Batch 73C - “Blood & Guts”
Batch 50th ANNIVERSARY
By mid-July the
decision was made to hold a small luncheon @Trellis Restaurant in Q.C. the
afternoon of Oct 1st. A timeline was also decided for the grand celebration in
the City of Cagayan de Oro (CDO) - set for Oct 4th to Oct 7th.
But then came the
hard work of booking flights, finding lodging, planning events & excursions,
food choices to make, etc. And who’s gonna do all of these? In comes LC
twin-sisters Laureen and Eileen to plan and schedule everything CDO-related. And
then we heard that Sis Aileen Basbas, Kabats Gilbas’ beloved spouse was also
pulling strings to get the group a stay at TIE Beach Resort (named after the
owner’s children Thea, Inigo & Elle). You’ll see later what a “fantastic” job
they did. You ask, what about Brod Lem & Brod Hec? The twin’s better halves?
Didn’t they also help? Probably depends on who you ask. Hec for one made quick
plans for a golf outing. Lem on the other hand became in-charge of keeping the
libations well-stocked and flowing.
There were some side trips. Somewhere along I met up with Kabats Gilbert Basbas the morning after his arrival in MNL. I tracked him down to the Bed & Breakfast Inn he was staying at.
Me and Kabats Gilbert B as I picked him up at the Purple Tree B&B in Sucat, Paranaque.
In no time at all, Kabats BoyL had the shirts and hoodies all wrangled up and ready for distribution to all
Kabats and guests that have bothered to order. Things were coming according to plan.
However, with a little Photoshop, Kabats Boy L was able to make Kabats Alan P magically appear in the photo, hahaha!!! Now awaiting a recent photo from Kabats Ollie J.
Above is a local favorite dessert called “Sizzling Binaki w/ Caramel Sauce. Binaki is steamed corn cake
topped w/ a scoop of ice cream and smothered with rich caramel. It’s to die for.
Upon request from Kabats Dan, Kabats Alan brought some fresh tuna sashimi and, the best -
some fatty tuna, from his home in General Santos City.
And so off we went. We all piled into several vehicles and headed for the mountains. Claveria, a town up in the mountains and the supposed “Tagaytay” of Misamis Province would beckon. Our convoy enjoyed the lush scenery enroute to Claveria.
In Claveria, we stopped at this restaurant perched atop a mountain with a
classic view of the valley floor below. The restaurant’s called “Don Narciso
Cafe” and serves Misamis delicacies. Just the view itself was enough but the
great tasting food cinched it all up.
By dessert time, Brod Butch Madarang saw something that caught his attention: hand-made hot chocolate served in bamboo mugs! Brod Butch scampered to the next table to check the goods and furiously took photos. Ahh… the promise of bamboo! For those who may be unaware, Brod Butch leads the nation’s efforts to promote the growth and use of the ever versatile and highly-sustainable bamboo plant.
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Hand-made hot chocolate I believe is called “batirol” or “sikwate”.
After lunch the convoy got back up on the road. We start heading downhill on the way to the coastal town of Gingoog where TIE Beach Resort is located. As it turned out we will have been divided into a group of males and a group of females. The boys were all to stay at TIE Beach Resort and the girls will be at the Duka Bay Resort, just a 5-minute walk away.
In TIE Beach’s outside patio, relaxed and refreshed, the group started a quick jug-a-lug.
After a few shots of Japanese whisky, some of the ladies came over and we all strolled the few blocks towards Duka Bay Resort to meet up with the rest for drinks, dinner and live entertainment. And boy was it entertaining. You’ll see…
Dinner is just about to start at Duka Bay Resorts’ outdoor dining facility.
After dinner it was time to rage!!! Bring out the whiskey!
Kabats Dan starts off with a stirring rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home,
Country Roads” with the evening’s on-stage talent.
Kabats Greg busting a move…
The evening was young and everyone was having a good time. Kabats Alan & Brod Lem showed graceful moves…
Rigorous dancing can be exhausting. And once the bottles started toppling over, some had to take a relaxing break… the evening was almost over.
The next morning, the group (albeit a bit hungover) went on a boat ride for some spear fishing and water sports. They came back empty-handed but all wearing big smiles from the fun they had.
Eileen: “Hey, you guys can let go… the water is fine.” Guys: “Nope, we’re good. Ain’t letting go.”
After lunch, we started the trip back to CDO… this time taking the coastal route back into town. Upon reaching the hotel everyone needed a nap and a refresh in preparation for the evening’s festivities: A fabulous multi-course buffet (including some fresh crabs and shrimp brought over by Brod Buboy Tenasas) in a dizzying culinary display.
The culmination of the evening was a highly-spirited Karaoke session. Very good
times were had by everyone! You’ll see…
*** These are frame grabs so please pardon the picture quality.
First was Kabats Alan P who seized the microphone…
How about that? A ditty, a rose and a kiss for Sis Bing courtesy of Kabats Alan!
Next was Kabats Nap…
Kabats Nap sang the famous Beatles song “Michelle” to his dear wife Sis Mae, who
sat and smiled in her enthusiastic approval. Sweet!!!
And then it was bedlam, with LC Joy singing the anthemic “Dancing Queen” by the iconic group ABBA. All the ladies take to the floor, chorus singing and dancing joyously. What an evening!!!
To commemorate Kabats Dan’s breakthrough performance at Duka Bay the previous
night, as well as his stellar stint on the mic this evening, a ticker was put
up.
And the “Limited Edition Dan ‘Denver’ Bautista Whiskey Blend” was issued, in
reference to his stirring rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
The evening ended with everyone just oozing with fun, camaraderie, love and
enjoyment.
The following day was sort of a free day, so people went out and did their
thing. Some folks went to the Farmer’s Market to buy Lanzones, Rambutan and
other local fruits & delicacies. Some folks drove out to see Bukidnon in the
early afternoon.
Brod Hec, Kabats Dan, Kabats Edwin and myself were to play golf that morning. I
wasn’t feeling well so I bowed out. They went out as a threesome and, from what
I heard, Brod Hec was the only one who had a good time. Apparently he was
ripping the golf ball that morning. Appears Brod Hec might be getting plenty of
fairway time.
L-R: Kabats Edwin, Kabats Dan, Brod Hec.
After the round Kabats Dan had to run to the airport for his flight back to MNL.
Kabats Edwin & Brod Hec joined the Bukidnon group.
By the following morning, many of the attendees had left for home. I flew back
to MNL with Brod Robbie, Kabats Edwin and Sis Sylvia. We were tired but it was
sad to leave such a wonderful gathering. But all good things must come to an
end.
The feeling of longing for brotherhood and the joy of camaraderie was evident
during this entire adventure. The years are washed away by the glorious stories
of yesterday. Fifty years on and the familiarity endures, the humor tickles &
the sarcasm sweeter. We were fresh batchmates again. It may have been that in
our golden years, having endured the trials of life, we’ve come to realize again
that the Fraternity has stood as the one constant in our lives. It’s a good
feeling… this realization.
The Cast of Characters
The Celebrants of Batch 73C (Blood & Guts)
o Albert Bacungan
o
Alan Posadas
o
Boy Luna
o
Boy Pantig
o
Dan Bautista
o
Edwin Encomienda
o
Gilbert Basbas
o
Greg Vergara
o
Leo Pascua
o
Nap Cruz
o
Ollie Jumao-as
The Guests Appearances:
o
Ben Albarece
o
Becky Malay (LC)
o
Billy Sevilla
o
Bing Posadas (Sis)
o
Bing Isungga (LC)
o
Bio Acuna
o
Buboy Tenasas
o
Butch Madarang
o
Eileen San Juan (Sis)
o
Eric Ines
o
Hec San Juan
o
Ick Angeles
o
Joy Lacanilao-Tan (LC)
o
Laureen Escobar (Sis)
o
Lem Michelena
o
Mae Cruz (Sis)
o
Marius Mercado (LC)
o Robbie Feliciano
o
Sylvia Encomienda (Sis)
o
Escobar & Posadas family members were also present
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