UPRHS 1983

Ehhh, one hit wonder...

2010-08-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

"COME ON!!!"

A reunion smorgasbord for your viewing appetites!!!

2010-02-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Comments for the preceding video post:

Thanks go to top chef Elisa Reyes for cooking this sumptuous creation! Thanks, Elise (and for resurrecting this blog, too)!!!

Nice song, too. Very appropo. Did you commission Gary Granada or did Irwin?

I couldn't add these comments to the video post. For some reason, the post gets screwed up when I try to edit it.

2010-02-23T08:50:00.001-08:00

Attentione

2009-07-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

UPRHS 80th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
July 24, Friday
Foundation Day Program

MIGHTY @ 80 !!! Kasaysayan, Karunungan, Kahusayan
(Pssst! 2 Dekada na Lang!)

Program of Activities

8:00 AM
Mighty @ 80! Open House
Exhibits on Alumni Achievers Part 1
Pinoy Games / Trivia

3:00 PM
Ground Breaking Ceremony (IT Bldg)

3:30 PM
Foundation Day Program
Merienda Cena

4:30 PM
TALENTADONG RURALITE / OPEN JAM

7:00 PM
Alumni Barn Dance and Acoustic Jam
Alumni Talents

Venue: UPRHS

PLEASE PASS TO ALL RURALITES! BALIK-RURAL TAYO!

And one more...

Dear Fellow Ruralite,

Preparations are well underway for our 80th Anniversary Celebration and Grand Alumni Homecoming to be held on Saturday 19th of December 2009 at the UPRHS grounds. An important part of our homecoming every five years is the Souvenir Program—a valuable keepsake containing the alumni activities and events of our anniversary year, as well as photographs, historical timeline, milestones, triumphs and articles of our fellow alumni. Over the next five years, this souvenir program will be kept as a cross‐reference and continual reminder of our batchmates’ whereabouts.

We cordially invite you to become an important part and contributor to our anniversary and homecoming by placing an advertisement in our 2009 Souvenir Program. We welcome commercial ads for your business establishment(s). We are focusing our advertisement space for our ‘Ruralite families’—family members, batches, peer groups and friends who entered UPRHS, separately or together. Proceeds will go to the UPRHSAAI Endowment Fund and to acquire furnishings for the UPRHS Library.

Enclosed are advertising rates and format specifications. Take your time to decide how advertising in our Souvenir Program can best highlight your ‘Ruralite families’ and/or business ventures. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

The UPRHS Alumni Association, Inc. looks forward to your active participation in our 80th Anniversary Celebration and Grand Alumni Homecoming.
Thank you.

Ben Manalo
Batch68/Class72
Souvenir Program Committee
80th Anniversary & Alumni Homecoming
UPRHS Alumni Association, Inc.
email:
souvenirprogram-uprhs80th@yahoogroups.com

cellphone nos:
(0918) 237-0835
(0917) 501-3984
(0916) 729-8526

Thanks go to Maris for keeping the batch posted on the gimmicks at Mutyang Rural.

UPRHS83 has invaded You Tube (Again)!!!

2009-04-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, Elise has created another opus of all your sweet mugs. We're talkin almost 10 minutes of the most beautiful faces on God's good earth, the men and women of UP Rural High School Batch 1983 (OK, what is it again, are we Batch 1983 or Class of 1983?). Regardless, all praise goes to Masta Elisa for this mother of all UP Rural High videos on You Tube. Did I stutter?

UPRHS83 has invaded You Tube!!!

2009-04-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

A little diddy from Elise Reyes for y'all.

For those who do not know, Elise now lives in the heart of Texas. Actually, I do not know which is the heart of Texas, but Elise is closer to the Fort Worth Airport than she is to the San Antonio Airport, right Elise? ;-)

Thanks for creating this little vid from several pics that have been collecting dust in our e-group archives, and thanks for sharing. Sweet song, too.

Enjoy, folks.

Holler.

"Breaker, Breaker"

2009-02-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

If you are a man, you know you grew up in the 1980's when the item that topped your "Wish list" was a Citizens' Band Radio. "Whoa, what's that you got there under the dash? A CB radio?!? Holey Moley!!!" "What's your handle?" "Usap tayo mamaya, K?"

I remember Adonis having one. Tignap, did you have one? I myself could only leech off of my Dad's which he used for work.

But we all know why this baby was every man's dream machine back in the 80's. Everyone knows that the babes that truly mattered back then had been taken by their over-protective fathers out to the mountains (like Collegeville and adjacent environs, the names of these subdivisions escape me now), they did this to protect their daughters from the hormone-raging boys that were after their little princesses. Well, if you go out to the mountains, you need to keep your fingers on the pulse of the city, because while you could take the man(and family) out of the city, you cannot take the city out of the man.

Enter the CB radio.

And either their old man erronously taught them how to handle a CB or these princesses chose to learn the CB craft themselves (I wonder why...), I guess we'll never know. But were we glad they did. For this allowed us boys to stalk these girls even during the weekends! If you happen to fail in getting anywhere with the ladies during the week, the CB allowed you to carry on during the weekends. Man, how awesome was that?!? Possibilities? Endless. All you needed to find out was these girls' handles (the names they used while talking on CBs), what channel they would be on (or you scan all channels & hope you get lucky) and when. Once you knew all these, you were set.

Another use of the CB, rousing up a CONVOY! Kris Kristofferson shows us how.

So, like I said, it doesn't get any better than a boy with a CB (and the right girl information), on a weekend, back in the 1980's. Breaker, Breaker.

Speaking of Reunions

2009-02-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

...how about that one back in 2002?

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost 7 years since then. But I still remember when more than a handful of ka-batches got together, both back home in Pinas (graciously hosted by Albert "The Law" Ocampo) and online.

Simply put, it was memorable, and was a portent of things to come for our batch. What followed was the mother of all reunions, The China Reunion of 2003 (actually, July 26, 2003 at the Island Cove Resort & Leisure Park, Kuwait, Cavite).

Unfortunately, life goes on. While we had a spattering of mini-reunions through the years, nothing came close to these ones in 2002 and 2003. But life springs eternal! I feel another cyber-reunion formenting in our collective minds! So, let's plan ahead for another one! Lord knows we can all use the distraction!

To get us in the proper frame of mind, I thought I'd post the mass e-mail I had sent to the batch following the 2002 cyber-reunion. I think this would assist us in planning...oh, I don't know, Cyber-Reunion 2009?

So, The letter was dated sometime in 2002, and it reads "Dear 'Maalaala Mo Kaya?'"...

Just to add to what Joel has succinctly discussed regarding our recent cyber-reunion:

It was fun talking (OK, you were talking, I was typing) to everyone last Saturday. Although I was barely awake the last few minutes I was with you. I’d like to thank Joti, Jommel, Adonis, Jawel, Albert, Moises, Edz, Raymond and Meg for stopping by the laptop to talk to me. Although I was pretty wasted at the tail end of the whole thing, I might have forgotten a few names. The whole experience was pretty weird, though. I felt like I was in a coma. I could hear everyone but nobody could hear me. I felt like Adonis had to come really close to hear what I was whispering, then he’d turn around and pass my message to the rest of the group. I would also like to thank Marie for hooking us up. Thanks, Marie! (laguna.net, right? WORD) Finally, like I had mentioned to Adonis that day, Marivic and Corinna both sent their regards to all of you. They had other commitments that day and couldn’t make it to the reunion.

I also want to offer some suggestions as we plan a future cyber-reunion. Things that I think would help make it even a more successful one.

1. Make the reunion a 4-5 hour event. I think because the Saturday shindig was pretty much an all-day event, people were not obligated to show up at the same time. Which maybe OK with you but it is taxing to the folks on the internet. This meant having to be on the computer the whole day if we wanted to talk to everyone who was showing up. In fact, this happened later in the night when people started arriving one by one. I tried to stay up for every new arrival, but it was hard.

So, perhaps we should have a dinner for the first 2-3 hours, then a talent contest among the batch children so we could showcase the future Ruralites. Then we could have a story-telling contest among the kabatch. Even ka-batches on the internet could join. And we could give out a trophy for the best story. The trophy would then be passed on to the winner of the next cyber-reunion, so we only need to buy one trophy for the life of our batch. And, based on last Saturday’s event, Moises, Albert and Jawel would be contenders here. Tapos, we could have a slideshow/Powerpoint ppt of all the pictures we could get together, then picture taking for posterity sake, then perhaps dancing to 80’s music (of course, you should only dance with your wife or husband…right? Right?) or maybe skip the dancing since some of us are still swingin/single. Or they could bring a date or even dance amongst themselves. Edz, Ryan and Arbo could do their Technotronic crap that they used to do back in high school. Then either go home or stay and drink until we puke (that’s another word for vomit, pronounced "pyoook").

Basically, it will be a night event, and perhaps Albert’s (or his Lola’s) resort would be the venue for the event. If this would cost money, I guess we would need to think about that. But the whole point is to keep the event very short and event-full. So, people will come at the same time and we could achieve a quorum. And this would be easier on us who will have to join the event online.

2. Instead of Jawel’s idea of raffling off a BMW, we should just give away free ice cream. That seemed to have worked in 1989. Even the girls showed up for that.

Circa 1989 -- Rural 83ers' Angel, Buena, Fe, Eileen, and Dayday: "We came for the ice cream, nothing else, so don't even talk to us."

3. Contrary to what Jawel said, I think planning ahead would be more helpful. This would allow people to pencil in the event into their calendars and would have a better chance of showing up. I think calling other ka-batches to see whether they will come or not should not be a major problem.

4. Get the women more involved in the event so they will feel more obligated to show up. The way I see it, reunions are like going to the gym, you hate to go, but once you go, you’re actually glad you did.

OK, that’s it. Hope we could do this again.

(End of message)

Actually, this e-mail was included in our yearbook for the China Reunion in 2003 (see page 63) and even had some babes embedded there (yehey!).

OK, so folks, perhaps we could start planning for that get-together in cyberspace? Who's with me?

PATALASTAS MUNA...

2009-01-27T04:49:00.000-08:00

OK, FOLKS. So, I am sure you all caught whiff of this e-mail from Queen Cherry Lynn Z about some upcoming activities at the "mother of all alma-maters," "the only alma-mater that matters", good ole Rural High. Anyway, I thought I'd post it here to remind us to help out if we could. Actually, not only help out, but to DOMINATE!!!

So, looking at the list, Batch 83 should:

1. Win the FUN RUN!!! Nimfa? Day-day? Nikki? Ireneo? Rizal? Adonis? Who else is local who can join? Man, go as a pack of rats, the more people join, the more our chances of winning! Please, don't let non-UPRHS participants win this thing!!!

2. Calling all doctors, nurses, dentists!!! DOMINATE THE MEDICAL MISSION!!! Shout-outs to Rina Lynn, Guada/Fe, Ernie (get your ship over there, dude!), Henry, Learned, Rummel, Rossi, Dino...who else?!? Operative word "DOMINATE", heal as many people as you can!!!

3. BADMINTON? GUESS WHAT? DOMINATE. Any volunteers? And remember: Aim for the space between their eyes.

4. Anniversary Celebration Committees: updated list and classes involved:
...i) physical arrangement?!?
what is that?!? Make sure all body parts are where they should be.
OK, DOMINATE this too. Hell, DOMINATE ALL COMMITTEES!!!

Finally, the souvenirs, let's have our own souvenirs!!! Make sure ours is better than theirs!!! Cos, guess what? we need to DOMINATE!!!

Seriously though, please help out as much as you can. GO, BATCH 83!!! GO, RURAL HIGH!!!

*************
January 13, 2009

Dear All,

Please be informed that the following has been discussed during yesterday's meeting held at the old UPRHS building.

1) The 80th Anniversary Theme will be:

Mighty @ 80!!!
Kasaysayan, Karunungan, Kahusayan

2) Activities for 2009:

a) Fun Run to be sponsored by Batch 1994 on February 22, 2009 (tentative date); to be held at Baker Hall. This is open to the public (including runners and non-UPRHS alumni)
b) batch 1993 (c/o Kaye and Les Coronel) will help in the development of UPRHS Alumni website

c) Medical Mission
Target beneficiaries: Barangay Puypuy and Mainit, Paciano Rizal
Date: February 27, 2009
Needs: Volunteer Dentists, Doctors and Nurses (UPRHS Alumni); interested alumni or contact detials of alumni in the medical profession should be forwarded to UPRHS principal Greg Ardales at gardalesjr@yahoo. com; CP# 09272585796

Donations in the form of medicines, food or cash

d) 3rd Ruralite Badminton Cup: to be sponsored by our batch; request to move the event on May was approved; COMMITTEE HANDLING THIS SHOULD TAKE NOTE: PROPOSAL OR DETAILS SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD BEFORE FEBRUARY 2.

3) Anniversary Celebration Committees: updated list and classes involved:

a) Invitations: Class 81
b) Ways and Means: UPRHSAAI Board
c) Secretariat/ Registration: Class 78
d) Memorabilia: Class 90
e) Program: Class 68*
f) Raffle: Class 80
g) Exhibits: class 66*
h) publicity: class 77*
i) physical arrangement: class 97
j) Motorcade: class 79

* - still for decision by class members

4) Souvenir program was presented during the meeting by batch 72. Content was presented and the following rates for paid advertisement (family sponsors, batch sponsors and commercial sponsors) were also presented as follows:

Black and White
outside back cover:: P 20k
inside front cover: P 10k
inside back cover: P 9k
full page: P 7k
1/2 page: P 4k
1/4 page: P 2 k

*************

Thanks blog.622design.com for the pic of the 'old' Mutyang Rural

It's 2009!!!

2009-01-27T04:22:00.000-08:00

2007, 2008, 2009, so, what else is new?

Like everyone else, after that NY disco ball dropped at 12:00 midnight Jan 1, you are probably back in the "rat race." The dreaded J-O-B.

One thing that sticks in my mind are those dreaded annual performance reviews. I mean, who would want to sit through that?!? Well, unfortunately, annual performance reviews are here to stay, as 'love handles' and 'man boobs' are here to stay. So, to take the sting off of your last performance review, aren't you glad you weren't the recipient of one of these nasty comments from "THE MAN"?

Taken from actual Employee Performance Reviews

1. Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and shows signs of starting to dig.

2. His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.

3. I would not allow this man to breed

4. This associate is really not so much of a has-been, but more of a definitely won't be.

5. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.

6. When he opens his mouth, it seems that this is only to change whichever foot was previously in there.

7. He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.

8. This man has delusions of adequacy.

9. He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.

10. This employee should go far -- the sooner he starts, the better.

11. This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

12. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

13. Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn't looking.

14. A room temperature I.Q.

15. Got a full six-pack, but is missing the plastic thingy that holds it together.

16. A gross ignoramus -- 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.

17. A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on.

18. A prime candidate for natural deselection.

19. Bright as Alaska in December.

20. One-celled organisms outscore him in I.Q. tests.

21. Donated his brain to science before he was quite finished using it.

22. Fell out of his family tree.

23. The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.

24. This man has two brains; one is lost and the other is out looking for it.

25. He's so dense, light bends around him.

26. If brains were taxed, he would get a rebate.

27. Any dumber and he would have to be watered twice a week.

So, consider yourself lucky. At least you are still in the rat race. Happy 2009, Batch 83!!!

Thanks to bassclefff.com for the list and to www.british-filipino.com for the pic.

AMERICAN IDOL

2008-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

OK, I think all of you had ample time to ponder the answer to the question "Who is OUR American Idol?"

Well, before Ryan Seacrest divulges our diva/Devo, I'll give you another shot at guessing our songster. Is it:

A. Victor "Big Daddy" Locson
B. Adonis "Jim Croce" Duma
C. Jing-jing "Shasha Fierce" Juliano-Capucao
D. Cyril "The plane, Boss!!!" Empig

Well?

OK, enough small talk, here is OUR AMERICAN IDOL.

A PINOY LOVE STORY

2008-11-15T04:12:00.000-08:00

A Pinoy Love Story

We' ve been friends for a long time ago. We come from
the same alma mother. Actually, our paths crossed one
time on another. But it's only now that I gave him a
second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes.
The pulpbits of my heart went fast, really fast. Cute
pala siya. And then, he came over with me. He said, "I
hope you don't mine. Can I get your number?" Nag-worry
ako. What if he doesn't give it back? He explained
naman na it's so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko,
connect me if i'm wrong but are you asking me ouch?
Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, The! Aba ! Parang siya pa
ang galit! Persona ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya! I cried
buckles of tears.

Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin mo na lang na
this is a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of his
feelings, we'll go ouch na rin. Now, we're so in love.
Mute and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we swallowed
our fried. Kasi, I'm 33 na and I'm running our time.
After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. "Will you
marriage me?" I'm in a state of shocked. Kasi mantakin
mo, when it rains, it's four! This is true good to be
true. So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a many
splendor.

Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming kasal, everything
swell to pieces.

Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang biglang sa harap ng aming
table, may babaeng humirit ng, "Well, well, well. Look
do we have here." What the fuss! The nerd ng babaeng
yon! She said they were still on. So I told her,
whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn't want
this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it in the bud.
She accused me of steeling her boyfriend. Ats if! I
don't want to portrait the role of the other woman.
Gosh, tell me to the marines! I told her, "please,
mine you own business!" Who would believe her anyway?

Dahil it's not my problem anymore but her problem
anymore, tumigil na rin siya ng panggugulo. Everything
is coming up daisies. I'm so happy. Even my boyfriend
said liketwice. He's so supportive. Sabi niya, "Look
at is this way. She's our of our lives."

Kaya advise ko sa inyo - take the risk. You can never
can tell. Just burn the bridge when you get there.
Life is shorts. If you make a mistake, we'll just pray
for the internal and external repose of your soul.

I second emotion.

Posted by Prof Maris sometime in 2007 (I couldn't track down the actual date), UP Rural High School Batch 1983 Yahoo group
Thousand apologies to the original author. Thanks for the laugh.

Blog update Nov 15 2008: I am swamped with a lot of sheet so I am cheating here on this blog by just posting jokes from the e-group. But you've got to admit, these are classics, no? *** I am still trying to figure out how to share the music of our songster, so look out for that one na lang. In the meantime, any guesses who the songster is? He/She has been doing the music since back in the day, so you might have been witness to his/her singing. OK, enough clues. Till then, I'll make like a hockey player and get the puck out of here.

Beware of elevators...

2008-11-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

Nakakatakot ito.

Next time you ride an elevator, be careful...

This is a true story, it happened to a guy who worked as a staff, on the 40th floor of a 99 story building.

On that day (Thursday night) April 16, he worked overtime and
was forced to go home alone around 11:00 in the evening ...

No one was inside the building, aside from the night patrol and
it was quite dark on that floor.

He went to the elevator and pressed the down button, then,
the door opened without anyone inside

.... he went in and then pressed "G" for ground floor.

But, unknowing why, the elevator went up. He tried to
press the down button again but it continued to go up.

When it reached the 59th floor, the elevator stopped!
The door opened, and then, a woman who was mysteriously so
beautiful, with long black hair and white dress, smiled
sweetly at him and entered the elevator. The guy was
wondering who she was, since he never saw her ever since
he worked in that building.

He was asking himself ... who is she, and why hasn't she
gone home yet when it was nearly midnight, it's
not safe for a lady to be alone late in the evening. He
wanted to ask her but since he was shy, he just kept silent.

In the silence, the elevator went down slowly from
one floor to another ... 48... 47 ... 46... 35 ... 34
... 29 ... when suddenly ... on the 13th floor, the
lights in the elevator went out and the elevator
suddenly stopped.

It was pitch dark ... he pressed the emergency
button ... waited ... but nothing happened. Suddenly,
he smelled a very foul odor of something rotten ...
goose pimples went all over his skin ... his heart
beat faster, cold sweat broke out his brows, he could
not breathe... and so, he felt he wanted to throw up
and tried to calm himself, breathe normally ... while
moving backwards slowly ... then, the lights suddenly
went back on.

Suddenly, the woman who was behind him gave an
eerie laugh ... and said

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" Sorry, umutot ako ..... galit ka? "

Posted November 4 1999, UP Rural High School Batch 1983 Yahoo group
Thousand apologies to the original author. Thanks for the laugh.

YOU ARE ALL MAD!!! THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU!!!

2008-10-07T06:01:00.001-07:00

Photo courtesy of http://deconstructingthemanifest.blogspot.com/2008/02/apocalypse-interrupted.html

OK, SO, I have been thinking about all the crazy science projects you mad lot of people have come up with during our days at UP Rural High. This was something we had talked about in the e-group a while back (perhaps 1999-2000?). So as not to 're-invent the wheel', I tried to unearth those posts, but I could not quite find them in the e-group archives. So, unfortunately for me (since I have to start from scratch) and you (since it will take time for you to read it), it looks like I need to conjur this story from the ground up.

While this idea perculated in my head, the thought crossed my mind whether people would feel embarassed if I point out all those crazy projects they had come up with back in Rural. I for one, do not give a rat's ass but I don't know about the rest of you. So, I am walking on eggshells as I write this, hoping not to offend anyone. I guess I could describe the project and the mad scientists behind them could decide whether or not to fess up to them.

I'll start with my project with Learned, "Insecticide from Tubli". This was Learned's idea. I guess he heard from someone (Professor Tabinga?) that tubli was poisonous. I personally do not know the difference between tubli and, say, cassava, so I guess I had complete faith in Learned that he knew what a tubli was. So, typical 83er, we did absolutely nothing up until the science fair. Just a few hours before we needed to put our poster up, Learned got the tubli and mortar & pestled it and mixed it with water. Then we put this potion in a spray bottle. My job was to hunt for insects who would be our 'victims'. I dug up some ants from behind the Tindalo room and placed them in a beaker. Then, Learned and I tried out our insecticide, spraying the ants a couple of times to kill them with this poisonous concoction. Nothing happens. We spray again. Again, nothing happens. We opened the spray bottle and pour the whole thing into the beaker. Finally, we see some ants starting to die, actually they were dying from drowning. Conclusion: you could kill ants by drowning them. I do not know whether tubli had anything to do with it. After this failure, I do not quite remember how Learned and I did during the poster presentation. Sir Mar, were you a judge during these science fairs? Do you remember this project? Anyway, along the same lines of Filipino plants and not knowing what they are, a couple of us were watering plants around Rural, Gil told me to water the tarugo, "What is that?" I asked. Gil told me to ask Miss Vence. So I went and asked Miss Vence what a tarugo was. I forgot what her response was.

OK, another project of mine was with Jay-Jay. Remember one year, someone (not our batch) won with "A single cell protein from cassava" or something? So, our project was "A single cell protein from banana". Very original. And I do not know if we just copied the whole 'Materials and Methods' section of that original project except for swapping cassava for banana.

And speaking of Gil, he actually asked me to write up his poster describing his project with Rossie. He said I could be part of the group if I did it. So, I said OK. Then, he gives me the title "Charcoal from cow manure", and I am like "WHAT THE HELL?!?" I may be an idiot, but at least I know that that is not a title of a serious science project. So, I declined. Of course, what did I know? Gil and Rossi won the science fair that year and even went abroad with their manure to compete at an international science fair.

Another group also asked me to join them if I would write up their poster. [Now that I think of it, I guess I was just good at writing posters]. Anyway, I think they were all girls. It had something to do with generating electricity from chlorophyll or something. I remember they dipped green leafy vegetables in a beaker with water and had a meter to measure electricity or something. Well, between Gil & Rossi's manure project and this, I thought this was the real science. [again, what did I know?] So, I joined this group and wrote their poster up. OK, does anyone remember who's project this was?

OK, there are more projects to come, since we had come up with tons of ingenious projects like Ismael's "Alcohol from Acacia" but all he did was take a bottle of alcohol from the Acacia room (which was the Chemistry room and so it had a supply of alcohol)...someone's wind powered generator where they had a landscape with a hill, a windmill and a lightbulb, and when you spin the windmill the light bulb would light up,,,but then there were batteries hidden in the little hill...and who could forget the younger Cabangbang's "Novelty items from banana leaves"? He made a purse out of banana leaves, he stuck banana leaves to a manila folder to make a 'banana leaf folder'. OK, so he is not an 83er, but you've got to admit, that is some pretty mad science.

OK, Send me the other projects you can recall and if you are willing to take ownership of them and I will incorporate them to this post.

Eddie Murphy on Michael Jackson

2008-09-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Speakin of Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy did a psychological commentary on Jacko on the former's classic 1983 comedy concert "Delirious". He said that the "Man in the Mirror" ("oh, yeah!") was actually effeminate and that, actually, it made him more appealing to women. YUCK!!! And we boys of 1983 thought he was cool?!? I vote for Vangelis then! Anyway, listen to what Eddie has to say about the Bubbles man, and I apologize for the profanity, I cannot blip them bad words out.

So, this video is christened Rated RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Post-post:

Eddie does Elvis (again, Rated RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!)

THE MAN SAYS "SING!!!" AMEN TO THAT.

UP Rural HS 1983 "Graduation Song Feud"

2008-09-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

I distinctly remember having this feud going into our Commencement Exercises about which song they should play when we march to the stage. I remember that this heated feud went down gender lines, the boys (and we are soooooo dating ourselves here) wanted Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" while the girls wanted the theme to "Chariots of Fire." And I think the girls won, right? Well, I thought we should revisit this feud and decide, once and for all, which song should have been played that fateful afternoon.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, I present to you,

Billy Jean by Michael Jackson (complete with karaoke subtitles. Go ahead, sing along, I even post the lyrics down below)

The lyrics to Billy Jean by Michael Jackson

She was more like a beauty queen from a movie screen
I said, don't mind, but what do you mean I am the one
Who will dance on the floor in the round

She told me her name was Billy Jean as she caused a scene
And every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one
Who would dance on the floor in the round

People always told me
Be careful what you do
Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts

And mama always told me
Be careful who you love
Be careful what you do
Because a lie becomes the truth

Billy Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who
says that I am the one
But the kid is not my son

She says that I am the one
But the kid is not my son

For forty days and for forty nights
The law was on her side
But who could stand when she's in demand
With her schemes and plans
'Cause we danced on the floor in the round

So take my strong advice
Just remember to always think twice
(Do think twice)

She told my baby we danced 'til three
Then she looked at me
And showed a photo of my baby crying
His eyes were like mine
So we danced on the floor in the round

People always told me
Be careful what you do
Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts

But she came and stood right by me
I could smell her sweet perfume
I guess it happened way too soon
She called me to her room

Billy Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who
Claims that I am the one
But the kid is not my son

Billy Jean is not my lover
She's just a girl who
Says that I am the one
But the kid is not my son

She says I am the one
But the kid is not my son

Billy Jean is not my lover (x15)

Now, the theme to "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis

The lyrics to the theme to "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis

too-too-too-too-too-too

too-too-too-too-too

too-too-too-too-too-too

too-too-too-too-too...

OK, after 25 years, who wins this one?

The Mt. Maria Makiling Peak 2 Hike Scandal of 1985

2008-09-13T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hi, fellow RHS83er. Did you know of the Mount Maria Makiling Peak 2 Hike Scandal of 1985?

Apparently, a group of RHS83 boys decided to summit MMM Peak 2 on that warm and sticky summer day. And while the journey seem innocuous enough, unbeknownst to most of the guys, they had lost one of their comrades along the way. Almost like the Bermuda Triangle was at the foot of MMM in Los Banos, Laguna.

Where did this guy go? At what point of the hike did he disappear? Was he abducted by aliens? Did he get seduced/enchanted by Maria Makiling who kept him as her boy toy? And what was this thing about a mountain formation that surprisingly appeared that seem to eulogize this lost boy?

Well, your roving reporter had recently spoken to a participant/witness of this scandal. He has agreed to speak with RHS83 BLOG on condition of anonymity because, because… (RHS83: “yeah, why don’t you want me to divulge your name again?” “Heck, check with the guys at Freakonomics.”)... ok (take your pick), he:

1. Spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
2. Spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
3. Spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
4. Spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
5. Spoke on condition of anonymity because of the subject’s sensitivity.
6. Spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation from the government.
7. Spoke on condition of anonymity because many people do not know she smokes.
8. Spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
9. Spoke on condition of anonymity because a formal statement has not been released.
10. Spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want his identity and presence here to be known by criminals.

TAEXRHS83: “Sir, were you a witness to the Mount Maria Makiling Peak 2 Hike Scandal?”

MMM2 survivor: “Yes, I was there. I still see the whole experience in my dreams”

TAEXRHS83: “Wet dreams, Sir?”

MMM2 survivor: “What?” (scratching head)

TAEXRHS83: “Never mind. Inconsequential, really. So, could you tell our readers what exactly was the Mount Maria Makiling Peak 2 Hike Scandal of 1985?”

MMM2 survivor: “Sure. Well, a group of us decided to hike MMM2. It was pretty cool. It was your typical boys’ day out at the outback, you know? It was loads of fun. Good times. Good times. We even took pictures for posterity, to archive the whole event. We took pictures before the hike, halfway through the hike and at the end of the hike when we were back on flatland in College, Laguna. But then, (this is where the scandal begins) when we had the film developed, we noticed that one of us did not return from the mountain. If you look, there is one guy who was present in the picture before the hike, but then, he was not in the picture taken after the hike. To this day, we do not know what happened to him. To this day, we do not know where he is. It was tragic really. We had lost a good friend. I think he was a good friend.”

Before, halfway and after the hike

TAEXRHS83: “Can you tell us who he is? A name, could we have his name?”

MMM2 survivor: “I rather not say. The people who were there know who we lost that day. The people who know could tell who was in the first picture and had disappeared in the final picture. I’d rather that they figure it out themselves. It is just too hard for me to utter his name.”

TAEXRHS83: “Sure, sure, I understand (NOT). Anyway, I am sure, since it has been close to 23 years since this tragedy happened, you and your buds had hypothesized about what might have happened to this fellow RHS83er of yours. Do you mind sharing your theories on what might have happened to him that day?”

MMM2 survivor: “No, not at all. One thought was he might have been seduced by Maria Makiling herself. She might have lured him somehow while we were up there, to stray away from the main group, then she abducted him and now he is her …, well, I don’t know, ...what do mythical beings do when they abduct young boys like that?”

“Another theory was that he did make it home, because we actually saw rocks on the ground that lined the path that we had taken that day, as if someone wanted to be able to return home if he ever got lost up there on the mountain. Like “Hansel and Gretel”, you know? So, he might actually had made it home but then chose to end his existence as we knew it, chose to continue life with a new identity. He might have taken advantage of the situation, fake his disappearance and then start life anew. People do that, you know.”

TAEXRHS83: “So, no one knows where he is? Or what happened to him?”

MMM2 survivor: “No one knows.”

TAEXRHS83: “How about this new mountain formation you told me about, the one you think might be connected to this whole scandal?”

MMM2 survivor: “Oh, yes, if you look at the mountain formations around MMM, you could see this more recent cropping of peaks. Well, they seem to spell out the surname of this guy. It’s surreal, really. Like it was a eulogy to him penned by MM herself.”

TAEXRHS83: “Like MM was saying: ‘I abducted this boy, he is mine forever. Here, I’ll even spell out his name with some tricky mountain range calligraphy.’ Amazing stuff. Actually, doesn’t it mimic the story of MMM herself? Wasn’t she a real lady, then something happened to her, then, *poof*, she’s a mountain.”

MMM2 survivor: “What weed are you smoking?, coz I want some of that.”

TAEXRHS83: “Anyhoo…, thanks for speaking to RHS83 BLOG. Now that you had a chance to put your story out there, to get it off of your chest, how do you feel? Was it somehow, cathartic?”

MMM2 survivor: “I really don’t know. I guess only time would tell.”

TAEXRHS83: “Indeed. Well, if you still have those kinds of dreams, just say you left the window open and the rain got in.”

"DUDE, WHERE IS MY VALEDICTORIAN?!?"

2008-09-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

No worries, Maris' hubby, Erick, found her! Here is rare footage of our valedictorian, Angie, speaking to the UPRHS brainiac bumpercrop of 2008 at Audi. [WOW, I didn't know the carmaker Audi bought the name rights to the auditorium in College!] Mrs. Capanzana-Advincula warmed up the crowd for Mrs. Argosino-Cielo. Great job, Angie!!! Only wish we could have seen the whole speech! BTW, the mural shown on 0:10, is that you reading a book to the children?

Speaking of Maris' hubby, and if you notice the YTer who posted Angie's video, he is part of the local band UPLB Kairos, a band with a worthwhile ministry/social work. But let me have Maris tell you more about the band and their cause.

Maris?

Maris:
"Thanks, Cy! The band helps raise funds for the education of street kids' kaya # 1 fan and supporter ako. :-). They don't have a website but they have some videos already on YT. Just search for UPLB Kairos and the videos of their performances should come up. This Sept. 10 they will have their fund-raising concert for the street children that they have been caring for since 2006. Bale Sept. 10, 2008, 7 pm, Maquiling School Gym. There will be other talents who will grace the event like new freshmen singing idols, my daughter's band (Binibinbato; she's the drummer), Lakbaylahi, an ethnic group and Wyre Underground, hip-hop dancers of UPLB. The streetkids will also have their own dance number. Siempre, andun ako at buong pamilya ko to support them and their cause. My kids have been learning how to be generous kasi friends/alaga din nila itong mga streetkids. Legacy of their father yun."

Did I not tell you it was cool? Maris' hubby is a musician/songwriter, their daughter, a drummer...hey, Maris, what is your musical talent?...& I didn't even know Maquiling has a gym now.

Here is the link to UPLB Kairos' page on YT:

UPLB Kairos

OK, folks,we now have two upcoming events on our calendars:

UPLB Kairos Fund Raising Concert on Sept 10, 7 pm, Maquiling School Gym, College, Laguna.

UPRHS 2008 Production of Bonifacio P. Ilagan's "May Isang Kalabaw" on Sept 24-26 at DL Umali Hall, College, Laguna.

Please try to support these worthy causes!

Yun lang...

Dear Ruralite:

2008-08-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

Speaking of productions at Rural, ka-batch Nimfa Bandian shared the following letter to all of us. Thanks, Nimfa! Go, Rural and Ma'am Palacpac! Break a leg!

Dear Ruralite,

MUTYANG RURAL AY ATING IBANDILA!

This year our Alma Mater will stage its Centennial Production, PEGARAW da musical on September 24-26 at D.L. Umali Hall, College, Laguna. It is our salutation to the centennial celebrations of UP (2008), UPLB (2009), and our kick-off for UPRHS’ 80th year (2009)! This play is based on Bonifacio P. Ilagan’s "May Isang Kalabaw". Edward Perez, a six time Palanca Awardee, will direct it..

This project is a continuing endeavor to achieve excellence in our school, just as it was in your days! From the academic classroom to the performing arts arena, the students are given this opportunity to hone their various talents. They, too, are brought to develop the value of oneness inworking together for a common goal. This is also an avenue opened to students to have the happy memories of having served the community through wholesome entertainment. Furthermore, through this play our school hopes to create among the UPLB constituents a deeper awareness on the value of individual and corporate involvement in endeavors like the building up of UP Los Banos.

Also, it is an important experience among the faculty, staff and students in generating funds for the scholarship program of our school. Attached with this letter are the forms and the ads for the production. The deadline for your individual or company logo is on September 10, 2008, for the presswork.

We will be very happy to have your supportive heart in this activity of ours. (Please pass this to our fellow alumni who could be reached thru e-mail). We believe you are one with us to say:

“KARUNUNGAN AY LAGING MALAYA AT LAGANAP SA MADLA!”

Sincerely yours,

Ma’m Sophie T. Palacpac

Production Manager

Gregorio Y. Ardales

Principal

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While we are on the subject of carabaos, the beasts of burdens, the BOBs...

Carabao item # 1:
411 from the Philippine Carabao Census in 2006 c/o the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Philippines. And remember, Carabao owners, register your carabaos this year, cuz Lord knows, we need to keep track of them babies:

Carabao item # 2:
A tricked out carabao. WHAT?!? No 20-inch chrome rims?!?

Thanks to all the websites from whence all these pictures came.

UP Rural High Batch 83 Productions

2008-08-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Productions of the greatest batch in UPRHS History: Batch 1983 (circa 1980-83)

OK, folks, so last year, I tried compiling all the productions, songfests, etc that we had done all throughout our stay at Rural. And this is what I came up with. I broke it down by sections, too, especially the songfest competitions. Some of these I hijacked from the China yearbook, some from anecdotes passed on to me via the e-group.

Obviously, there are still some holes to fill. I can't even recall all the bloody sections! So, help a brother out, please! Send me additional productions, anecdotes, comments, etc and I will add it onto this post.

Drum roll, please...

FRESHMAN YEAR:
Dao
Adviser: Mrs. Editha P. Pena
Class President: Florangel D. Duldulao

Ipil
Adviser: Miss Corazon G. Bullecer
Class President:

Tindalo
Adviser:
Class President:

No production our freshman year. Guys were too busy playing shato. Girls were too busy ogling at the guys playing shato.

Doc Ropwa/Rossi: "Ang natatandaan ko nung 1st year kami Ipil ang section namin and si Ms. Bullecer yata adviser, nalimutan ko President baka may iba pang Ipyllis dyan (pun for Syphillis) na maka alala."

SOPHOMORE YEAR:
Dungon:
Adviser: Miss Felicidad E. Igni
Class President: Learned Gonzales

Kamagong:
Adviser: Mrs. Violeta Quintana
Class President: Ireneo "Macho/Choma" Pangga

Katmon:
Adviser: Miss Corazon G. Bullecer
Class President: Miel C. Dalisay

Playfest:
“Mariang Makiling” Learned Gonzales and Cherry Lynn Zafaralla, the loveteam that never was (and never will be)

Songfest:
*Dungon:“Tea for two/Girl from Impanema” medley

Cy: “I guess we thought we had a better chance of winning something if we sang two songs”

*Kamagong:“Bridge of troubled water”, 1st place

*Katmon: "Morning has broken", 3rd place

Marivic: "Thanks to Mrs. Betia of Evangelical Baptist Church (EBC) in Umali who practiced us"

JUNIOR YEAR:
Intramurals:” as Freddie Mercury of Queen said at Wembley Stadium, UK 1986, “We are the Champions”

Acacia
Adviser: Edgardo B. Altamirano
Class President: Celerina A. Panaligan

Mahogony
Adviser: Miss Gloria V. Uri
Class President: Ireneo B. Pangga

Molave
Adviser: Miss Erlyn A. Sana
Co-Adviser: Marciana T. Salgado [Why did Molave need a Co-Adviser?!?]
Class President: Miel C. Dalisay

Songfest:
*Acacia: "Sunrise, Sunset”

Lourdes Frias: “I watched "Fiddler on the Roof" about 2 years ago at Univ. of Toronto. Recalling Acacia's presentation of the song “Sunrise, Sunset” and the play's standing ovation style rendition, I think we butchered the song. Masama pa ang loob namin dahil talo kami!!!! Shame on us.”

*Mahogany: "You'll Never Walk Alone"

Doc Ropwa/Rossi: "Nung 3rd year, Mahogany ang section namin at yung song namin noon sa Songfest ay "You'll Never Walk Alone" na sa sobra atang pangit ng rendition (joke!) eh nalimutan kaming tawagin nung judge na si Mr. Lijauco para abutan man lang ng consolation prize. Lahat kasi ng sumali tinawag para ibigay consolation prize, kami, nakalimutang tawagin mwa ha ha!"

*Molave: "Somewhere"

Marivic: "I think we won 3rd place? Thanks to Victor's Mom"

SDC production/competition? "Refund"
Cast: Rinds (played "The Principal" & won Best Actress, yehey!!!), Cely, Miel, Moises, Cy, Gil, John, atbp…
Director: Cherry, Marivic

Best Supporting Actress: Cely/Rinds (Marivic: "one or both of them won)
Best Production Design: Mark Dondi

Marivic: "Cherry did most of the directing; I just coached some of the cast. Cely played one of the teachers and Rinds was the principal. Moises was also in the cast"

Cy: “I remember our adviser, Miss Igni, was coaching me on how to act surprised when Gil gives me a stupid answer to a question I had asked him.

[Quckly, the story of the play was Gil had come back to his alma mater demanding a "Refund" of his tuition fees, claiming that he did not learn anything in school. He is then interrogated by his teachers, who intentionally ask him easy questions to show that he did learn something, but Gil proceeds to give stupid answers, hoping to show that he is dumb and that he deserves that refund]

Miss Igni looks straight into my eyes and says ‘concentrate.’ Then she slams her hand really hard on the table hoping that I’d get startled, to get that ‘surprised’ look. Of course, I didn’t even blink, I say “Oh, OK. Eh, Ma’am, kamay nyo, masakit?”

Rinda: "mgksama pla tau sa Refund, 3rd yr..I was the principal, I won the Best Actress award...they gave me a wooden trophy...nasa bahay pa nmin sa pinas, mejo nabale na..pero buo pa rin, hehehehe"

SENIOR YEAR:
Intramurals: We are not the champions (we lost too many players to the NBA, NFL, NASCAR, NAFTA, NAACP...)

Guijo
Adviser: Sir Mar Garcia
Class President: Sir Moises Dorado

Narra
Adviser: Miss Concepcion G. Batas
Class President: Edwin B. Espiloy ["Who knew!?!"]

Yakal
Adviser: Miss Josefina S. Sun
Class President: Angela S. Argosino

Playfest:
Best Actor: Andrew, Nikki applied make-up on him!!!
Best Actress: Angie

Songfest:
*Guijo: "Umibig sa Isang Gunita"
Marivic: "A tagalog kundiman song which I could not recall (won 2nd), Sheila was our superb pianist."

*Narra: “Kastilyong Buhangin”
Comments:
Lourdes Frias: “Won first place, but Miss Lagasca scolded us for screaming backstage”

*Yakal: “May Bukas Pa”
Cy: “Thanks to Leah Zuniega, who coached us. With those swinging candles. Our Award? ‘Perfect attendance’ [Cross-reference Rosselier's comment on consolation prizes in reference to Mahogany's prize during our 3rd Year] Actually Ms. Sun was so sure we were going to win. I think she was permanently scarred by the loss.”

A figment of a kabatch's imagination?

Supposedly, Victor played Bathala but he does not recall either the year or the production title, obviously, it's a Filipino production. But did this really happen or is Victor talking out of his asuete? If anyone has the answer, kindly let the blogga know.

OK, Folks, keep those comments/anecdotes/corrections coming! Thanks!

09/14/08 update:
On September 13, 2008 4:54 PM, Elisa said:
"Hi, Cy! I clearly remember that Learned Gonzales and you were the president and veep, respectively, of the Dungon class. Our adviser was not Miss Vence but Miss Igni. I still recall the "drama" of one homeroom session when somebody in our class (clues: tall, brown-eyed, fair, a star basketball player) made Miss Igni cry."

Elisa, I beg to disagree... I DID NOT MAKE MISS IGNI CRY (Thanks for the flattering clues, BTW, they will get you somewhere)...Cirilo

Updated: 9/14/08

Pen twirling

2008-08-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

You know you are an 83er if you have mastered the art of pen twirling. I was just talking to Ryan "Tignap" Lantin about some inane stuff (actually, it was about The Beatles' song "Paperback Writer" and how they were singing "Frére Jacques" in the background, something Casey Kasem mentioned on one AT40 show, so I guess it was not that inane) and -- out of the blue -- Tigs asks "hey, Nico and Kepot (Niccolo Ramos and Kevin Yaptengco, respectively) just texted me and are asking who Pen Twirling Jedi Master Number 5 was? (I guess they were discussing the chronological list of PT Masters in some bar or other) Was it you?" While I do know how to twirl a pen both ways (I guess you could say I'm bi) for hours non-stop, I do not know what PT Jedi Master No. I am in the long list of ignoble Masters of this holy craft. Which made me think, "hmmmm, does the world know of this fine craft?" So, I did what any learned historian would do, I checked "youtube". And I unearthed this video of some PT masters,

and I am quite flummoxed, these folks are waaaaaaayyyyy better than me. So, to my fellow PT Jedi Masters, I ask, can you do this? Cuz, I sure can't. It looks like we have some work to do.

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P.S. While researching for this post, I came across this FAQ of sorts for The Beatles' song I had mentioned.

So, interesting diddy on the "Frére Jacques" bit. The site says "John Lennon and George Harrison sang the French nursery rhyme "Frére Jacques" in the background. The Frére Jacques part has nothing to do with John Lennon - Paul just thought it was clever - but it does translate to "Brother John."

Awit ng Mataas Na Paaralang Rural

2008-08-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Awit ng Mataas Na Paaralang Rural

Sa inyo, kami ay nagpupugay
O sintang Paaralan;
Aral mo’y lagi naming tatandaan
Sapagkat ikaw’y mahal.

Tanggapin mo itong aming alay
Na papuri’t parangal
Sa gintong karunungan ibinigay
Na laging itatanghal

Kung sa ‘yo, kami ay mapawalay
Ang patnubay ay ikaw;
Alaala ka namin kahit saan,
At tapat habang buhay.

KORO
Mutyang Rural ay ating ibandila,
Pandayan ng diwa,
Karunaungan ay laging Malaya,
At laganap sa madla.

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I found someone singing this on youtube, so I thought I'd post it here so you could recall the tune; Although I think we did a better job than these guys.

I remember that we had all four vocal groups, i.e., soprano, alto, tenor and carbohydrate groups, I mean, bass. Remember that whole imbroglio about almost all the bass group (you know who you are) not showing up for any of the practices? You only showed up for the actual graduation and our music instructor (I am spacing out on her name) wanted you guys to leave the stage? Vintage 83! Anyway, thanks to the video poster, Honatz.

ROLL CALL 2008!!!

2008-08-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

OK, Boys & Girls!

We've been in touch online for the longest time but our e-group is, well, how shall I put it, way too loooowww keeeeeyyyy, like we're hiding in some cave somewhere. Anyway, I hope this blog takes us all to the light...

And where the hell is everybody, you say?!?

As far as I know...plus your epithets/epitaphs from the batch tome "Class of 1983: 20Years & We STILL Can't Forget" circa 2003,

1. Andrew (Heaven) "Intense, very intense adherent of Machiavellianism & Marxism" [yet was a true child of God]

2. Adonis (Pinas) "Definitely a Greek god in his looks as in his name, a mellow crooner & a mean hoopster"

3. Albert (Pinas) "Budding lawyer minus the notoriety of lawyers"

4. Alexandra (Pinas) "Could give Nikki a run for her money, good thing they were good friends more than nymphs"

5. Alicia (Pinas) "Still waters run deep, quiet brooks lead to the sea"

6. Angelica Mendoza (?)"Called 'Baby Doll' by her family ... a throwback to the Guy & Pip era of Maria Theresa Leonora, the walking doll na anak ni Nora and Tirso"

7. Angie (Pinas) "Genius IQ within a pixie frame"

8. Ann (Pinas) "Serious and quiet with a likeable pink disposition as pink as her eyeglasses"

9. Apollo (?) "It's not just the name, my sights are also trained on a higher plane"

10. Ariel (?) "Mr. Electrifying Presence"

11. Armel (Illinois)"Thou who shalt be called thus, will become thus...the dame with the zany sense of humor who holds the record in chinese kick (Grade 7 in Maquiling)."

12. Arnel Creencia (?) "Lived in UPCO. Maybe the faraway domicile was the reason why he became the undeniable cheetah in foot races (pinakamabilis tumakbo!). Such asset served him best whenever he broke the (school) laws in the elementary school yard"

13. Atheni (?) "If everyone spoke everyday Tagalog with the proper panitikan as this tall lass, everyone would stand as tall & proudly say 'AKO AY PILIPINO'"

14. Bituin (Pinas) "Perfect representative of the Filipina morena beauty, the batch Jesebel"

15. Borg (Pinas) "The gentler giant"

16. Cristina De Guzman (Pinas) "Math prodigy whose number of admirers were uncountable"

17. Buenaflor (Pinas) "Champion Pilipino declaimer & orator"

18. Caridad (?) "She with the chinita eyes that were able to tame the wild bear in he who changed his as a derivative salute to her" [HUH?!?!?!?]

19. Carlos (?) "...& the meek shall inherit the earth; Challenge Sir Bergonia to push-ups anytime"

20. Carolyn (?) "This quiet lass loved to laugh & will keep your secret as close as your sister would"

21. Catherine (?)"The taller Cruz twin with the remembered laugh, the fearless spike, and the dreaded basket"

22. Cecile (Pinas) "Everyone's approachable team player"

23. Cely (Pinas) "From Quezon province like Ms. Capanzana, had a very deep Filipino vocabulary"

24. Cha2x (Illinois) "All-around wholesome and popular girl-next-door"

25. Cherry Lynn (Pinas)"Small but terrible, cute but deadly" [LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!!!]

26. Cirilo (Californication) "No, I wasn't standing up, I was sitting down!"

27. Corinna (Nor Cal) "A quiet damsel who belonged to the esteemed 'Crush ng Bayan' league"

28. Cristina Lantican (Down Under) "Feared goalie with the booming laugh"

29. Cynthia (Pinas) "Brains par excellance nothwithstanding her mischievous, infectious smile"

30. Daniel (New Zealand) "Meet the better Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey as he laughs all the way to the bank, thanks to his generous math genius that has prospered himself and many Batch 83ers"

31. Dennis Arboleda (O, Canada!) "Medium height, dark, handsome, scored a goal in many a female RHSer's heart"

32. Dennis Orencia (?) "I can see a bright future ahead"

33. Dindo (Pinas) "In the landscaped garden of his heart, only one rose bloomed, & she went by the name of..."

34. Dino (So Cal) "Cute, fair & cute [again?!?] with eyelashes longer than most female RHS83ers"

35. Dyah (Indonesia, prob) "From Indonesia to Maquling to the boondocks of Rural: Introduced Indonesian food to her Dao classmate in their home; same Dao classmate tasted Indian food in another home, this time of Sushitra, their Indian girl barkada in 7th grade. Now only the Dao classmate remains, and lives in a world like the United Nations, thanks to Dyah's kind ushering into a coexistent world in the international arena."

36. Eddie (Pinas) "Tall and lanky future lady killer!"

37. Edwin (Pinas) "The gentle giant"

38. Eileen (So Cal)"Ms. Sunshine personified, perfect partner of Rhoderick's sunny smile"

39. Elisa (She's in the heart of Texas!)"Quiet damsel who excelled in Math & Pilipino"

40. Em2x (Pinas) "Proved that size doesn't matter -- height that is -- for he won the heart of one vivacious siren."

41. Emily (Cal) "A quiet damsel with an American twang who also belonged to the 'Crush ng Bayan' league"

42. Enrique (Celine Dion country) "Quiet, brooding and mysterious"

43. Ernie (California) "One of the pillars of Batch 83, tall & lanky kasi"

44. Erwin Belen (Pinas) "The manger belied its Occupant, as the quiet man belies the strength within"

45. Erwin Cabrido (Japan) "Walked softly without carrying a big stick, a true officer & gentleman"

46. Farina (Pinas) "Proved that girl power was not just an 80's Charlie's Angels TV show, but was in the here & now among Batch 83 gals"

47. Fe (Pinas) "Dreamed of becoming an MD, but not before she takes up arms as Platoon Leader of Bravo Co."

48. Fikki (Indonesia) "Quiet Indonesian batchmate with RHS83 blood in his veins"

49. Gary (Pinas) "Future doc"

50. Geraldine (?) "Watch out, US Open!!!"

51. Gil (The Big Apple) "Math prodigy who caught the heart of her whose admirers were uncountable"

52. Greg (So Cal) "Quiet boy [HUH?!?]. Shy boy [HUH?!?]. The boy with the downcast eyes. Wonder what shores they will look upon, what woman's face they will adore?"

53. Henry (NZ/Australia?)"Gonna beat Wesley Snipes anytime as the original Batangas switchblade"

54. Imelda Eugenio (?)"Best remembered as the china-complexioned sports gal who gleams out there in Baker Field"

55. Imelda Gerpacio (Land of the Morning)"Once she dons her sweatshirt, this shy belle transforms into a soccer belle"

56. Ireneo (Pinas) "Macho, both inside & out"

57. Irwin (So Cal) "Destined to fire big guns overseas"

58. Ismael (Pinas?) "The man with the golden hand...for drawing that is, not counterfeiting..."

59. Jawel (Pinas) "Born Nov 1 but never a zombie, the life itself of many an affair" [AMEN!]

60. Jay-Jay (?)"The most linguistically forthright persona of Batch 83, disguising no qualms, sweetening no critiques: I am darkness, I am light, I will not flinch, I will fight."

61. Jelly (So Cal)"The hour glass figure whose heart timelessly belonged to one & only one batchmate"

62. Jena (Canada) "The trustworthy bestest bestfriend if many a guy 83er"

63. Jenny (Pinas)"Fire on the dance floor" [Really?!?]

64. Jing 2x (Philly, home of Rocky Balboa)"Eternal romanticist, eternal poet who looked so beautiful enough to be a muse of poetry herself"

65. Joey (?) "Never underestimate the bamboo that stands not as tall as the oak, for when the winds and rains doth fall, it shall not be broke"

66. John (Japan)"Had the most number of sneaker styles next to Dennis Arboleda"

67. Jommel (Chi-town, Chicago) "Original pin-up heartthrob in the ranks of Shaun Cassidy" [not Sean Connery?]

68. Josefina (Pinas) "Quiet dame ready to scream her lungs out for Bjorn Borg"

69. Juvy (?) "Mayumi, mahinhin. Mabuhay and mga katangiang Pilipina!"

70. Kevin (Pinas) "Tall, fair, and tennis player who defines LOVE as the relative of someone from the batch! [what is this, Queen?!?]

71. Learned (US) "With a marionnette smile but definitely no one's puppet with his witty, caustic, strange but memorable style"

72. Lenny (?) "The taller Maduro twin who spoke the Filipino language w/ the nobility it deserves"

73. Leonil (?) "Proves that being a man isn't always about brute displays of force"

74. Letty (Nor Cal) "A cherubic face, with soulful eyes that will hauntingly embed in your memory in their gentility"

75. Liza (California) "O, damsel with the ready smile, like you I am of comedy fame, & of lions my name has slain, oh whence can we of serious partnership remain?" [methinks the queen had one-too-many Coronas before penning this quip]

76. Lourdes Deomano (Q:"Which country was discovered by Magellan in 1521?) "Watch out, this CAT officer means business"

77. Lourdes Frias (Oh, Canada!) "As tranquil as the waters of Lourdes, and as healing to the spirit likewise"

78. Lynette (KSA) "The daughter of a pharmacist, her friendship worked better than aspirin for the spirit"

79. Marie (Pinas) "The demure Calamba belle who kicked a mean soccer game"

80. Marien (Colorado) "A girl with a ready smile and bubbly laughter"

81. Marivic (Mapleleaf Country) "The more loquacious of the Frias sisters w/ a hand for Filipino Poetry"

82. Mark Dondi (Pinas) "Always the Boy Scout, with or without the uniform"

83. Meg (Pinas)"The 'quieter' [did we vote on this?] Cruz twin. P.S. 'I learned the truth at 17'" [Pray, tell]

84. Michelle (Pinas) "The better Steffi Graf, RP version"

85. Miel (Ohio) "Mr. Salutatorian as unadulterated as his name despite Batch 83's notorious rites of men"

86. Mi2x "Let the sisters spike, tumble & roll, I will shake & groove on the dance floor!"

87. Moises (Pinas) "The big guy with the big voice with the even bigger commanding presence as the de facto president of the SPC Boys"

88. Nikki (Pinas) "A kitchen queen like her mum, but confine her not to the cinders, for she proved why "V" stands for vivacious, voluptuous venus"

89. Nimfa (Pinas) "Loyal torch-bearer for Mr. Kabatch ?????, more loyal kabarkada to Cecille, Rodgina et al."

90. Ning2x (Pinas) "A conscientious student, a future principal"

91. Noel (Pinas) "I like my women TALL"

92. Paul (?) "Underestimated but never surpassed"

93. Peter (Pinas) "The tall guy with the close-up smile. Some guys are just born damn lucky"

94. Precious (Pinas) "Tall princess who walked with a true regal bearing"

95. Rainelda (the friendly skies) "With the bearing of a model and the down-to-earthness of a great friend, this gal's gonna fly places"

96.Randy (Pinas) "A (future) officer and gentleman all the way"

97. Raymond (Pinas) "One of the frontline hecklers but without a malicious bone in his body"

98. Rina (formerly known as the Artist Rina Lynn) (Pinas) "Demure and dainty, always neat and pretty"

98. Rinda (O, Canada!) "The original mothering figure of the batch who called friends their own unique endearments such as "Majal"

100. Rizal (Pinas) "Quieter than his namesake and peace-loving likewise"

101. Rhoderick (Pinas) "The cutest guy among the SPCers!" [did we take a vote on this?]

102. Robert (Pinas) "More than evolving the lingo of Batch 83 ("Analytical Mind!"), best remembered for his hip-wiggling twist."

103. Rodgina (Celine Dion country) "Pert and sassy, nimble and quick, quick to laughter, and quicker on her track and field feet"

104. Rommel (Pinas) "The 'Bad Boy' Robin Padilla of The Batch with the deceivingly harmless Hugh Grant looks"

105. Romeo (Pinas)"The Man, as Greg calls him, The Rock, as he will always be."

106. Ronnie Capistrano (?) "The most sport guy in the batch notwithstanding being the butt of merciless pranks"

107. Ronnie Ricketts (Celine Dion country) "a.k.a. 'Tuntungin Kid'"

108. Rosanna (?)"Sweet as cherry pie, would never hurt a fly (except some CAT officer's heart... :)

109. Rossi (Pinas)"Has vowed that he will become an OB Gyne specialist, prompting half the female persuasion to consider home deliveries instead"

110. Rowena Baltazar (?)"She knew QUEEN by heart, and knew they would be iconic even before pivotal American Idol Last 6 Performances (think Constantine Maroulis and David Cook!!), and before the new millennium christened them icons of the Rock 80s"

111. Rummel (US) "In the shadow of his sis whose good nature is sure to rise above any abyss"

112. Ruth (?)"Very quiet morena beauty with the shy smile"

113. Ryan (California) "The Technotronic dancer & most elusive [like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster] bachelor of the batch who graduated with the cleanest black book despite being one of batch's most popular hunks"

114. Sheila (Canada) "Catwalk material, the one with the sexiest gait among the RHS83 belles"

115. Tavs (Manhattan) "The resident haute couture denizen of Batch 83 destined to land in New York"

116. Uly (Pinas) "Never the silent shadow; always aware of the most sinister ongoings of Batch 83"

117. Victor (Pinas) "Without him, what would Batch 83 be?" [The Man, The Myth, The TAEX]

118. Victoria (Pinas) "Soft-spoken and indomitable refuge, as bespoken of her nickname [i.e., Mansion]"

119. Wilma (?) "Tall and unassuming, always well-poised"

Honorary Member of Batch 83
Sir Mar Garcia (New Zealand) "Physics Professor, Homeroom Advisor, 19xx-19xx"

838383838383838383838383838383838383838383

Whew!!! Finally finished this darn list!!!

OK, so I went through all our pictures in the China yearbook. But how come I only have 109 of us? I thought we had 118?!? Who did I miss?!? Could you folks let me know who are we missing here? Also, if you know of the whereabouts of folks with ?s, pass the specs on to me as well & I'll correct them. Also, if there are any errors, LMK, too.

And can someone send me this group pic in a larger byte size? This one is uber-puny.

09/13/08 update:
taexrhs83: "I also remember Arnel Creencia being in our batch. Some of you pointed him out too. And Ryan aka "Tignap" mentioned Angelica Mendoza. And thanks to Rinds who pointed out Juvy Pablo. So, that's 112. That still isn't 118. Who else are we missing?"

09/14/08 update:
We are seriously crankin now! OK, we found more people: Romeo, Josefina (I can't believe I lost her. I distinctly remember reading about her pining for Bjorn Borg while I was typing up this list), Ireneo, and Mimi.

Thanks Elisa, Jena, & Rinds for pointing these folks out. Now we're up to 116. Who are the remaining 2 who will take us to 118?

Jena pointed out other Ruralites who had graduated with us in 1983 (see Comments), but I was not thinking of the folks who marched to graduate back in 1983; I got the No. 118 from our starting No. of 120 (our freshman class in 1979), then I distinctly remember losing 2 of us along the way... So, I always had the No. 118 on my mind.

Breaking News!
Forgot to mention Jena's pointing out Rowena Baltazar. Thanks, Jen! We're at 117, people! Who is the last one standing? Who is the new American Idol?

09/19/08
The Queen Speaketh! Oh, hail The Queen!!!

"cy, did the yearbook's scan of the graduation programme carry 118 names? you might be taxing your neurons when the official document has less than that ... :)

anyway, to the new classmate additions, below are suggested descriptions. when i wrote the epitaphs for the yearbook in 2003, i collaborated with nikki. am pretty sure i wrote the "close-up smile" about pitong, but am not sure if i also wrote about the "some guys are just born lucky" bit about him as well! :)

these descriptions are longer than those in the yearbook -- as a sort of "makeup" for their inadvertent missing out in the printed book!! :)"

ANGELICA MENDOZA - Called "Baby Doll" by her family ... a throwback to the Guy & Pip era of Maria Theresa Leonora, the walking doll na anak ni Nora and Tirso

ROWENA BALTHAZAR - She knew QUEEN by heart, and knew they would be iconic even before pivotal American Idol Last 6 Performances (think Constantine Maroulis and David Cook!!), and before the new millennium christened them icons of the Rock 80s

ARNEL CREENCIA - Lived in UPCO. Maybe the faraway domicile was the reason why he became the undeniable cheetah in foot races (pinakamabilis tumakbo!). Such asset served him best whenever he broke the (school) laws in the elementary school yard

DYAH FAGI - From Indonesia to Maquling to the boondocks of Rural: Introduced Indonesian food to her Dao classmate in their home; same Dao classmate tasted Indian food in another home, this time of Sushitra, their Indian girl barkada in 7th grade. Now only the Dao classmate remains, and lives in a world like the United Nations, thanks to Dyah's kind ushering into a coexistent world in the international arena.

:)

The Queen so speak it, the peon so blog it...

Finally, thanks go to Fikki (aka FBI) for pointing out Dyah Fagi, and to Nelda for stopping by the blog and pointing out that she is not on the list. Now with Dyah and Nelda on the list, we are at 119. My NEW target number is 120, the 120 of us that entered URPHS back in 1979. With this new target number, we are short 1 person. Tignap offered Tim Contado. Was he ever at Rural?!? Anyway, put your collective minds together and squeeze out the last kabatch, squeeze, squeeze, ...

Just pray this blog does not crash & disappear. I WILL NOT BE TYPING THIS UP AGAIN, ... EVER.

Original post 08/17/08
Last update 09/22/08