Today, Brent International School is 100 years and a month old. Having celebrated its centennial in Baguio City during the first weekend of March, Brent (aside from its sister school, Easter School) is recognized as one of the oldest educational establishments in the Philippines.
I attended Brent Baguio for 14 years from 1989-2003, and walking around the campus after being away for so long was really quite uplifting. There is something about that campus, with all the trees and grass and greenery that just feels right. The buildings look different, too; more maintained and up to date with the times. Each room is equipped with a TV and a DVD player and the computers in the computer lab look more modern.
A lot has changed from when I was a student at Brent. I consider myself to be one of those Brent Graduates that has a lot of those “You know, Junior, back in my day…” stories. However, I’m sure that the current students will be able to generate stories of their own. I think that’s what it’s all about. They may want to hear about my time there, but not about how it was better, or more fun, or more free, or whatever. It’s all very subjective, and we live in different generations, so it’s about sharing stories, not one-upmanship.
Aside from the planned celebrations for the entire weekend, I really did enjoy the first night of the centennial celebration (even if my camera got stolen at some point that night.) In front of the Brent School gate is a rotunda and that’s where many of us gathered together after hours to have an impromptu street party. I hung out with my older brother, Raul, and a lot of his ‘80s schoolmates, as well as with some others who were in my general age group. I think we felt the high school vibe again, especially since the cops arrived and complained about the noise. That was a good night of sharing.
A couple of years ago, Brent School added the “Inc.” to its name, officially incorporating all the Brent Schools around the Philippines into one large organization. It did this so that each campus could help sustain the other campuses — it’s a sharing of resources. I think this was a generally good idea, especially since the Baguio campus is the oldest one around; and, being a historical landmark, it should be allowed to age for another hundred years or so.
I do have some mixed emotions about some of the projects that the newly incorporated Brent Schools have in mind for the Baguio campus, especially the one that involves the remodeling of a densely forested section for the construction of a condominium. Personally, this is a conflict between so-called “growth and development” and tradition. It might be an easy decision for the higher-ups to make, seeing as many of them are not Baguio City locals, but for those who have a sentimental connection to the trails and that particular forest, it’s a debatable decision.
The trails are where lots of my memorable experiences occurred. I guess, although the forest will look different with fewer trees, the memories will continue to live on in us. It is then our duty to share these memories with those who are curious, who want to know a little more about this great campus before it got a major facelift.
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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.