CHAPTER 1

  KUMUSTA NA,   CLASSMATE?

 
MAYBE SA PAG-KIKITA NATING MULI
MAY PELEGES NA ANG ATING MGA MUKHA
MASISILIP MONG MAY MGA PUTI NA ANG MGA BUHOK
NA SANA’Y GUSTO NATING MAWALA.

NGUNIT SA BAWAT PELEGES

AT PUTING BUHOK NA LUMILITAW
KASAMA NOO’Y MGA EXPERIENCES
NAGPATIBAY SA ATING MGA BUHAY.

AT TIMES WISH MONG IBALIK ANG IYONG KABATAAN

AT ISIPING SANA’Y GANOON PA RIN KASIMPLE ANG BUHAY
BUT AS TIME GOES BY
LIFE PALA AY  DI GANON-GANON LANG.

SA PAGKIKITA NATING MULI

MGA KARANASAN NATI’Y MAARI NATING BALIKAN
AT MAGANDANG ISIPIN
MED SCHOOL DAYS NATING NAGDAAN.

NAIS KITA NGAYONG KUMUSTAHIN

SA ISIP MO BA’Y KAYANG MALIMUTAN
NA MINSAN SA BUHAY MO
AKO
  AY IYONG NAGING KAMAG-ARAL.

SO KAHIT TAYO’Y MAGKAHIWALAY ULI

AT PAGKATAPOS NITO’Y KANYA-KANYA NG UWI
KEEP MO ANG GOOD MEMORIES
NITONG PAGKIKITA NATING MULI.

SA PAGBALIK MO ULI SA ARAW-ARAW NA BUHAY

AT SA PAGHARAP MO SA KINABUKASAN
PRAY KO PATIBAYIN KA PA NG PANGINOON
AND SEE YOU AGAIN, NEXT TIME!!!

Ruth A. Mojica-Bernardo,
M.D. FEU Medicine ‘83
 
 CHAPTER 2

WHAT IF OUR BATCH 83 LIVED TODAY

with all the 3G celphones, internet, digital cameras, scanners,
ipods, fax machines, etc. What will you and your close friends
be doing with the IT gadgets around?

1 Mann Francisco, Ed del Rosario and Francis Cruz will put a blog on
“How to make FEU clerkship rotation easy in spite of being married and
with children”.

2 Bong Dalusong and Albert Gironella texting Marlon, Raul, Vuvu and Abel
“pare, papunta n dyn c S.H.O., may ngsumbng yta s pusoy nyo!

3 Bebe Avancena sending email to Malou:

From: futurenavydoc@yahoo.com
To: futurewifeofnavydoc@yehey.org

Subject: Jan 5-31, 2008 lecture notes in Pediatrics, Ob& Gyn and Family
Medicine

Message would read:

“Sweetheart, pakiscan lahat ng notes mo then attach and email to me asap.
Dito pa kami sa basketball court nagpractice. Btw sweetheart, pasaload
naman, kaya di kita matext back.”

4 Flor Mendoza with his Nokia 72 series videoing sexy gros at Ihiwan infront
of UDMC.

5 Go Chi, Melvin Dayrit, Ruby Abubo and JT Tan always listening to their
ipods (let us listen to their ipods: 1st degree dehydration, 10% wieght loss,
elastic skin, wet lips, oral dehydration, 2nd degree dehydration ...........)

6 Vuvu strongly instructing the nurse-on-duty, “huwag mong ikikicable o
ititilegram, i-fax mo!

7 Noel Maducdoc making voice calls to our pretty classmates without
caller id but got caught when he tried texting one of them.

8 With his sheik digital camera and pc, Louie Santiago thought it was just
like sex …. download, upload, download, upload.....

9 Francis Cruz and Man Francisco “attending” the clinico-pathological
conference through webcam of Benjie dela Paz who in turn was
recording his flute music with Rodel’s walkman (pwede ba yun?)
 Morayta
PARADOXICALLY, ALIVE and KICKING:
A Journey of 2 and ½ Decades
Francis Cruz

In busy Morayta, our dear Alma Mater used to be

Our loud laughter and enduring friendship forever be
We’d gladly celebrate it, our silver anniversary
Ours as classmates and doctors come 2009 January
Surgeons, internists, scientists, health providers, they call
But truly devoted and competent servant leaders, we are all
From Manila to far-flung Canada, batch mates stand tall
Heal and care for everyone, big and especially the small
Come from same roots to rise in one, strong tree
Our branches, leaves provide shade to everybody
Cherish the past, but love the present humanity
Paradoxically, all of us belong to FEU Medicine 83
CHAPTER
Prayer before the Grand Reunion
A PRAYER FOR FEU MEDICINE BATCH 1983
by Vic Bonuel

Dear GOD,

We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed on us and our families through
all these years. We thank you for giving us the unlimited opportunities and the divine
wisdom, strength and guidance to serve you and our fellow brothers and sisters through
our daily work.

We firmly believe that we cannot do all these wonderful work, achievements and
successes without your divine guidance and wisdom.

We sincerely ask for your special blessings to make our Silver Reunion a memorable and
successful one.

We beseech that you touch the heart, body and spirit of each and every one of us and
our families as we travel in this wonderful world you created, sharing your message of
goodness, kindness, faith, hope and love.

Bless our friends who have passed away, that they will have eternal repose in your
Heavenly Kingdom.

Grant that we live a long life and be able to celebrate our Golden Anniversary with
strength of body & clarity of mind....

For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory....

AMEN.
Reunions in the USA CHAPTER 5.1
Batch get
Together,
California
by Lai Sibulo

“All my bags are packed, am ready to

go…” was the tune I was singing as my
family waited for me to get out of the car—
only, I was leaving on a Greyhound bus, not
a jet plane. For most of the months we’ve
waited, with a few mini-reunions here and
there, we’ve been linked to one another by
our Internet webgroup, which had been
growing really quickly. That growth was
fueled by the urgent need to reconnect in
time for the Silver Jubilee celebrations. On
July 3rd, Thursday, that virtual connection
was to become real. If ever there was a
time to see old friends from our beloved
FEUNRMF, this was it.
I was in Barstow for a 15-minute
stop when my cellphone rang. It was
Dan Marella checking on me. I told him
I was wearing green so he could easily
spot me from the rest of the passengers.
We hugged each other and exchanged
pleasantries, and soon, we were heading
to Sam’s Riverside home. I thought I heard
shrieks of welcome as we drew near the
front door—shusss!—that was my very
active imagination at work as we were the
earliest to arrive, followed minutes later by
Rodel, then came Anita, then Odette and
Vangie with her mom. The husband and
wife team led by Ed and Mita, Juammy and
Marci, Bobbit and Eilleen with their young
daughter, Bobby and Matett, Jemima and
husband, arrived with Elma and Pam from
the CME sessions in Anaheim. Melvin,
Malou, Connie and Raffy came later; Abel,
Chito, and Ed Cuevas much, much later.
It didn’t take much to be overwhelmed by
the occasion, the sheer experience of just
being there as it happened was enough
to forget that 25 long years have passed
(that’s a quarter of a century!). Raul A. took
pictures, Milo (Jojie’s hubby), Pam and
Matett took turns videotaping the event.
Sam was also busy taking pictures while
his wife, Remy, mingled with the girls.
The video recordings captured it all… our busy lives slowing was heightened by our dance and comedy number created and
to a crawl thoroughly having the time of our lives, surrounded directed by our one and only Rene De la Rosa. After dancing
by food lovingly chosen by Jojie and Rodel—sisig, lechon, and laughing the night away with other alumni, one thing
pinakbet, egg rolls, fresh lumpia, lechon manok, kakanin, and was sure, all of us clearly enjoyed ourselves with abandon.
the ever loyal pancit. Truly, nothing helps to remember a get- That night was not only emotionally significant, it was also a
together better than the food that was there (I was apprehensive complete success. This January, when we all go home to the
I would gain back the five pounds I lost before going south… Philippines to celebrate the bigger, local version, we will laugh,
Will my black and white dress still fit me?). Nevertheless, after we will learn, and we will fall in love with our old medical school
dancing to Loulou’s choreography, I made myself believe that I all over again. Perhaps too, in my mind, I will befittingly sing
would lose the pounds I had just gained. We sang “We are the “Memories… light the corners of my mind, misty water-colored
world” and we wore our personalized pinback buttons. As I memories, of the way we were…” on my flight back to Vegas.
got hold of mine, Ed Santos asked me, “Were you still a virgin
back then?” To which I shockingly answered a loud “Yes.”
Everything happened spontaneously: apart from the group was
Jemima’s husband patiently watching us, Manoy Ed Marifosque
unloading boxes of grapefruit he personally picked from his
orchard, the dynamic Bobby discussing samples of what our
batch has accomplished back home in P.I., Juammy rendering
a few finishing touches on his powerpoint presentation, girls
in groups sharing their pregnancy ‘accidents’ and pregnancy
‘false alarms,’ Sam grilling Jollibee burgers in the backyard with
some of the boys having a good time of their own—Indeed that
was a special time refreshing relationships with friends both
old and new. By nighttime, my head was throbbing and hurting
from laughing too much and my belly full of gas. No one dared
to cut the cake with our class picture on it (Did everybody feel
some kind of reverence for it, or were we just afraid of Mother
Hen Elma giving us a slap on the wrist if we did so?). What
happened at Sam’s house was unforgettable; we were one
big family under one roof… It was a one time experience, an
impressive kick-off to Saturday’s grand ball.
After spending the night at Elma’s L.A. apartment,
Friday was spent attending lectures of our very own Bob and
Herman and lunch with newcomers Judith, Bev, Jen, Ron, Raul
G., and wife Josie. Luz, Nestor, and Willie Tayag joined the
nightcap at the hotel lobby after the Filipiniana party. That night
was exceptionally memorable because that was when we had
the precious company of Pam’s beloved daughter Melanie. She
and my daughter, Nicole, sipped mojitos while watching the
group, with their blended drinks, play the game of charades.
Then Saturday came, everybody had a totally different look! We
were happy to see Ate Roxy and Ledeia. We had the group
picture taken and were presented individually with medals. It
  

   

     

     

 
 CHAPTER 5.
Grand Alumni Night
The Stars Are Back
By Nelly Galvez

The dictionary defines REUNION as a gathering of members of a group who have been
separated or apart. It is the act of coming together, from the Latin word unus or one. A
reunion therefore, is a reconnection with old friends, an affirmation of past relationships
and involves updating each other with past and present activities, including ups and
downs and involves even closures of past relationships and hurts. Because of the
    varied emotions involved, reunions may be viewed as a welcome activity for some but
may also be dreaded and unwelcome for others.
From my end, because we are the silver jubilarians, I know it would mean time off
from work, rest and family time because of endless meetings and practices. After two
years of avoiding and ignoring Matett’s calls and text messages, I eventually answered
and told her I will be attending the Sunday meetings and practices at Bonaventure in
Greenhills. Matett was only too glad (“maiiyak naman ako at sumagot ka rin” were her
exact words) to give me details of our activities as Silver Jubilarians.
Sundays therefore, for the next three months, meant endless practices, meetings,
 
frantic calls to other batchmates to join, and of course “tsismis”- exchanging juicy bits
and pieces of each other and other batchmates’ lives! Practices meant extending our
vocal chords to the limit under the direction of and admixed with sermons by Jake. We
matched these vocal calisthenics with dancing skills straight from dekada otsenta (the
80’s- our year!) in spite of creaking bones and joints. During the first few months of
practice, only a handful attended but as the Grand Night drew near, more batchmates
attended and they were really troupers because even after a few practices, they got
the melody (but could not memorize the lyrics- tumatanda na kasi!), choreography and
blocking right, of course guided by the regular Sunday practice attendees. Practices
 
then gave way to fittings of clothes, recordings and other activities related to our Silver
Jubilee like the tree planting and feeding of street children. And then as batchmates
started arriving from all over, parties and gatherings were added to our otherwise
already busy schedules. With excitement building up for our performance on reunion
night, we still had to attend the CME activities where selected batchmates delivered
lectures on their field of expertise and we had to attend the Gabi ng Parangal to give
tribute to professors under whose tutelage we studied and trained.
The Grand Reunion was of course the penultimate activity. Everyone arrived at the
 
Sofitel Phil Plaza last January 17, dressed to the nines, with the ladies elegantly dressed,
coiffured and looking young and beautiful and the gentlemen looking handsome,
dapper and dignified. During the song and dance number, the ladies were dressed in
jewel colors: ruby reds, emerald greens, citrine yellows, am ethyst purples, sapphire
blues and the men literally glowing from top to bottom ( pun intended!) in their bowties,
vests and black pants. Everybody gave their all during the performance- voices were
fuller and stronger, dance steps more graceful and lilting and the acting was full of vigor!
A grand time was had by all- the audience but most especially the Silver Jubilarians.
I’m thus so proud of my ’83 batchmates. Each one has become successful in his/her
 
own field of endeavor but not one showed any “Star Complex”- walang mayabang at
walang nagmayabang- each one just sharing and giving his/her own time to be one
with the group in the celebration of our Silver Jubilee.
Indeed the stars are back but not as expensive diamonds waiting to be noticed but as
stars individually twinkling but collectively lighting up the night sky!
Hurrah for Medicine Batch ’83!

 
CHAPTER 6 PREPARATIONS...

Matett O. Mirasol

PREPARING for the 25th homecoming was not on our minds

when we met at a function room at Camp Aguinaldo one night
around 200-. Francis Cruz instigated the dinner meeting which
was graced by the visiting couple Juammy and Marcie Limjoco
fresh from the US. It was attended by around 20 batch mates
who had to introduce themselves one by one, having changed
in aura and physical attributes that we sometimes had difficulty
recognizing who was who. No regular meetings were set; we just


had a night of fun and laughter, reconnecting and remembering.
THE IDEA of a Christmas get together was brought out by Didi
Torres-Matheus. We had a get together at former batch mate
Janet Lim’s Plaza Ibarra one balmy night that December, 2005.
This time, the changes we had undergone cannot be denied
and whispers circulated asking for names, albeit discreetly. After
consuming the oh-so delicious food provided courtesy of Janet,
the laughter eventually quieted as we got down to business.
Didi proposed designating batch officers, and so a list was born
where Didi was President, Yoy Navarrete was Vice-President(a
position he eventually abdicated due to distance and which
he bequeathed to Bob Mirasol), Joji Nolasco-Macatangay was

 secretary(who unfortunately is a stranger to computers), and
I was the volunteer Treasurer(thinking I could embezzle some
money to complete the unfinished portions of our house..ha ha!
). It was agreed that we would put up with P10,000 each to cover
for expenses and projects which were still nebulous at that time.
STILL, no regular meetings were planned. Come February
2006, we heard that Bong Dalusong was coming home and so
we planned a mini-reunion. I went about different restaurants
scouting for the proper venue. I was checking out Metro Walk
when I heard my name. A pretty lady carrying a handsome little
boy was smiling at me but I did not recognize her. Thinking it was
a mistake, I was about to turn back when the guy beside her-
bald, mestizo, wearing sunglasses- spoke and …gosh! It was


Bong! What happened to the lustrous hair? There I was scouting
for a venue for him, and I passed him by without recognizing him.
We met that night of February 18 for dinner at Teazann, all 16 of
us. That was when we started collecting fund in preparation for
the grand reunion. We started with P1,000 each.

 THEN we heard Chito Palad was coming home. We met April
28,2006 at Penang Hill, Shangrila Plaza Mall. Had we known



Chito , who looked younger than any of us present then, would

pay for the dinner, we would have ordered more.. Again, we
each gave P1,000 to the fund. July 31, it was Vic Bonuel’s turn
to meet with us at Dulcinea Tomas Morato. Before he arrived,

 Merle Sacdalan asked, Sino ba si Vic Bonuel? I said, Ewan ko,


pag nakita natin siguro maaalala natin. True enough, he seemed
familiar except that he seemed so dark and his cheeks had filled
up a bit. I didn’t know then that he was an avid golfer, or else I
would have associated his dark coloring to having just played too
much golf. We collected P1000 each and chipped in to pay for
the dinner but Vic graciously shouldered the bill so I added the
extra to our fund. As treasurer, all I needed was a black umbrella
and a turban and I would have passed for the market vendors’
5-6 loanshark!
THE CHRISTMAS get together at Kamayan West Avenue
December 10, 2006 took 3 months of texting and imploring
batchmates to reserve that date. Thirty came and we had a
grand time catching up in between mouthfuls of oily food and
oversweet desserts. Plans began to take shape, email addresses 


were noted down(which unfortunately got lost in the translation)

and fund collection continued. Meetings were set at quarterly
intervals.
PRACTICE for the broadway presentation started early November
of 2008. Surprise! Surprise! Those who never acknowledged my
texts in the past 2 or 3 years came and signified their willingness 


to participate. There were food and drinks to share but more

important was that first meeting with classmates of long ago,
rekindling memories of the good old days including some of the
most stupid things we had ever done as medical students. The
room was abuzzed with laughter, simultaneous conversations,
continuous hi’s and hello’s until Jake, the same instructor of
25 years ago who catapulted some classes to best performers
during medicine week , had to shout to put order in a room full
of noisy, aging doctors worse than a grade school class during
dismissal time. And so the practice began and continued every
Sunday till the week before Christmas…We were taught TONIGHT
from Westside Story in different voices, CHATTANOOGA CHOO 

CHOO which was the same winning piece of Class____ way back
19__ and THAT’s ENTERTAINMENT/EVERYTHING’s COMING
UP ROSES, complete with choreography. Of course some of us
were more difficult to teach than others, especially the boys. We
received a lot of tongue lashings from Jake but we kept coming
back, volunteering to bring different delicacies to share, sharing
the never-ending laughter, tightening the bond that connects each
one of us each time we met. On looking back I am not sure now
if people kept coming back for Flor’s chicharon, Bel’s silvanas,
Merle’s tacos, Malou’s sandwiches and salad, and all the other
mouth-watering food that generous batchmates brought for the
practice. I can say that food is a great unifier!


CHAPTER 7.1 REUNION CELEBRATIONS
25 kids…at McDonald’s Morayta
From a brainstorming meeting at Café Breton at Greenbelt Makati attended by Merle, Rue,
Bebe, the Axibals and me emerged the 3-point project of Batch ’83 to make our Silver
Jubilee more meaningful. The concept of doctors nurturing life was conceived, with the
activities to be executed forming part of our celebration. 1) Feeding- for what is life without
nutrition and energy? 2)Tree Planting- for the very nature of a tree symbolizes new life and
growth from a humble seedling to a great work of art and 3) Blood letting- to represent
extension and sustenance of life.

What better way to demonstrate feeding than to go back to Morayta and feed 25 street
children at the first unforgettable McDonald’s in the Philippines? A McDonald meal may not
be the best to exemplify nutrition but letting street kids experience eating at McDonald is an
awesome gift for some who have never tasted chicken or spaghetti. The Christmas season
is the busiest time of the year for all but we pushed through with our McDonald feeding Dec.
28, 2008 even if attended only by Bob, me and Rue. My son and Rue’s 2 kids assisted us.
The challenge was not in the actual feeding, for the street kids turned out well behaved and
very capable of eating by themselves unlike some of our own kids who are helpless without
their yayas. The challenge was in coming up with 25 street kids. And so it was that I found
myself walking the street of Morayta 2 days before the occasion. I could not recognize FEU,
and I found Jollibee and Greenwich but not McDo. I walked a second time and finally found
it tucked among the different establishments with no big sign outside, only on the glass
windows. Having confirmed its existence in the same place as when we medical clerks
would fall in line for that burger or sundae, I proceeded to look for street kids. Surprise,
there were none around. I closely inspected the little stores until I found 2 kids playing. I
was asking the kids where their parents were when an elderly man suddenly shouted, “Ano
yan! Ano yan!” He must have suspected I was some kid snatcher. I told him of our plan and
after a while he was calm enough to promise me that there would be 25 kids waiting for us
the following Sunday. Not true to his promise, we waited for almost an hour before 22 kids
came filing in. While Bob took the kids to McDo, Rue and I harassed the vendors to produce
3 kids. Finally, we completed the magic no. 25 and a meal of chicken and spaghetti with
soda was enjoyed by all!
  

 
CHAPTER 7.2 REUNION CELEBRATIONS







 


Tree Planting
Nelly Galvez

Trees are a symbol of life. Starting from seedlings,

nurtured by man and nature, they grow up strong and
sturdy to provide not only sustenance but also as shade,
ground cover and source of oxygen. In celebration of
25 years after graduation from medicine, batch ’83
now standing proud and strong decided to include

 tree planting as part of its silver jubilee celebration.
On Jan. 11, a week before the grand alumni night,
batchmates grabbed the opportunity to bond
together and gathered at the Quezon Memorial
Circle, the so-called Central Park of the Philippines. We
had breakfast at Max Restaurant then motored to the
La Mesa Dam Ecopark, not really to plant but to adopt
25 trees in honor of Medicine Batch ’83. At the site, we
were given a briefing on the vision-mission of the La
Mesa Dam Ecopark. After the briefing, with sticks and
seedlings in hand, we planted them in small plots of
land after which they will be planted in the spacious
and sprawling park in a natural forest setting. While
hiking along the ecopark trail, we practiced singing
our performance pieces for the grand reunion night.
We also took the opportunity to reminisce about the
good old days, to film footages to be shown during
the alumni program and to take pictures for posterity.
We then partook of dirty ice cream and had our fill
courtesy of Noel Maducdoc. After the tree planting
activity,

 we had lunch again at Max then proceeded
to the Bonaventure in one of our last practices for the
Grand Alumni Night.
The tree planting/adopt a tree activity at the La Mesa
Dam Ecopark was symbolic-25 YEARS, 25 TREES- a
celebration of life well lived, standing strong and proud
amidst adversity.












CHAPTER 7.2 REUNION CELEBRATIONS
Welcome Red Carpet Party at
“Bahay ni Kuya”
by Lai Sibulo

Ang Bahay ni Kuya, Domeng Amistad’s mansion in Merville,

Paranaque was the site of the gathering to welcome home U.S.
based batchmates attending the 25th Silver Jubilee. And so we
welcomed Odette, Pam, Lai, Sky, Elma, Ed and Mita, Bien, Sam,
Raul A., Raul G., Rene, Vic and Ed C. Domeng and Cathy through
their son who is a chef prepared a generous spread – lechon,
shabu-shabu, sashimi and other delicious viands with several
yummy desserts including a chocolate fountain. We all ate to our
heart’s (or stomach’s?) content downed with endless rounds of
stories about each other’s adventures/misadventures, trials, joys
and heartaches. The girls teased the guys about their expanding
girth but receding hairlines with the guys in turn teasing the girls
about past loves and loveteams. Medical bulletins shared the
spotlight, with the Philippine group asking about Raul A’s and Ed
C’s condition and the girls sharing medical, ehem…beauty secrets.
We talked about each other’s families, jobs, golf handicaps and
whatever topics that came to mind. And so there we were, 25
years of catching up on each other in one night of fun topped by  
another round of practice this time with the US batchmates who
didn’t want to be left behind, and of course endless picture taking
to store unforgettable moments in our memory bank.

 
 CHAPTER 7.3

 
ANNUAL ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT
Ayala Greenfields Golf & Country Club
Dom Amistad
Golf Director

A record-breaking 119 golfers (based on previous FEU Medicine Alumni Golf tournaments) challenged
the cold and windy mountain course (Par 72) of Ayala Greenfields Golf & Country Club in Calamba City,
Laguna during the January 14, 2009 Annual FEU-NRMF Medical Alumni Golf Tournament. Access to
this beautiful golf course was made possible by sponsoring member Dr. Gary Elazegui. As host for the
tournament Batch ’83 doctors had their hands full in the registration booth as they were smothered
by an avalanche of eager-beaver golfers. The participants consisted of 46 FEU-NRMF Alumni (batch
‘59 to ’99) and 73 guests.

The following golfers emerged as winners of brass cup trophies courtesy of Calamba Doctors Hospital:

ALUMNI
CHAMPION Ferdie Ang Class 78
LOW GROSS CHAMPION Benjie Arboleda Class 81

GUEST
CHAMPION Rupert Somera
LOW GROSS CHAMPION Roberto Rosales

CLASS AA llan Alegre1 st Class 83

C. Garbo 2nd Guest
Noel Maducdoc 3rdC lass 83

CLASS BN ato Peralta 1st Class 84

Ed Martin 2nd Class 77
Erwin Macaraig3 rd Guest

CLASS CN oel Evangelista 1st Guest

Amang Bernardo 2nd Guest
Bert Magcalas 3rdG uest

CLASS DC harles Bolanos 1 st Class 88

Roman Santos 2nd Guest
Rey Brion3 rd Class 77

LONGEST DRIVE (#13) Glenn Suntay Class 83

NEAREST TO THE PIN (#3) Ricky Anastacio
 A multitude of sponsors contributed generously in cash and in kind to
post gross revenues of almost Php 600,000 with over Php 238,000 in net
proceeds in favor of the Batch ’83 projects and donations (50k of which we
donated to cover part of our batch mate Jun Axibal’s angioplasty).

SPECIAL AWARDS of BATCH ’83 GOLFERS:

Alan Alegre is the Class A Champion and Best Batch 83 Golfer receiving
as special prize, an OVERSIZED 5-pounder Original Hershey’s Chocolate
Bar courtesy of Lai Sibulo.

Noel Maducdoc bagged the Class A 2nd Runner-up trophy but had the
best gross score among Batch ’83 golfers.

Glenn Suntay produced the LONGEST DRIVE on Hole # 13 with a 299

yard-drive! This is only 5 yards shorter than the average drive of Tiger Woods!

 
Vic Lugue: MOST PROLIFIC GOLFER...Most number of golfers invited for
the tournament- 22 players! Noel Maducdoc, Allan Alegre, Freddie Tayag:
2nd Honors with the next most number of Golfers invited

Vic Bonuel: Most STRAIGHT & LONG GOLFER, for distributing a lot of
VIAGRA, LEVITRA AND CIALIS during the awarding ceremonies. He also
acted as the MC for the programme.

Mar Mejia: Most REPRESENTED GOLFER, representing Batch 83, 84, 85

& 86!
 
Alex Tapia: Shared the MOST EXERCISED GOLFER honors, shot a course
record of 123 ! To compensate for the dozens of balls he lost, he went home
with 60 free Golf Balls from the raffle Tambiolo.

Cesar Quimabao: CENTURY GOLFER.....shot exactly a 100!

Sammy Agra: SWEET-SWINGING GOLFER.....if only I could copy his golf

swing, I could be in the company of Tiger “Balm” and Phil “Mickey Mouse”.

Ed Montenegro: MOST PROMISING GOLFER! Promised to entertain us

at his home course at Camp John Hay Golf club in Baguio City. Actually only
 
2 years into the game and he’s already got the form of a seasoned golfer.

Yoy Navarette: PAR GOLFER...made the most number of Pars but

unfortunately did not win due to the unlucky draw on the eliminated holes
on the handicapping system (Modified Peoria).

Dom Amistad: EARLY-BIRD, LAST TO LEAVE GOLFER...unfortunately

the first to arrive in the clubhouse at 6:00am, last to play at 10am flight, last
to eat lunch (7pm) and the last to leave at 7:30pm! whahhhh! Without any
prize! Whahhhhh!
Special thanks goes to Jojie Rojas for taking very good care of our
money and also to Ed and Mita who really pushed for the sales of
“Mulligan” tickets and manned the scoring sheet with my son Ryan
Amistad. We projected all the scores via an LCD projector for everyone
to see and scrutinize (walang daya! walang dagdag-bawas!)
Our gratitude goes to Vic Lugue who solicited more than 30 additional
raffle items so everybody who played went home with a prize (the
golfers even had the luxury of choosing from all the raffle items at
hand). Noel Maducdoc solicited the grand prize of the night which
was a Sony Wega Colored TV while Beverly Claveria-Soyangco
provided cash for another major prize – a Philips Digital Microwave
Oven. Herman Hedriana also provided some greenbucks for the golf
funds while Allan Alegre solicited the same amount from Megaworld
Corp.
Thank you notes to all those who manned the registration, scoring,
awarding and contributed other raffle items....Vic Bonuel, Raul
Guerrero, Rene de la Rosa, Elma Pelsang, Lilly Peralta-Arambulo,
Fe Rendon-Alegre, Lai Yia-Sibulo, Sammy Agra, Raoul Alconcel, Ed
Cuevas and Francie “Sky” Mercado.
Take note that all Batch ’83 golfers waived all their prizes in favor of
all the guests and other alumni, but we went home with priceless
memories of fun, play and camaraderie, the ones that last a lifetime!

 
CHAPTER 7.4

FEU MEDICINE ’83

HOMECOMING HYMN
Original Composition by Ruth A. Mojica-Bernardo, M.D.

Refrain
We doctors are born to love
And to love means to serve
  For when we serve, we care
When we care, we really share
God’s gift of healing to everybody and everywhere.
Verse 1
Our respect for life is a life-time mission,
Till we breathe our last, this is our vocation.
Hippocratic Oath ~ sign of dedication,
Enriched with Integrity, Love, Compassion.
Refrain
We doctors are born to love
And to love means to serve
For when we serve, we care
When we care, we really share
God’s gift of healing to everybody and everywhere.
  Verse 2
Hail to you, our beloved Alma Mater,
With the strength of your vision, we walked together.
Hopes instilled, dreams fulfilled, you are a builder,
Heads held high, we give THANKS to GOD our FATHER!

Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved. This composition may

not be reproduced or quoted in whole or in part by any
means whatsoever without written permission from:
Ruth A. Mojica-Bernardo, M.D.: drruth8@yahoo.com
 

 
  

   

 
CHAPTER 7.5

Scientific Sessions Speakers

31st DR. LAURO H. PANGANIBAN   Childhood Vaccination: What is New
MEMORIAL LECTURE CURRENT
THERAPIES IN DIABETES MANAGEMENT Rosemarie T. Santana-Arciaga, MD,’83

Nunilo G. Rubio, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, USA
 
RESEARCH 101: Clinical Considerations of Fatty Liver
Introduction to US Human Clinical Trials
Jose A. Tan, MD,’83
Eduardo S. Cuevas, MD, ‘83
Brooklyn Hospital, New York, USA

Panel Discussion : Adult Obesity    Panel Discussion : OBESITY

Childhood Obesity
Roberto C. Mirasol, MD ‘83
Merle D. Sacdalan , MD,’83
  

Interpretatioon of Liver Function Tests   Facelift in a Bottle

Maximo Axibal, Jr, MD, ‘83 Bienvenido Figueroa, MD, ‘83

 
 
Cervical Cancer in the Philippines Prostate Cancer

Manuel S. Manabat, MD,’83 Edgardo L. Reyes, MD,’83

 
Female Sexuality: Fallacies and Facts Follicular Hair Transplant

Rosalina L. Abboud, MD Julieta M. Peralta- Arambulo, MD,’83

Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, USA

Glutathione, Then and Now The Toll of Infections in Humans

Sonia G. Go- Baluyot, MD , ‘83 Raymond Razonable, MD

Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, USA

 
 
CHAPTER 7.6
The Scientific Sessions
The Scientific Sessions were carefully planned by the
scientific committee to cater to a diverse group of
doctors. The theme “From Bench to Bedside”, was
chosen to be able to spark interest in the basic
sciences as well as the clinical sciences. Top rate
lecturers from the Loyola Strich School of Medicine (Dr
Rubio, Lauro Panganiban Lecturer), Mayo Clinic (Dr
Abboud and Dr Razonable), (Dr Martin), (Dr Balgos),
and our very own Dr Ed Cuevas from Brooklyn Hospital
were invited from the United States. A multitude of
local speakers all from Batch 83 complemented these
international speakers to produce a powerhouse
scientific conference accredited by the Philippine
Medical Association, Philippine College of Physicians,
Philippine Association of Family Physicians. The
lectures were interesting bordering on the molecular
(The Toll of Infectious Diseases) to the clinical
(Follicular Hair Transplant). There were a lot of updates
(pediatric vaccination update, colon cancer
update, cervical cancer update, prostate cancer
update). There were the fascinating dermatology
forum on botox and glutathione. Clinical correlation
was likewise addressed with the issues on fatty liver
and interpretation of liver function tests. Lifestyle
diseases like obesity and diabetes were discussed
extensively. Interest in research was challenged by
the provocative and inspiring lecture of Dr. Cuevas.
But hands down, the female sexuality lecture by
Dr Abboud had the audience in a spell. A lot of
interesting questions came up after the talk. Indeed,
the stars are back. Batch 83 should be proud of their
batchmates. They all prepared well for the lectures.
Some vital statistics - 2 full days of scientific sessions,
1 plenary lecture, 6 speakers from the US, 3 industry  
sponsored symposia, 11 speakers from Batch 83, 16
moderators from Batch 83, 16 booth exhibit spaces,
11 drug companies. The event raked in a total
of P250,000 donated to the FEU medical alumni
association.

 
  

 
 
 

 
 

 
CHAPTER 7.7

Exclusive Batch Night @ Plaza Ibarra

CHAPTER 7.8
GABI NG PARANGAL
16 January 2009
RESPONSE OF DR HABACON:

Maganda! Kasi baka sabihin ninyo hindi tayo natututo

sa ating mga estudyante, di ba? Maganda tayong
lahat.

I was a little bit teary eyed earlier because what you did
the celebrators for this evening and this homecoming
really touches the ventricles and the auricles.
  What can one say when one sees her students still
beautiful, successful in their own special fields and in
their lives looking happy and looking great and still sabi
nga ng ating FEU Hymn….. “though far from home your
feet has roamed but still you are back”.

On behalf of the staff, faculty, some of them are my

teachers as well. I wouldn’t enumerate anymore.
What I am now I owe to them. I also bow my head to
my mentors.

Thank you for recognizing us. This is I think, everybody

 
will agree with me, this is one of the priceless rewards
of teaching.

Sabi kanina ng isa sa inyo- Ma’m, huwag kayong

umiyak, kasi kayo ang nagpapaiyak sa amin noong
araw. Palagay ko gumaganti lang kayo ngayon. This
really touches the heart

And I pray….

I pray that the blessings of our Lord and maker will be

 
with all of us. May our Lord pour his oil of blessings, of
wisdom, of riches to all of you, over your heads. May
he give you the peace that passes all understanding
that only can come from from someone whose heart
has dwelt upon by the Holy Spirit.

May you have good health.

May you always have the love for each other that you
have now

  May you always show your love to your alma mater

May you always turn your back to evil in this world
May you always be wise enough to grab the blessings
that will always come your way.
You will always have our prayers. We share with you all
the glory that God has given you.

God bless all of you!

 
AWARDEES

PATHOLOGY : Dr. Remedios Magkasi

LAB Diagnosis: Dr. Evelyn Jimenez
Microbiology/Parasitology: Dr. Liberato dela Rosa
Microbiology: Mrs Magdalena Natividad
Physiology: Dr. Gloria Adea- Roque
Human Structural Biology: Dr. Edgardo Mendoza
Human Structural Biology: Dr. Atilano Batista
Community and Family Medicine: Dr. Elizabeth Porras
Internal Medicine: Dr. Antonio Sison
Cardiology: Dr. Efren Vicaldo
Pediatrics: Dr. Reynaldo de Vega
Pediatric Endocrinology: Dr. Benjamin Pecache  

OB – Gyne : Dr. Flordeliza Baltazar

OB- Gyne : Dr. Lilia Luna
OB- Gyne: Dr. Deanne Campo- Cruz
OB- Gyne: Dr. Sylvia Carnero
Ophthalmology: Dr. Azora Capucino
Radiology: Dr. Teresita Estabillo
Anesthesia: Dr. Noe San Jose
Pharmacology: Dr. remedies Habacon
Biochemistry: Dr. Jose Tomas
Psychiatry: Dr. Rodolfo Atanacio
Gastroenterology: Dr. Armando Sta Ana
Pediatrics: Dr. Leticia Cordero
Surgery: Dr. Teodoro Nuguid  
Surgery: Dr. Leonardo Ona

To our distinguished mentors for their invaluable

contribution to the medical graduates through
their dynamic leadership in medical education,
professionalism and dedication as mentor thus
creatively projecting an image worthy of emulation

       
   

 
CHAPTER 7.9
UNFORGETTABLE TRIP
TO CHITO PALAD’S FARM
Lai Yia-Sibulo
Where we went in Lipa is one of Mina and Chito Palad’s best kept
secrets. Roughly one and a half hours’ drive from Manila, Palad
Farm is in San Benito where the more famous Malarayat Golf
Course is also located. The private, gated 2.5 hectare property
is fully landscaped with about four to five cascading manmade
waterfalls scattered within the compound. There are two big
swimming pools.
Hungry as we were since it was past lunchtime, Chito led us
straight to the giant gazebo, the dome of which was shaped
like a “salakot”.There,a long buffet table was ready and filled
with an array of sumptuous Filipino fare---kare-kare, kilawing
kambing,pinapaitan, sinampalukan, buro, caldereta, pritong hito,
pork lechon, beeflechon, assorted boiled and grilled locally grown
vegetables, okoy[which
was to die for!], different kinds of dips and sauces [Batangas
style],espasol, kundol, kalamay, suman sa gata, suman sa
lihiya,biko,atbp. The food alone was mind boggling;”overkill” was
my initial description
of it. Two uniformed young men waited our table. Of the six
tables Chito prepared for invited batchmates and tag-alongs, we
occupied only one. We were all shaking our heads in unison, as
all we could say was,”Geez,look at what our friends missed!”
As we ate, and as we were taking in and appreciating the views
of “susong dalaga”, slight breeze came off from all directions.
The air was pure and refreshing...It was like paradise...and only in
the Phillipines! There were moments that I couldn’t contain it all, I
whispered to Señor Sam, “just got lucky,huh?” After lunch, Chito
toured us around. We crossed a real hanging bridge to get to the
majestic Thai house. The house’s architecture boasted of timber
from demolished antique homes and furnished with extensive
customized furniture, art and rugs. There was affluent space
throughout. On the way back to the gazebo, we saw Chito’s garage
sporting a Hummer ,a Porsche,a BMW X5 and Z4,and a CLS 63 AMG
Mercedes. Again, my head spinned as I contemplated, “Am I in the
Phils. or in America?” Chito is probably one of the lucky few not hit by
the U.S.economic downturn. “They are for sale”, he said.
We talked, reminisced, remembered where we’ve been and reflected
on where we are now, and predicted where we’re all be going. I had
a great time with the boys --Abel, who provided the fresh buko and
kilawing kambing and who also has a large and nice abode nearby
,Señor Sam, Albert, Flor, Raul A.,Raoul D.with wife Grace and
daughter Raizza with her American significant other, and son RJ. The
encore was equally fun-filled this time around with a stronger breeze,
with Sky, Bien, Malou, Bebe,
Jun and Gigi Axi and their kids, Rue and husband Joe..Luz and Nestor
didn’t make it as they were checking on their South Forbes property
in Sta.Rosa Laguna.
In all honesty, we had left our Filipiniana attires back at Kuya Dom’s
house prior to the trip. The original plan was that we were to eat
and run to get to the Gabi ng Parangal on time, but as you all know,
that didn’t happen. We would have not allowed ourselves to miss
the lectures of Manny, Sonia, Lilly, Bobby, Sonny and Egay and
the pleasure of seeing again our beloved mentors---blame it all on
Phillipine traffic!
When I go home,I’ll be taking my memories of San Benito. I would be
lying if I did not admit I am excited by the prospect of having our next
get-together there ,if not in Davao. Ahhh,to savor the local food and
fruits with friends you haven’t been with for a very long time amid the
awe inspiring views and tranquil rural backdrop, truly I say---the best
things in life are free… Thank you Mina, thank you Chito. Food is the
way to my heart so you really made me very very happy!
To the organizing committee headed by Didi,Bob and Matett whose
hardwork,dedication,diligence and sheer inventiveness made the
reunion possible,a BIG thank you!To our years at FEU-NRMF--and to
one another--we owe some of what is best in each of us!
  

 
CHAPTER 7.10
CHAPTER 7.11
Stars on
Centerstage
Pam Verder-Bautista
I could still remember April 5th, 1983 at the
Meralco Theatre when we were conferred the
degree of Doctor of Medicine. That was followed
by a beautiful reception at the Philippine Plaza.
Yes, it has been 25 years since and a lot has
changed but when I saw my batchmates after all
these years at the Hyatt Orange County, CA on
July 3rd, 2008, it felt like we were back in med
school again.....but more relaxed. Of course, no
exams, duties and most specially we are now
THE doctors. In fact it was an exciting time for
everyone since a lot of us have not changed a
bit. I guess we do retain our “youthful” looks.
We then were given a warm reception at Sam
Agra’s home where we sang and learned steps
for our presentation at the Grand Reunion the
following night.
This was just the beginning and since we
were quite geared for this reunion, a trip to the
Philippines in January was just the right thing
to do.
The new FEU Med School and Hospital was
quite impressive. As I walked the halls, I felt
so proud of my Alma Mater which has been the
backbone of my medical career and what I have
become... a pediatrician.
At the batch dinner get-together at Janet Lim’s
Plaza Ibarra along Timog Avenue, we were all
dressed in yellow and green shirts with the
FEU Class 1983 logo, “Stars are Back”. What
an event! There were hugs and kisses, gossips,
intrigues and of course, awards. One of them
was the “Free Again Award” which I graciously
accepted for being a widow. The non-stop
inquiry of “Why did you break-up(with you know
who)? What happened? We thought it was
going to be you guys the whole time...etc. etc”
was really deafening... but fun.
Gabi Ng Parangal was very emotional. Just as
Rene dela Rosa stated, “After crying over the
challenges we have encountered in med school,
we finally made our professors cry. These tears
though are tears of joy”.
I personally escorted Dr. Battista to the stage
to receive his Certificate of Appreciation with
a token gift certificate from our batch given
to each of the 25 professors we honored that
night.
Then finally the Grand Reunion at Sofitel
Philippine Plaza, the same place where our
graduation reception was held 25 years ago.
I had the privilege to sing “The Prayer” with
Jake our choreographer and musical director,
despite my raspy voice and jitters. Then came
our versatile and memorable interpretation
of “Tonight”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and
“That’s Entertainment” medley complete with
colorful costumes and head dress. We capped
the program with singing our batch song “Born
to Love” written by batchmate Ruth Mojica-
Bernardo with intertwined arms and raising
candles in honor of our alma mater.
The line dancing led by the DI’s followed. It was
so relentlessly energetic that the DI’s eventually
gave up before any of us did.
I wish the week never ended...and it has not....
because I realized that this is just the start of an
everlasting bond that we all share. We are all in
this mission of service to all.
As Ruth wrote in our Batch Song “We doctors
are born to love, and to love means to serve-
for when we serve we care and when we care
we really share the gift of healing to everyone
everywhere.”
Thanks Batchmates, I love you all!!!!
CHAPTER 7.12

 
DAVAO ESCAPADE:
Post-reunion
January 18-20
SKY MERCADO-ABLES
The Magic 12 – Sam, Abel, Raul, Lai, Sky, Elma, Ed, Gigi,
Bien , Josie, Nestor, Luz. At 0430 we were all awake at
the house of Dom – Sam, Raul, Elma,Lai and myself (Sky)
could barely sleep after a night of sharing of fun, food,
and laughter at one of the open bars at the Phil. Plaza
right after the ball. We left at around 0300. We were met
at the airport by Dr. Helen Te - Santos and husband Mon.
Bien and wife Josie got lost on the way to the airport –
they were brought to another terminal, good thing they
made it. Abel, Luz and husband Nestor arrived too. The
PAL flight was at 0630. Most of us had no sleep at all –
I can honestly say that I slept through the flight. It was
about an hour and 15 minutes plane ride from Manila to
Davao City - the largest city in the world. According to
our host – life in Davao is easy, convenient, affordable,
and fulfilling, from the most basic needs to life’s little
pleasures.
Our escapade was sponsored by our most gracious host –
Dr. Helen Te-Santos and husband Mon together with their
very supportive family members who were with us all the
way - Arnie, Manny, Michael, their sons and daughters
made our stay in Davao a most exhilarating experience.
Upon arrival, we were taken to the Marco Polo Hotel
(a grand exquisite hotel right in the heart of the city)
to freshen up. This is where we stayed during the rest of
the escapade and where we always had our breakfast
buffet which was a choice from the local to international
breakfast buffet, as in from lugaw to cereals you name
it , they have it. Compared to Manila, traffic was less and
the air smelled clean. At 1000 we were taken to PARADISE
ISLAND PARK AND BEACH RESORT, a 15 minute car ride
from the hotel and another 15 min boat ride to the island.
We had our BRUNCH here. We had the first taste of good
fresh food that would satisfy anyone’s palate - from
the appetizer to the dessert – served with the sound of
the sea waves and the light sea breeze touching your
face – ay heaven! The freshness of ingredients harvested
from the sea and the farms provides a fulfilling taste that
is distinctly Davao – we started with the fresh buco na
may orchid sa ibabaw, parang naghanap ng boyfriend
when it was served –followed by non-stop inihaw na hito,
kinilaw na isda, inihaw na baboy, fresh fruits, at marami
pang iba – ended with a one of a kind Halo -Halo, mine
was ube - the food was what can I say - malinamnam.
My dip in Paradise beach was refreshing after so many
years - mainit init iyong tubig sa ilalim kung minsan kasi
nandoon si Ed C at si Sam A. We had to take a nap
after the filling brunch before we headed back to the
City in the afternoon. This was followed by Dinner at the
AH FHAT Restaurant (talagang apat ang may-ari hindi
lima) – a typical Chinese restaurant with very savory
tasting delectable good food. The Lazy daisy never
stopped rolling until the plates were emptied out. We
were not contented yet – this was followed by the Durian
and Marang eating extravaganza that night - Kahit hindi
ako kumakain ng durian, takaw-tingin na lang ako – we
called it a day or oh what a night. The following day-
1/19/09, we had the trip to the Philippine Eagle Farm
which was very informative and educational – food for
the brain – we learned that the loyalty of a baby eagle
will remain with whoever the baby eagles sees first, for
life– puede ba iyon sa tao ??? And of course, we had
to feed our necks to the snakes who I’m sure had a hard
time choosing between whose neck it will stick to –nahilo
siguro – sa dami ba naman namin. Helen bought a slab of
stepping stone for the FEU-NRMF batch ‘83 as a donation
to the Eagle sanctuary (Thanks Helen). Then we went to
the see the Orchids and all sorts of flowers , at sa mga
bulaklak na hindi namumulaklak at that time (sayang) sa
MALAGOS GARDEN RESORT , on the way home, we had
lunch at the Ihaw-Ihaw sa tabi ng daan – this time it was
pork barbecue, inihaw na manok, isda with a special
sauce. After this, Elma went pearl shopping – while the
rest of us went knock off shopping for bags. Then we
went for a THAI massage that tested the flexibility of our
buto-buto, including the boys. Later that night, we had
a late dinner buffet at COCO’S GRILL – a smorgasbord
of delectable Filipino dishes and desserts. It was a pretty
extensive gastronomic work-out. Hindi ko malaman kung
saan ko pinaglalagay iyong mga kinain ko sa dami at sa
sarap.
1/20/09 – was the date of our departure – we did not
leave that easy – after breakfast at the hotel, we went
batik shopping at the ALDEVINCO’S. Then we had a
grand Lunch at the mansion of Helen and Mon – ihinaw
na hito and tuna, with mangga and bagoong and the
assortment of fresh fruits – mangosteen, suha, mangga
– hinog at hilaw, kaimito. Then of course kailangang
pababain ang food na kinain – we had to do some
karaoke singing. Maybe I will retire in Davao where there
is less traffic, less alikabok, less pollution, daming fresh fruits,
and the seafood and all the other foods are bottomless –
Sorry Manila - I am really grateful I get to see Davao City
again. The most difficult part was saying our goodbye’s
to our host Helen, & Mon who generously opened their
city, their hearts, and their home to all of us, and to the
rest of their closely knit family - Arnie, Manny, Michael,
and children – our sincerest thank you for making our stay
a one in a million escapade, and make us want to go
back again and again and again.
CHAPTER 7.13

 
 

Mini-Reunion with Batchmates

By Nelly Galvez

Bitin! Kulang pa! The success of the Grand Reunion night held
Jan. 17 at the Sofitel Phil. Plaza left ’83 batchmates clamoring for
more. In response to that clamor, Lilly Peralta generously organized
and offered her home in Valley Golf, Antipolo as the venue for
another of our post- reunion gatherings in honor of our U.S. based
batchmates. Call time was 6 P.M. Ethel Puertollano-Punzalan and
I met in Paranaque around 4 P.M. (after clinic hours), braved the
 
rush hour traffic and decided to rendezvous with Ruena Remolona-
Jara and Amy Ramajo in Katipunan so we could go to Antipolo in
a convoy. Unfortunately, it rained! And in Manila, when it rains,
the streets get flooded and the requisite traffic jams follow. And so
there we were- Ethel and I- caught in traffic for 4 hours! And what
did we do to while away the time – talk about what happened in
each other’s lives the past 25 years! When we finally met up with
Ruena and Amy, it took another 1-2 hours to finally reach Valley
Golf. So, it took 5 hours for the long, tortuous drive to Lilly’s place!
It was 10 P.M. and we were starving and had run out of things to
talk about. The 4-5 hour trek however, did not dampen our spirits
because we knew what was in store for us – good company,
sumptuous food and dancing.
When we arrived to the waiting arms of our batchmates, we were
treated like royalty. They – Lilly, Joan, Annie, Virgie, Susan, Matett,
Malou,   Merle, together with U.S. based Lai, Sky, Sam, Raul, Bien
and Josie – solicitously waited on us, served us food and drinks
( we probably looked not only tired but starving that we could
eat anything!). The food was indeed sumptuous – halabos na
sugpo, sinampalukang manok, lumpiang gulay, inihaw na isda
with matching halo-halo, gulaman at sago and mouth watering
desserts. The company was even greater – endless chatter and
picture taking with batchmates followed and the line dancing after
dinner (thanks to Lilly who provided DI’s) put a nice exclamation
point to the gathering! With bated breathes we therefore await
the next reunion! Uwi na kayo – kita kits tayo ulit!

 
 Post Reunion Parties

Salo-Salo Sa Kamayan
By Nelly Galvez

Pagkatapos ng isang matagumpay na reunion nung ika-17 n

Enero sa Sofitel Phil. Plaza, nagtipon-tipon sa isang masayan
salo-salo ang Medicine Batch ’83 sa Kamayan, West Avenue, s
lungsod ng Quezon. Nagkita-kita muli ang magkakaklase sa isan
gabi ng kasiyahan – nag-fiesta sa masasarap na lutong Pino
nagbilihan ng mga larawan na kuha nung Grand Reunion Nigh
nagkuwentuhan at nagbalitaan tungkol sa mga pangyayari s
buhay ng isa’t-isa at walang humpay na picture-taking tulad n
nakagawian. Nagpalitan din ng mga contact numbers, tiraha
at e-mail
  addresses para maipagpatuloy ang mga nabitin a
naudlot na kuwentuhan at balitaan. Nandun ang marami sa mg
ka-batch na naguwian pa galing sa Amerika at nagsipagda
ang marami na galing sa iba’t-ibang parte ng Maynila. Masay
ang gabi – para ngang fiesta ang pakiramdam ng mga ka-batc
na nagsipagdalo.

 
CHAPTER 8.1

Danny Mabolo Christopher

  Morano Emmanuel
 
Perlada

Thank you for

the memories…
the fun and laughter
we shared…
happy moments
we will always treasure...
Godspeed!
 In Memoriam

Emiliano Sagisi  

Manuel Salaveria Eric

  Vilaluna May
 
Flor Zablan
THEN
CHAPTER 8.2

&
NOW
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a
miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.

-- Albert Einstein
CHAPTER 8.3

Stars Missing in Action

Maribeth Aguas Alberto Manuel Gilbert Angeles

Danilo Balana Jose Baranda Alfredo Barlan

Renato Baconcillo Valerie Belmonte Flocerfida Caluste

Michael Camillo Maria Angela Canlas Eliasito Cirineo

Jophine Co Bienvenido Cua Carlos Claro Cuartero

Athena de la Cruz Deborah de Vela Eduardo del Rosario

Maria Socorro Diploma Maria Cristina Dominguez William Duban

Edgardo Espinosa Aleli Estiva Frederick Fabian

Marissa figueroa Lincoln Gan Lim Eleuterio Go

Maria Lourdes Gonzales Marilyn Hebreo Danilo Hernandez

Ramon Juan Antonio Koh Roberto Laranang

Moises Lazaro Helen Lee Lewis Lee

James Li Eden Limos Gabriela Lopez

Pastor Lopez Getulio Lumbes Jr. Maritoni Mabutas

Delbert Magbaleta Wilma Magcalas George Mande

Marimed Marquez Virgilio Marin III Eleonor Mendoza

Romeo Montaner Eduardo Ng Ricardo Ngo

Oscar Oliveros Ermie Ong Carlos Panlilio

Conrado Pidloaoan Fe Preligera Motano Pronto

Ludrina Racuya Maria Luisa Ramirez Arnold Reyes

Sylvia Reyes Benigno Rebeniol Myrna Rodriguez

Clavelina Ruiz Nancy Sayat Gregorio Sylverio

Madelyn Tan Wilfredo Tan Delno Tinaya

Eduardo Tiu Arceli Tomas Lamberto Torres

Myrna Torres Bernardita Trajano Agusminda Tungul

Belen Uy Romeo Velazquez Myrna Venturina

Corazon Wilhelmina Viloria Wancy Wee Abdulkiram Yusup

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Domeng Amistad

Almighty FATHER, we honor and glorify THY Holy Name.

We thank YOU for bringing us all together on our 25th year since YOU have granted unto
us the gift of knowledge & wisdom of the Healing Profession.
We thank YOU for the 25 years that YOU have guided us all through our lives, families,
career and faith. We place our Trust in THEE for the next 25 years and beyond.

We thank YOU for bringing us all together and even just for a fleeting moment in our lives
reminisce and rekindle old memories and friendships. We pray that these fond memories
further strengthen the bonds among us.

We thank YOU dear FATHER, for enriching our lives not only with material wealth but most
importantly with love of GOD, family and friends, and the satisfaction and fulfillment of
caring for the sick and the needy.

We thank YOU dear LORD for giving us Mentors that molded us into professionals and
thank YOU further that YOU have extended most of their lives and gave us the chance to
honor most of them in the twilight of their teaching profession.

We thank THEE for the successful celebration of our Silver Jubilee, for all the sponsors/
donors, the speakers, the organizers, the FEU Medical Alumni Society and our ALMA
MATER, to all our 1983 batchmates who joined us in body and/or in spirit and for the
inspiring song that we will cherish till we celebrate our 50th year and beyond.

DEAR FATHER what more can we ask for? YOU have truly blessed our lives in and out of
the Medical Profession.
We thank YOU for all the blessings you have given each and every one of us and pray that
you will continue to bond us together for the rest of our earthly lives!

We continue to put our FAITH AND TRUST in YOU, ALMIGHTY FATHER.

ALL OF THESE WE FERVENTLY HOPE AND PRAY IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD AND
SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
DEAR BATCHMATES,

It has been 25 years since we left the grounds of medical school and
marched out to pursue our dreams, full of exuberance and hope that we
can beat all odds to get where we wanted to be. Armed with lofty ideals
and strong determination, with not much money in our pockets, we forged
ahead thinking that every step forward would catapult us to that ultimate
goal. Who knew how things would turn out to be? At that time, nobody
thought of failing. Graduation was just the beginning, and our vision was
focused on the road leading to the end.

What has Medicine really taught us? Basically, that no matter if we had been
gifted with the most amazing intelligence and the most excellent skills, there
will always be things that we cannot change; that people will die despite our
best effort, the most advanced technology, the best medicines. Indeed, the
practice of Medicine is a humbling experience, a welcome realization that
we are but instruments to be used by somebody up there according to His
greater plans. But, it has also taught us something far more important than
our failures or feelings of helplessness and frustration. It has ingrained in us
the virtue of compassion and sensitivity to the pain and suffering not only of
our own patients but of the people around us. No matter what the balance
of our bank account is, we will forever be unified by the fact that we are all
doctors at heart who have learned compassion, whose hands had been
honed through the years to be gentle and caring, and whose ears have
been trained to listen not only to the abnormal sounds of the heart or to
those crepitant rales and wheezes but also to the problems of the people
we come in contact with.

Now, as we meet gain, different persons who have become specialists,

pursued academic excellence and embraced the noble teaching
profession, become dedicated public servants, immersed in charity work,
succeeded in business, done well in research, excelled in making the home
an oasis for tired souls, shifted gears to become caring nurses, I can only feel
overwhelming pride in all these achievements for I know that behind these
accomplishments are the silent sacrifices we had to make. At one end of
the spectrum are the painful reminders of the time we had to be away from
our families in the pursuit of our goals while at the other end is the decision to
give up medical learning to devote more time to our loved ones who need
our care and attention. We had to give up the good life we were enjoying
in exchange for one someplace else which may be satisfying but so much
more demanding. Life indeed is a paradox. There will be no regrets As long
as we love what we do and inject passion into it, there will be no room for
regrets. There will always be joy in our hearts that will make us feel blessed to
have been given the chance to do what we do best.

And so dear batch mates, after all the fun and laughter, after all the
reminiscing, reconnecting and commiserating, the dancing and the outings,
we have come to the point where we begin to wonder where we will be
in another 25 years. After having specialized, been minimized, enhanced,
enlarged, tapered, contoured, lasered, botoxed, lifted, reconstructed, in a
few years some of us will be hip replaced, wheel chaired, diapered, dialyzed,
bypassed, transplanted, alheizmer’s afflicted. Age will catch up with all of us
including the young looking dermas. Time will balance it all. For now, think of
a moment when we can sit outside in our favorite recliner, savor nature while
sipping coffee or tea, raise our feet up, and then begin flipping the pages of
this book. Aah.. life is wonderful. Whatever shape we will be in by then, one
thing is sure- we will always be

PROUD TO BE BATCH ’83!

Maritess Ona-Mirasol