Thanks to Master Planner and Chief Instigator Butch Taga with help from Bingo emcee Geo Sityar, for the games and gimmicks, like basagan ng itlog, apple dance and Bingo. Next time we need to provide security personnel to keep an eye on Sonny A. and watch Menchie Guitarte's mouth in front of the kids.

Of course, the best food in town was catered by Menchie and Butch Taga. MASARAP LAHAT !!!

Special guests from Seattle were Ariel Solomon and wife, Peewee. Ang sarap din nung dala nila na seafood bathed in taba ng talangka. Ariel brought with him "fresh" memories of grade school and high school. (Sawa na kami kasi sa mga kuwento namin, paulit-ulit na lang.)

Also celebrated were birthdays of Anya, Mon O's bunso, and Menchie, belated but deserved celebrations. Present were Joseph, Butch G., Jojo P., Caes, Sonny V., Jocel, Butch C., Geo, Edwin E., Sonny A., Bunny G., Ariel S., and Mon O., all with spouses, except for Edwin who was flying to Vancouver the next day.

Surely, the event is a must to celebrate each and every year!

Not to mention, the elaborate setting rendered by Geo S., with the help of hosts Caes and Susan, plus Joseph and daughter, Valerie, the previous night. Angels were floating amidst the tables set by candlelight and Geo's flower arrangements. Who would have thought "The Basement" could be turned into a first class dining place fit for the gluttons of Ancient Rome.

The 5 hour dinner (7pm to 12 midnight) started with Butch's Disco Duck salad topped with orchid flower, followed by Jojo's stuffed baked chicken served with Hollandaise sauce over Braised Asparagus. Then came the Jojo's Broiled Majestic Salmon with Penne Rigate, of course, each dish being served with a new plate! We had a recess to "cleanse" our taste buds with lemon sorbet with mint leaf c/o Geo, while the wine glasses were washed to replace our white wine with red wine for the dishes that are yet to come.

After recess came Butch's Sparkling in the Sand scallops served with crispy potato shreds. And then the final main dish, Butch's Love Me Tender Roast Prime Rib of Beef. By this time, it was hard to stand up from all the food. But wait, it was not over until Jojo's brownie cheese bars and chocolate espresso topped with chocolate-kahlua cream sauce with edible flower fansies. This we indulged with the freshly brewed aromatic Batangas coffee especial. The dessert was probably the kicker that made the difference as votes were tallied and gave the winning plate to Chef Jojo Lucero, who won by a hairline.

After an almost tearful acceptance speech, Jojo started the karaoke session followed by Al, Sonny A., Sonia, Susan and Sheila. Then it was a "Pata-Pata" dance lesson for Jojo, so he could teach our Nor. Cal. dwellers for next week, as well as, for Anne, who is back from Germany into Butch C.'s arms.

Finally, a video review of Sheila's birthday party a month ago, where Jocel's dancing prowess and horseback language expertise was discovered. By 2:30am, it was again time to leave the walls that had helped us reminisce the past and enjoy the fruitful bonds of brotherly love that continues to flourish for us, the SBCHS75 Alumni.

Attendees: Host & Hostess Caes and Susan A., Mr. and Mrs. Geo Sityar-Sargent, Chef Jojo L., Chef and Asst. Chef Butch G. and Mechie, Butch C. and Froline Anne, Butch C's cousin and fiancee, Bunny G. and wife, Eda, Sonia, Joseph Y., Raffy and Sheila B., Sonny A. and wife, Zelda, and the 'singles', Al. A., Jojo P., Jocel R., Fred Young, and Sonny VD.

The group played as the Red team during the basketball game and was joined by HS'76 brothers, Gabby Meily and Chris (Kit) Camacho. We ended up as runner-up, but definitely won when it came to "porma" !!!

It was tagged as the "Carlos Mariano Memorial" in honor of an Alumnus who was active in the tournaments and passed away last year.

Chair Gabby did a fantastic (super funtastic) job at organizing and making possible the BEST homecoming ever seen in Mendiola last February .... but that was basically a one night affair, with side pre-homecoing events designed to buildup the momentum and adrenalin -- although the projects took months to package, lots of brain power from so many of us (turbo-powered by SonnyV's internet initiative). Now I have come to realize that the essence, the heart and soul, of HS75 cannot be found in Manila ... its at the Basement in LA. We merely had a glimpse / taste of this at the homecoming, but the enduring reality of HS75Homecoming is at the Basement, every month ... what I experienced at the Basement was not just a hangout --- when I saw how even your wives enjoyed the barkada, how the food and drinks flowed with the laughter, and (with the exception of George, Bubut, Jocel and the ladies -- who still manage to do

justice to the word "dance") how most of us had the temerity to even try dancing (as in ballroom dancing, man) again --- I was beyond myself seeing JoPad, SonnyV, SonnyA, BunnyGee, Alcan, ButchCorci especially the most eligible SefYu (n.b., the latter two being mentioned in succession is mere coincidence, not taking their other unique commonalities into consideration) taking the floor like some dirty middle aged men, trying so very hard to convince themselves --- "kaya ko 'to" .... even RaffyBaja hadn't changed -- his Birthday Wife was not able to persuade him to dance, after 12 years of marriage! If Raffy had taken the floor with a mean cha-cha, then salsa, boy -- we should all pack up and live in America!

DocJoel -- sorry you left early. My wife failed to meet you. To be honest, I almost couldn't place you -- you looked so dignified, like the serious-faced doctor we only see on TV. But when you started to talk with your signature voice and accent (come to think of it, you sounded like an americano even in HS), you couldn't mask yourself in any of those Doctor'sSpectacles .... I'd be able to pick you from a police lineup even if I were blindfolded.

Sayang, there were other boys who should've been there, but couldn't, like DocBend (how was Chicago?), Fred Young (come on down Fred!!!) ... sino pa nga ba?

Geo --- I think I learned more about you in that party than I had in all the years in San Beda. I also learned that Pat has such good memory to recall that you (was it due to Charito Canon's coercion?) designed her HS prom gown ... I remember it was a light blue thing with spaghetti straps ... ako na ang date n'ya noon. But I regret I'm not a good dancer ... never was ... and Pat, she loves to dance, but I think she was to shy last Saturday ... maybe in the next Saturday or Friday we'd find ourselves again in LA ...

Bunny, este ... Ruben or Reuben... Mr. Gayon --- how can we say thank you. Going out of your way, driving 5 hours one way from Sacramento ... with a wakeup call at 0930H ... window-shopping ... the high cholesterol, high carbo-lunch treat ... Glendale shopping ... then to the BBC 'til late that night, fully aware of dire consequences for the long Sunday drive back to Sacramento ... that was really precious, Bunny. Pat and I really appreciate your going out of your way to let us know we are (still) friends (after all these years) ... hope we were able to show you that too. All of you SoCal BBC barkaderos, for that matter.

Seph: Thanks for not drinking as much as JoPad .... you sure got us to my cousin's place safe and sound ... although we were a bit cold in LA's unusual summernight ... but I was really touched to hear your stories about your kids, especially your daughter who called as we were cruising along Burbank's empty streets, to check how you are, when you'd be home ....

Caes, Susan -- salamat ng maraming, marami --- not just for opening your home to us (bordering on "abuso" up to the wee morning hours), but also for having us share the Life with you and one another. Pat and I were truly, immensely blessed to have met you all, to enjoy your hospitality, for the opportunity to reconnect and re-bond ... to rekindle golden moments of a common past, savoring the carefree, innocent and not-so-innocent, certainly reckless and purely ideal days of our youth ... in modern day America. Hey Caes, for someone in showbiz in the entertainment capital of the world, you still have what it takes to create REAL, GENUINE, honest-to-goodness FUN. We really enjoyed the evening.

For a "prom-d-Pilipins" like me, I was overwhelmed.

My congratulations to all of you for keeping the fire burning. With guys like you, I don't believe HS75 classmates will ever grow old ... we'll probably have buldging stomachs, receding hairlines (aray), over border cholesterol levels .... some money in the bank, lots of bills to pay, impossible deadlines to meet, chores to do, another meeting to attend, another sales pitch ... but we'll never grow old.

I'm sure I'll be seeing more of you guys, in good health, more prosperous in every sense of the word, and with the same boisterous laughter that shakes EagleRock-LA whenever you RedLions band together....

Shown above, LtoR, Al A., Ipe S., Pat, and Sonny V.

The April attendees- standing L to R, Jocel, Bunny, Dr. Joel, Sonny A., Butch C., Jojo. seated L to R, Butch G., Joseph, Sonny V., Ceas and Mrs. Susan, George.

A banner "salvaged" by Jocel from the Quadrangle in Mendiola now officially adorns the walls of the Basement.

Photo above shows them with Fr. Abbot Ed Africa and Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, who flew in that morning from Washington, DC, just to grace the occassion.

Thank you for all the good memories. It really was a lot of fun. Too bad it had to end. We probably won't see some of our classmates anymore after last night's affair. But it was great.

For our USA friends. You really missed a lot. Ask Joseph, Joji, Jojo, Ariel S., Jocel, Sonny V., Al. Sulit talaga.

I'll let the others tell the stories but we had an absolutely fantastic party last night. Our Rector congratulated us on the number of attendees (around 900) and the lavish preparations. Full production facilities and great entertainment was provided for.

We had singers like Champagne Morales, Viktoria, Jessa Zarragoza. Dancers like Ruffa Mae Quinto and Mutya ng Pilipinas beauties . And lucky Ira and Toti had a chnace to cavort onstage with their co-hosts Jessa and Ruffa. (for you USA boys, these are sexy stars here).

I felt sorry for the Batch 74 guys because their show last year paled in comparison to what we had. And you could see that the Batch 76 guys were worrying on how they were going to outdo our batch's show. They have too, they will be hosting SBC's centennial birthday party.

Many of our batchmates deserve extra kudos for really working hard and spending a lot of time and effort. If I miss somebody, my apologies please.

In behalf of many of my classmates, sincere congratulations and appreciation to:

1. Gabby - for you leadership and organizational skills. You really showed us your marketing savvy and made your network help us tremendously in all the projects.

2., Ira - The video clip you prepared was excellent. Your movie premiere was a true success. I know you really worked hard pero bayad ka naman kay Jessa.

3. Mario - Our banker and last night's Bagman.Thank you for being a responsible manager of our finances.

4. Roy - Silent, sincere and hardworker behind the scenes.I felt bad that we were already having fun at the mass and the quadrangle while you still had to work the entrance. This is true dedication.

5. Rey & Jito - Our lawyers. Thank you for the time and the practice.

6. Jay - You really lined up a great program and show last night. To us everything was perfect but I knew the whole night you were working hard. All I can say is you really did a heckuva job.

7. Andy - Thank you for working hard for our successful golf tournament. Like Ira, I know you really sweated it out. You worked all the greens but you really scored an ace with your efforts.

8. Joel - Thanks for the silent but valuable assistance you swung. SBC owes you.

9. Bong and Ipe - For allowing us the use of your restaurant and club for the venues. Many wonderful memories were shared in all those meetings. You made them possible and worth remembering.

10. Bebet - For our records, directories, photos and computer stuff. Many thanks.

11. Sonny V. - For jumpstarting our alumni consciousness by starting our web site and getting everybody to start e-mailing their stories. Your Internet site really helped us find so many Bedans out there.

For what it is worth. I checked the list of attendees last night and I counted 82. Here they are, sorry if I missed someone.

4-40 Dan, Nito, Alex, Pepito, Joji, Joseph Q, Mike R, Juntee, Raffy, Tenny, Mike T, Sonny

4-41 Do, Jeff, Fr Lucas (Andre), Gabby, Joey, Jessie, Billy, Marlex, Danny, Jojo, Boyet, Jocel, Rey

4-42 Roy, Santie, Hector, Flex, Jay, Chi, Benjie, Boy, Rey, Egay, Andy, Pancho, Jun, Abet, Benjie, Agot, Joseph Y.

4-43 Al, Alla, Joel, Bote, Mart, Rolly, Toti, Butch, Ver, Gil, Ira, Boy, Jojo, Philip, Manny, Alex, Butch, Ipe, Rene, Jay, Abet, Eric, Jett

4-44 Jito, Jun, Bobby, Bebet, Rhett, Mario, Aris, Bok, Manny, Ric, Rabby, Avan, Bobby

4-45 Bong Desales, Bong Papa, Ariel Solomon

So to everybody - many thanks for the memories and the friendship. Lets please keep in touch.

But, before we go into this, I join you in expressing in the LOUDEST, FUNKIEST, most ROWDY, and FREAKING-OUT ROAR .... Congratulations to Gabby, Ira, Rey, and all the active organizers of this memorable and most uplifting event ... WOW ... I told Gabby that under his leadership, sbchs75 just committed a great disservice to future Bedans -- we effectively upped the standard for Homecomings and HS76 is now at a loss how to build on what we have accomplished.

Ramci (my cousin from 76) called me earlier and said --" madali naman 'yan, basta may pera". So, he told his classmates, "kahit wala tayong ma-raise na maraming pera, may starlet parin tayo -- 'yung vintage '70s, sina Merle Fernandez, Rosanna Ortiz and Alona Alegre. baka tayo pa ang bayaran nila" ... I think they want to tap our "talents" such as Ira M and Jay C. I also understand they have already adopted Gabby C and Joel B as honorary members of '76. Paano ba 'yan, ang ibig sabihin nito mag-re-repeat si Gabby and Joel !!!

... see, ang laki ng gulo na i-ki-create ng ating MILLENNIUM bash. centennial pa naman ng SBC next year ...

I really enjoyed being 25 years younger last Saturday. Even my 10-year old daughter already knew how to grab my arm in terror everytime she would sense the shadow of Jessie G lurking behind w/his "bombs". My wife (known to many @ sbchs75) enjoyed meeting old friends and acquaintances -- nagpa-bola pa kay Jett V when he remarked that "She's blooming!". My other cousins from the different classes also phoned with their congrats. My standard response : The kudos goes to Gabby and all the hardworking classmates like Ira, Roy, Rey, Toti .... even Philip Ocampo who (did he?) arranged the parking and permits to hang the "parols".

Who undertook the cost of the fireworks? Si Jessie ba? Nevertheless, I thanked and congratulated him nontheless for the fireworks --- without dilineating which (the occassional firecrackers, or the fireworks display) ....

Buti na lang hindi tayo na-ubuisan ng pagkain no? How many mouths were fed? I know we were ready for 900 ba? By 9:30, lumpiang hubad na lang 'ata. Pero, masarap ... Medyo nabitin sa beer ang mga lasing ... but Pepito I made good his word to supply the "Los Boldos". How many 75ers were there? Can someone e-mail me the count @ registration? Marlo Sanchez of '73 boasted that their 100-plus attendance was a record, fearing that we might beat them --- but he conceded that our batch is the most affluent . Pinaka-ma-bonga, daw.

And why not? How many TV cameras werer there? We even had a TV crane. How many screens were there? 2 at the stage, one in front of the bookstore for those who can't get a direct view. The stage was lit ala studio -- had a taste of being in showbiz when we all went up the stage to get our silver medals from Mr. Liwanag. Ang init pala! Then, the fireworks and the confetti (my wife wondered where they came from, bcoz it was like red snow fluttering all over the place --- ). May stage direk. Of course, nakatipid tayo sa ating mga emcees (Ira and Toti who gave their services gratis et amore) ... perop 'wag ka -- three singers, a captivating co-host, full audio backup system that konked-out only twice ... dancers who are models ... it was a real extravaganza.

An event to remember ... one that brought us back to our youth, even though -- hindi na masyadong exciting sina Ruffa and Jessa, and Fr. Looks made sure he had his Visine on hand just in case FrTarsi calls his attention to "cheating".

Mr. Liwanag was ramrod straight, amazing for someone well past his 80s! I couldn't believe it but Mr. Valenciano was there too -- he was my kindergarten class adviser! And he looked very young. Seph Yu attested that he was our adviser in 1963!!! It was great kissing, hugging and reminiscing with our mentors -- Fely Co-Young (the favorite --- o, nahalikan ba ninyo? kung hindi, daig ko kayo!), Covs Bobadilla, Chollete Tuviera, Bernie de Jesus, Nanette Lamug-Carreon (who flew in from Taipei just for us), Ming Hernandez, Mrs. Desales (Bong's mom), Sarah Hamid (who has forgotten that I admitted to placing the chewing gum behind her chair) --- also there were Fr. Perez (op course, reKtor pa rin -- Fr Lookas, kailan ba magsisimula ang term mo ?), Fr. Tarsi, Fr. Andy, Fr. Odilard, Fr. deVera (abbot na pala, e last I knew he was the Head Librarian), sino pa ba? The old guards were there -- Dugan, Mang Johnny, Luterio, Chiquito ... Shirley Yosi rightfully joined the awardees --- those who helped shaped our lives ... with wisdom and vices and every trick one needed to survive the mendiola-recto-legarda corridor, and have lots of fun too !!!

Almost forgot the men teachers: sina Boxer (Cruz), Boyet de Guia (hindi pa nagbabago), Rudy Garcia, Mr. Asuncion (who kept on asking if I was in his Chemistry class). Joe Laoingco. Ato was there with Joaqui Preysler pa rin. Ricky Barreiro of course from the SBCAA office.

And the camaraderie spilled over to other batches -- sa 76 and 74 (before and after us) ... but class 73 was there too (Marlo Sanchez, Shaggy Gonzales and Ato Jiao), GS75 (i.e., HS79) was there in full force ... HS51 too ... a trickle of HS70 and classes before. I failed to get the years of that bald tisoy who proudly stood solo everytime his GS, HS then College classes were called to stand ...

And what about that Lolo (almost 90 na 'yata) who couldn't even go up the stage ... he should have received not a gold but an emerald medal.

Went to last year's (Feb99) homecoming and it was fun ... but ours last Saturday, it was a BLAST!!!

Salamat Gabby. Salamat everybody. Can't name everybody --- but we all know those who should be thanked, we enjoyed getting together, the handshakes, the embraces, the toasts, (meron pa ngang tumira ng marijuana, eh) ---- salamat also to those who couldn't make it but made this yearlong cyber-reunion possible (especially the US classmates, notably SonnyV, Joe Razal, docbend, butchtaga .... etc., etc., etc ...). Saw pics of you --- absence makes the heart grow fonder so we should work at future mini and not so mini reunions .... maraming salamat to the US-based who came just for this -- Seph Yu, SonnyVids, Jojo P, Al Alcan, Joji P, Jocel R, Joey D (the doctor from NY who started as a cubrecorder photog kaya photog pa rin siya last Satruday).... who else? As Alcan & co(USA). said, "one good round deserves another."

This year's event also honored our batch as high school Silver Jubilarians, AND a Golden Jubilarian who I'm pretty sure is related to our very own Sonny Vergel de Dios, or Vids as I fondly refer to him occasionally( pag di' maculit!). It was a premier experience for me and my spouse who along with the wives of Sonny Alejandre, Caes Anonas, and Raffy Bajamundi, could not help but have a real grand evening befitting a Bedan affair. We were also joined by George Sityar and partner, with Jojo Padua going "solo flight" that evening( there were a bevy of good-looking ladies, though) AND I could not figure out why our Jo d'guru failed to capitalize on it!

Dinner started promptly at 7:30PM, and the menu selection was even expanded this year to three choices: Chicken breast, Top sirloin of Beef, and the one I chose, baked Salmon. Although it was nothing spectacular, I at least didn't hear of anyone who had food poisoning. I also thought that the cost of the dinner alone was expensive- but, at a hotel like this, we were paying for the ambience. Live music was provided by a Pinoy band, the Purple Gem, who had quite an extensive repertoire of songs and beats from tango to disco(our era!). I chanced upon one of the band members out for a smoke(the legal kind) and asked him why the ratio of songs they were playing was lopsided in favor of the "lolo" years. Cha-cha, Samba, Mambo, kulang na lang tinikling. But as I observed the crowd just a little more closely, I noticed that most of the guests were in that age group.

So, I made a choice. It's either I dance to the music(and pretend that nobody's looking) or, WALLPAPER kami ni ESMI. I tell you, naubos ang tiket ko(ala Bucaue) sa kaka-indag. Thanks to Geo Sityar and "the gimmick", nothing else mattered to me that night except having a great time.

Ahhh. "THE GIMMICK".

This all started more than two months ago at SoCAl's serious meeting(daw) last December when we asked Geo for any ideas. With his genuine expertise(though I'm sure he was just making this up as we went along) AND Caes' relentless no-surrender "just do it frame of mind", history and specifically, BATCH'75 BEDAN HISTORY was made.

No kidding.

Even though there was only five of us who participated in the presentation, and even when we messed up our steps(Jo even did his own version) and sang the Red&White song a little "off key", they really thought it was "kwelang-kwela". My personal thanks to Geo, Caes, SonnyAlej, and Jojo. For approximately 6 minutes, HS batch'75 performed with outmost dignity and elegance.

We started walking/marching towards the dance floor singing the Red&White song. As we reached the center stage, one by one, we turned and faced the multitude of strangers staring right at us. We kept our cool, however. As the song dwindled to a close, enter................. The Bee Gees: Night Fever! I was just watching Geo(who was a couple of feet infront of us so we had a "guide") starting to gyrate. Ummm. Kembot to the right, kembot to the left. Took four steps front, then four steps back. then kaboom! Our neckties ever soooo slowly came off. More kembutan(my wife tells me afterwards that I outdid Geo in this department, oh my chalupa!). ALL THIS TIME THE AUDIENCE HAVE BEEN HOWLING OOOHS AND AAAHS. Then we walk towards the audience and take off the white shirts. More dancing, different steps. We even did the trademark ALA Travolta move several times. I lost count. Sonny lost count. Jojo was somewhere between "la-la" land and Glendale. It was only Caes and Geo who must've done the number correctly. But did it matter? NAH!!!! Everyone loved it! Palakpakang todo-todo. And to think that it was only a Half-Monty(ayaw pumayag ni boss Geo to go all the way... sayang, I was able and willing pa naman). Anyway, just watch the video, ok? By the way, the five of us are charging $5.00 for the screening... a copy of the video is only $29.95plus shipping & handling, of course! Don't worry, all proceeds go to Fr.Ed's hospital fund drive. So, bili na kayo.

One of the highlights was the awarding of Silver Jubilarian medals imported from Mendiola(Claro M. Recto sigurado, sa may Baste') to those who were present and had already paid the annual $15 membership dues(wais din itong mga kuya natin, ano?). The rest of the USA Bedans'75 can get theirs only by attending the next R&W ball.

Don't fret- HAWAK NA NI SONNY VIDS SA LEEG ANG SBCAA. Wala ng tango kaya you guys can feel free to "maskipops". Which brings me to the induction of the "new&improved" officers of the millenium year. Caes acted as proxy for the incoming vp, SonnyV. Raffy proxied Joseph( I miss my boss!)Yu for one of the board of directors, and I proudly accepted(lunok ulit)my position as the secretary of the association(hindi pa treasurer, sayang). After we were sworn in(as if that would work, bakit si Er.. bano pa rin?), the incoming Prexy gave a short speech and thanked everyone for attending the affair(Vids, maghanda ka na ng speech for next year).

It was non-stop dancing after that(boogie, twist,was added). The band also played some slow music to my hubby's delight! Hindi na nagsawa sa akin. Can you blame her(ha,ha,ha!)? I was impressed with their rendition of the Filipino favorites like Bato sa Buhangin, etc. Naalala ko tuloy si....from SPCM. Ay Wally(as in Buhay)!!! Nakakabata talaga.

We stayed till the band stopped playing(around 1 AM). In between the dancing and the "yosi" breaks, souvenir photo-ops were abundant. Buti na lang nag-shower ako that day. The 75ers and the missis were "invited" afterwards to the traditional "party" thrown by the new president(SonnyV, MAG-IPON KA NA RIN) at a suite reserved by the SBCAA. Tipong Bedans only invitation. Geo had to go home as he had some business to attend to that same morning but the rest of us were there. I even "volunteered" as the soda&water bartender(officer na yata') for the party. We all left together around 2AM except Raffy&Sheila B. who had money left over to book a room at the hotel.

We were full from the pancit, empanada and the kuwentos and jokes that were abundant throughout that evening. Special mention to Sonny Alejandre for remembering his 2 kids languishing at home(please, pretty please, don't ask me why). To Jojo, Caes&Susan, Raffy&Shiela, Sonny&Selda, Geo&Jim: my heartfelt thank you's for a splendid, marvelous time. To all who had missed it, there is always a next time(Al A., you owe us BIG TIME).

BEDANS All. It's the only thing that matters.

Together. United. As ONE.

Keep well, bro's.

We keep these files for the benefit of those who just tuned in:

Meanwhile, people are getting ready for the Red and White Ball shindig. Those interested in the Red and White Ball rigodon on Feb 17,practice dates are 1/26, 1/27, 2/1, 2/3, 2/8, 2/10 at 5:00 pm Manila Hotel Function Room