Batch 81
has some pix of the olps grand alumni homecoming
Batch 82
sano ronn is kind of in a "crush mode" - do check out their blog and help him choose hehe. i kinda like surfing myself ;-)
an important announcement though --the King has been found!
old graduation pix, check out perry!
Batch 83
the arnedo family, isn't gerry's siwo cute?
Batch 86
lots of birthdays and a poignant writeup ( wounded warrior) from yayes basares
hope we can all help out yayes.
Batch 87
the most regularly updated blog in the sanosphere has lots of nice fun pix again.
family fun day - ian, otats and totep in tatay mode
if looks could kill. tato's pride and joy in fight face mode
the lucero family celebrating a birthday (?)
and lastly, in total agreement with ol, eenals is definitely super cute.
Batch 89
richard must be so busy
Batch 92
has loads of new stuff posted. seems like they're hanging out more often these days
like this get together at the beach
celebrating chinese new year
a fine, fine view
Batch 93
non must be busy also. but do check out non's personal blog
Batch 94
the motorcycle. what's the kwento with this pala?
Batch 2000
chrisly is busy too.
life, outside - reflections on the challenges of being an ex-sem
0 comments Posted by Sano jetski at 10:00 AMBy Charles Maximus, B2000
here's a nice reflective piece from charles maximus of b2000. i retitled pala the post. i can totally relate with charle's experiences- as i also found out after leaving college seminary that life "outside" is hard, confusing and chaotic. its a culture shock that takes a long time getting over with. do visit their blog pala though it hasn't been updated in a while. chrisly must be busy :-)
It is 1:34 in the morning.
Well, what can I say. Living in the seminary for 8 years was like living in an idea. As seminarians, we were succumbed to the knowledge that life is easy and that we will be able to handle every situation with ease and hassle free. We were like a child, a blankslate who was given everything that he needs.
We thought that life in the seminary is hard, difficult because of the pressure imposed especially on studies. And to think that it is the only thing on my mind that is hard to do in the seminary. Yet we complain. It is hard and difficult. Yes it is.
Philosophy is really a hard course. Too much of philosophy is insanity, little of it is ignorance. But you see, aside from studying, whatelse is hard in the seminary? Is it hard to play basketball everyday? How bout cleaning the grounds or dorms? Is it hard to eat especially if you're food is already served? Yes we complain bout the hardships that we face inside the seminary. I doubt if once we leave the seminary, we will not complain... I said that living in the seminary is like living in an idea. Once we leave the seminary, there is the reality...the reality we learned in philosophy.
The true face of life awaits us outside the ideal. Some would hide; others will run; still others would complain. But the big question is; how far will we think we can escape reality? We cant. We have to face it and struggle to face it until we die.
On personal basis, I've been working for 2 years. Though I am able to apply and share the abundant knowledge from the seminary, still I fell short. There is still lacking. And so even if I did my best, my best isnt really good enough to pull things over. Experiences of delayed salaries, memos and shouting of boss are just mere examples of what I encounter and still I find myself hanging for the reason that without work I dont have anything to support my needs.
You see in the province, you maybe able to eat with just P5 at hand while in Manila you cant. You will starve to death. You might ask; why don't i leave manila and return to Bicol? The answer is simple. Challenges and sacrifices will make us a strong person. For a diamond to have a perfect shape it should be handcrafted perfectly. Working is just an example of how hard life would be. Other people experience more hardships than mine.
In Manila, you will see the reality. Starving people. Children sleeping on bridges, overpass, newspapers, etc...holdups, pickpockets. thousands of applicants applying for a few openings lining up for interviews. this is reality. we may stumble and fall. but we cant escape, we cant go back. the only motion is to move on. learn from it and face the hardships that the reality is imposing on us.
This is just a glimpse of what could be the culture shock that a newly grad seminarian will undergo once he leave the seminary. So while inside the seminary, enjoy and value the time you have coz when the time for you to leave the seminary a new life awaits you and there is no turning back.
We came back here (Adelaide) to spend our New Year celeb. with some "Filo" (Aussie slang for Filipino) friends at Glenelg. We watched a live band in the park and amazing fireworks just after the New Year countdown. We head up to our place at around 1AM to continue the "reverie" (tinumba an 1/2 "slab" aka case of beer, a whisky and a bottle of wine into the wee hours of the morning (Jan 1).. er, 9:00 in the morning na pala :-)...)! Well, holiday season is over now yet the good memories still cling on so I look forward to another one at the end of the year! Enjoy mga sano...
Kids inside the holiday unit (Stansbury)
New Year's Eve at Glenelg with some friends
Miaco kidz... taken at Harbor Town (Adelaide)
The family and I also went for a road trip around the peninsula... visiting places like Edithburgh, Coobowie, Warooka, Marion Bay etc. plus the huge Innes National Park wherein a "ghost town" is located called Inneston. This town was established in the early 1900's but abandoned not long after. Some of the town buildings and other residential homes are still standing (most are in ruins) and a few are restored without the inhabitants though. BTW, we saw a mother and child kangaroo in one of the streets just watching us as we passed them. I said to them, "Merry Xmas... makikiraan lang po kami!!!", but they just ignored me. Hmmmp, mga "snob"! :-)
Taken at the entrance of the Innes National park
Inneston town (a restored post office and the ruins of the town's grocery store circa 1913)
The two "snobbish" kangaroo :-)
As usual, same as last year... I am sharin' to you all sanos some of our holiday pix basi may maimud man lang na bag-o dini sa Tambayan ;-)...
Well, it was an excellent holiday for the family. We spent our Xmas holiday sa Stansbury, a coastal town. This place is very good for fishing, crabbing, swimming and other coastal area activities as you know it. Mayad kay may mga crabs kami na nakuwa para isuda sa panigab-i nan pulutan ko pa of course :-)! Stansbury is up Yorke Peninsula.
Taken on top of the hill where our holiday unit is located overlooking the jetty where we went for fishing.
Some shots from the road trip.
thanks to roy (B94) for the brilliant idea. i didnt even know yahoogroups had this database feature. but there it is the SanoSaurus - the lexicon of sano slang - is live and waiting for your words.
you can post and edit the lexicon by being a member of the olpsano mailing list. i've sent out invites yesterday. pls. activate them and send me more sano emails addresses so they too can be invited to the mailing list.
once u logged in to the olpsano click the "database" link on the right side, click "SanoSaurus" and click "add record" or click "edit".
I've no rules defined yet. but one thing that i would insist on would be to allow multiple definitions of a single word to account for and indicate the evolution of its meaning across the years.
so for example the word "iskaramusa" as defined by otats is different from how you defined it in 1972 and you would like it reflected in the lexicon, then what you do is "add a new record" titled iskaramusa and add a year or year range to that.
thus your word entry would be "iskaramusa 1972"
i think this is a far easier method of allowing multiple definitions with out adding too many fields and confusing first time users. i'm very open to suggestions though.
i would suggest also that you type your definitions in word or notepad first coz the text box in the database is so short its hard to see what you are typing. then after you're done, just cut and paste it in the definition field.
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the sano dictionary was originally conceptualized by bomick the great. "sanosaurus" was coined by fr. gerry del prado (B?) in one of his IMs to me. roy suggested we setup the dictionary on yahoogroups database.
next project is gerry arnedo's feature request to setup a section where we can post something about our olps mentors.
i sent out tonight the invites for the Sano mailing list. hope you got it. do send me email adds of other sanos you know so i can add them to the mailing list.
first topic i guess would be the SanoSaurus - the lexicon of the sano
on another note, according to my brod jay (b87) who just arrived from sorsogon, it appears that typhoon reming spared sorsogon and hit really hard legazpi and daraga. although he says there's still no electricity, landline phone or cellphone signal in the whole of sorsogon and seeing all the destruction the typhoon caused it might be sometime before these services are restored.
am guessing power generators and push-to-talk phones (CB radio/cellphone) would make for a great gift this Xmas to your loved ones in sorsogon hehehe
as suggested by sano bomick, we're gonna try to build a dictionary of sano slang/words.
actually i'm not very enthusiastic about this thing/feature coz its kinda like a private thing for us.
and as one sano said "publishing some sort of lexicon would rob the "mystique" of the sano experience. after all, if you do not understand the language, then clearly you are not a sano".
maybe as soon as blogger has a feature for posting private content or password protected posts or areas then we can start with it.
what do you sanos think about this?
Batch 83 had a despedida for Israel Gamis last Nov. 15 at Gerry's Grill. I remember Gamis as this reed thin, quiet and studious guy. But now he's looking all Mr. Suave (bagay sa mtv san parokya ni edgar, hehe). More deets and pix at their blog here
with the past weeks annoyances behind (pldt dsl outages, blogger outage, work deadlines, anonymous coward posters etc. etc,) i finally am able to report on the "State of the Sanosphere"
Batch 81
Had a rockin' beer and goat fueled reunion last Oct. 30 at the Donsol Parish hosted by Fr. George "Ninja" Fajardo (wonder if he still teaches karate and the secret ways of the ninja to minor seminarians - hehehe). Present were John, Joey, Vic, Raymund, Wowo, Art, Alvin, Charlie, Jun.
Bagan masiramun adto na kanding :D
Go visit their blog for the fun pix and stories
Batch 82
their blog has been silent for a while now. maybe still reeling from the wrath of typhoon milenyo :-p
sano ronny seems to be still offline. badi wara pa kuryente sainda sa gubat
they're still on the lookout for long-lost batchmate Art Fortuno though. so if anybody knows where he is do give sano ronny a heads up ok?
Batch 83
Always entertaining for the chick, booze, music and other husband survival tips :-) do check out Bomick's poems too. also noticed that the great larry manda has benn posting again. wonder when he will post his short films on the blog.
Batch 86
Is on a bit of business mode nowadays.
Batch 87
Totep Perez experiences life as a roman in Bond Uni and continues to endure bouts of homesickness. go visit and drop him a line to cheer him up a bit :-) yakang-yka yan totep!
while Paul and Koji have some apple picking fun with Koji's family
also Otats, Jay, Lloyd and Gerald had a beer fest at Balkon. Para daw idto sa mga kabatch ninda na OFS (overseas filipino sano)
Batch 82
this and other new pix at their blog. sin-o kaya an pinaka-batal didi hehehe
prayers pala for the good health of sano Dondee who's been diagnosed with some form of lung ailment. read his nicely written reflection about it here.
Batch 89
Richard Montano is still waiting for his batchmates to post on their blog. Mike Dagnalan has his blog up and running here
Batch 93
still scanning the pics to be posted yata :-)
Batch 94
had a pasta al pomodoro with red horse party of sorts
Batch 2000
The newest blog on the Sanosphere is still taking babysteps. watch out for more pix and stories millenium style. Chrisly Ereno maintains the blog. He is currently a 4th year Theology stude at the Collegio Sedes Sapientiae in Rome.
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Linkorama:
Sano's personal blogs
Jetski nano daw kun iban ta ini? Maribukon man ini na taga call center. AIX 4.3.2.0-4.3.3.0 sa IBM gamit sada.
phmn14mxc010.sykesasia.com 210.1.77.22
phmnlns002.sykesasia.com 210.1.77.23
phmn14web002.sykesasia.com 210.1.77.25
www.sykes.com 63.240.253.207
mga sano, go visit the batch 2000. chrisly ereno maintains the site.
Fr. PJ Alindogan has a blog where he posts what looks like his sermons and poems.
the best and safest browser in the world is now on its version 2 goodness. go download it at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ this very instant. please. for the love of god!!!
Uninstall internet explorer from your computers and use firefox instead. okidoki? that way this blog will render super beautifully in your pc and from then on you will browse the world wide web safely.
why use firefox? well according to uncrate (am too lazy to list down firefox goodness)
Internet Explorer is awful. Its interface sucks, it renders websites horribly, and worst of all, it's ultra-mega susceptible to viruses and pop-ups. If your PC is acting odd or running super slow, you can thank Internet Explorer. You need to install Firefox immediately. Version 2 (free; Mac or PC) just came out and it offers even more web browsing goodness, like a sexy interface, tabbed browsing, RSS reader, built-in spell check, integrated search engines, pop-up blocker, phishing and spyware protection, and tons of useful plug-ins
so go download it now. and i mean right now :-)
As you can see, OLPS needs your help. It would be great if you or your class can donate something for the repair of OLPS. It could well maybe one of the greatest christmas gift you have ever given :-)
alternatively, as Sano Mene suggests, you may deposit your donations to OPLS Alumni Foundation Inc. Savings Account # 478-7007258 (PNB Sorsogon City)
Sano Tomas D. Sementela is the business manager of PNB Sorsogon. You may call him at (056) 421-5207 or E-mail him at sementelatd @ pnb.com.ph
well actually, its not postponed, am just playing safe hehe. seems like nobody knows if there'll ever be a homecoming this year. what is certain is that nothing will happen on the traditional homecoming day - oct 15-17
let's just say the homecoming will not be held in sympathy to the sorsogonons who were disastrously affected by the typhoon.
btw, does anybody know who are the members of the current OLPS alumni board? i honestly dont know :-(
Our heartfelt condolences to the family of Sano Alwyn on the death of his father
an invitation to all sanos to post their fav memories of the late fr. rosero:
Latob in Tata Linuz
(Totep Perez B87)
The most memorable experience I had with Tata Linuz happened during one of the "modelling" sessions we had when i was in first year college.
For those who studied at OLPS College and took up English Composition Subject with Tata Linuz, modelling was his endearing legacy of teaching the English Language by demonstrating to us excerpts on the works of great writers that we must use as "models" to write our own compositions.
In one of our classes with him he jokingly warned me : "Mr. Perez, remember that I am a lawyer, I can sue you for destroying my eyesight, you've got a terrible handwriting!"
continue reading the article here...
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English Class
(Jet Hermida B86)
fr. rosero was my english teacher during first year college at the Coke seminary. he taught us english composition the classical way --- sort of parang imitating the style of the writer-- a bit peculiar but also effective in teaching the rudiments of english composition and style. most of the time he looked like a serious guy and added to the fact that he was a also a lawyer and had a rather intimidating way with words, my class (to my recollection) didn't mess with him in any way at all :-)
does anybody remember the name of that textbook?
Godspeed Fr. Lino!
Oct. 13 update from Gerry Arnedo (B83)
got this off their blog:
Hello everyone> I just got back today from Legaspi. I witnessed first hand the accident of Fr. Rosero when I took public transpo from legaspi to sorsogon. Very tragic
Fr. Lino was driving a black chevrolet, he ended up hitting a house or a tree on the extreme left side of the road going towards Sorsogon. I believe my ride was less than a minute behind his car. The windshield was shattered, the car was a mess.
I am speculating that he must have been overtaking, but miscalculated and ended up off road. I was told he died minutes after reaching Legaspi
Oct. 11 update from Tato Marcial:
Fr. Lino Rosero's remains lie in state at the Home of Clergy -- the building besides OLPS minor.
Details of his fatal accident are still sketchy but Tato will update us later after his visit to the Clergy House
received 8:30 pm today from From Tato Marcial (B87) by way of Miles Mella (B84);
Fr. Rosero Has died from injuries he suffered after a vehicular accident somewhere along the Villa Hermosa area. He was declared DOA at the Bicol Regional Training Hospital in Albay Legazpi.
Internment details to follow.
Calling all Sanos!!!!
Concerned Sanos led by Sano Mene Dimaano and Tato Marcial are calling for a discussion meeting during the Homecoming Day on October 15-16 (sked to be finalized pa) to firm up plans and draw up projects for our beloved alma mater- OLPS.
Seems like OLPS suffered damages from the typhoon and some urgent repairs are needed.
The discussion meeting is also viewed as a continuation of the efforts to define and realize the role that the Alumni can help in sustaining the OLPS - kay bagan inkukulang na sin hinangos :D
Nawawara na kaya an Alumni Board -- basi na-milenyo-- kaya dili naatuparan ini. Mayad ngani kay me mga super Sanos like Tato and Mene and ther other Sorsogon Sanos who are taking up the slack.
So kindly spread the word to all your classmates and to the other batches too.
I've heard that some of the batches are still planning to hold their reunions this homecoming or within the month. if so, please dont forget to discuss and draw up REAL, ACHIEVABLE plans or projects that your batch can give to OLPS.
Offhand concrete projects would include, donation of school equipments, refurbishing of dorms, new books for the library, computers, sports equipments, repainting of the buildings etc, etc.
Pwede rin parang ang isang batch mag adopt ng isang room or building to refurbish
An important point to be firmed up during the Oct 15-16 meeting is to outline the mechanism by which these donations would be truly directed towards the OLPS and not some other building or church --hehe wink, wink ;P
My batch (1986) is planning to hold a business meeting these month probably in sorsogon and we'd surely discuss this issue.
And for sure Batch 87 (undoubtedly an pinakamahigos na batch na magbulig sa Alumni nan sa OLPS) will draft their plans too.
So mga sano... Burogkos!!!!
The sano community extends its condolences to the family of Roque Dorotan (B86) whose father, Roque Sr. succumbed to liver cancer and passed away three days ago. Internment will be held tomorrow. details to be posted shortly
according to pagasa pala, another typhoon codenamed neneng is due to hit bicol (sorsogon including) tonight. let's pray and hope sorsogon will be spared this double whammy.
btw, only smart cell is operating so best to advise your relatives to change to smart for the moment. also there's no radio or tv there yet thus they have no way of getting typhoon updates. do text them once in a while. pagasa releases "Tropical Cyclone Updates" every 12 hours. so check on it regularly and text your relatives there.
medyo mahangin daw pala yung parating na bagyo kay advise them to board up their windows --lalo na kung glass-- kay ground level winds are expected to be a bit stronger this time kay wara na nin kahoy na masangga.
mga sano, seems like sorsogon was hit hard by the typhoon milenyo. i was just able to talk to my brod jay (b87) tonight --he was able to get a smart sim --as only smart was operating-- and he said that sorsogon city was a mess. lots of fallen down trees, electric poles, various debris were everywhere. even salog river overflowed and flooded downtown.
guess it will be awhile for our sano bloggers in sorsogon to go online and post their stories about the bagyo as it might take some time for power to be restored there. as of the moment there's no power, no landline and satelite/radio phones and only smart cell is working.
i'm wondering what happend to the OLPS kaya. Back then in OLPS, my batchmates immensely enjoyed the aftermath of the typhoon as we have great fun collecting coconuts and other fallen down fruits and most of all gathering saba bananas which we cook into the bestest pinakro EVER!
i miss pinakro!!!!
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There are some videos on Youtube about the typhoon an i'll post 2 of them. a bit lame kasi this is a recording of the news channel report on the typhoon but it shows many things and edited na so hehehehe. there are still many videos posted by ---go check them out
just to update you on some new stuff up at the Sano Blogs
Batch 86
Fr. Peewee went to the US to visit relatives and do some church work. sir ipe and ma'm reno are recent immigrants there - looking good ano. that's pinky, fr. peewee's younger sis with her two cute kids
Batch 87
B87 in manila had a sending off party for Gibbs who is off to Russia for a tourism promotion trip related to his work in Inquirer. Also up at their blog are some pics of the seminary taken by Fr. Dandy. go there and refresh your memory :-) Gibbs btw has a blog full of nice reads- go check it out here
Batch92
had another b-ball scrimmage. its often held on weekends and open to all sano. contact dondee for skeds and infos -maybe leave a message in their chatbox
Batch89
Mons Pax visited NY sanos Richard Montano and Fr. RJ. , Deedee Luzurriaga and Bong Sanez (who hosted he dinner at his house). Also there was Fr. Gerry and sano Ramon Palces (batch71) -- he's the guy on the left.
Batch94
had what seems to be fun bday party! more pix at their blog
Batch 82
Finally found another long lost batchmate - Noel Frivaldo-- who i gather was famous for his handmade mini-komiks back then. Lots of other interesting stuff at their blog posted by tireless blogger sano Ronny Yrureta.
Prayers and good wishes..
Condolences to the family of sano Woowoo, whose sister passed away because of dengue. Mga sano in metro manila - triple ingat tabi sa dengue lalo na with your kids. kill those mosquitos!!
Lets offer prayers also for the quick recovery of Rino and Cho Coronel's mom who underwent surgery for hepatic cysts.
Prayers also to sano Totep Perez who is now in Australia as a Ford Scholarin Bond Uni. --for his success (sigurado ina) in his studies
Prayers also to all of us for good health and success. sya keep safe y'all!
do visit gibbs cadiz' recently revamped blog for some good readings (as always) where he writes "mostly about theater, travel, movies, music, books, personal stuff, and whatever other topics that come to mind"
this is the retirement home of the Sorsogon priests still under construction. this is beside the study hall where there used to be lots of mandarin and coconut trees. Sanos who wish to donate for the completion of the facility or who know a generous benefactor may contact the OLPS Rector or the Diocese for more info.
thanks to batch87 for the pix
mga sano, i may not transfer this blog to wordpress.com after all. i just found out that wordpress.com does not support javascript or cutom html on their sidebars. this means i cannot install the chatbox/messageboard there.
guess, we'll have to wait for the blogger 2 update na lang.
Sano Aris Espinosa, municipal mayor of San Jacinto, Masbate, unexpectedly passed away today, 7:30 a.m. in a freak accident in his home.
According to Fr. Gerry del Prado, as relayed to him by his sister, Mayor Aris was apparently taking a shower preparing to travel to Manila for his child"s baptism when something went wrong --they suspect that maybe he was electrocuted by one of the gadgets in the bathroom, maybe the heater.
I remember Aris as a low key, happy and overall nice guy (he was sophomore during my senior year)
Our condolences to his wife Sandra Martinez Espinosa, his mother, Rep Vida Verzosa Espinosa, sister Marvi Espinosa Bravo and his kids.
Farewell and godspeed Aris.
i remember fr. douglas as a much loved parish priest and seminary priest and for his rumbling big bike, booming voice, football and the super admiration that my casiguran batchmates have for him
i'll be tweaking the blog in the coming days. most probably i will put in a new template and do some other tweaks as well.
I'm eagerly awaiting the roll-out of Blogger V. 2 which has been added many features like labels/categories and drag and drop template editing among other things. you can read more of the Blogger 2 beta here
By Mene Dimaano
The genius of SANO lies in the imperfection of the organization; like its pioneers and trailblazers are not perfect, however the main objectives are noble. Its genius is to be amended and improved by the new generation to come; through the sign of times. The SANO and OLPS are one; the failure of one to strive means a catastrophe to the other.
SANO is a volunteer action; It is not compulsory, but a responsibility. Usually, volunteer actions are based on personal reactionary involvement to the community. When a problem or situation arises that affects the quality of life, we counter act with volunteer service and support to a community. But as a SANO volunteer action and as a responsibility; we do not hesitate how to help; we make efforts that really make a difference. No matter how insurmountable the problem is, we always find a solution.
Responsibility is what we were honed and trained to a multiple discipline; if not, institutionalized, to supine in our back and accept the burden of challenges that is sometimes greater than life. Some how we owe this to those who mentored us, if not to the institution. It is then a responsibility to respond voluntarily with out inhibition to a call for help and support of the institution (OPLS).
The genius of SANO is not to criticize the religious sectors or the person that represent it. It does not condemn the past history of any organization, religion or its shortcomings. Rather SANO offer atonements, suggestions and constructive solutions. We believe on the philosophy of education and civilization. No matter how vivid the difference of what is right and wrong or sometime the issue of moral to immoral has gone too far, we always find time to think both more deeply and more broadly before we suggest solutions and not to condemnation alone.
The genius of SANO does not depend to the few who rules, but to the greater number of subject whose diversity of ideas are infinite and their actions are colossal. We stand firm and believe to its principles and not to be influence by negative gradient of some, for negative concepts are always present and they are perennial as the grass.
And lastly the genius of SANO is with in us, for that is what we are and what we will always be. We are branded EX-SEMINARIANS and it will reverberate for the rest of our lives.
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:
- Organize ex-seminarians from OLPS
- Finalize the drafted constitution and by-laws through democratic voting.
- Induct the Board Members.
- Promote OPLS and increase the number of enrollees through a planned ‘Oplan Balik Seminario.’
- Increase the organization’s funds for any future projects
- Organize SANO and Alumni for the forthcoming golden anniversary of OLPS.
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)
Calling the attention of the OLPS Alumni Association Inc. officers! What are your plans for this years' Alumni Homecoming? madali na tabi an October,we are waiting for your announcements or whatever plans you have(if there is any). Hope to hear from you soon!
break muna tayo sa saving olps thing ha, kay bagan mamundo didi hehehe
here's a pix of the Sunday scrimmage at Amoranto Covered Court in QC of B92 and other sano. all sano are welcome daw to join the weekend ball game-- more deets at their blog
i was reminded about the OLPS mailing list after i looked for bombi manda's addy and read his email about setting up a mailing list.
i was forever planning to set this up but things always come up and and OLPS Admin office and alumni never was able to forward me the email addresses of SANOs.
so to hasten things up, may i request you to send me the email addresses of your batchmates or any sano u know of. pls send the list to olpseminarista @ yahoo com. pls. dont forget to include class/batch info kay dili ko bistado gabos na sano.
salamatonon tabi. have a good week ahead :D
mga sano, kindly post your comments, suggestions/ reflections, whatever re "saving olps".
i try as much as possible to give everyone a free rein on whatever they post here but i just implore everybody to be clear, civil, learned, factual and gentlemen enough to sign off on your comments using your real names. at this point, being an anonymous coward is not really helpful ;-)
below are the comments generated by post here about a nearly empty refectory with its suggestion of diminishing number of seminarians in OLPS minor.
i myself was taken aback by that sight -more from the sense of sadness that it exudes and the jarring realization that maybe the end is just around the corner.
reading these comments however gave me hope about OLPS surviving this current predicament. these comments -insightful, provocative, assertive and creative, reflects our care for the OLPS legacy and for the Sano brotherhood. i hope for the discussion to continue and i expect that we will translate these into a concrete plan of action. it would be nice also if some clergy and members of the SANO board of directors can join the discussion -- just to round things up :-)
lastly, anybody is most welcome to help me summarize these pala :-)
read all comments here...
yup! this is the refectory circa 2006. i never associated refectory as a sad place -- eating there was fun coz we fought over food, told funny stories, shared baon and of course the merienda time ..isakaramusa hehehe. but here it looks sad and feels really empty.
so counting the chairs i assume there are only about 58 seminarians.
and even the priests' table (ano ngani an tawag sadto?) has also gotten smaller
looks like OLPS is beginning to fade away... :-(
what can the alumni kaya do to revive OLPS? any suggestions?
got the pix pala from batch 93
mga sano living abroad and elsewhere (with a fast internet connection) here's an internet station playing nothing but pinoy rock, alternative music, blues and r&b from the 70's to present-- just perfect to wash away those pung-aw!
the station is maintained by a kababayan living in los angeles california. you can even buy the songs (.99$) or the album yata. visit his website here --
download the real player first to play the station or if you are a regular to live365.com then all is a-ok.
listen to pinoy rock here!!!
Here's a recent writeup by my great-writer-in-the-making batchmate Yayes Basares, reflecting on the influence of Pax to the seminarians then and an admiration for Pax as a rector..
here's an excerpt...
Our seminary before was run like a well oiled machine; precise and on the dot in every scheduled activity. The Father Rector, Mons. Pax, herded his flock and made them follow a strict regimen day in and day out giving emphasis on punctuality. The moment we rose until the time we retired we already knew what to follow, how to do things, and where to do them.
His authority on our lives was not confined within its walls for even as we went home we were required to serve the parish.
To our young minds then, discipline and order was a fearsome image. We sulked in corners whenever Mons. Pax made his rounds with that patented clinking of keys as he walked down the corridor; always fearful of what mistake we might have made or what he might find in us. There was fear in hearing his booming voice, his sharp stare was enough to make us toe the line. Order and discipline was Mons. Pax's daily menu. He became the personification of authority every one at our age loved to hate.
Continue reading the writeup here... and visit our blog too :-)
i was intrigued by an anonymous comment inthe shoutbox so i googled larry manda and i got this. here's a pix of larry manda in one of his shoots. the caption was "Paul Tañedo (holding camera) assisted by Larry Manda, cameraman". they were making the film "Ebolusyon"
p.s to anonymous posters please identify yourself. type your name in the name field box
a brilliant meditation on the human condition
We held our summer reunion in Cebu last may 19-22, generously hosted by tyrone.
we're kinda like celebrating our batch's 20th anniversary in a very extended way so we're having lots of reunions lately -hehehe. plus we have something up our sleeves that we're planning to get up and rolling so watch out :-)
