People do not just celebrate Valentine’s Day in February. They also celebrate reunions. Perhaps February is the month where global airfares are at the lowest as there are many reunions in the Philippines.
My wife, Rachel Salinel, attended the Alumni Homecoming of St. Louis Girls High School (SLGHS) in Baguio City last February 4, where she spoke on behalf of her batch. She encouraged the attendees to find their passion and purpose as it is ‘not too late nor too early’. My friends who used to live and work in Dubai, Lilibeth Llacer and Anjee Realubit, had their Grand Alumni Homecoming of Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga City last February 10 and 11.
My own high school batch in Legazpi City, Science Oriented High School of Aquinas University, will have a standalone reunion on February 25 and 26 at a beach resort in Bacacay, Albay. A number of my North America-based batchmates are flying home to attend while I will just be reading their happy interactions on our FB Chat Group. I went home earlier for my mother’s 88th birthday last December 30 where we also had our own family reunion. All of us seven surviving siblings attended, four are based overseas, my three older sisters in North America and myself in the Middle East.
The last time I attended a school reunion was in May 2013 when I went to the St. Agnes Academy of Legazpi Alumni Homecoming. I studied elementary at St. Agnes. It was a great get-together that time seeing your batchmates after two to three decades. I will miss seeing my ‘little brother’ Daniel Perez this month. He is based in Los Angeles, California. I saw him that May 2013 reunion and before that in 2000 in Manila, when he visited the Philippines on holiday.
We had our first high school reunion in 1993, I just don’t recall what month. We visited our school building and met our principal, Fr. Orlando Aceron, OP.
In December 2020 and 2021, I organized a zoom reunion with my high school batchmates. We had a Holy Mass during the first reunion with Fr. Jun Adriano of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer or The Redemptorist. He is the only priest in our batch. The next December Fr. Jun was not available because he was celebrating his 25th year as a priest and was travelling.
Speaking about zoom reunions, I also organized a session with my college batchmates in August 2000. Last time I saw some of them was in October 2013, in Manila, when I went home for a short vacation. I took up Political Science at UST. I have some batchmates who are lawyers, judges and government officials. Some are based in the US mainland.
The forthcoming reunion I am looking forward to attending is the Los Banos Clan gathering scheduled end of June this year to be held in Legazpi. Last time I attended one was in 2000 in Manila. I am also very excited to celebrate our mother’s 90th birthday next December 2024. I always pray to our God Almighty to continue blessing her with good health. Reunions are meant to physically express our love to each other. Show your love when you attend one dear readers.