Flashback: The Euphoric 101010 Celebrations,
plus Encounters with our UPLB Resident Brods
by Willie “Tatang” Vergara ‘67

[Photos by Willie Vergara, Ollie Jumao-as and and Eric Velecina]

DENR Secretary Brod Mon Paje, in his keynote speech last August 16, 2011 on the occasion of the frat’s 65th Anniversary, said in his opening statement: “Nais kong batiin yung mga ‘di nabanggit ni Pangulong Rene sa kanyang Welcome Address…” Then he proceeded to mention the presence of the three resident GPs namely Josh Caringal of Diliman, Raymond Juan of UPLB, and Anton Hipolito of UP Baguio. Brod Mon Paje added, “Sino ba tayo kundi mga alumni lamang. Etong mga residente ngayon ang mga magtataguyod sa atin pagdating ng panahon.”

It is on this note that much of this article, most especially Part II is written. Leaving a legacy by way of supporting and guiding our residents has taken on the psyche of many alumni brothers -- not only for our residents to grow their numbers, or to regain our campus footholds during our glorious years, but also to develop them into principle-centered, future leaders of government, business and industry.

Meeting our young brods in situ was, therefore, foremost in my agenda during my last two visits in the Philippines. Except for our UP Mindanao, I was able to meet with many of the residents in each of our campus chapters. It was such a pleasure to know that most of those I came in touch with had this desire to recruit, recruit, and recruit the best students in campus.

Where information is available, the ladies groups (Sigma Betans and LCs) that support the brods in their endeavors are also an important part of this article.

Aware that some of us (like me) have a short attention span, this article is presented in two separate parts. Part I shows the exceptional bonding between UP Los Banos Beta Sigma – Sigma Beta that gave the 101010 celebrations a lot of glitter and grandeur. Part II will be about our Diliman residents and young alumni, our UP Baguio residents, Ladies’ Corp and young alumni, and a glimpse of our UP Visayas Chapter.

UPLB Beta Sigma plus Sigma Beta equals Ten to the Third Power
 

Last year, I went to Pinas primarily for the 10-10-10 celebrations. It was also an opportunity for me to meet the UPLB brods face-to-face and to visit Los Banos, a campus where I experienced one of my most enjoyable moments as a Beta Sigman. There, I met several residents led by then GP Tomsak Criador, former GP Jec Cabuguason, and the current one – GP Raymond Juan. In spite of several 10-10-10 preparation activities he had to attend to, UPLB Beta Sigma Alumni Association President Leo Balagot was very generous and caring as to offer one of his hotel-resort facilities for a meeting with the residents – with all the amenities of a well-equipped function room. Most of the residents were commissioned to help during the preparations, so only a handful of the 28 members were present during that particular gathering. Here, we seriously talked about ensuring our future through targeted recruitment and then went to a lakeside restaurant called “Dalampasigan” for food and drinks. Geez! The residents can really drink like we used to during our salad days!

UP Los Banos resident brods

The whole week of 10-10-10 celebrations is the grandest and most well-attended activity I’ve witnessed among Los Banos Brods and Sisters. Preparations started as early as a year before, and Event Chairman and UPLB BSAA President “Don” Leo Balagot even came to the United States to promote attendance at the event. With Co-chair (and very pretty) Sis Boots Revilleza and the rest of the Organizing Committee, it appeared to me that every little thing was planned in clockwork efficiency.

Leo Balagot makes sales pitch for 101010 to UP North

101010 Event Chair Leo Balagot, Co-Chair Boots Revilleza and the Organizing Committee

Bellevue Hotel, the venue of 101010 Fraternity Ball

Sigma Betans with Event Co-Chair Boots Revilleza, farthest right

Brods mingle with the Sisses

The week-long series of events was front-ended with a Grand Fraternity Ball at the majestic Bellevue Hotel. The elegant venue (considered as the 2nd best in the area), the grand ballroom and welcoming ambience of the hotel interior ushered a delightful night of fellowship and reunion among Brods from Diliman and Los Banos. The ubiquitous Founding Father Rico Arranz was there, and so with Justice Raoul Victorino, who was speaker of the affair. They were seated with Dean Ted Topacio, Secretary Victor Ramos, Eding Hizon, Bernie Bantegui, and Willie Nepomuceno. Other Diliman brods present were Rolly Reyes, Jelly Nacino, Manny Balangue, Joey Zulueta, Ollie Jumao-as, Milton Mendoza, Chris Michelena, Rey Juan, Poti Aparato, Canadian Noli Nolasco, New Yorker Babes Galoso, Californians Titing Valdez, Ed Rivera, and (… my apologies for my failing memory.)

DouglasM, EdingH, TitingV, WillieV, BernieB and from LA Ed & Zeni Rivera

Distinguished elders: Dr. Ted Topacio, Atty. Rico Arranz, Justice Raoul Victorino

Ollie Jumao-as, Eding Hizon, Willie Vergara

  Pat Roman, Willie Vergara, Atty. Jelly Nacino, Manny Balangue                                       Plus Joey Zulueta
 

It was such a pleasant opportunity to see many, many Brothers who roamed the UPLB campus a few decades ago – a buddy-officemate of long ago former Consul General Larry Santiago, ex-FG Pat Roman, Mother Chapter Prez Rene de Rueda, Jojo Alejar, Ando Roman, Douglas Mondonedo, Ambo Lapis, Henry Chua, Tony Lu from Cebu/Dumaguete, Greg Palis, Angie Angliongto and Bing Garcia from Davao, Jim Gonzalvo from Virginia, Ed Quisumbing from Maryland, Ted Quijano from New Jersey, Art de Vera from Canada, Don Ganchorre from Seattle, Hawaiian Orly Ancheta, Orlac Malabanan from the MidWest, Californians Ernie Tremor, Johnny Regadio, Nestor Lawas, Val Palattao, Johnny Singh, Frank Mamaril and Vee de Vera. I’m sure I missed a lot of names here.

From Australia Popoy Castaneda, 2nd left; and from Canada Noli Nolasco, 6th left.

From SF Ernie Tremor & Willy Sarino, and from Seattle Don Ganchorre.

RenedeR, OrlinoA, LuigiT, TedT, WilV, Frank Cornejo

Consul Larry Santiago, WilV, Ando Roman, Atty. Milton Mendoza

From Midwest Jim Gonzalvo (3rd left) and Olrac Malabanan (rightmost).

Tony Lu, Rolly Reyes, WilV, Popoy Castaneda, Anggie Angliongto, Vic Ramos

Courtesy of Brods Rolly Reyes and Jojo Alejar, I had the honor to be seated with the fresh-from-college UP Sigma Betans. The decibel level brought about by the cheerfulness, laughter and excitement of the evening, coupled with a bit of a hearing problem (oooops!), would leave no opportunity to know these pretty sisters other than taking photos with them, or just saying “hi” or asking “are you enjoying the evening?”

The Young and Beautiful Sigma Betans

Jelly Nacino, Ed Rivera, Manny Balangue, Willie Nep, WilV, Butch Madarang, Bernie Bantegui, Rolly Reyes

My in-laws Mino and wife Sis Lea Cabral, together with their contemporary Sigma Betans, also graced the occasion. It was a treat to have met Albert Chiongbian and Frank Cornejo, with whom I would intermittently correspond, and the super-contributors to our website Popoy Castaneda, Dionisio “Jun” Battad, and GP Mario Manzano, all from Australia. I think I also met Fel Calora.
 

WilV with Jun Battad and Mario Manzano

Brod and Sis Mino and Leah Cabral, Bing Garcia, Sigma Betans

         Mino Cabral, Albert Chiongbian, WilV, Ed Quisumbing                                  Ted Topacio, WilV, Frank Cornejo

The UPLB resident brothers and sisters were there, and were among the highlights of the evening with their coordinated dances, plus their oath-taking ceremonies. Luigi and Erol Topacio came with their grandpa. Luigi was also in the company of his girlfriend Kimberly. Whoa! Kimberly came all the way from San Francisco, California in order to perform the pinning rites with Luigi. (Fate would have it though that Luigi and Kimberly were the stars during a special pinning ceremonies in San Francisco 7 months later.) I also recall meeting a few young UPLB Brods that evening, one of them being San Miguel marketing executive Kerwin Santos.

Commitment Ceremonies

The illustrious Topacios

From NJ/NY Ted Quijano & Babes Galoso; from San Diego Johnny Singh; from SF Vee de Vera.

Immediately after the Grand Ball, I rode with my balae Mino and Lea Cabral to UPLB, where I lodged for 2 nights. Still too tired from the long trip and almost without sleep, I attended the next day activities (October 9) but slept off inside a brod’s car for the entire duration of the motorcade around the campus. The long nap got me energized for the evening activity: A Welcome Night at the College of Forestry. This was organized by Brod Atty. Roberto “Obet” Oliva and Prez Rene de Rueda. There seemed to be no end to the merrymaking, booze, and Filipino food. The ageless Brod Perfing Palacios ’53 sang to his new wife in his classic South Pacific style. Even members of the hired professional band (sponsored by the Vice Governor of Laguna) were held in awe. A group of Forestry Brods in the 60s and 70s spontaneously organized themselves and presented a song composed by them. The affair was also attended by the pretty Sigma Beta residents. It was also an occasion to meet other Forestry Brods like DENR Director Arnol Hernandez, Lapitan, Julius Valdez from Davao, Oscar Cabanayan, Nestor Baguinon (the only remaining Forestry Brod teaching at the College of Forestry), Louie Pontigon, and Roger Jamorabon.

UP Forestry brods sing their spontaneously composed song

From Toronto Art de Vera (front seat) and from SF Ernie Tremor (back seat).

From Seattle Cosme Santiago & Nards Taggueg, and from SF Val Palattao

Standing center: Tony Lu and Perfing Palacios.

Orlino Ancheta from Oahu flashing the Hawaiian sign - "Mahalo!"

October 10, 2010, or 101010 was D-Day – a parade in the morning and a luncheon that would end until dinnertime. The organizers of the parade honored the UPLB Golden Jubilarians by having all of them seated on the stage in full view of all the festivities happening before their eyes. During the parade, I retreated to an obscure corner of the stage to take photos and to have a feel of the UPLB landscape. There I understood better what many of us have been saying all along – a proliferation of organizations, mostly course-based, that have become the preference of the students over fraternities and sororities for the past many years now. That makes our 28-resident membership as having one of the biggest membership among student groups in Los Banos.

D-Day Parade 10-10-10

I was extremely proud to see that our participation was second to none. The guy-and-gal emcees atop an elevated stand (more like a small tower) could not conceal their awe just seeing the large delegation of UP Beta Sigma Fraternity and UP Sigma Beta Sorority. The lady emcee remarked, “Napakarami po nila at di mo makita kung nasaan ang dulo ng kanilang delegasyon!” Our combined numbers literally dwarfed all other groups in that event – frats and orgs alike.

Before proceeding to the much-awaited luncheon, I went to see the art exhibit of Fine Arts brods in the 50s and 60s.

Joel Paredes, WilV & Jojo Alejar

Art Exhibit

The parade was followed by a luncheon held at Splash Mountain, one of the two resort hotels owned by Don Leo. Brods and Sis from every nook and corner of the archipelago, and from several continents of the world – from North America (USA and Canada), Australia, Asia, and Europe. It was a splendid occasion to fellowship with new and familiar faces, and to finally meet other UPLB brods whom I met only in cyberspace. There was Sandy Daza and Oca Mamang(on), Dennis Punzalan, “Malmon” and other brods belonging to a younger generation. I finally met the very tall Davaoan Adel Oviedo in person.

                          Mario Manzano & Ed Rivera                                       The San Juans - Los Banos GP Raymond and Dad Rey

                      "The Most Expensive Brod"                                       The now white-haired LB toughie, Tony Altamirano

UPLB residents band

From SF Vee de Vera & Rotsen Lawas

"Malmon model", Leo Balagot, Sandy Daza, WilV, Oca Mamangon

It was such rare opportunity to see Andy Sibayan, Aggie ’63, after 4 decades. During that banquet where most of us were so gregarious and hilarious, Andy’s pensive and calm demeanor was quite noticeable. This was the last time we would ever see him, for he had passed on some weeks after that event. It seemed as if he came to say goodbye to his fraternity that he so loved.

WilV and Vic Tupaz point to Andy Sibayan (leftmost in right picture) who frolics with his Betan brothers to the very end 

The program started with the recitation of the Betan Credo by “the most expensive brod”. (As an aside, I would also call him an “accidental hero”. His experience gave us a lesson powerful enough as to realize the need to complete the reforms in our induction process, thereby saving our fraternity and future brods from unwanted serious consequences.) The photo-taking that followed the sumptuous lunch was a lot of fun. Groups upon groups were invited to the stage to get their picture taken – Batch 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, the UPLB and UP Sigma Beta residents, the current and past GPs, Betan families and so on.

From Redding (with the microphone), Dr. Edith Orlino-Oliva

My last encounter with the UPLB residents was last July 16, during our 65th Anniversary Grand Fraternity Ball. All nine officers, this time led by new GP Raymond Juan, decidedly a more handsome version of his proud father, Rey Juan of Diliman 70s. A most pleasant news was announced of late – their number has increased to forty members, with the “accidental hero” recruiting a majority in this newest batch!

Willie Vergara and batchmate Jun Rafael pose with the UPLB Beta Sigma officers

The 101010 series of events again provided an opportunity to partake in another once-in-a-lifetime experience and feel the energy, electricity and inner force that comes along with our unique brand of brotherhood. There are no words to describe the jubilation among brods and sisters during that week. Thanks to the inventors of the camera, the pictures could somehow portray the glory and joy of this rare gathering. But just about any euphoric event, the experience is always special and beyond compare when one is there as a first-hand witness.

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