Haribon Batch Birthday: Better late than later

Joel Paredes‘73D

My kabatch Cris Michelena was already frantic. “Aren’t we going to celebrate our batch birthday?” asked Cris, our “Grand Amuyong “when we joined the Fraternity 38 years ago.

I had to admit it slipped my mind that we declared that Batch ’73 D – the Haribon – will coincide its official celebration right after the annual lantern parade at UP Diliman so that resident brods can participate in our annual birthday bash. I later learned from my kabatch that one brod even posted in his Facebook account a “reminder” that batch 73D will hold its birthday celebration after the lantern parade.

In recent years, we really helped host the Frat’s lantern parade party. That was the start of our batch’s usual series of drinking spree until Dec. 23, to commemorate the day when 9 of the 47 neophytes who joined the Fraternity’s December initiation survived the final rites at the old farm of Brod Bong Jamir in Imus, Cavite in 1973.

                                               Haribons: Dante Agulto, Rudio Oviedo, Joel Paredes, Cris Michelena,

                                                              Dr. Ed Aldana and Gen. Rico Salapong.

Cris was apparently dismayed that only three resident brods joined the alumni brods who proceeded to the DENR’s Parks and Wildlife near North Avenue after the lantern parade for the UPBSFI sponsored dinner. After offering to bring the resident back to the campus, he found that they had actually decided to hold a separate Christmas Party at the tambayan.

So Cris had to remind our batch mates that we really need to meet and commemorate our batch birthday. Our consensus was to hold it on the 27th of December since Jakarta-based brod Dave “DD” de la Torre was in town, and he was also organizing a small party at the Gulp club on that day.

Dave de la Torre and Rico Salapong

Funny, but most of us were also late for own batch birthday, just as we were surprisingly slow in preparing for it this year. I would later tell them that December was really a “hataw” month for me and others who belong to the working class.

Anyway, Brods Douglas Mondonedo and Ambo Lapis were the first to arrive, although they came from Los Banos. So no more excuses!

Only our kabatch Dante Agulto came on time (but the Gulp Club is owned by his younger brother Brod Caloy “Totoy” Agulto) with his boss Brod Bong Tayamen and Brod Burger Buan who brought imported pink salmon and lots of seafood for our ‘pulutan.”

Founder Atty. Rico Arranz joined the celebrants

Kabatch Rudio Oviedo came with his “bodyguard” -- his son Brod Karl, who now works as account manager for Radio Mindanao Network (RMN).

Kabatch Ed Aldana, the “cool” doctor came in late, but he had a good excuse. Our last kabatch to arrive was Rico Salapong, who had recently retired as chief superintendent of the Philippine National Police. But he came all the way from Bulacan and now as a civilian, he had to face the traffic jam without a wang-wang.

We never expected that the entire function room will be packed, but they were all their for the fun and never-ending story telling.

Notably present were Ed “Chax” Baldoria, our GP in 1973, and Ben Abon, the master of initiation for the Batch 73D, who said he took the bus from Victoria, Tarlac just to be with us that night.

Ben Abon (center) was the master of initiation for Batch 73D

Of course, we missed our kabatch Edsel “The Phantom” Arceo who is based in Los Angeles and Aris “The Mad Scientist” Macasero who has yet to be found in the western jungles of Texas.

That night we also remembered our slain kabatch Dodong Castillo, who was executed by his military captors in Isabela when he joined the underground movement in the mid-70s.

This is all that I can remember. It was a god thing that Brod Rolly Reyes had a camera to document the event despite his being tipsy. I was nearly dead drunk that night.

Cheers!

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