Important milestone

Milestones are always worth remembering and celebrating because they are events we can more vividly recall and more nostalgically commemorate. This is especially true if they happened during times when life seemed so simple and pleasant and the future looks bright and promising like the ’60s. The Ateneo Law School Batch ’61 is thus very fortunate to observe a milestone 50 years ago during that period marking the start of their new life at the outside world after four grueling years of “blood, sweat and tears” inside the Law School classrooms at Padre Faura, Manila.

The ’60s were indeed an era when the future appeared so rosy. Our country’s economy was robust and we were marching towards progress almost in step with Japan. There were not much cheating in elections and our elected leaders were highly respected because of their statesmanship and spirit of genuine public service. Indeed the Senate and the Lower House were filled with people who had mastered the art of crafting good laws. Corruption in government was not as rampant and people were already scandalized by minor anomalies involving officials. Delicadeza was a treasured trait of those in public service. Hence even 50 years later, the yearning among our batch members to turn the hands of time back to those years remains intense.

But we pine for those years more because we miss our professors whom we idolized and admired the most. We looked up to them not only because of their brilliance and mastery of the subjects they taught but more importantly because of their care and concern in imparting their knowledge and imbuing in us the best kind of legal education. Undoubtedly, they exuded that aura of excellence and dedication to their profession which they also wanted us to acquire. Our country’s future during those times indeed looked brighter because of them who were also mostly in public service particularly in the judiciary. We respected them so much because they brought honor to their jobs in the academe and in the government, such that most of the time we addressed them inside the classrooms as “your honor” instead of the simple “sir”. We really wanted to follow their footsteps.

As a gesture of gratitude, we tried hard to clear the cobwebs in our minds so that we could recall the names and acknowledge our law professors who were instrumental in shaping our future and sharpening our legal minds; and we came up with the following: SC Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion, SC Justices Conrado Sanchez, Lorenzo Relova, CA Justices Jesus Perez, Ricardo Puno, Eduardo Caguioa, Pompeyo Diaz, Pompeyo Nolasco, Hector Hofilena, Luis Javellana, CFI Judges Arsenio Solidum, Francisco Carreon, Government Corporate Counsel Simeon Gopengco, Professors Jesus Paredes, Alejandro de Santos, Jaime Nuevas, William Veto, Joaquin Misa, Luis Pangalangan, Antonio Noblejas, Federico Moreno, Antonio Puerto. Our Dean in the College of Law at that time was FFW leader Jeremias Montemayor.

Of course our years in the law school were not “all studies and no play”. We also had some extracurricular activities consisting of various sports particularly the favorite game among Filipinos then and now — basketball — where our Section A class always vied for the championship from first year to fourth year against the more senior batches. The team was in contention for the intramural championship most of the time thus earning recognition for our batch not only for our physical but also mental prowess because basketball is also a mind game. We thus lived up also to the Jesuit principle of mens sana en corpora sano, a sound mind in a sound body. And the soundness of our body was enhanced even more during breaks in our classes when most of us rushed to the school canteen to partake of the mouth watering hamburger with onion rings of the Bicolano chef, Mang Doming. The hamburger really looked more savory and tasty because a profusely sweating Mang Doming cooked it directly in front of us, occasionally wiping out the perspiration from his brow.

What made our life in Law School more interesting and exciting were the “off campus” activities. Only a fence that could easily be scaled separated the Law School from Assumption College, one of the famous (glamorous?) women/girls’ school then and now. Hence some of us ventured to climb and sit on the bakod for a “friendly chat” with the colegialas. Others simply stared, tongue tied in admiration of the pretty maidens.   

During those times, the huge air-conditioned malls where people hang around these days were just figments of the imagination. “Malling” then was nothing but “namamasyal sa Luneta.” The “in” place for shopping among the elites was Escolta street, while the non-elites shop around Carriedo Street and Rizal Avenue more commonly known as “Avenida”. Of course Divisoria had always been the “paradise” for bargain hunters.

The elite entertainment hubs were located at Dewey Boulevard by the sea. Well known among them were the “Bayside Club” and the “Bulakena”. Other entertainment spots for the lower class were located at Avenida and Azcarraga like the Luisa & Sons and Alex Soda Fountain. On some occasions like Fridays or after nerve wracking surprise quizzes and monthly or term exams, some of us would pass by and hang around for some time at either Luisa & Sons or Alex Soda Fountain just to unwind and relax listening to songs and admiring the singer while imbibing one or two or three etc. bottles of beer. Seeing us intently looking at and admiring the beauty of the singer as we drank beer, a wise guy in our group could not help but quote a famous saying and quipped: “beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beerholders”. More than just having good, clean fun, our experience in those places gave us the first close-up glimpse of the lower sectors in our society.

After four years of law schooling our batch graduated with a total number of 54 with Camilo Sabio as our valedictorian, Jaime S. Bautista as salutatorian, Wilfredo Sanchez and Manuel Tiaoqui, gold medal awardees for leadership and Ramon Tagle Jr. silver medal awardee for Loyalty. Antonio Lacson was second place among the topnotchers in the bar exams that year.

Above all else however, our batch is celebrating this milestone because of the deep and intense gratitude in our hearts to the Ateneo Law School for providing us with a legal education based on truth and justice, “Ad majorem Dei Gloriam”, All for the Glory of God.

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