Defend UP High

Like many others who knew him, I was shocked to receive a text message asking me if I could confirm reports that Press Secretary Cerge Remonde died. Before I could even contact Paul Hubahib, I got a text message confirming his death due to cardiac arrest.

Sec. Cerge was proud to be Cebuano, just like many of us, and he too was proud of his fellow Cebuanos, especially those who have done well.

Our paths rarely crossed, but in the few times that it did, in places outside Cebu, he was always the first to say hello.

A few years ago at the Centennial Terminal in Manila, he told me that he picked up the game of golf and was hoping that someday we could play together on the same flight. We never did.

-closest we were to being in the same flight was when we both played in the golf tournament of the Advertising Congress in 2003 held at Camp John Hay Golf and Country Club in Baguio City.

Rest in peace, Sec. Cerge!

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This seems to be a sad week as I got word about a memo on the gradual phase out of the University of the Philippines Cebu High School, my alma mater.

The school may not have much in terms of facilities, but it offered us real education that took us beyond the four walls of the classroom even if for my first two years we had a gazebo as our homeroom.

It was at UP Cebu High School where my love for sports was cultivated as I got the chance to try my hand in different sports activities during our Physical Education classes and our intramurals.

It was easy to make it to the team as there were not too many students and if you were athletic enough, most likely you’d really get playing time.

Although the school had limited classrooms then, we had lots of open space, which encouraged us to have very active lives.

We played soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball and even had track and field events that were held on the open field on tracks laid out by our PE teacher Jovenal Sagario.

The best part of my high school life was getting involved in sports aside from the many other extra-curricular and academic activities that I got involved in.

If not for UP High, I’d probably had not enjoyed being a sportswriter as much as I have now.

When word about the closure of the high school came about, it felt being diagnosed with an ailment that cannot be cured.

When the latest memo on the closure came out, I felt like I was told that my life is about to end.

Today, the alumni of the school and the students as well as the supporters will gather outside the conference hall of the campus in Lahug at 12 noon to show solidarity against the plan to close the high school department.

Let us join hands in defending UP Cebu High School.

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MILESTONES: I’d like to extend my belated birthday greetings to Joel and Astrid Concepcion, who both turned a year older last Monday. They are not fraternal twins, but are husband and wife.

Belated greetings also to my former student and now The Freeman’s new correspondent Antoniette Parce and Park Mall’s Renee Rolette Tan, who celebrated yesterday.

Today’s greetings go to Mai-Mai Durano-Sanchez, Maria Cecilia Echeverria, and Sarah Lei Spagnolo.

More power to all of you! -  THE FREEMAN