A Date with St. Augustine

MONDAY; Aug. 27, 2012 (6:00pm); La Proa Ballroom, L’ Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City. An evening of Tribute. That was an Awards Night for the Most Distinguished Golden Jubilee Alumni of Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod and the Recognition of Former Friar-Administrators.

I am the only awardee for Arts and Culture. Thank you my friend, Rudy Reveche, for nominating me. I did not fail you. Flashback: When I first entered the corbel of CSA-B in 1969, I did not expect for anything…except to finish a college degree which could be my passport in bolting out from the hacienda system. I was just an above average working college student who was hesitant to rub shoulders with the graduates of Casanova School and the children of elite Negrenses.

My friend Marlon Patalagsa, who later became my student council vice president, enticed me to join campus politics; and the former Judge George Patriarca inspired me to try Journalism. The beautiful nursing student classmates inspirited me not to miss classes with them. Our teachers heartened us that to be Augustinians we have to live with virtue and science. So, I thought I had moral goodness in me and I would like to believe that I was a scientist. I reinvented myself!

My becoming a potential student leader took a slow process and my becoming most outstanding graduate was even unexpected. In my work as a social worker, classroom teacher, community organizer, theater director – script writer – actor, school paper adviser and later as tourism officer, I never thought that one day I would go back to my Alma Mater to receive the award as most Distinguished Golden Jubilee Alumnus.

I had been to La Proa in the past as seminar participant, resource person, pageant judge and an official representative of Silay to meet dignitaries…but the Alumni Awards Night was really different. The processional made us pass under the sword canopy and that made the awardees very special. The CSA-B Kalinaw Chorale provided music that tugged us to some kind of sentimental journey and the KamiGhon Pop and Brass Band brought us to Wonderland to have soiree with the fairies.

Many of the awardees were our lower classmen. I did not personally know them but their profiles manifested that they are really deserving of the unique award. Their activities and recognitions in their chosen fields carry “Virtus et Scientia’. They really are out there to evangelize. I was given the opportunity to meet and cordially talked to the wife of my buddy, the late Judge George Patriarca.

I am happy that Ma. Theresa Ocquias Severino, a fellow Silaynon and now the chief nurse of Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital is also an awardee in the field of Medical Arts – Nursing. My friend and my former council senator Fr. Emilio Jaruda has been honored in the Religious Life category. He looks voluptuous. He is now the president of San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite. Of course, there is the beauty and brain, Maria Antoinette Lizarraga Ortaliz for Medical Arts – Nursing. Remia Jimenez Tipon, my upper class associate, got her award for Education. She was accompanied by smiling-face husband, Boy.

Our award is in a form of gold-plated round-shape nonpareil (sui generis) plaque with the emboldened statue of St. Augustine having the logo of CSA-B Golden Jubilee. I am congratulating the artist and the man behind the concept. Really, I am proud to be an Augustinian. We are proud to be Augustinians. “Taking Root, Gaining Ground, Soaring High…the Augustinian Way”.

Thank you, Lord, my family, Silay City Government and Friends of Tourism!