Dear all,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We were all there for the most fitting interment of the ashes of manong Frank at the doughnut garden. He now rests in a beautiful niche (liyang ay kanan Fr. Kiley) by a lime rock. The place will be landscaped and the part of the garden will be turned into an
amphitheatre. Every time we come home -each one of us- he will be there to welcome us. Am sure he will also serve as an inspiration for all that we do and for all the students who will pass through the school.

As for the homecoming, I am sure there will be some official communications from Rufino Bomasang, chair of the Board of Trustees of  SMS and Inglay the alumni president but I would like to share the exciting highlights of the homecoming.

Numbers - we did not have this time (only a handful joined the church centennial procession on the 18th - we ourselves arrived just when the procession got to the church) but definitely - the substance of the one and a half day business meeting more than made up for this.

Who were in the meeting? Rufino and Inlay co-presiding; John Guitilen current pricincipal (he was looking for his batch mates and found no one); Dennis Faustino, currently assistant principal of International School of Manila and who has decided to retire early so he can accept the principalship of SMS with a Sagada standard salary! and who presented the strategic plan; Bobbob documenting;  Norman Longid (he will be knocking on doors to get more funds to add to what he has already started to build the sports center) with Catherine and Edith, Ben (thanks for the cartolina size print of the SMS hymn with pictures of the three SMS buildings  (folks you better get a copy of this glossy print);  Sol and Mel (Longids), Ines Saley, Lita, Pelong, Tom (Killips), Mrs. Soledad Belingon with her much needed questions, Nellie Pit-og who privided the funniest ice-breaker, Rose Bawing Nabert only rep from Canada, Rhoda and Jenny who reported on the  school's cash position, Mary Daoas who reported on the status of the alumni funds, Stone Pooten (who nin pabbey with kaising Dolores Sapaen, another SMS alumni on the 27th- reunion extension) and Warren Loyaben who  will send his two grand children to ST. Mary's next year – a move that should encourage more alumni to follow suit; Dean & Mrs. Henry Kiley who were part of the golden jubilarians - Dean Kiley gave the homily during the vespers on the 18th; Geraldine Bangnan (batch 74); Prospero Galas with his much needed spirit-provoking, soul-searching statements; Betty Y Unos and Ezra Arandoque (PPTA pres) represetning the Sagada locals, Judith and Florence Omengan, Mary and John Omaweng(YES! they were there); the faculty (if I am right only three of the old teachers were retained), Mrs. Tocong who provided some info on the gaps; Fr. Tuguinay, chair of the Scholarship committee who appealed to sponsors who have pledged to please confirm their continued support (if you are a sponsor, please write him; Hugh Gayman (who is now the judge in Sagada and two other municipalities) who provided insights on the Helbraum fund that Easter School enjoys even after it incorporated; Bishop Malecdan who opined that SMS cannot avail of the funds since it is not operated by the church (but that we can appeal to the Execom); Penny of course. If  I forgot anyone, charge it to holiday lapses.

Now additional highlights:

• the strategic plan (which we will try to put on the web) was endorsed and shared by the alumni).
• Eight of the classrooms have been fully refurbished and those who came were able to aahh and ohhh at the best classrooms they ever saw; according to Rufino, we are one year ahead of the strategic plan as this was supposed to be phase one.
• thanks to the support from alumni and friends and the parents of the students who
  volunteered 2 days each of labor for each child (yes! the parents are also giving).
• John Guititlen reported that the performance of the students in the bee quizzes and other academic and non-academic activities have improved; vanadalism has been reduced; students now use the library, and of course they now say "good morning sir/ma'am". While we have a long way to go , Dennis said "be patient".
• Election of the new members of the SMS general assembly (thanks Sol for asking that question) took place.
• the next alumni homecoming will be in April 2008 to coincide with the Philippine based IIC consultation.
• Manang Mel confirmed that their family was standing by Manong Frank's donation of a five(?) hectare land in Madela (unfortunately the mahogany trees that Mang Frank had his men plant five years ago for SMS) burned down - but we can develop that di ba?
• Inspired by the move, Dennis Faustino, is donating a five hectare prime lot in Pampanga and he says we can sell the land for a trust fund. If we can do that at PS500/sq meter, we should be able to get  25 M pesos and if invested at a ten percent annual earning, we should be able to earn roughly 2.5M pesos a year which is enough to defray operations expense of the school. We can therefore set our sight on higher levels or special projects. The body was considering a pre-nursing school or a junior college, or an elementary school that would serve as a feeder to the high school. Of course the sale of the land will take some time so we still have to survive.
• Manong John Alipit in his very serene manner expressed his wish to take charge of the complete refurbishing of the biology, chemistry and computer lab rooms (that's phase 2!); he also jested that he will have to deal with his wife since he was doing this without consulting her (I am sure she will be glad).
• Sol Longid reported on the fund reaising activities of the only local alumni association that has been formally organized; they were able to raise funds for the construction of the cistern at the Stapleton HAll.
• The school board met separately to approve the proposed increase in tuition fees as part of the plan towards sustainability, from the parent's share of  Ps.2,500 to Ps.5,000.00 for the incoming freshmen.

There is fear that the first year enrolment might go down but this can pick up in the follwoing years as soon as parents will see the difference in the quality of SMS edcuation. That is why, we still need support for the operation of the school – salaries that take the bulk of the budget, supplies and materials, maintenance, HRD, etc.

 One way that classes or families or chapters or individuals can do is to provide scholarship to the tope five of the feeder schools that should include tuition and may be a monthly stipend of  200 pesos. At five thousand per school year, this would be five hundred per month plus the 200 stipend  that would be Ps.700/month. Any takers? We need quality students and this is one way of attracting them especially at this stage of developing the school.

The meetings went on very well. Everyone participated and all sorts of questions and issues were raised and addressed sans the emotions we used to see. We missed all those who did not make it but we shall see you in 2008. Class 67 is scheduling a reunion in Baguio sometime January 2005. Let's have class reunions even before the 2008 homecoming that Class '58 headed by Rufino will sponsor. Class ’58 graduates will be golden Jubilarians by that time.

See you there. If I missed some highlights, those of you who were there, please share them.

Wasdin matagotago datakot wasdin sumiya kayet!

Mabanay