Monday, July 28, 2008 Echaves: Batch ‘73 By Lelani P. Echaves Thinking Aloud
NAG-INGON sila…..dili kita….nga we Batch ’73 are the best,” Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said. And the audience, Theresians all, clapped robustly.
“You know, every batch always says that about itself,” a friend said. Her observation is right. Yet, both do not necessarily contradict each other.
Truth to tell, if ruling the province alone were the yardstick, only High School Batch ’73 of St. Theresa’s College could lay claim through the incumbent governor.
Add her Chief of Staff, batchmate Bess Francia, and one can understand why there’s a consistently strong demand for good performance and productivity from Cebu Provincial Capitol employees. Theresian nuns succeeded in drumming into its students to shun mediocrity, stressing “If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
They’ve all done well, whether as nurses, doctors, entrepreneurs, house managers or executives here and abroad. Here for the homecoming of St. Theresa’s College last week, the 45 alumnae are just one-third of Batch ’73 marking the event as Coral Jubilee awardees.
Finding their niches in business and industry are airline managers Dina Aleonar-Garcia and Sylvia Hermosisima of Cebu Pacific and Philippine Air Lines, respectively; SM Group’s Marissa N. Fernan, Vice President and top gun here of SM City Cebu, and Tata Jugador Mempin, Asst. Mall Manager; and entrepreneurs Evelyn Dira-Selma (furniture), Therese Bowler-Gonzalez and Myra Magsaysay-Sun (food), Rosalyn Baytion-Chiongbian (financial management), and Maripi Mallari-Santods (events oranizing).
There, at the beautiful and cozy Fernan residence on Nivel Hills, and on the eve of the STC homecoming, Batch ’73 shared memories and had fun. And there we were, too, their former teachers….Dr. Sofia Alino-Logarta, Alfredo Montano and his wife Rebecca Lopez-Montano, and me.
While Marissa played the compleat host throughout the evening, greeting mid-dinner arrivals, supervising the banquet table and making the rounds of tables to chat with friends, her batchmates were their bubbly selves, including those I remember to be very quiet, focused and serious in their high school studies.
Among the latter was US-based Firelli Alonso-Caplen, Director for Wyeth Vaccines Research. At the door she asked the most intimidating question, “Remember me?” I saw the chinky eyes and the fine mole above her lips, and though she looked familiar, I couldn’t give her name. Yes, her hair’s longer, she has replaced those large round-rimmed eyeglasses with contact lenses, and most remarkably, is now smiling more and broadly.
Surprisingly, I had thought of her when writing about younger sister Josabeth Alonso, accomplished films producer.
The irrepressible Theresians couldn’t have picked a more accomplished emcee, Royetta Ramas-Ros, a Rustan’s executive. Not only was she impressive with her effortless and flawless segueing of the program parts and witty repartees, but amazingly, she has kept her Theresian English intact, diction and accent included.
Well done, ladies. You’ve done your Alma Mater proud!
