Message from the President at the Gala Reunion in Las Vegas.
My name is Victoria Manasan Milan; I am with the Golden Jubilarian class of 1970 and I am with CAHSAFI.
I would like to welcome all of you beautiful people, dear friends and co-alumni to our gala reunion. I see a lot of great friends and colleagues here tonight. I also see a few new faces. I feel like I know all of you already, especially after last night. But more so because I looked in your Facebook.
While I searched for your most charming photos, to post on our Facebook, I found people who are close to God and His words, people who celebrate life every day, people who love and honor their families, and people who work hard and are very proud of their accomplishments. And of course I found schoolmates who never forgot where they came from.
Many believe that our high school years were the most exciting. I believe this too.
Let’s take a minute to reminisce. To think back to the times that made those years some of our best ever. Think back to the time when we felt more adult than young children. We felt independent, invincible, even. We fell in love for the first time. Found new friends, some of whom have become lifelong besties through the years.
Arellano Manila North High School is one of the most historic high schools. Our School graduated some of the most famous people in the country. We have a Supreme Court Justice, a famous coloratura, a special assistant to a president, many doctors, artists, engineers and architects, award-winning writers, captains of industries and still, beloved alumni who remained true to their devotion to serve the people and fight for their rights. Some of you may even be related to a few of them.
In school competitions we won most of the prizes, awards and recognitions.
Remember all those trophies, medals and plaques displayed outside of the principal’s office? These symbols of excellence and exceptional abilities made you proud to be an Arellanite, didn’t they? Even though some people from other schools used to call us Arellanong bulok, we showed them who we were! We dominated!
If you went to Arellano Manila North High School, you knew our families probably didn’t have everything we needed in life. But we, proudly, came to school in our crisp white tops, stiff pleated green skirts; and chalk on our white canvass rubber shoes.
We made friends with everyone back then and we spent almost the whole day with them from Monday through Friday. There was always the pasyal to Luneta Park, Fort Santiago, and Good Earth Emporium, too. Remember that’s where we used to eat the best spaghetti with meatballs. When your date had a few pesos more in his pocket after school. But that’s another story.
We didn’t care if our classmates or friends were rich or poor; we just knew that they were good and fun people to be with.
It was during lunchtimes when you began to figure out which friends needed a bit more help. Some students used to come to school without baon, no lunch, and no lunch money. Minsan nga wala pang pamasahe.
It was during these times when people’s character became evident, when genuinely compassionate students shared whatever they had with their friends, even the little food they brought for lunch, or the last few centavos left in their pockets.
But you know what? We never felt poor because we were always rich in spirit!
I am reminded of a sainted woman who said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." – That was from Mother Teresa
Our high school years were the times we learned the virtues and personal values that we brought with us to our golden years. We learned compassion, kindness, generosity and most of all love.
And we received probably the best public school education in the best public high school in greater Manila area, if not the whole country.
So, here we are tonight, sitting next to our friends, reminiscing, remembering all the fun times we had in high school. Here we are tonight ready to kick up our heels for some more dancing! And singing!
We will get there soon enough. Give me just one more minute, I just have one last important thing to say.
Every night in the past few weeks I sat alone, thinking and hoping to find just the right words to say, to ask for your help, your support, so that we may continue with our work. I thought about how I could promote our vision so you may see and understand the significance of what we do.
I wanted to convey to all of you, our mission, “to give every child a fair chance at life”, so that you too will feel in your hearts the desire to be part of the solution.
I thought about introducing to you the life of poor Mother Teresa on one end of the spectrum of Love. She who gave her heart and soul to the poorest of the poor. And I thought, maybe I should talk to you about Andrew Carnegie, who was known as one of history’s richest men, on the opposite end of the spectrum of Love. Andrew Carnegie, the namesake of Carnegie Hall in New York City, died nearly a century ago and is still considered the biggest philanthropist of all time.
He believed that “Philanthropy was the key to making life worthwhile”.
Finally, I thought, I should just ask you straight out to help, to support us with some much needed donations. And we only ask for what your generous hearts are willing to give.
I found the following verse that says everything I wanted to say tonight:
Proverbs 11:25: A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
There is a great need for the school, the students and student organizations, even the teachers. There are many alumni organizations that give help. But the need is just too profound.
I thank everyone who has already generously given their donation, I thank you from the bottom my heart and on behalf of the students of Arellano High School.
If anyone is ready and willing to give tonight, the Ladies of the night will be walking around to help you.
During our short program tonight we will have a slideshow so that you can see the students and student groups that benefit from your donations and to remind you, our members, donors and supporters, of what we have done and continue to do.
But for now let’s celebrate and have a wonderful evening!
Thank you, again, for coming.
My name is Victoria Manasan Milan; I am with the Golden Jubilarian class of 1970 and I am with CAHSAFI.
I would like to welcome all of you beautiful people, dear friends and co-alumni to our gala reunion. I see a lot of great friends and colleagues here tonight. I also see a few new faces. I feel like I know all of you already, especially after last night. But more so because I looked in your Facebook.
While I searched for your most charming photos, to post on our Facebook, I found people who are close to God and His words, people who celebrate life every day, people who love and honor their families, and people who work hard and are very proud of their accomplishments. And of course I found schoolmates who never forgot where they came from.
Many believe that our high school years were the most exciting. I believe this too.
Let’s take a minute to reminisce. To think back to the times that made those years some of our best ever. Think back to the time when we felt more adult than young children. We felt independent, invincible, even. We fell in love for the first time. Found new friends, some of whom have become lifelong besties through the years.
Arellano Manila North High School is one of the most historic high schools. Our School graduated some of the most famous people in the country. We have a Supreme Court Justice, a famous coloratura, a special assistant to a president, many doctors, artists, engineers and architects, award-winning writers, captains of industries and still, beloved alumni who remained true to their devotion to serve the people and fight for their rights. Some of you may even be related to a few of them.
In school competitions we won most of the prizes, awards and recognitions.
Remember all those trophies, medals and plaques displayed outside of the principal’s office? These symbols of excellence and exceptional abilities made you proud to be an Arellanite, didn’t they? Even though some people from other schools used to call us Arellanong bulok, we showed them who we were! We dominated!
If you went to Arellano Manila North High School, you knew our families probably didn’t have everything we needed in life. But we, proudly, came to school in our crisp white tops, stiff pleated green skirts; and chalk on our white canvass rubber shoes.
We made friends with everyone back then and we spent almost the whole day with them from Monday through Friday. There was always the pasyal to Luneta Park, Fort Santiago, and Good Earth Emporium, too. Remember that’s where we used to eat the best spaghetti with meatballs. When your date had a few pesos more in his pocket after school. But that’s another story.
We didn’t care if our classmates or friends were rich or poor; we just knew that they were good and fun people to be with.
It was during lunchtimes when you began to figure out which friends needed a bit more help. Some students used to come to school without baon, no lunch, and no lunch money. Minsan nga wala pang pamasahe.
It was during these times when people’s character became evident, when genuinely compassionate students shared whatever they had with their friends, even the little food they brought for lunch, or the last few centavos left in their pockets.
But you know what? We never felt poor because we were always rich in spirit!
I am reminded of a sainted woman who said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." – That was from Mother Teresa
Our high school years were the times we learned the virtues and personal values that we brought with us to our golden years. We learned compassion, kindness, generosity and most of all love.
And we received probably the best public school education in the best public high school in greater Manila area, if not the whole country.
So, here we are tonight, sitting next to our friends, reminiscing, remembering all the fun times we had in high school. Here we are tonight ready to kick up our heels for some more dancing! And singing!
We will get there soon enough. Give me just one more minute, I just have one last important thing to say.
Every night in the past few weeks I sat alone, thinking and hoping to find just the right words to say, to ask for your help, your support, so that we may continue with our work. I thought about how I could promote our vision so you may see and understand the significance of what we do.
I wanted to convey to all of you, our mission, “to give every child a fair chance at life”, so that you too will feel in your hearts the desire to be part of the solution.
I thought about introducing to you the life of poor Mother Teresa on one end of the spectrum of Love. She who gave her heart and soul to the poorest of the poor. And I thought, maybe I should talk to you about Andrew Carnegie, who was known as one of history’s richest men, on the opposite end of the spectrum of Love. Andrew Carnegie, the namesake of Carnegie Hall in New York City, died nearly a century ago and is still considered the biggest philanthropist of all time.
He believed that “Philanthropy was the key to making life worthwhile”.
Finally, I thought, I should just ask you straight out to help, to support us with some much needed donations. And we only ask for what your generous hearts are willing to give.
I found the following verse that says everything I wanted to say tonight:
Proverbs 11:25: A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
There is a great need for the school, the students and student organizations, even the teachers. There are many alumni organizations that give help. But the need is just too profound.
I thank everyone who has already generously given their donation, I thank you from the bottom my heart and on behalf of the students of Arellano High School.
If anyone is ready and willing to give tonight, the Ladies of the night will be walking around to help you.
During our short program tonight we will have a slideshow so that you can see the students and student groups that benefit from your donations and to remind you, our members, donors and supporters, of what we have done and continue to do.
But for now let’s celebrate and have a wonderful evening!
Thank you, again, for coming.
