Mission Possible

“To educate is to transform the world.”  — St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus

(Conclusion)

ILOILO CITY, Philippines —  We had a “mission” — to visit the mission schools supported by the alumnae of the Assumption Convent (AC), established in the Philippines by French nuns on a mission in 1892.

According to AC’s published history, a group of English-speaking Assumption Sisters with Mother Helen Marguerite as Superior were later sent to re-open the school, which was closed during the 1898 revolution. They built the Assumption Herran in Malate in 1904, which only exists now in photographs and memories. Assumption Iloilo was then opened in 1910.

(From left) Nena Fule, AAA San Lorenzo president Marlu Balmaceda, Assumption Iloilo Superior Sister Jo Concepcion, r.a. and Margie Duavit.

The Convent in Herran and the school were completely burned down during the Liberation of Manila in 1945. At the request of the alumnae, the grade school and the high school were re-opened in June of the same year.

In 1958, a second Assumption school was built in San Lorenzo in Makati, and the College moved into it in 1959.

AAA San Lorenzo and Bacolod: (Seated, from left) Analu Trebol, Ting Tordesillas, Marlu Balmaceda, Fr. Gio Garde (‘graduate’ of ASA), Lourdes de Leon, Madz Golez, Daday Melocoton and Pilar Villanueva; (standing, from left) Aurora Fuentebella, Dr. Chinkey Velayo, Assumption College dean Ola Regala, Ria de Villa-Montelibano, Nena Fule, Maridel Rivero, Gina Bautista-Martin and Gingging Gamboa.

Assumption Iloilo, which was my very first school before I transferred to Herran, Antipolo and San Lorenzo, is now the oldest of all campuses as the Herran campus was sold. It was both a sentimental and working “mission” for me when I revisited Iloilo.

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Our “mission” actually started in Bacolod where Assumption Alumnae Association president Marlu Balmaceda, and AAA trustees dean Ola Regala, Pilar Villanueva, Nena Fule and Dr. Chinkey Velayo were hosted by alumna Gina Bautista Martin. They also got to meet with the alumnae living in Bacolod, most of whom studied at Assumption Iloilo.

Pia Uygongco and the author.

Margie Duavit and I met up with the group in Iloilo despite the NAIA runway crisis. Our first stop was the church of St. Anne in Molo, built in 1863 and fondly labelled “feminist” because of its “exclusive” lineup of  all-female saints on both sides of the church’s nave.

Ilonggo hospitality is reflected in the Ilonggos’ malambing (tender and lyrical) way of speaking, and we experienced this the minute we landed in this Queen’s City of the South.

The former Yusay-Consing residence now known as the ‘Molo Mansion.’ It houses SM’s Kultura souvenir shop.

On the first night of our visit, AAA Iloilo feted the group with an authentic local buffet at the Camiña Balay nga Bato, not far from the church. We dined like ilustrados on piping hot pancit molo, kagkag rice (rice with tiny dried shrimps), sinugbang baboy and the famous lumpiang ubod, among others. We capped our meal with piping hot tsokolate eh. The Balay is famous for its stainless steel chocolateria and batidor (stirrer) made of guava wood.

We were guests of the nuns in the Assumption Iloilo campus and our stay was reminiscent of our high school retreats. We enjoyed breakfast with the nuns in their residence, known as Casa Santa. Maita Magalong of the Auxiliary Missionaries of the Assumption brought to breakfast the much-sought-after Brazo de Mercedes from La Paz Bakery, whose filling was chunky and creamy ube. There was a Monk at breakfast — Monk’s Blend coffee grounds from the Trappist monastery on nearby Guimaras Island, which Sister Marge lovingly brewed for me.

Guava-jelly topped Assumption Tarts.

After breakfast, we visited Assumption School Passi, established 50 years ago and thriving with the support of the alumnae. It has over 800 students and 53 TEA (Transformative Education of the Assumption) scholars. The Passi school needs a library and a proper faculty room, as the teachers hold office in the landing by the second floor stairs.

After our visit to Passi, we had lunch at Tatoy’s, famous for its seafood. Then off the group went to the Trappist Monastery on nearby Guimaras Island, about 15 minutes and P15 by motorboat from the mainland. We then took a purple jeep to the pine-tree shaded monastery.

The Trappist Monastery in Guimaras.

That night, alumna Pia Gan Uygongco hosted Assumption Iloilo Superior Sister Mary Joseph and Sister Marge and our group in her beautiful home. We relished homemade La Paz batchoy and had more ube Brazo de Mercedes for dessert.

On our third and last day in Iloilo, we visited Barrio Obrero, a wonderful punctuation to a meaningful journey. The children, eight of whom are TEA scholars, welcomed the AAA San Lorenzo with song and dance numbers, including one titled Assumption Tart, after the unique guava-jelly topped pastry originated by the nuns.

At the Molo church are (from left) Marlu Balmaceda, dean Ola Regala, the author, Pilar Villanueva, Nena Fule and Dr. Chinkey Velayo.

Before proceeding to the modern Iloilo Airport, we passed by the La Paz market for some Manapla puto while Margie Duavit scoured the market for a kilo of batwan, a sour fruit the Ilonggos use for sinigang. Ola Regala was disappointed that the La Paz bakery had run out of the ube brazos!

We took off from Iloilo with bags plump with sweets and hearts full with the true meaning of our mission — to help transform communities by supporting the education of their youth.