SNNHS BATCH 69: LONG AGO AND TODAY

by: Norberto Betita

Behind the youthful energetic scenes of long ago are now lingering on display the greying weaknesses of today, described in the parody of a song by Julie Andrews’ “My Favorite Things” as: hearing impairment, false teeth, leaking pipes, creaking bones, bad knees, back pains, confused brains, thinning hair, shrunken frames, aching joints, breaking hips, and dimming eyes, plus bulging bellies, high blood pressure and leaping body sugar.

While most of these Achilles heels are now common among the SNNHS Batch 69er’s, yet the glow of once youthful smiles seemed to have remained even in aging, and as the favorite song of Surta---To Sir with Love---puts it, “They will still live on and on.” What adds beauty to the smiles of those present during our reunion of June 2, 2018 are the most common double chin, worry lines and sagging cheeks or jowls which symbolize years of struggles and stresses attendant to the ever present challenges along the path to success and the agony of failed attainments. 

I was worried of the deteriorating hearing capacity of my right ear, but relieved as I saw Jaime wearing a hearing aid on his left ear. I felt not alone. My bulging belly was matched by that of Jaime and Philip. I am envious of the shrunken frames of Florante, Delia, Fideceria, and Florida which kept their youthful mobility. According to Florante he still can climb the highest peak of San Miguel, Surigao del Sur at 68. The physical contours of our generous host Amelia, Jocelyn, Aname, Florpina, Josefa and Bobby seemed to have been maintained but with little transformations, yet they also have their own share of physical challenges. However, despite our deteriorating physical conditions which are generic to old age, we are grateful and happy that we remain part of the greatest minority of the populace totaling only about 7-8 million---those popularly labelled as seniors---which not many were given the privilege to become part.

It was clear that the once inexhaustible appetites are now diminished, perhaps by medical restrictions and physical restraints. Food and drinks are now personally controlled and limited to the barest minimum, despite the food-filled table. But the desire to enjoy together in love and camaraderie remains vibrant---we sing, we laugh, we joke, we converse and make memories through picture taking and videos. Witnesses to our enjoyment are Letty--my dearest; Emil---Aname's one and only; son of Florante; and of course Marlo---the handsome husband of the generous host.  

This special reunion hosted by Amelia was purposely organized for a get-together with Aname, who has long been residing in Vienna, Austria. She was on vacation in the Philippines and came to visit her relatives in Surigao. She wanted to meet her high school friends and batch mates because she could not make it during our golden jubilee year celebrations. With 14 of us present, we took the opportunity to discuss our initial preparations for our jubilee year grand reunion comes 2019. We talked about fund raising for the event. Commitments were made and suggestions were well taken for everybody to contribute voluntarily to the fund of whatever amount each could afford, no matter how meager it might be. This is to make sure that all will be counted; the least to be subsidized by the generosity and benevolence of the prosperous. Jocelyn reported of the initial contribution of Surta, Celia and Sandra and the commitment of Amelia to monthly donate a thousand to the fund. Aname on her part initially contributed the amount of P3,000.00. A bank account with Philip, Amelia and Jocelyn as signatories, was already opened for batch donors to deposit their contributions. The BPI account number was already posted on the Facebook group snnhs 1969.

Rolando asked how much he should contribute. I told him that a contribution that pains the wallet and make it frown is the most charitable offering. 

As to fun activities during the grand event it was agreed that the batch will have a tour and sight-seeing of the tourist spots in the Caraga Region. For the school memorabilia, it will be subject to how much funds will be raised. We will meet again this coming September for the SNNHS yearly scheduled high school reunion.

We are hoping that all to whom our voices and social media call echo to come and join with us in our Jubilee Year---50 years of personal choices and struggles; of failures and successes; and of defeats and victories. We raise the sound of our voices high and far in cordial invitation to the Honor Roll---Surtalicito, Celia, Perlito---and of course the successful graduates---Epifanio, Anita, Rosalina, Alda, Rolando, Nenit, Nelson, Edilberto, Nelma, Sandra, Florante, Florpina, Josefa, Alfredo and all those who are far from Surigao City whose names our memory could no longer hold. We ring the same cordial invitation to those who are in Surigao City and within the sound of our voices, to the one in the Honor Roll---Amelia---and the graduates---Susana, Catalino, Virginia [Esma], Victoria, Adora, Reynaldo, Willy, Edilberto, Jaime, Jocelyn, Delia, Florida, Agnes, Evelyn, Fideceria, Bobby, Juliana, Philip, Elvira, and all who are now beyond the grasp of our vintage memory storage. 

In acknowledgement and expressions of our deepest and heartfelt gratitude for the priceless heritage of knowledge and wisdom they have unselfishly bequeathed to us, we extend our most affectionate invitation to our still living teachers---Ma’am Montinola, Ma’am Rodriguez, Sir Rodriguez, and Ma’am Andanar. 

Indeed, again as Surta’s favorite song says, “Those school…days of telling tales and biting nails are gone.” During the passing days and years of our journey from high school graduation we had been through and were “taken from crayons to perfumes (see To Sir with Love by Lulu).” As we slowly move farther into the final laps of our race through life we began to shift from perfumes to liniments; from candies to tablets and capsules. Yet notwithstanding feeble knees and burdened physique, meeting together as classmates and friends after fifty years since those memorable happy days of high school, which is a blessed privilege, is ecstatic and delightful. It will lift our souls over the moon as we connect the sweetest memories of long ago and today.