Loosing Jingle

The last time I saw him, we had so much fun, it seemed there was no tomorrow.
That last I heard of him, he was gone like being snatched by a thief in the night.

I am talking about my high school friend Jay Glenn “Jingle” Dizon.
Jingle died early morning yesterday from severe fractures at the back of his head after colliding fatally with another motorcycle in Dumaguete city
It was totally unexpected.
Still at the prime of his life, Jingle ended it without saying goodbye.
I received the shocking news from classmate Voltaire who sent me a text message.
“We lost a friend, Jingle”
The story was that he had a night out in the home of his parents in Daro.
He went home aboard his motorcycle.
Somewhere in Banilad, he crossed path with another motorcycle, a male and a female back rider.
Both motorcycles collided head-on.
Jingle ended up dead.
The back of his skull was cracked, said Voltaire and Alex who saw Jingle’s body in the morgue.
How tragic. How sudden. How painful.

Good memories.

Last year, our high school batch had our twentieth reunion.
We had so much fun.
Jingle is the musically talented in our batch.
He modulates like Nonoy Zuniga.
He can give Raymond Lauchengco a run for his money.
Naturally, Jingle led the pack during our sing-along evening.
He held the microphone in one hand, beer on the other.
It was classic Jingle.
Definitely one of the best memories I have of him.
Then Christmas came.
Karl Bambi brought his family for a visit from Australia.
Jingle and I had a long talk about what he was doing with life.
Never did I think, it was the last time I would be talking to him.
Jingle sang in our high school graduation at Silliman twenty years ago.
He rendered the song “Farewell”

Farewell to you my friends.
We’ll see each other again.
Don’t worry cause its not the end of everything.

Truly, we’ll be seeing Jingle again, in the afterlife.
Farewell for now Jingle.
Rest in peace.

Karl Bambi

Long time friend and classmate Karl Bambi Tuano came home to Dumaguete with his family for the holidays.
He brought his beautiful wife, and three cute children.
Karl Bambi has been based in Australia for like, two decades already.
It has been a long time.
We were together in soccer high school football varsity where we played national games at the Ultra.
His mother Tita Jean was an officemate of my mother at GSIS before.
We got together at the residence of Alex Abregana right after Christmas.
High school batchmates who attended were Jean Cimafranca, Jay Glenn Dizon, Rene Jay Dela Calzada, Cenon Voltaire Repollo.

Touring Tagaytay

Last Sunday November 30, 2008 my high school batchmates and I took advantage of the long weekend and brought our families to Tagatay City, some 55 kilomters from Metro Manila.
With us were John Lee Lim who planed in from Zamboanga del Norte, Cenon Voltaire Repollo and his girfriend Valeska Vicente, Alex Abregana and wife Tricia, Judy Bajarias, wife Marsha Sygaco-Bajarias with daughters Sandy and Alessa. I was joined by wife Ruby and Josh.
We motored to RSM restaurant, one of the cozy places that gives a panoramic view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.
RSM is known for tehir specialty which is their uniquely-cooked Tawilis, a native fish from Tagaytay Lake and their special Bulalo.
We ordered both. It was delicious. It was re-charging, after an hours drive from Manila.
Actually, we were invited for the birthday party of another high school batchmate, Joseph Walde, who is now based in Sta Rosa Laguna.

Gigi drops by

California-based Silliman high school classmate Giselle Gigi Gonzales dropped by Manila recently enroute to L.A. with her husband Denden Vestil and sons Kurt and Sean.
We had dinner together at Dampa district in Macapagal Avenue.
This is a place were you eat fresh seafoods like Baked cheese Tahong, buttered shrimp, crabs, among others.
Also with us were high school classmate Girlie Espiritu and her husband and daughter.
Ruby and I were classmates with Gigi in college at the College of Business Administration at Silliman.
Gigi says she is pursuing her master's degree in the U.S.
Husband Denden, who is originally from Cebu, work in a top company supplying packing machines worldwide. He is a frequent traveller, that is why he says travelling aboard airplanes is one thing he does enjoy.

High school reunion videos

I just uploaded some of the video shots of our high school reunion held during the Founder's Day activities at Silliman University in Dumaguete City.
It was our twentieth year since high school graduation.
The activities were more elaborate since it was a major, week-long gathering.
I volunteered to be the video and picture taker for the event for purposes of posterity.
Below is one of the uploads I made on Youtube.

My college diploma

I found my college diploma today.
It is already yellowish, after just about sixteen years since grduation.
I graduated with a degree of bachelor in business administration, Silliman University in 1992.
I decided to just scan it and post in the blog, in case the original gets lost again, or self-destructs.
After college graduation, I took one year off, and continued working in Dumaguete City in my father's newspaper and radio station.
Then I proceeded to law school.

Hawaiian Night SUHS 1988

The Silliman High School batch 1988 organized a Hawaiian night during their weeklong 20th year reunion: From left seated: Oliver Devero, Alex Abregana, Carlo Teves, Simon Diago, Cenon Repollo. 2nd row from left: Sophia Espiritu, Marife Ligon, Jean Cimafranca, Palmer Solon, Liza Magallano, Desiree De Jesus, Sandy Villagante, Jean Waleson, GElani Lagrito, Omar Rodriguez, Lisa Catipay. 3rd row from left: John Lee Lim, Gamaliel Garcia, Ylesis Alquisola, John Wesley Gayo, Jey Glen Dizon, Allan Orillan, Rito Neil Yee, Aries Alvarez, Jay Dejaresco.

Ladies of batch 1988

Having gained a few pounds over the years, but still looking gorgeous, some of the pretty ladies of Silliman high school batch 1988 during their formal dinner at Honeycomb: Seated from left Diresiree De Jesus, Liza Magallano, Rowena Buling, Marife Alaban, Sandy Villagante, Glycel De Gamo, Jennifer Tumapon. Standing from left: Sheila tiu, Melani Loo, Gelani Lagrito, Geraldine Jucom, Raquil Orosca, Pinky Dy, Jean Cimafranca, and Edna Marino (all their maiden names)

Hi school life

We just finished the weeklong activities on our twentieth year reunion of Silliman high school 1988 in Dumaguete City.
One of the most memorable experieinces of our lives were those that happened in high school.
WE had a hectic schedule for seven days, parties every night and community outreach in the morning.
We attended alumni gatherings in the high school and donated a roofed study corner in the high school.
During our culmination program, we made a slideshow of old photographs of our classmates when we were in high school.

All set for the reunion?

Everything is all set for the grand twentieth reunion of Silliman High School batch 1988 in Dumaguete City starting tomorrow August 22.
Or so I thought.
Earlier today, my classmate Judge Voltaire Repollo called me to ask the radio station in Dumaguete to announce and appeal to batch members to join the activities.
He said he fears there are still some who haven't gotten wind of the festivities.
I believe though everything is all set.
This evening I had dinner with high school classmate Rito Neil Yee, a successful computer entrepreneur in Los Angeles who checked in for the reunion activities.
I am leaving for Dumaguete on Saturday August 23, as I still have a lot of work to finish.
I have taken charge of the T-shirt souvenirs, and volunteered to video tape the activities. That is my role for the affair.
It's going to be one week from August 22 to the 28th.
There will be a Hawaiian night, sing-along night, beach party, and of course community outreach, and donations to the high school.
I am excited to meet old friends.

The 15th year reunion

I belong to batch 1988 of Silliman University High School in Dumaguete City.
Its a rather memorable batch, if you ask the members of the faculty.
Mrs. Eva R. Silorio, during our last reunion said "How can you ever forget batch 1988?"
The governor of the province was once invited as guest speaker in one of our affairs then, and he described the batch as an "unruly" batch.
No, it wasn't because his daughter was a member of that batch.
This year 2008, is our twentieth year. It's going to be a bigger (weeklong) affair.
In 2003, it was our fifteenth year since graduation.
It was a major gathering, with some classmates coming home from the U.S. and Canada.
We have snapshots of that affair.

Flashback SUHS 1988 days

I made my first product in Windows movie-maker.
It is a compilation of photos of high school classmates.
It is fun doing this windows movie maker.
I have no other song in my library except APO Highking Society which was uploaded by a cousin before.
But it isn't bad, as a background.
We' re going to have our twentieth reunion this year.
A couple of exciting activities are lined up in Dumaguete.
The class is donating a something to the high school.
There is an outreach project.
But thats ten percent of the affair.
The other ninety percent consists of nocturnal, intoxicating events.

Looking for Freddie

I have been looking for my high school classmate Freddie Estacion.
He was a classmate since kindergarten. My latest info is that he is coaching the La Salle soccer team.
Freddie has gone a long way. We used to play soccer games in Dumaguete and national games at the Pasig Ultra ballfield when we were in high school.
He "careered" his talent sint he sport, and is now one of the best soccer coaches in the country.
He joins Marlon Maro, Roroy Pinero, Marlon Pinero who have given honor to the country by representing the national team in soccer events abroad.
I heared soccer teams of prominent schools in the country are in in a tug-of-war in trying to get Dumaguete-based soccer coaches.

Relaxing at Hayahay

There is a bar and restaurant in Dumaguete by the bay.
It is called "Hayahay".
Hayahay is a Cebuano word to mean pleasure.
I was with high school classmates Alex Abregana, Voltaire Repollo, and Ulysses Alquisola.
We talked about nothing but the old days.
We will be having our twentieth year Silliman high school reunion this August.

Ling Ling in Manila

My classmate since kinder school days at Silliman, Jennifer Ling Ling Jornales-Cinco came home from Virginia for a month long vacation.

She came with her family, her husband Jun Jun Cinco a nurse, and son RJ.

Ling Ling treated us for dinner at the Golf club of Camp Aguinaldo where she was staying.
Her sister Jo Anne is based in Camp Aguinaldo with her husband who is an officer in the Armed Forces.

Present at the dinner were Bobord and wife Marsha, Alex Abregana and me and my wife Ruby and son Joshua.

Every balikbayan always says if only the compensation here was sufficient, they would prefer to stay in the Philippines.

Ling Ling said that if you have a good paying job here, better stay because it is not that easy abroad.

Ling ling is an old classmate. I think we were classmates in kindergarter at Silliman.

We were classmate in the elemntary school days, high school and even in college also at Silliman, at the College of Business Administration.

She has a teenage son RJ who is in the second year high school equivalent.

She hails from Canlaon City, north of Negros Oriental, where the famous Canlaon Volcano sits.

However, I think her family skipped Canlaon City because their mother is based here in Manila.

Her husband meanwhile comes from Leyte province.