It was a big gathering of Theresian jubilarians as the grounds of the prestigious college was filled with nostalgic alumnae gathered to bring tribute to their beloved school. It spans about 75 years of conservative academic pursuit, and the Belgian and Filipino nuns, some of whom have retired from the "service" were all there to mingle with the jubilarians. The afternoon was dedicated to presentations from the batch celebrants. The Diamond jubilarians were there, though understandably in a very small force. Still, the effort and dedication of this batch bears mentioning. The rest of the batches, however, were almost in full force, as teachers and students hugged one another and re-introduced themselves. After 30 or 40 years, the added years and poundage have considerably altered one’s visage, and I guess the nuns would have to mount super efforts to re-configure each student. Still, it was one big nostalgic day for the Theresians as they applauded each number from the different batches heartily.
My wife, Baby, was there as part of this big day. She reminisced about their adolescent romps, their awkward attempts at contrived sophistication, their days of "rival" peer groups, of the smaller "The Silhouettes" versus the bigger "The Ribbonettes" of the next section, etc. They can now laugh at their silliness, but just for good measure, they had photo ops strictly for the Silhouettes and the Ribbonettes, and it was a howl!
Dear old classmates flew in from the United States, Australia, etc. Among them were Lucy Urgello Miller, mother of now Vice Mayor John Osmeña Jr., Eufemia Alpuerto from Australia, Linda Tormis, Vilma Pacis, Malou Montinola also from the US like Lucy (who are incidentally both from the Silhouettes!) and others. Cynthia Mendoza-Segura flew in from Davao, and Becky Albano, Siony Maderazo-Anden, Marilyn Abad-Ferrer, Cristina Alonzo-Petroche, and Aida Padilla of PNB flew in from Manila. Missed were Chuchi Luspo , Jean Tomassi, Becca Maglaya-Clemente and Becky Ferrer from the US. True-blue Cebuanas Ninette Neri-Garcia, wife of ex-Mayor Alvin Garcia, Josie Militar-Sala, Diana Franco and Susan Pastrano hosted the visiting classmates. The girls had an overnight sleep-over at Diana’s lovely pension house before proceeding to Barili for their Gawad Kalinga project. Thereafter, it was a joyful romp at the beach and an overnight stay at the picturesque Plantation Bay. A full extended weekend for these ladies, and what a treasure trove of memories they will store after days of camaraderie and unending stories, photo swaps, cell number swaps, etc. Enough I guess to last them another five years, in time for the next Jubilee celebration. Way to go, Girls!
Speaking of Plantation Bay, I stayed there a couple of times during our summer sojourns to Cebu with the family. The usual schedule is to stay at my mother-in-law’s house in Dona Rita Village in Banilad, Cebu which is right next to the University of San Carlos Engineering College. Years back, this place was mostly cogon-filled. The village itself was hardly inhabited. Ten years later, the area is unrecognizable, with hardly a stretch of unoccupied land. It has lent itself to a partly residential/partly commercial area, and the result is a booming, vibrant community. Among the prominent residents here are the Cruz couple, Mely and Ed, who are very active in the community.
After a day in my mother-in-law’s very comfortable and well-appointed house, we are off for an overnight stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, one of the best in Cebu. In fact, it has been voted as the Best Hotel of the Year (I forgot what year, though), besting other very prestigious hotels in the region. And this is in Cebu!
We would have a full day of adventure at this very grand hotel. Of course, we would start the day with a full breakfast which we would catch just before 10 a.m. Before the last call for breakfast, we would have our plates full of everything they had to offer from the groaning buffet tables. Next meal would be dinner, so we had to have ample nourishment for the long hours to dinner! Then it would be off to jet-skiing, snorkeling, and rinsing off the sea salt at the cool hotel pool. After a half-day of energetic activities, you would have worked up a healthy appetite for dinner.
Dinner would be a little more adventurous. The "Sutokil" adventure which was the fad a few years back have somewhat paled because of the entry of some more novel restaurants. There is this little eating place near the Shangri-La where you could have your fill of fresh succulent seafood for P185 only — eat all you can. Only in Cebu! You would literally burst your waist buttons if you don’t watch it.
The following day, we would be off to the Plantation Bay. Although both the Shangri-La and Plantation Bay offer the same kind of beach activities, it is a different kind of adventure altogether at the Plantation. The Shangri-La has a more sophisticated aura and true-to-form five-star amenities. The Plantation had a more activity-centered type of appeal. The vast grounds are fully-developed, but in a very charming provincial setting. The name they have chosen for themselves is very apt indeed. The kids would run off to find their own activities and would only re-appear for lunch, humongously famished after a half-day of activities. In relation to the vast grounds, however, the resort’s dining area is rather small, and the buffet offerings could stand a little more improvement.
In all other areas, however, the Plantation Bay is an outstanding resort in Cebu. It is one place that Cebuanos can be truly proud of. The rooms are bigger than of most resorts or even five-star hotels and are conceived and executed as befitting the old plantation homes. The rooms open to a wide terrace, facing the sea but with its own privacy. It is perfect for before-dinner cocktails, after-dinner coffee and whatever reason you could create to stay in this very charming terrace overlooking the sea.
Then it was back for another day at my mother-in-law’s house where we would feast on Cebu lechon, the famous Cebuano lechon manok, etc. The former is seasoned perfectly and hence needs no accompanying sauce. Manilans are lucky that some enterprising Cebuanos have brought this specialty here. Whatever the rest of the country may claim, Cebu lechon is still tops in its category. As for the lechon manok, it is savory, a bit salty and highly-seasoned. The taste permeates the chicken meat, and it is served with a vinegar sauce. You should try it.
That just about wraps up our Cebu adventure. As set as our schedule always seems to be, every vacation is novel in its own way. Each Shangri-La stay is a little different from the last time, every Plantation Bay stay a little more adventurous than the last time.
This non-wager tournament has bigger prizes at stake. The Champion is guaranteed to receive One Million Pesos, plus, of course, the prestigious Champion’s Bracelet.
They will be holding qualifying and satellite tournaments from July to the first week of December. Designated venues for these qualifying competitions are Tagaytay, Angeles, Cebu-Mactan, Cebu-Lahug and regularly on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Valle Verde Country Club’s Sports Den.
The grand finals will be held on Dec. 16 and 17 at the Casino Filipino Pavilion, Manila.
Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.
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