OLPS Alumni

By Mene Dimaano

All roads lead back to OLPS.

It is our alma mater, a segment of our past, a constituent of our journey from childhood to manhood and a part of the essence of our own lives.

For clarification, let us define some terms:

Alumnus – a person who graduated from OLPS.

SANO – acronym for Sorsogon Association of the Non-Ordained, an organization formed by alumni of OLPS

‘sano’ – a person who answered the call for priesthood and enrolled in OLPS, regardless of the duration of time he spent inside the seminary. The term is used for an OLPS classmate, or even for a cousin (many seminarians come from the same towns and they are usually related)

A brief history of SANO: The camaraderie of all who set foot on the grounds of OLPS is always vivid whenever ‘sano’ gather. There have been occasional reunions of different batches, and sometimes a composite of different batches. On one such occasion, a record high attendance was achieved with an informal reunion of “alumni,” with priests, major seminarians and ex-seminarians alike enjoying a whole day of fun. The clergy and seminarians called themselves the “wholly one” (from the Wholly Moses movie) while the ex-seminarians branded themselves the “honest ones”.

The old St. Peter and Paul Cathedral patio was the place where the “honest ones” would hang out after Sunday mass. The eagerness of everyone to tell tales of their fun experiences in OLPS was always in their faces. Some stories were repetitive and redundant, but the cause and effect was always the same as when these stories were first heard. These Sunday meet-ups had become such a routine that everyone assumed it was now part of Sunday ritual.

One time, however, the rhythm of the Sunday ritual was broken. The fun and laughter that usually filled the air was nowhere to be found. Anxiety and anger was on the alumni faces. News from the chancery was the cause. It was said that the Bishop was planning to close the high school department of OLPS.

There were valid and justifiable reasons. Only a few graduates of OLPS now pursue the vocation of priesthood. The pre-college program is seen as more effective in preparing young boys for priestly formation. Enrollees across the province were also declining, and maintaining the seminary had become a herculean task for the diocese of Sorsogon.

The impact of the news was worrisome. So one rainy night in February, a group of alumni gathered to talk strategy and think of ways to help their old school. A big step was about to unfold. The night started with casual kantiyawan, people calling each other by aliases and monickers earned during their seminary years. But the oldest participant suggested that everyone call each other ‘sano’ (from the word ‘paisano’), and without any reservation the group complied.

OLPS’s dire situation was in the agenda. Opinions, ideas and personal views on how to help it were laid out and discussed. But then, everyone quickly agreed that OLPS alumni must constitute a formal organization for any of its ideas and plans to take shape.

It took a while to find a name for the organization, until someone suggested the acronym SANO: SORSOGON ASOCIATION OF THE NON-ORDAINED. It was quickly adopted (with apologies to those ‘sano’ who did not reside in Sorsogon, but since OLPS was in Sorsogon the name made sense).

An ad hoc committee was formed and elected. A constitution and set of by-laws were also drafted by several alumni lawyers and law students. The alumni gathered several times to discuss and agree on the organization’s objectives. The first major hurdle, of course, was funding. To jumpstart its activities, SANO’s initial funds came from the personal pockets of every member. (I remember putting out P100 and suggested that it be made the yearly due from each member. The late Joe Sanchez corrected me and said it should be P50. I was surprised, but understood why. Half went to senor San Miguel!).

To inform other ‘sano’ about the group and recruit them to its activities, young members--single, energetic and with more time to spare—were designated. Sorsogon had no phone system or Internet at that time, only radio, so establishing contact with other OLPS alumni required commitment.

Senior ‘sano’ and alumni were the priority of the recruitment drive--people like Judge Owen Amor, Mayor Ding Ramos of Gubat, Edgar Cabase of LTO Sorsogon, SPHO head Dr. Arthuro Perdigon, and Rev. Theoduro Rey. (Again, apologies to those whose names I forget to mention, but whose dedication and commitment could not be doubted.)

The response of most alumni and sano was amazing! There is no record of anyone who refused the invitation to join the organization. “Sin duda, sin pensar,” every ‘sano’ embraced the concept of SANO.

On April 10, 1993 at Rizal beach, Gubat, Sorsogon, the SORSOGON ASSOCIATION OF THE NON-ORDAINED. INC. held its first general assembly and induction program. The theme: BURUGKOS.

Its objectives:

1. Organize ex-seminarians from OLPS
2. Finalize the drafted constitution and by-laws through democratic voting.
3. Induct the Board Members.
4. Promote OPLS and increase the number of enrollees through a planned ‘Oplan Balik Seminario.’
5. Increase the organization’s funds for any future projects
6. Organize SANO and Alumni for the forthcoming golden anniversary of OLPS.

There were additional objectives discussed that day, but the core aims were agreed upon and, later on, implemented. The day was a success.

On October 16, 1993, the first general homecoming of OLPS alumni organized by SANO materialized. Well, that’s another story. For now, the legacy continues…

“ALL GREAT THINGS START SMALL. THE PYRAMID OF EGYPT AND THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA BOTH STARTED FROM A GRAIN OF SAND. RATHER THAN BEING PREOCCUPIED AND GETTING OVERWHELMED WITH THE THOUGHT OF CHANGING THE SYSTEM OF THE DIOCESE OF SORSOGON, THE CHRISTIAN FAITH OR THE WORLD, WE CAN TAKE SMALL STEPS IN OUR OWN LIVES, TOWARD OLPS AND IN THE COMMUNITIES WE LIVE IN THAT CAN HAVE REAL IMPACT. SANO IS ONE WAY OF MAKING SUCH CHANGES COME TRUE.

(much thanks to yayes and gibbs for the edits)