co-op are overseas, is there somebody we could tap to anchor all these discussions and become the prime mover – so that the nitty-gritty of organizing a business concern could take off?
A few more weeks had passed during the search and one name came up: Elsie Dimaunahan, an engineer by profession but has retired to look after her family in Mambulao.
The “Mambulao’s On A Roll” group was quite elated as it turned that Elsie is a well-versed in cooperative undertakings, and has knowledge of how to go about it – from the very first document to be produced to the last money to be paid to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
The name chosen for the upcoming co-op was Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC), which was subsequently registered with the CDA after meeting the requirements that included capitalization, funds and purpose.
Fundraising was started after explaining to potential shareholders how the financial aspects of the business would be handled.
Many OFW-alums responded positively - financially - that by the end of December 2013, the required funds needed to register the co-op with CDA was met.
Local members chipped in P500 as shares plus membership fees and other incidentals. OFWs willingly sent via Western Union their minimum contributions of P5,000 each, plus other expenses.
There were heartaches, so to speak, that had to endure along the course of organizing the yet-to-be-born economic endeavor, and these were borne by Elsie herself, who had to endure intense kakolitan of some of the core group’s members who wanted to know how feasible this project could be.
But to fast-forward the events, towards December of 2013, things were shaping up clearly for a business venture – a grocery store operation -- with the co-op board of directors being elected. Alumni Arthur Canlas was named chairman.
At the launch of the store last February 8, the co-op had more than P100,000 in a rural bank, raise from the shares and contributions from more than 100 overseas and local members- all of them alumni.
Right now, the store was averaging daily sales of more than P3,000, whose customers included mostly the families of members and other walk-in clients. Many alumni with sari-sari stores sourced their paninda from the co-op as it offered them a cheaper price than what those trading establishments in Mambulao could offer.
The co-op grocery store has become very popular among overseas Mambulaoans, who would drop by the store once they were in town to see how things are going.Obviously, MMPC has become a "must stop" for "abroad alums" who came to visit their hometown.
When I came to Mambulao for few days’ vacation, I paid a visit to meet Elsie for the first time.
Thanks to the alums, who have seen the need to put up one business venture such as this co-op.
One day, it would benefit the less-privileged Mambulaoans, who have been the targeted beneficiaries of the co-ops livelihood projects to launch in future.
This is because the co-op has been partnered by the local government on certain livelihood projects being pushed by Mayor Ricarte “Dong” Padilla, and this included a fish-cage tilapia project in Larap and a pinyahan farm in San Jose.
The MMPC will provide the needed input for the fish projects as well as the pinyahan farm.
For the OFW-alums, their involvement with the co-op is one investment that they could draw financial returns from in the future.
The name “Mambulao’s On A Roll” is indeed an appropriate name to label a highly-potential economic venture such as the Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
Mabuhay po kayong lahat, ganoon din po sa ating munting co-op grocery store.
(Note: I wrote the original version of this story based on my recollection/pick ups from FB postings and was not aware that Ms Arlene Grace Suzara (USA) and Mr Jesse Lumapag (Middle East) started the initial chats on the idea of forming a cooperative-economic group. My apology for any lapses. Also, in the initial version of the story, which I just amended, I said that the co-op was spawned by group of JPNHSAA alums, which is inaccurate, as Lumapag and Suzara graduated from other schools, but since they lived for most of their lives in Mambulao, and just like other Mambulaoans would like to help our community and its people, Percy A Ostonal, The Alumni Waves co-founder and interim prez of the America-based alum groups, welcomed them to the fold as honorary members.)
(Note: I wrote the original version of this story based on my recollection/pick ups from FB postings and was not aware that Ms Arlene Grace Suzara (USA) and Mr Jesse Lumapag (Middle East) started the initial chats on the idea of forming a cooperative-economic group. My apology for any lapses. Also, in the initial version of the story, which I just amended, I said that the co-op was spawned by group of JPNHSAA alums, which is inaccurate, as Lumapag and Suzara graduated from other schools, but since they lived for most of their lives in Mambulao, and just like other Mambulaoans would like to help our community and its people, Percy A Ostonal, The Alumni Waves co-founder and interim prez of the America-based alum groups, welcomed them to the fold as honorary members.)
A customer browsing the shelf for goodies.
REMINISCENCE
Best page of my life
By LOURDES ‘DONDIN’ RELOS
Batch ‘72
AKO ang madalas mapili magturo ng sayaw pag high school day, kasi palapad ako sa teacher... mahilig tumambay lalo na sa canteen na maraming nanlilibre
… palagi akong walang baon kaya madalas akong absent, pero kahit papano … naka
graduate din!!!
Alums donate to Mambulao LGU
Big boost …
these two desks are among the office fixtures donated to the LGU livelihood
unit by a group of alumni, namely Edgar “Egay” Aler (Batch ’64), Ernesto
“Ernie” Pena (Batch ’64), Alfredo P Hernandez (Batch ’65), Percy A Ostonal
(Batch ’66) and Arlene Grace Suzara (Honorary Alum). The LGU unit is headed by Joy del Rosario. –
Photo contributed by JOY del Rosario
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