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JULY 2015

Our Journey Begins

To our dearest administrators, members of the S.Sp.S. Community, guests, faculty members, non-teaching staff, parents, relatives and friends, on behalf of the entire batch of 2015, welcome to the graduation ceremony of College of the Holy Spirit Manila!

We have been looking forward to this day. A few years ago, all of us wished we were through with our studies. But time moved so fast and in a few moments, we shall be getting our diplomas and finally become young professionals.

Before leaving this institution that has fully committed to giving us the best education and molded us to become excellent individuals, we should always remember three things that CHSM has taught us:

Ladies and gentlemen, let us all celebrate because all our efforts and hard work have finally paid off.

Watching this graduation ceremony will be like watching different life stories, stories of challenges encountered and triumphs achieved.

Stories of love, care, and relationships with our administrators, faculty, the S.Sp.S. sisters, the non-teaching staff, our classmates and friends.

No matter how each of us sees this graduation ceremony, the real common denominator is that we are all here to celebrate and make this day really worth remembering.

Congratulations to us all! Thank you!

Table of Contents

1 l Cover Story: Our Journey Begins 2 l From your Alumnae Board 3-6 l My Journey – Off Course 7 l A Bright Light Has Gone Out 8-9 l Remembering Dada Nings 10 l Friendship and Sisterhood Renewed 11 l CHED Commissioner Delivers Graduation Message 12 l CHSM Launches Children’s

Reading Nook in Punta Piano Recital 13 l Snapshots 14 I Advertisements 15 I Our E-mail Connection A Tribute to Ms. Julia Iturralde 16 l Into Eternal Life, Prayer Corner, Congratulations

Our new alumna, Maria Katrina H. Lagrosa, BA Communication Arts, Magna cum laude, delivered the Welcome Speech during the April 2015 Graduation Program. Katrina was a CHSAF Scholar and her benefactors were HS-75, 76, 77 courtesy of the Swatch Project together with HS-68, 72, 73, 74, 78, 79, 81. This was her speech.

First, let us not complain about the tasks given to us. Let us accept each task and do our best to accomplish it no matter how big or small it may be. Let us start small and learn a lot.

Second, let us give our best in everything we do, and always keep our feet on the ground. Let us not boast of or speak about how good our work is. Instead, let our work speak and boast for us.

Last but not the least, let us always make sure that in everything we do, we touch the lives of other people in a good way. From now on, we will carry a part of our school’s mission. We are going to face the world with the hope that we can help transform our society in a better way.

Wherever we go and whatever happens in the future, we will always be CHSians.

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Message from the CHSAF President

Growing up, I dreamt of

traveling to the most beautiful cities in the world. I reckoned that the best way to see the world for free would be to become a flight attendant. I soon learned, to my dismay, that I was too short to become a stewardess. And as a deal breaker, I did not know how to swim, a prerequisite to becoming an FA.

In high school, I discovered that I had a fairly decent aptitude for chemistry, so this was the course I pursued in college. However, I never worked a single day as a chemist. In the ‘80s the field of personal computing was just emerging, and I found it fascinating and challenging. I embarked on a career in computers that was fulfilling both emotionally and financially. But after years in the corporate world, I was beckoned to veer off my chosen career path. With a husband and growing children, the obligations of family life tugged at my heartstrings. When I quit my job to look after my family, well-meaning

MARIA THERESA ABELEDA-LLAVE (HS-73)

WE, the Alumnae Editorial Board

Ma. Victoria B. Anastacio (HS-63/AB-67) Victoria Torres-del Rosario (HS-77)

Remedios “Tita” Dizon (HS-63) Riziel Fajutag-Icaro (AB-11)

Virginia P. Macaso (BSChem-63) Maria Corazon B. Parco (AB-63/BSE-64)

Sr. Victricia Pascasio, S.Sp.S. (HS-53/AB-57/BSE-64) Ma. Belen Elvira S. Tiongco (HS-77) Lorraine Young-Sylianteng (HS-73)

Email address: we.thealumnae@gmail.com

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.” - Renaissance Indian Rabindranath Tagore

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM

I would like to renew my active membership in the CHS Alumnae Foundation. Enclosed is my payment (cash/check) as follows:

_______ Php500.00/US$12.00 (One-year membership) _______ Php1,000.00/US$24.00 (Two-year membership)

Name: _______________________________________ Address: _______________________________________ Tel. No. _______________________________________ E-Mail Address: __________________________________

Note: Pls. make your checks payable to: CHS ALUMNAE FOUNDATION, INC. and mail c/o The Alumnae Office, 163 E. Mendiola, Manila.

Please be reminded that Lifetime or Perpetual Membership has been cancelled since the mid-2000s. Our membership dues help sustain the CHSAF office operations and projects. Thank you.

relatives and friends questioned my judgement. In today’s society, giving up a career to become a homemaker is viewed as not living up to a woman’s full potential. It’s as if a job title or a paycheck is the sole measure of a woman’s worth. My journey is nothing new. Countless young women take courses they don’t end up using in their line of work. It is quite common for women to go from one job to another during their professional life. And there are many women who opt to give up their careers to become homemakers. In the final analysis, I believe it really does not matter what our job is. What matters is how we have lived our lives so as to impact others. As the writer Maya Angelou said, “… making a ‘living’ is not the same as ‘making a life.’” Ultimately we must create a life that reflects our personal vision, ideals, and values. Our ultimate goal is to discover God’s purpose for us and use our hidden talents and potentials for the service of others. … And by the way, for me, being a wife and mother is the best job in the world and brings me the greatest happiness and fulfillment.

From grade school until college, the nuns at the College of the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost College have consistently ingrained in us, her students, the highest value of serving the Lord – in whatever activity or work we do. Thinking back, this must have been one reason why with a B.S. Chemistry degree and two semesters of masteral studies in Chemistry, I still opted to go into a teaching career. The situation presented itself to be a perfect

3

My Journey – Off Course

blending of career and the act of unselfish giving. For two decades of my career, I was content with this thought. Until I got involved in the Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFCFFL). In CFCFFL, I found a most direct service to the Lord. Here, I was cared for spiritually and I too cared for others spiritually. Here, I underwent special God-centered formation. Here, I was directly communicating to others in various talks and discussions the reality of God's great love for us. Here, I was made specially sensitive to other people’s needs.

Ding Eustaquio-Contreras (HS-61/BSChem-66)

Here in CFCFFL, I was made highly aware of my obligations as a Christian and as a member of a Christian community. Modesty aside, I did not find any difficulty in transitioning from my purely scientific endeavours to the evangelistic and religious work I am now doing.

It is a tribute to the College of the Holy Spirit that, even with a highly technical course like B. S. in Chemistry, the curriculum contained a good sprinkling of liberal arts subjects. This situation certainly made it relatively easy for us to shift from one interest to another.

Subjects like: The Life of Christ, Argumentation and Debate, Music Literature, Play Production and Direction, Music Literature, Practical Journalism, Marriage and the Family, Letters of St. Paul, Apologetics , Marriage and the Family in a B.S. Chemistry curriculum? YES, we had them all!

Never mind if these are not Chemistry-related subjects. Never mind if these are not Board-required subjects.

Our beloved school did not just prepare us for a career and a living. More than that, our beloved school prepared us HOW to live.

Thank you, Sr. Aux. Thank you, CHS.

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On my fourth year of high school at CHS, our Math teacher suggested that I take up B.S. Math because I was good in Math!

After I graduated in BS Math from UP-Diliman, questions popped up again. What career can my course be applied to? Thinking deeper, I realized that Math can be applied

in our daily life in solving problems that come along. Math has trained me to be analytical and logical.

Off I went hunting for a job. I got employed as Cashier in a financing, banking corporation. I learned accounting, financing, quasi-banking, checkbook balancing, and a lot more! However, having children was difficult in an 8-5 job.

“Go into business” was the thought that kept prodding me. Why not get into the food business? My grandfather was a gourmet, and I seem to have inherited his creativity with food. I went to corporations bringing samples and price lists of baked goodies for Christmas gifts to special clientele. I went to schools offering my baked products and dimsum to sell in their canteens. Later on I started supplying merienda for Nursery and Gr. 1 students. This was a challenge. I had to be creative and innovative in producing tasty and healthy products. Then I became a canteen concessionaire in a private school, selling gourmet sandwiches until March, 2013.

In whatever situation we are in, learning should not end after graduation. As I tell my children and the younger generations: “Not all problems can be solved. Sometimes they come up to show us a different course of action to take in our life.”

Gladys Huang-So (AB/BSC-70)

My Journey - Off Course Maria Elena Medina-Ruiz (AB/BSC-70)

Armed with double degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting, I joined the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. (HSBC) right after graduation from the College of the Holy Spirit, Manila. This led to a 37-year career with one of the largest financial institutions in the world.

At HSBC, I occupied various executive positions covering Branch Operations, Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, Trust

Marketing, Training and Development, and Bank Marketing. My field of specialization focused on Sales & Business Development, Personal Financial Services, and Wealth Management. In 2007, I retired as Vice President Premier, HSBC’s highly personalized banking and wealth management service.

Currently, I am a Member of the Board of Trustees of CARD, Inc., the largest microfinance institution in the Philippines. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of CARD SME Bank, a thrift bank.

I complemented my banking career by immersing in civic , professional, and religious organizations. I was Charter Treasurer of Zonta Ayala de Makati, an Associate Life Member of the Bankers Institute of the Philippines (Baiphil) where I served as Director and Chairperson of various committees, and a member of our parish worship ministry.

After my retirement I found myself immersed in serving our community. In Barangay Blue Ridge B, Quezon City, I was at the helm of the Homeowners Association as President from 2007 to 2010 and as Kagawad from 1993 to 2007 and from 2010 to the present. As Barangay Chairperson of Education and Anti Drug Abuse, Women and Family Committees, I organized family oriented seminars and created awareness of the ill effects of drugs among the youth by launching the Anti Drug Abuse Slogan and Poster Design Contests among ten adjacent barangays in Quezon City.

In my present position as Chairperson of Environment, Utilities, Beautification and Park Development Committee, I focus on saving Mother Earth by formulating and implementing a highly effective Ecological Waste Management System. This brought honors not only to our barangay but to Quezon City as well.

Our barangay was declared second runner up in the Q. C. search for Best Barangay Solid Waste Management Practice in 2011 and Champion (Category D) in 2012, 2013, and 2014 among 142 barangays in Quezon City. Our barangay was also declared Grand Winner in the MMDA Search for Barangay Power 2012 and 2014, Cleanest and Best Barangay in Solid Waste Management (category D) among 1,706 barangays in Metro Manila. From managing the funds of my high networth clients in HSBC , I now manage our street sweepers and the wastes generated in our barangay in order to maintain a clean and healthy environment.

I continue to touch the lives of others beyond our community through my active involvement in Baiphil. As Chairperson of the Special Projects Committee for the past 6 years, I organize monthly Financial Education Program for the teachers and parents of public school children and for the Nanays of Payatas communities who are members of Rags2Riches Inc., in partnership with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. My committee has also partnered with the Bankers Association of the Philippines and Ateneo University in conducting business related seminars for professors who are members of the Philippine Association of Schools and Colleges in Business (PACSB). Likewise, we also mentor selected microfinance institutions in partnership with PNoy Me and the Rafael Buenaventura Foundation Inc. Our other CSR projects are the annual medical and dental mission which benefits thousands of indigent families done in partnership with SM Foundation, and gift giving to the elderly in homes for the aged, to cancer stricken children in the charity ward of PGH, and to children in orphanages. It is so heart warming and gratifying to spread joy. My passion for being a woman for others has earned for me numerous personal awards such as Ulirang Ina ng Lungsod Quezon – 2014, Outstanding Community Leader, Baiphil Pearl and Presidential Awardee, SPCM ACORN Awardee, and CHSM Distinguished Alumna Awardee.

Each one of us can do his or her share in helping the marginalized members of our society and in saving the environment through dedication, commitment, and cooperation of members of the community.

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When I was in high school, I was so inspired by Mrs. Amor Cruz. In English class, we read up on Shakespeare, and I loved his beautiful works. When I was Class President, I loved standing in front of the class and talking to our classmates. So it was no surprise that I wanted to take a course in A. B. English and teach or write later on.

I graduated in high school in 1973 and was accepted at the University of the Philippines.

Lorraine Young- Sylianteng (HS-73)

Upon my graduation from college in October 1976, Fr. Tarcisio Narciso, O. S. B., High School Principal at San Beda, offered me a post as English teacher to Third Year High School students. I agreed eagerly.

However, my future father-in-law, Mr. Sy Lian Teng, wanted a daughter-in-law to help in the family business (he ran Berg’s Department Store then). Every time we met, he would tell me that teaching is not rewarding and there is no money in it. Of course to a businessman, the nobility of teaching doesn’t mean much. He was a trader, and to him returns should be immediate rather than too much in the long-term. I was 21 then and easily influenced. Right after I married, I had a crash course in retail merchandising. I worked at Berg’s until 1982 when it closed due to labor problems. I then applied at Shoemart and headed its takeover of the Appliance Department from SM ACA. I worked there until 1984 when the takeover was complete. I later became an assistant to my father-in-law, who taught me the rudiments of doing business until his death in 2004. I worked for him at the First United Building at Escolta and learned how to manage the Building, among other things. A 1928-built structure designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of Juan Luna) and Juan Nakpil, the Building is not only a part of history but a work of art. Its heritage value is worth preserving for future generations.

I have now become active in the preservation of built heritage buildings. At Escolta, a group of young kids called Heritage Conservation Society - Youth have volunteered to help us in our efforts. We have decided to put up the Escolta Journal to write about updates on Escolta and its built heritage structures.

I have come full circle in that I am able to use my degree to help edit and write articles for the Journal. I love what I do, and I understand the value to future generations of preserving heritage structures, including the First United Building. So I feel like I am teaching again. My father-in-law may still not approve – preserving a Building doesn’t have a short-term return and not too much economic benefit – but again, it is a noble course to take!

My Journey - Off Course

5

Do you have . . .

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market?

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services to

offer?

A restaurant

or other

establishments

to promote?

Place an Ad in the We.

The We is published digitally and read by thousands

of

our fellow alumnae all over the world.

Send personalized greetings to fellow alumnae/ jubilarians.

Greet them on special occasions – birthday, jubilee year

celebration - and send special announcements.

Ad Rates: P1,000 – Half page ; P500 – quarter page

6

My Journey - Off Course YVETTE CHRISTINE DE MARCAIDA-POE

(HS-77)

I decided to take A.B. Journalism when I applied for college at the University of the Philippines. Although back in1977, most parents believed that once a woman is married, her husband will take care of her, a college education was considered an insurance if something happens and the woman has to work.

I somewhat “minored” in Theater Arts in my choice of elective subjects and actual acting in plays. I found that I had a passion for it.

Maybe because of the Law of Attraction at work, I seemed to always be “discovered” to model for a magazine cover, endorse a product, be cast in theatre productions of the UP Repertory Company under fiery director Behn Cervantes, or cast in professional theatre at the Metropolitan Theatre by notable directors like Tony Mabesa and Isagani Cruz. Then came the movies. I was recommended by Behn Cervantes to appear in Eddie Romero’s Aguila as the daughter of the King of Philippine movies, Fernando Poe Jr. From there, I was cast as FPJ’s leading lady in his 1979 Manila Film Festival Entry, Ang Lihim ng Guadalupe. I did not realize then that this was destiny’s way of getting me to meet FPJ’s younger brother Andy Poe, who was also in the movies. We got married in 1980 and I became his real life “leading lady” for 15 years until he died in 1995.

Although I was already experiencing another calling in the arts – theatre and the movies – I did not shift courses. I graduated Cum Laude with a degree in A.B. Journalism. Marrying into the Poe family meant being immersed in show business. Andy and I decided to produce movies under our own production outfit, D.A.Y FILMS (acronym for our names Donnie (our 1st born, Andy and 2nd son Alexander, and Yvette) As producer, I volunteered to become the “PR gal” and did the marketing and promotional movie write-ups – thus putting my Journalism education to use. We produced movies until we migrated to the United States in 1984.

It was in the U.S. that I chose to be in Real Estate. Up to this day, 26 years later, this profession still serves me well. I continue to use my writing skills for marketing collaterals for the properties I sell, as well as for contracts for the sales transactions that I close. My mother was right about the importance of having writing skills. But, at this point in my life, I also credit my theatre, modeling, and movie experiences for the people skills, public speaking, and confidence that brought me success in my Real Estate business and profession. Who we are is indeed a product of our life’s experiences.

Therefore, it is important to know and to reiterate that college education is only one of the factors of one’s success. Because it is actually one’s “life journey” that truly educates and molds us into wholesome and successful human beings – in all areas of life.

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A Bright Light Has Gone Out *In praise of “Titatet” (Teresita E. Nitorreda, HS-48/AB-51/BSE-52)

By: Juanita Salvador-Burris (HS-57/BSC-61)

Ms. Nitorreda was my Physics teacher in Senior High. Our HS class of 1957 was unusually large, with four sections, named A1, A2, B1, B2. I remember most a symposium at the auditorium on reflections on Peace and Science, where I recited an essay entitled “The Peaceful Uses of the Atom.” She taught for another year at HGC and then left to teach at Far Eastern University on busy Quezon Blvd. where she assisted the Irish Columban campus chaplains in establishing “chapters” of Student Catholic Action of the Philippines (SCA), in “non-sectarian” colleges and universities where “religion” was not to be taught.

SCA chapters became a valued extra-curricular activity in higher education institutions in the entire Philippines. Fondly remembered up to today is its signature song “An Army of Youth flying the standards of truth, we are

fighting for Christ the Lord, heads lifted high, Catholic Action our cry, and the Cross our only sword…” SCA led the formation of the National Union of Students of the Philippines and the National Union of High School Students, joining other vibrant activism grounds for social, cultural and political change in the Dekada 60. Living one’s faith in action in the public sphere was pushed back when martial law was declared in 1972.

Throughout these vibrant and quiet periods of Philippine history, Titatet was the constant bright light of faith, serving the Church in whatever shape or form she deemed was called for, saying YES to the will of God. Trained as an educator at HGC, she developed curricula in psychology at Far Eastern University, conducted organizational development & training courses through

Photo taken at a meeting in preparation for the SCAP 80th Anniversary

FEATURE

the Philippine Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences, led social and cultural change programs for government bureaucracy within the Development Academy of the Philippines, and trained nuns, priests, and lay people at the East Asian Pastoral Institute in culturally sensitive theology and practicum.

At the start of the new millennium, she established the Student Catholic Action Leadership Foundation (SCALF) using her personal inheritance, and she continued to sustain Student Catholic Action of the Philippines until her death on June 12, 2015.

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Remembering Dada Nings

By: Monette Iturralde-Hamlin (HS-74/AB-78)

February 8, 2015. Rome. I just received word from my mom that my father’s only remaining sibling, Julia Alvaro Iturralde, just passed away. In a way, I was relieved. She had been ill for a very long time, her brilliant mind long gone, her once robust body withered and thin. She still managed a cherubic toothless smile whenever I would visit and remind her that I was Monette, her niece. Sometimes she would remember me. The last time, she did not, and it saddened me greatly. She asked why it was taking her parents long to fetch her.

Julia was born on October 7, 1931 to Jose Manalo Iturralde and Dominga Alvaro. The youngest in a brood of six, Julia or Jill, as she was fondly called, was an extremely intelligent individual. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with an AB-BSE degree from Holy Ghost College, and finished two masteral programs: Master in Sociology from Ateneo University and Master of East Asian Studies from Radcliffe, where she enjoyed a scholarship. Jill held the deanship of the Liberal Arts Department of the College of the Holy Spirit for 23 years. She was also moderator of Action, Veritas and The Profile from 1964-67. A prolific poetess, Jill expressed her emotions in beautiful words.

My first recollection of Tita Jill was playing tea party with her in my grandmother’s warm kitchen using a white porcelain tea set decorated with flowers that she had given me. I must have been less than three then. She sat with me on the floor, as we poured real milk tea in the tiny cups and pretended that we were having guests over. Sometimes, we would collect the moss in the garden, place them on the tiny plates, and pretend it was salad. Other times, I got lucky and we actually ate food that had just been cooked in the kitchen.

When she came back from taking her masters at Radcliffe University, she brought home a huge walking doll for me. Oh, how I loved that doll with curly blonde hair! It was almost as tall as I was.

Tita Jill taught me how to pray before I slept: “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love entrusts me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord, my soul to take. Amen.”

Summers when we were growing up were spent in the kitchen. She would teach us how to bake and decorate cakes, and let us

experiment in the kitchen. I remember crying when my cake didn’t rise because I had forgotten to put baking powder in the mix. My brothers and I would fight as to who would clean up the leftover fudge in the bowl.

I loved watching how she cooked, and she would let me be her little assistant, though I was not allowed to wield a knife. I was assigned to mixing food. Getting egg whites to stiffen up was the hardest task ever. “Whip it 100 times, Monette, and don’t lift the spatula up or the air would escape,” she would admonish me. I would try valiantly to soldier on even if my arms felt like they were about to fall off. Looking back, I realize now that she had nurtured my interest in food.

Another fond name we had for Tita Jill was Dada Nings. She taught Asian Studies at the College of the Holy Spirit, and to drive home learning, she would host parties at our ancestral home in San Sebastian for her students. They would cook Asian dishes and wear dresses from the different countries to which they were assigned. I loved watching her students prepare the food and perform Asian songs or dances after. Oh, that was a lot of fun!

And she made life fun for her nieces and nephews. On Holy Saturdays, she would herd us into the dining room, give each of us a brush, and we would paint dozens of eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt the next day. I guess she must have hidden the eggs in the garden while we slept because we had fun hunting for them after Mass on Easter Day.

We would have our own version of Flores de Mayo. We would dress up as saints using her clothes and stack of ribbons and scarves, parade up and down the house, then have a raffle of little knickknacks that she had collected. Oh, and we were not the only ones who had fun dressing up under her guidance. I remember one Marian festival where her students dressed up as different versions of Mama Mary and stood up like statues around the garden by the CHS Mendiola chapel.

She was a consummate writer, poet, and story teller. She wrote plays about the Old Testament which her students performed in school. She wrote poems for the school paper, continued on page 9

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the CHS alumnae newsletter, and later for the newsletter that she and her sister Maria Luz put up. She penned a book entitled Family Treasures which revealed all of the Iturralde secret recipes, and which I use to this day. Her friends gathered some of her poems and published them together with pieces written by my other two aunts, Maria Luz and Sister Encarnacion. Early on, she encouraged us to perform during parties at home (Actually, I think a better word would be mandated). We either had to sing, dance, or recite a poem to the guests who invariably were their fellow teachers and nuns from the College of the Holy Spirit.

She was a very kind soul, soft-spoken, and yet you knew you were in deep trouble if you ever crossed the line. When I was in first year college, a classmate from elementary asked if she could visit me at home on a Saturday. I had not seen her for some time and was excited to see her. She came to the house with her father who was an advertising executive. A popular soft drink brand was giving away a car to the lucky person who found the tansan (bottle cap) with the winning mark. Apparently, he was running the contest, and he told me that he would make sure I would win the car, but in return I would have to sell the car and split the proceeds with him. I was to let him know my decision on Monday.

Naturally, I was very much tempted. Since my father died when I was ten, we were hard up. The funds would come in handy so I could pursue my dream of studying law, buy things I’ve always wanted, give my family a more comfortable life. At that time, I was studying on scholarship. I discussed the options with my Tita Jill, who advised me of the importance of being true to the values of honesty and integrity. That night, she gave me two cards she had drawn. Depending on my decision, I was to open one of the cards. That weekend was excruciatingly difficult for me. I decided to turn down the offer, and opened the card. It said simply that she was very proud of me for making the right decision. That for me was the most beautiful gift she had ever given me.

I always wanted to study Fine Arts but we didn’t have the funds for this. But the summer after the softdrink incident, Tita Jill enrolled me in a summer class in painting at CHS. I was in heaven! The next summer, she enrolled me in theatre class, along with my brother Pepito.

She was always looking for ways to encourage our various interests. I remember the day the encyclopedia set she had purchased arrived. Pepito and I who were in grade school then were so excited, we spent the entire summer reading the encyclopedia from A to Z. We also played Scrabble and Monopoly with her. Tita Jill’s bed could be spotted a mile away because of the mountains of books and papers that littered it.

Seated first row from left to right: Jose Javier (Pepito),

Jean Pierre (Johnny). Seated second row form left to

right: Pilar Iturralde, Maria Rosario Encarnacion (Pinky),

Julia Iturralde (Dada Nings/ Jill). Standing, left to right:

Maria Montserrat (Monette) and Paul Rainier (Paul).

College studies was a different matter. Because I was on scholarship (which was the only way I could afford studying at CHS), I had to study very, very hard. It was made more difficult because my aunts worked at the school: Sr. Encarnacion taught Theology, Maria Luz headed the English Department, and Julia served as dean of Liberal Arts. They were stricter with me than anyone else, because they wanted to prove that I could make it on my own. They were thus ecstatic when I graduated with a Summa cum Laude.

Although she was the youngest sibling of my father, Tita Jill appeared to be the head of the family when it came to decision making. She was always protecting her older sister from harm. Tita Udsy (Maria Luz) had gone into deep depression when she was unceremoniously removed as editor in chief of We, the Alumnae. To make her sister happy, Tita Jill started a newsletter at home. Tita Jill bought a computer probably using her retirement funds and learned to use it. Running the newsletter kept their minds busy after forced retirement from CHS.

I thank the Lord for Tita Jill. May she rest in God’s embrace forever!

…continued from page 8

Remembering Dada Nings

9

FEATURE

"Someday when far

from thee we roam Our thoughts will

surely travel home And mem'ries sweet

will be to me Those dear old days

in the HGC“

I think it's fair to say that the above excerpt from our Alma Mater Song resonates in the heart of every CHS alumna. Thus, a gathering inevitably occurs at every opportunity, especially when there are alumnae visiting from overseas.

This is exactly what took place one June 2, 2015 when a group of 20 HS-72 alumnae organized an all-day outing in Dreamwaves Resort, Pansol, Laguna to spend quality time with HS classmates, Teresita Forteza Juarez visiting from Sydney, Australia and Purificacion Fernando Penson visiting from New Jersey, USA.

Friendship and sisterhood were renewed as the batchmates frolicked in the natural hotspring waters of the pool!

HS-72 after singing the Alma Mater song.

Friendship and Sisterhood Renewed By: Ma. Teresita “Terry” Forteza-Juarez (HS-72/ BSC-76)

HS-72 Bathing Beauties.

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HS-72 at Dreamwaves Resort, Pansol, Laguna.

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Those who attended the outing were: Angie Madrid, Becky Ramirez-Agcaoili, Divina Baluyot, Dolly Gabriel, Elinor Garcia, Elizabeth Simpliciano-Cabanos, Geepers Pascual, Joji Ong-Maldonado, Josephine San Juan, Joyce Canilao, Lahlah Laforteza, Luisa Adad-See, Luisa Hilado-Hizon, Mariel Evangelista-Ortega, Neiza Pareja-Navarrete, Purificacion Fernando-Penson, Rosemarie Guidote- Macapinlac, Susan de Mesa-Aguila, Teresita Forteza-Juarez, Tetch Canon-Garcia, Veronica Fenix- Villavicencio, Yvonne Victoria-Sano. Guests at the outing were Jun Juarez (Terry's husband), Bobby Navarrete (Neiza's husband), and Terry King, Terry's friend and host in Manila.

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“Today, in the flurry of information the Internet and media feed us and given the demands of work and study as well as stresses of society's expectations, it is easy to think that everything is changing at a rapid and overwhelming pace. Thus, it is easy to lose sight of the threads of continuity, of the essentials that may appear different in a contemporary context but that have stood the test of time. Listening to Katrina Lagrosa reinforced my observation that the hallmark of CHS education has not changed. In fact, she eloquently summarized the essence of my graduation speech.”

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Note: Excerpts from The Commencement Speech of Dr. Ma. Cynthia Rose Banzon-Bautista (HS-70), of the Commission on Higher Education delivered during the college graduation program on March 28, 2015.

* * * * * *

“Pope Francis, in his book Evangelii Gaudium put this well: Life according to him and I quote “is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. This he says is certainly what mission means…”_What makes this mission of service joyful is that it is carried out for the Lord to make life’s circumstances a little better for others.”

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CHED Commissioner Delivers Graduation Message

EVENTS

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“Our purpose in life is always bigger than ourselves and our purpose is to give of ourselves in the service of others—whether the others be our family; whether they be the people served by the organization we find ourselves working in; whether they be our friends and colleagues; whether they be the people in our geographic community, the poorest of the poor the faceless and nameless ‘poor’.”

* *

Piano Recital By: Sr. Guadalupe de Leon, S.Sp.S. (AA-49/BM-51)

The College of the Holy Spirit Manila presented its annual Piano Achievement Program on March 29, 2015. Participants were from the college and high school levels, Holy Spirit School, Ilang-Ilang, Quezon City, and scholars of Msgr. Clement Ignacio from the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo, Manila and members of the Youth Ministry. It was a joy listening to our promising pianists that morning. Highlighting the occasion was the presentation of CHSM tribute of gratitude and appreciation to the St. Scholastica College of Music for its support and contribution to the CHSM’s Music Department.

SCHOOL NEWS

CHSM Launches Children’s Reading Nook in Punta By: Felicitas “Jeff” R. Vito (BSE-94)

On May 20, 2015, the Feast Day of Blessed Josepha Stenmanns, SSpS, co-founder with St. Arnold Janssen, SVD, of the Servants of the Holy Spirit, the College of the Holy Spirit Manila launched the Children’s Reading Nook in Punta, Sta. Ana, a space intended to invite kids to curl up with a good book that uplifts and promotes positive values and character.

The activity was graced by the presence of CHSM administrators headed by College President Dr. Felina Co-Young and representatives of Bgy. 905 and Brotherhood Foundation for Community Development (BFCD) led by Ms. Yvette Ocampo. Dr. Concepcion C. Lizada, the Program Director of the Mother Edelwina Science Foundation (MESF),

facilitated the viewing with a Q & A on the animated film “Bangkang Papel” produced by the School of Fine Arts. The film tackles the Pasig River’s current sad state and raises the hope of reviving the river through people’s conscious and concerted effort. The morning event concluded with a simple “salo-salo.”

The Children’s Reading Nook project supports the CHSM Reading program through storytelling whose primary objective is to open up the world of books to children and develop in them a lifetime reading habit.

Ceremonial Cutting of Ribbon led by Dr. Young and Ms. Ocampo.

“Just sow; the harvest will be gathered

by those who come after you.” -Blessed Josepha

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HS-65 Golden jubilarians continue to celebrate with a get together lunch in

Milky Way, Makati, hosted by Toni Villaraza-Palenzuela. Seated, L-R are:

Ging Coruna-Pascual, Dig de Borja-Anonas, Deenette Villareal-Aguila, Lulu

Nepomuceno-del Rosario, Rosalou Soriano-Lamson, Rita Alonzo-Conquilla,

Myles Clemeno-Regalado, Anna Marie Sarthou-Fargas, Becky Zeta-Domingo,

Gina Tiongco-Legaspi, and Margot Esplana; Standing are: Bayron (our

choreographer), Kathy Marte, Chari Balatbat-Venturina, Patty Antiporda-Martin,

Lalah Pascual-Laforteza, Vicki Jugo-Litiatco, Lita Francia-Abadilla, Eloisa

Siongco-Vila, Elena Palenzuela-Mier, and Lorie Rualo- Martin.

SNAPSHOTS

HS-75 attendees taken during Homecoming 2015.

1st Row, L-R: Neliza Piencenaves Quisao, Elizabeth Nasol,

Melissa Fajardo Unidad, Adelina Vergel de Dios Mamonluk,

Carmencita Martinez Que, Concordia Fernando Jayme, Cynthia

Cordero Sarte, Suzette Nepomuceno Judalena, Marie Imperio

Suck.

2nd Row, L-R: Joy Nisce Trinidad, Bernardita Maronilla Reyes,

Cristina Reyes Williams, Beatrice Hilado Medalla, Lourdes Pobre,

Norma Arce Reyes, Cynthia Cabrera, Jovi Quiambao Aquino.

AB/BSC-68 classmates celebrate the visit of Cecile La Torre-

Mijares with a lunch get-together. From L-R are: Yola Arce-

Pilar, Becky Santiago-Sacdalan, Agnes Santiago-Gutierrez, Lucia

Bacani-Quimson, and Cecile, who is currently based in Garden

City, New York.

LUBUSAN

Titik: Teresita E. Nitorreda (HS-48/AB-51/BSE-52) Musika: Fr. E.P. Hontiveros, S.J.

O aking mahal na Panginoon, Ito po ang aking taimtim na panalangin:

Na ang aking pananampalataya Ay lubusan ninyong palalimin;

Na ang aking pag-asa Ay lubusan ninyong pagtibayin;

Na ang aking pag-ibig ay lubusan Ninyong paalabin;

Sapagka't O aking mahal na Panginoon: Kung ang mga ito ay hindi sa Inyo manggagaling, Ako'y walang sadya, walang sadyang kakayahan

Na mahalin kayo, O Poon, ... o sinuman Ng pagmamahal ng lubusan.

Maraming Salamat sa Pagmamahal.

200 Sq. Meters Barrio Bankal

Dasmariñas, Cavite

(Near De La Salle EAC & SM Pamilihang Bayan)

LOT FOR LEASE

For inquiries, please call: MS. NEL O. VELEZ

0917-7911869 or 586-9620

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Portraits by Emilina Masigan-Mercado (HS-63)

CP: 0917-723-0259

Email: emymerc@yahoo.com

We have office, dorm spaces for rent in a 1928 Andres Luna de San Pedro building,

the First United Building (formerly Perez-Samanillo Building)

on Escolta, Manila.

Special rates for CHSM alumnae

Contact Nos.: 241-5150 ; 241-7005 Mobile No. : (0926) 746-1223

Look for : Marites

ADVERTISEMENTS

Be part of our heritage

Our E-mail Connection

15

***** From: Rosalinda Tan-Roll (HS-53/AB-56/BSE-57) and former high school faculty member, Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 12/15:

Thank you for the information, sad though it is. Jill Iturralde was a lovely person and a wonderful teacher. I still remember when she tried to teach Jojo and me a few French phrases. She would do this in the teachers' lounge in between classes.

***** From: Sister Celia Tacujan, FMA (AB/BSE-74), Sta. Mesa, Manila, Feb. 12/15:

Ms. Julia Iturralde was the best History teacher I ever had. I fell in love with History and her story telling style. I took it then as a second major in working for my AB/BSE degree.

She perfectly combined History with Literature. This is why I was able to read famous Russian novels.

She vividly recalled ancient Roman and Greek arts and philosophy. Her simple, unassuming style as a teacher and her wide field of knowledge of her subject matter made every one of her students look forward to her daily History class. She laughed with us. I would never imagine this lovely creature ever getting mad in her lifetime.

Years later, as a History teacher myself, I would always have her image in front of me as I faced my students. I did not realize that love for History could run “in the family.” A number of my 4th year high school students also took education and History as a major area of specialization.

Thank you, Dean Julia Iturralde. We treasure the days that you have written here on earth and feel glad that you are now up there in heaven in the peace of God's embrace.

*****

A Tribute to Ms. Julia Iturralde From: Ma. Theresa Gonzalez-Pestano (HS-62/Ab-66), Richmond, Canada, Feb. 13/15:

Thank you for letting me know. She was an excellent History teacher. I thank God for Ms. Julia Iturralde. I will pray for her.

***** From: Ma. Erlinda G. Paguio (HS-62/AB-66/BSE-68), Louisville, Kentucky, Feb. 12/15:

I am much saddened to hear of Julia Iturralde's passing into eternal life. She was a great teacher who stimulated my interest in history. More than that, she was a gentle and learned woman of deep faith, who was both my mentor and my friend. Rest in peace, dear Julia. I will always thank God for you.

***** From: Ma. Lourdes Edano-Capistrano (HS-72/AB-76), Hongkong, Feb. 13/15:

I read your announcement with much sadness. But at the same time, as memories of Ms. Julia Iturralde crossed my mind, I thought I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet her. I was a Liberal Arts student majoring in Psychology, so I was in the department managed by Ms. Iturralde.

When I met Ms. Iturralde, who was introduced as the head of the department, I thought that this was one unassuming person. It turned out that she was steeped in qualifications, but went on with her daily duties in a most unassuming way, her very own quiet ways … that was how I saw her. She always had a ready smile when you visited her in her office or even when meeting her at the school’s corridors. So you somehow felt welcomed. And while she did not take marriage vows, she also seemed to have strong maternal instincts and was quite protective of the students in her department. This made me think that she would have been a good mom, if she had chosen to take this direction. In the classroom, she was an interesting lecturer, sharing her experiences and insights, which gave a fresh perspective on the topic being covered. I felt inspired and motivated in every class of hers that I attended.

While I’m sorry to know that this great lady has passed away, I find consolation in the thought that for at least four years, our paths did cross. I am grateful for whatever she shared, whether in the confines of the classroom or outside. I’m pretty sure that she influenced me one way or the other in what and where I am now. For this, she will always have a special place in my heart.

May the Lord Almighty grant her eternal repose! *****

Be part of our E-Mail Connection… send your comments, news, messages from/to classmates and teachers to chsaf.mla@gmail.com

Ed.’s Note: Following are messages-feedback that we received when we announced to her classmates and many former pupils the sad event of Ms. Julia A. Iturralde’s passing last February. A complete HGCian, Jill spent most of her life and her best years at CHS Mendiola. She graduated high school in 1948 and received her AB and BSE degrees four years later. Immediately returning to serve her school as one of the best faculty members of its college department, Jill taught for over four

decades, from the fifties up to the early nineties. These messages are sincere and heartfelt tributes to her excellence as a teacher and as a person:

2014 Oct. 24 - Marietta Florendo-Montales (HS-64); 2015 Feb. 5 – Salud R. Nuguid, mother of Carmelita Nuguid-Ericta (HS-

66), Rosario Nuguid-Aquino (HS-68/BM-72) and grandmother of Cynthia Marie N. Ericta (BFA-96);

Mar. 12 - Jose M. Sagun, 68 years old; husband of Ma. Socorro Barredo-Sagun (HS-67/BSC-71);

Apr. 20 - Marilou Constantino-Dyogi (HS-64), sister of Esmeralda C. Poppinga (HS-56), Marinella C. Hellawell (HS-65), Edelwina C. Gluck (HS-67) and Helenita (d), HS-73;

Apr. 27 - Isidora Aguilar-Samson (HS-55), sister of Marie Lys A. dela Cruz (HS-62) and Cynthia A. Maglaya (d), HS-63;

Apr. 30 - Herbert Jabson, father of Jocelyn (BSE-87); May 12 - Nilo P. Dizon, husband of Amelia Tiosejo-Dizaon (HS-

54/BSHE-58); May 27 – Mary Jane S. Sarte (BSC-93), of throat cancer; May 28 - Jose M. Belmonte, husband of Ma. Luisa Aglibut-

Belmonte (HS-54/AA-56/AB-57/BSE-58); May 30 – Virginia Ayson, mother of Ma. Corazon (d), HS-63/AB-

67/BSE-68, and Anita A. de Vera (HS-66/AB-70); May 30 - Teodorica F. Cruz (HS-62), sister of Felicitas C. Marasigan

(d), HS-53, Leovegilda C. de la Rosa (HS-54), and Juanita (HS-69/BSC-73);

Jun. 04 - Gloria M. Achacoso (HS-69/BSEEd-73), of cancer; she was the sister of Ma. Rosario A. de Guzman (HS-67/BSC-71), Felisa (HS-70/BSFN-74), Alicia A, Lim (HS-74), and Jesusa Corazon A. Cruz (HS-77/AB/BSC-82). Gloria was a teacher in CHS Mendiola and former Principal of Holy Spirit School in Quezon City;

Jun. 05 - Eduardo Cheng, of a massive heart attack; brother of Aurora C. Borres (HS-57/BSC-61), Cynthia C. Alejo (HS-65), Imelda Virginia C. Romero (HS-67), and Rosemarie C. Pimentel (HS-69);

Jun. 06 – Antonio C. Alves, 63 years old, son of Milagros Carlotta-Alves (HS-42) and brother of Ma. Concepcion A. Reyes (HS-67), Ma. Lourdes A. Nolasco (HS-67), and Milagros A. Caballes (HS-75);

Jun. 11 - Divina Galvez-Sonido (HS-57); Jun. 12 - Teresita E. Nitorreda (HS-58/AB-51/BSE-52), at age 82,

peacefully, at her home in Quezon City. An outstanding alumna, she received many awards, among them, The Mahatma Gandhi Prize, the John Paul II Award for Youth Ministry, the Cardinal Santos Award for Christ Centeredness and the CHS Centennial Award for 100 Outstanding Alumnae, and recognition for her significant contribution to the S.Sp.S. mission;

Jun. 19 - Ligaya I. Villavicencio (BM-50) and a former faculty member of the CHSM music department during the fifties;

Jun. 20 - Tania Camille Dee, sister of Rose Mary Ann Dee (AB-05); Jun. 23 - Eduardo S. Ledesma, husband of Eloisa Luciano-Ledesma

(HS-61/AB-65); brother of Teresa L. Calalang (HS-52), Ma. Angeles L. Marquez (d), HS-57/ABA-59; Lilia (HS-58/AB-62/BSE-63), and Carmen L. Gregorio (HS-60);

Jun. 29 - Fe Mendiola-Gutierrez (HS-48), sister of Ester M. Ingles (HS-41), Celia M. Alix (HS-47), Lina M. Lugay (d), HS-52/BSPharm-56), and Sr. Ma. Lourdes (Alice), S.Sp.S. (HS-55);

Into Eternal Life

Prayer Corner

Through our "Alumnae Prayer Community," let all of us,

alumnae-sisters, pause for a minute and storm heaven with our

prayers for:

- Elena Palenzuela-Mier (HS-65) who underwent a gall bladder operation and, later, suffered some complications that involved her heart; may she recover completely from these health problems;

- the return to health of Virginia Vallarta-Fausto (HS-55) who was recently confined at the ICU due to severe chest and back pains; Vida is a colon cancer survivor and has had to deal with a number of close calls, including a couple of strokes;

- Ma. Mercedes A. Cordero (HS-51/CSS-53/AB-61/BSE-62), who is scheduled to undergo surgery on her lungs; Mercedes is based in Tampa, Florida;

- continued prayers for Ester Mendiola-Ingles (HS-41), who has been in a coma for eleven years now; she is the mother of Marilyn I. Lorenzo (HS-67), Carolyn I. Chrans (HS-74), and Ester Cecilia (HS-80/BSMT-85) and the sister of Celia M. Alix (HS-47), Fe M Gutierrez (HS-48), Lina M. Lugay (d), HS-52/BSPharm-56, and Sister Maria Lourdes (HS-55);

Send us your prayer requests and let our "Alumnae Prayer

Community" gather through this section in His name for you.

Call Cora at Tel. No. 735-5986 or e-mail us at

chsaf.mla@gmail.com

Congratulations to…

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the S.Sp.S. sisters who celebrated their jubilee years at the Holy Spirit Convent in Poinsettia, Quezon City last May:

- Sister Christinamaria (Josefa Ferriols), HS-38/AB-41/

BSE-42, who celebrated her 70th jubilee (!), - Sister Elenita (Regina Fres), 65 years, - Sister Carrmencita (Aurora Gatmaitan), 60 years, and - Sister Marie Grace Puzon, 50 years.

SAVE THE DATE!

Requiem Mass at 8:00 am, Saturday,

July 11, 2015, at the CHSM Chapel.