Alumni homecoming
An open letter to PLM’s
1st Batch, Class of 1967
By Willie Jose
Dear friends and beloved alumni,
We are happy to know that in the next few days, most of you,
the First Batch, Class of 1967 will be visiting once again our alma mater- the
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila—to hold a heartwarming homecoming, a great
chance to renew your close and warn bonding and to meet up even with some
overseas-based friends whom you’ve not seen for years.
Belonging to Class ‘67 ourselves, my wife and I would really
like to join you there; how we wish we could be with you in reminiscing the wonderful memories we had back
then when we were still young men and women struggling to survive as “Iskolar ng Bayan”.
Though, we cannot be there physically but surely we are with
you in spirit. At present, there are some pressing things we have to attend to,
and also we have been experiencing some freezing and chilly weather
here in Toronto.
However, just like the reunions we’ve had before, we’re certain,
this gathering will be another occasion when we can feel young again, looking
back to the days when as young teens, we had full of dreams, hopes and
ambitions.
When the PLM was
formally opened its door on July 17,1967 to the poor but exceptionally talented
graduates of Manila’s public high schools, we were so blessed to be its pioneer students but we had to prove to all
and sundry that we were worthy of the free education given to us by our alma
mater.
In remembering our
good”ol days at PLM, how could we forget the anxiety weighing us down,
burning the midnight oil and giving everything in our power to maintain our
scholarships. Of course, occasionally, we would really be sweating blood specially at the end of every semester because
of too much worrying about getting either low or failing marks from some “
terror” professors.
The danger of being “ kicked out” for failing to keep up the
grades was a reality we had to face, it was just like the sword of Damocles hanging
over our heads every end of the school year, seeing how the various classes had
been decimated as years passed by.
At that time, we all had one all-consuming dream—to escape
from poverty—and that was the main driving force that spurred us to give our
best shots in our studies; we knew then that the PLM education would be our
only chance, a chance of a lifetime, or our families’ way out from suffering
and hardship.
Most of us are children of carpenters, drivers, dressmakers,
office workers, vendors, laborers, soldiers and other workers; and that our parents
worked hard all day so they could give us our daily baon and transport
fare but they themselves also dreamt that someday their children would be their
only chance to provide them some respite from life’s adversities.
How happy we are today to think that we have not failed both
our parents and our alma mater.
Look at ourselves now and what we’ve become--executives of
some companies, school deans, journalists, writers, accountants, professors,
lawyers, teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, public officials, and other professionals--and
from having lived in small houses along the railroad tracks, and
other shanties in Tondo, Sampaloc, Paco, and Sta. Ana, many of us have moved to some affordable subdivisions in Metro
Manila while the others have migrated to US, Canada and Australia.
But still, we have not forgotten to give something back to
our alma mater as testified by our
scholarships programs, the various drives of donating books and magazines to
library, medical equipment for the Ospital ng Maynila and donations given to
the Enterprise Center and for the bust of Gatpuno Antonio Villegas.
A few years ago, when my wife and I attended one of our reunions,
we were happy seeing you all that despite the prominence and status you’ve reached,
you still acted like teenagers, eagerly enjoying the company of one another --chatting,
joking, dancing, engaging in a never-ending kuwentuhan—not having been
affected by the temporary trappings of titles and status in life.
Why did we behave that way? Simply because that’s the kind of education
we’ve got from the PLM-- not being puffed up with pride, always reminding ourselves of our humble
beginnings.
Whatever little comforts and success, we alumni are rejoicing
in now, we can all say with certainty that poverty should not be a barrier but
a spur to intelligent and poor students to keep on dreaming dreams until they reach their goals
in life.
And wherever we are, our beloved Pamantasan will always be
part of our lives and we’ll be grateful forever for the kind of education our
alma mater has bestowed upon us.
Best wishes,
Willie and Lilia
