#philippineschool

ROTC classfie

When I entered the UP College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines Dilimán (UP) in Quezón City, I thought that my collegiate life would be about art making, partying and chasing skirts. Little would I know that my life would be flipped on its head when I was randomly drafted into the COCC (Cadet Officers Train Course) of the UP ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Course), and here I am with my COCC batchmates celebrating our graduation into full-fledged Cadet Officers.

From them of our lives were dictated by a barrack schedule, PTs (Physical Training), and weekend TDs (training days) of studying military tactics and marching; while balancing our regular academic loads. Later on we would be initiated into the UP Vanguard, the fraternity of the members of the UP ROTC; while would lead to a lifetime of mayhem, mirth and madness.

So yes, I am a fratman, but the typical Greek letter type.

This photo was taken in 1988, when my UP ROTC COCC batchmates celebrated our graduation in my home in Barangay Socorro of the Cubáo District of Quezón City.

Postscript Trivia:

For more information on the UP Vanguard, I wrote the blog articles:

“University of the Philippines, Quezon City: Duty, Honor, Country – The U.P. Vanguard” (https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2016/11/22/university-of-the-philippines-quezon-city-honor-duty-country-the-u-p-vanguard/)

“The U.P. Vanguard: Roll Call” (https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2016/11/30/the-u-p-vanguard-roll-call/)

Iskolar ng Bayan artists collegefie

This is a photo of the students, staff and teachers of the UP College of Fine Arts (CFA) after completing an Egyptian themed Lantern Parade at the University of the Philippines Dilimán (UP) in Quezón City.

This picture was taken circa 1990 in February, as the annual UP Lantern Parade was postponed from December 1989 and moved to February 1990, because of the failed military coup d'état against the government put an end to the plans for that previous year.

Tulong Dunong classfie

My 4th year high school (grade 12) classmates from the Ateneo de Manila University and I are posing with the 6th grade students of Concepcion Elementary School in Barangay Concepcion Uno in Marikina City for their completion of the Tulong Dunong (Helping in Learning) program of the Ateneo.

Every year, the 4th year high school students of the Ateneo de Manila would travel to the different public schools of the nearby Marikina City to help tutor the students and identify possible scholars from these schools to be enrolled in exclusive Catholic schools, such as the all-boys Ateneo de Manila and its neighbor the all-girls Maryknoll College (now Miriam College).

The Tulong Dunong program was initiated by the American Jesuit priest Fr. James O'Brien (1927-1994) in 1975, in both the Ateneo de Manila and the Ateneo de Naga schools.

Postscript Trivia:

Blue Eagle classfie

This is my 4th grade class picture while we were forced to wear our “First Friday” uniform of the Ateneo de Manila University Grade School in Quezón City, with our class advisor Mrs. Soriano.

Yes I admit I am a product of that “exclusive” Catholic all-boys school of the Ateneo de Manila, in where I studied from preparatory school to high school. Thus I am considered a “True Blue” Atenean.

Yeah we are considered “coñotic” (snobbishly posh) for being from an exclusive school, and we did have classmates from the high profile clans of Metro Manila; but the Ateneo kept us down to earth while giving us that quality Jesuit education the university has been known since its establishment as the Escuela Municipal de Manila in 1859.