14 Years After..

This is the speech I delivered during my high school reunion..


To our batchmates, guests, members of the organizing committee, good evening to all of you.

Tonight marks the culmination of a month-long preparation to bring together the men and women of CCS Batch 95. You must be wondering how this affair was conceived. The truth of the matter is, no one ever thought that a reunion slated in the last quarter of the year is possible. To most of us, it is absurd and outrageous to even attempt such an endeavor, given the circumstances and work availability of our peers. But surprisingly, WE MADE IT HAPPEN.

It was during a Halloween party, hosted by Jessie Roy Basilio and his wife Jen, that this reunion was envisioned. What was meant to be a “barkada Halloween party” became even more fun when Exodus batchmates Shigashir Clemente, Lex Alegado and Pinky Borromeo Alegado showed up for the night. We all had a blast reminiscing the good old days ---from teachers who spoiled us to teachers who sold overpriced school supplies, classmates who had secret affairs, girls running after boys who constantly rejected them, and even the creative tactics we have utilized to snatch the paper of a seatmate during exams.

Shortly after that Halloween party, I toyed with the idea of a possible high school reunion but immediately dismissed it because I knew the task ahead was no joke. However, I couldn’t just ignore the clamor of the majority who, like me, wanted to reconnect with old friends we all practically grew up with.

When my Genesis friends signed up for this little project, I knew right away that this was something worth it. We moved heaven and earth to convince people to join our cause--- we searched people online thru Facebook and Friendster. Good thing, we received positive replies to our messages. But there are still batchmates who are not connected online so we had to resort to the traditional way of knocking from one door to another. For this, I commend the effort of Shigashir, Lex and Michael Gonzales.

Our main concern though was how to raise funds that will cover all the expenses. The reunion fee that we have set for each attendee might not be adequate for the numerous details, but we all remained positive and believed that God will provide… And sure, He did. A week after the reunion details were posted on Facebook, pledges from our batchmates living overseas started coming in. Words won’t be enough to show our deepest appreciation and gratitude for their generosity. Make no mistake about it, each one in this room really did his share in making this a reality. For that alone, I think we all deserve a warm round of applause.

On behalf of the hardworking people who made this all happen, I would like to welcome you all to our first-ever reunion-Christmas party dubbed as “CCS Batch 95 Returns, Wiser and Better.” It’s great to see all of you here. There are some I have not seen for the past 14 years. Thank you for sharing your time with us especially to those who traveled far and wide.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the party! Sabi nga ni Pink, let’s get this party started..