Past, present Visayanian staffers meet in reunion

Members of The Visayanian Staffers Alumni Association composed of past and present editors and staffers of the official school publication of the University of the Visayas had their annual reunion yesterday at the Ecotech Center in Lahug.

Around 20 past and present staff members of The Visayanian publication participated in the event. Most of those who attended the gathering have made it big in various fields and disciplines in Cebu and the rest of the country.

Attendees were Cebu 1st district Rep. Eduardo Gullas, Cabinet Secretary for Mass Media Cerge Remonde, The FREEMAN editor-in-chief Jeremias Tundag, Sunstar editor-in-chief Pacheco Seares, UV vice president for administration Eladio Dioko, former Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor Ed Villaceran, former marketing coordinator of Sime Darby Philippines Gregorio Gabumpa, PNA Cebu Bureau chief Eddie Barita, DepEd assistant division superintendent of Misamis Lourdes Gonzales, Sunstar columnists Frank Malilong and Elias Espinosa, The Daily Tribune columnist Jesse Emmanuel Bacon and UV vice president for academic affairs Susana Cabahug.

Other former staffers who attended were The FREEMAN copy editor Maria Eleanor Valeros and TF staff member Norvie Misa, Ret. PNP general Fritz Quiñanola, MH Lhuillier chief counsel Romulo Senining and RTC Branch 56 presiding judge Augustine Vestil.

Gullas, in his speech during the reunion, urged members of the association to be more balanced in their opinion and in news writing, as they are "men of influence."

He also called on the new members of the association to follow the footsteps of past members, "I hope that they will be able to emulate excellence that's passed on to them as a legacy by the staffers who went ahead of them."

In other developments, Gullas announced of another project he has inspired which would take off by August of this year. He said that with the launching of the Cebu Pop Goes Broadway project meant to diffuse the cultural activities in Cebu, it would serve the same purpose as that of the Cebu Pop Music.

He pointed out that the Cebu Pop Music has proven to be an effective vehicle in discovering composers with the showcasing of their wares and also for budding singers. Directed towards achieving cultural renaissance, Cebu Pop Goes Broadway aims to search and find legitimate actors and actresses from among the students of the 14 colleges and universities here.

Gullas emphasized that the Cebu Pop Goes Broadway project is non-competitive and pointed out that only those who are bonafide and full-time students of the 14 colleges and universities in the city are qualified to join.

He added that the seed money worth P10,000 for each school will be provided by the Cebu Arts Foundation, Inc. - Jasmin R. Uy