UP Baguio 1977 Holds 33^rd Anniversary Fund-raiser and Celebration

by Dennis Y. Belmonte 86

It was October 2, 2010 and the venue was the Legrand Condominiums at Greenhills, San Juan City.  UP Baguio brods moved the anniversary celebration this day earlier rather than the Sunday it fell on.  But the day was also auspicious because we also celebrated the Ladies Corps anniversary, AND we held on this day our poker fundraiser. 

Tournament Director Dennis Belmonte with Baguio Beans

Warming up for the big fight

       Tournament Director Dennis gets the players organized                                                  Dorbs and LC

               Lloyd Dizon with the resident Baguio beans                                 The younger dorbs and an LC were the food servers

Many alumni and residents helped in the successful triple treat.  Ying Palafox 87 was a generous host for the planning meetings. Pioneer Glorisimo Pionilla provided the venue for the event, Val Guzman 80 provided the off-line “entertainment”.   Raul Landingin 87 was the F & B manager.  Diliman resident Aldus Agnar 03 was on reception duty and Baguio resident Jordan Torres 04 provided the poker paraphernalia.  Jun Sta. Barbara 80- successor of the great snake Bobby Manansala 67, was the official photographer- a role both Diliman and Baguio residents have come to rely on him for.  GP JR Roque provided the dealers and tournament officials.  Poker veteran and champion Raffy Hidalgo 86 helped set the rules of the game.    Many alumni and alumnae showed up help us celebrate, and notable was the UPBSFI President Tatang Vergara 67 who honoured us by showing up and seeing the night to its end even if he was half-comatose

from jet lag.

Resident Baguio Beans with UPBSFI Prez Tatang Vergara

UP Baguio brods rented the penthouse

                       Resident Baguio beans and an LC                                                            Brods with LCs

Jun Saint Barb wears the shoes of Bobby 'Snakey' M

Brods with LCs

A light moment with the OBBF

Even if the celebration was not in Baguio, it was an alumni homecoming for Bong Pionilla and Danny Peralta from the 70's,  Val Guzman, Jun Sta. Barbara, Federico Dasalla, Dong Palafox, Ronald Bareng, Dennis Belmonte, Ying Palafox, Arnold Magno from the 80's,  Zuriel Tangonan and Renino Prado from the 90's, and Raul Landingin, Aldus Agnar, Mikhael Tumacder, Jordan Torres, Darryl Reyes, and Dan Paul Dava from the 2000's. 

As for the poker event we got more than we asked for.  Starting with 17 brods on two tables there was a contrast of brash and rowdy behaviour of the older brods, and the stoic poker faced style characteristic of younger players.  They were mercilessly ripping each other to pieces with the final 6 a table of veterans.  The usual suspects were all there joined by Val Guzman of Baguio.  By 1130PM, 3 Diliman veterans and 1 Baguio old-timer were left.  Metrowalk Card Club mainstay Jeipee Banzon 04 was in with a short stack, and Val De Guzman 80 was hanging on by the skin of his teeth.  The two big stacks were long time rivals; multiple titled Raffy Hidalgo 86 and his Pioneer Highlands and Valle Verde 2 playmate Pete Danao 92.

It started with two large tables

Mainit ang labanan

The residents provided 'dealer' service

Reduced to just one table

Until there were just a few

                                    Down to 6                                                                                     Down to the Final 4

But the utter and unfathomable confidence of Raffy got the best of him.  He insisted in a pissing contest with Pete instead of preying on the weak, and forced the game into a game of cards, rather than a game of players. Repeated all-in re-raises by Raffy on Pete soon found him short stacked.  As Val got blinded out, Raffy soon followed, leaving it a challenge of veterans vying for their first title.  But Jeipee called on his casino experience and eroded Pete’s monster stack.  Within 30 minutes of heads-up battle Jeipee took home his first title and the cash prize.

                 Baguio Dorb Val Guzman was in the Final 4                                    Raffy and Ying did not make it to the finals

                             The Championship Match                                     Runner-Up Pete Danao, Champ Jeipee Banzon & Tatang

Champ Jeipee Banzon & Tatang

And still the night went on.  The Baguio brods kept their reputation of renowned hospitality among chapters.  The festivities continued until the wee hours of the morning and so did the ‘entertainment’.  With smiles of success, the Baguio residents went back up the mountains they call home.

UP Baguio Residents and Young Alumni

Jason, Jun SB, Raffy, Dennis, Tatang, Pete, LC

Tatang and the Resident Baguio Beans

[Note: Dennis is the Grand Princep of the UP Baguio Alumni Association, OBBF Member of the Board of Trustees and Director of the UP Beta Sigma SOMA Center.]

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