When one turns 50 there is anxiety but when a high school class turns 50 there is a different kind of excitement. Just like preparing for the Olympics, Class’63 of St. Catherine’s School is gearing up for a gold in 2013. But unlike other high school classes who frequently hold reunions and homecomings, SCS Class’63 had only one reunion in 1997 so the biggest challenge is the tracking of our classmates here and abroad. Five of us started a meeting in January this year and since then we had luncheon meetings every month with an increase in attendance. We had two out of town meetings – in Barili for May and Carcar for July. Along the way we dropped by some classmates who are not aware about the golden jubilee. We also get lucky when we bump into some acquaintances who happen to know some of our long lost classmates. There were 39 of us when we graduated from high school and four have passed away.
What is exciting about a high school class meeting after fifty years? Class’63 has so much to talk about what transpired in their fourth year. We also get to know the transformations of the members of the class, the struggles and the successes. When a classmate comes home for a visit, the group easily get together even at a short notice. This week, we were very lucky to meet even for a brief moment our classmate, Sr. Wivina Nacua, FMM who is based in Paris working with the youth. Before Paris, she was assigned in French Guyana for seventeen years. Since she would not be with us in 2013, the thirty minutes with her was one golden moment for us, to know what she’s doing as a missionary. We thank Sr. Sandra of the FMM for facilitating our meeting with Sr. Wivina. We are also happy that the four ICM Sisters who were our teachers in high school are still strong enough to join us. Forming the core group for the golden celebration are Becbec Abellana, Annabelle Tan-Amor, Guerlie Varga-Duque, Araceli Lapus-Quiros, Luz Gascon-Valdez, Esther Escañan, Anacorita Pilamin-Jopia, Thelma Villahermosa-Dalman, and myself.
* * *
I would like to congratulate my good friend, Jojo Bersales for being one of the Garbo sa Sugbo Awardees for 2012. You deserve it, Jo and it is even long overdue. Thank you for what you have done. You are too humble but the hard work you and your colleagues gave a name and a face to heritage. I know the work will continue despite the occasional limps. We celebrate with you.
I agree with Jojo that the government is the most important partner in any undertaking, this was in reference to the provincial government’s strong support of the cultural heritage awareness movement in Cebu. But I would like to add that the academe also played a significant role in the preservation and promotion of the local history and culture through researches and publications. The town history project of the province implemented by the University of San Carlos shows how effective the partnership between the academe and the government in the promotion of local history and culture. This could also work in other areas of development. Not to be overlooked are the contributions of the various studies centers, big and small, and the people who worked to transform their communities. In the search for the Sugbuanang Tag-una /Cebuana Trailblazers of 2010-2011, the Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council was also asked to submit nominations from the municipalities. There were eleven nominees and three made it to the roster of the one hundred Sugbuanang Tag-una – Azucena Pace of Barili, Cynthia Moreno of Aloguinsan, and Erlinda Cabahug of Madridejos. Their contributions are memorialized in the heritage cards of Sugbuanang Tag-una.