MIT Chemical Engineering Class of 1966: MIT ChE'm 66 Homecoming -

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Jan 2011: Reunion at Subic Bay.
The winter gathering of class '66
throws shadows around us,
it is the late afternoon
For some of us.
There is still enough light
to see all the way back,
but our eyesight
that light is wasting away.
Soon we will be nothing
but silhouettes in the dark
as harsh
as our fathers'.
Soon the engineers
will take off their shingles
as trees take off their leaves
for winter…ASC

Distinguished himself by intrepid and determined leadership against greatly superior enemy forces. At the repeated risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in his position, he frequented the firing line of his troops where his presence provided the example and incentive that helped make the gallant efforts of these men possible. The final stand on beleaguered Corregidor, for which he was in an important measure personally responsible, commanded the admiration of the Nation's allies. It reflected the high morale of American arms in the face of overwhelming odds. His courage and resolution were a vitally needed inspiration to the then sorely pressed freedom-loving peoples of the world.

"Corregidor Island, like Bataan, is a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.

The army of the USAFFE fought on. The messages recieved said there are miles and miles of ships coming with reinforcement. When they found out no reinforcement is coming, they called themselves The Fighting Bastards of Bataan and Corregidor. No momma, no papa, no Uncle Sam.

In the recollection of 19-year-old Pvt. Gaudencio Aronce, when food and ammunition became scarce, rations were down to a bowl of soupy rice each morning and five rounds of ammunition.

My tour of Corregidor was a visit to the past. I felt I was with the soldiers in peace time before and during the dark days of WWII. I felt tears will roll down my cheeks."
Corregidor Island, Philippines - Jan 22, 2011
by Rene Rivera
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Reunion Observations: Life in the Philippines 2011

On my way to the hotel around midnight on Jan. 19, along the way I can tell in the dark the buildings look dingy. I asked myself why they look that way. In America buildings do not look dingy over time. The presence of cars and trucks can not be the sole cause I said. In Manhattan more cars ran on the streets from the 1950's until today. The next morning I looked out the window from the 26th floor at what I thought is fog. As it got thicker I realized it is smog, so thick I can not see the streets below. Going around the next few days, buildings look dirty and run-down. Not a pleasant sight. I can see hardship all around. I wondered how people make ends meet.

Monday afternoon came, that is when Mapuans literally took over the Astoria Plaza Hotel. The din in the lobby and restaurant was an indicator attending the reunion was a good decision.

On Tuesday the following week, Ismael, Arceli, her brother Ray, and I went on a walking tour of the Manila familiar to us when we were in school. The area starting from FEU, UE, PSBA, Recto Ave., MIT Doroteo Jose, Rizal Ave. theater district, Raon St. record shops, Quezon Blvd, Carriedo St., Ongpin St., Quiapo and Santa Cruz churches where female classmates prayed for divine interventions in their love life. All of these places look dirty, run-down, and congested with people who appear to constantly move around even if they do not want to. That is my impression. Street vendors selling food from carts in front of restaurants give a picture life must be difficult. Raon, Rizal Ave., Carriedo are also congested with sidewalk and street vendors.

On Recto Ave. the second-hand bookstores are still there, with competition from street vendors. Here there are services for diplomas, ID's, medals, etc., if you understand what I mean. Perhaps, including transcripts of record.

Ongpin looks orderly compared to the other places. Having lunch at President Restaurant was a welcome respite from the sight I consider a human tragedy.

That evening I went to my cousin Nenette's home for dinner with Pol, Bing Eugenio, Rudy Jose, Ismael, Arceli, Ray, Andy and Thelma Goetz. Finally, after nearly 41 years I got to see Erleen, Nenette's sister.

Intramuros, restored, looks much better than in our time when a shanty town was behind our school. Back then leaving the campus in the evening means walking fast and looking over your shoulder often. It was nice to see San Agustin church. Casa Manila is an example of how the affluent lived during the Spanish colonial time.

Luneta Park for sure can use a lot more trees. How in the world the architects designed a park with more concrete than trees in a tropical country?

Moonbay Marina Resort in Subic Bay is nice. Located next to the bay, ocean breeze makes the day pleasant. Here I saw what I consider exploitation of workers. Students from a hospitality school work at the resort for a semester without compensation. They are provided with meals during their shifts. They are responsible for other expenses like lodging. They get a certificate from the resort saying they worked at the place. So the business makes money from free labor.

Then on to Zamboanga, a city I knew only from pages of books and newspapers. In our group were Pol, Rudy Jose, Ismael, Arceli, and I. We went to see the family of our late classmate and brother Jose Lladones. Here we stuck to seafood. Hai Sin restaurant, nothing fancy, is worth the trip. We bought about 10 lbs. of fish, prawns, and squids and had them cooked. The bill for a group of nine including beer was about $80. A bargain for us from the States. That evening, Pol, Rudy, and I went back for dinner in an air-conditioned tricycle found only in Zamboanga City. All the while I was aware of the poverty around us.

Back in Manila, at my brother-in-law's home in Malabon we watched the congressional investigation on the corruption in the Philippine army. What else is new? It only got worse.

Before dawn the next day on the way to the airport we passed through Navotas and Tondo. This time in the dark I saw poverty and squalor for miles. Then like flipping a coin we were on Roxas Blvd. in the tourist district.

Rene

You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: 2011_01_29 MIT Reunion Subic Bay

2011_01_29 MIT Reunion Subic Bay
Jan 28, 2011
by Rudy
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You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: 2011_01_28 Subic Bay Dinner Celebration

2011_01_28 Subic Bay Dinner Celebration
Jan 28, 2011
by Rudy
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You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: 2011_01_26 Sonia Mendoza's Reception Dinner

2011_01_26 Sonia Mendoza's Reception Dinner
Jan 26, 2011
by Rudy
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You are invited to view Rudy's photo album:

Dinner at Gloria Maris

Dinner at Gloria Maris
Jan 24, 2011
by Rudy
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Jan 25, 2011
by Rudy
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You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: 2011_01_25 Manila and MIT Tour

2011_01_25 Manila and MIT Tour

You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: Palawan PICS

Palawan PICS
Jan 22, 2011
by Rudy
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Jan 23, 2011
by Rudy

Cherry Jose - a distant relative from Palawan
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You are invited to view Rudy's photo album: Palawans Mayor Hagedorn's Dinner

Palawans Mayor Hagedorn's Dinner

The seafood in Hai San is one of the best meal I ever had- for both lunch and dinner! The food was very fresh rendering a slight sweetness to the meat. And the preparation is quite simple with any sauce on the side. Just to salivate the reader, let me enumerate what we ate in three occasions:
     giant squid cooked calamari style
     lapulapu head and tail sinigang and body deep fried
     lapulapu twisted and deep fried
     grilled tuna belly
     dozen of huge prawns fried skins and tempura style
     several chili crabs (we skipped the la cucuracha crabs e.g. looks like horseshoe crab)
     cooked vegetables with bagoong in coconut milk
     pansit
     mangoes with salted eggs and with bagoong
     uncountable bottles of San Miguel beer

And the price is cheap! A dinner for nine people cost about $80. ..Pol

And we went back at 9:00PM that evening; Pol, Rudy, and I. It was still a bargain-basement price, with beer!…Rene

…………………………………….

Welcome back, and enough time have lapsed to give you a rest. To the guys in the Midwest and the East coast, it is time to get the snow off the roof before it caves in, and another storm blows in.

To the rest of the Class of MIT ChE'm 1966, even though, I was not there, my spirit was with you. I salute the 45th reunion in the memorable embrace of that special classmates during those celebrations. You had the time of your life!…. ASC

Early 1960: Intramuros to your left, Post Office in distance, Manila City Hall on the right. Remember this intersection where we catch our jeepney ride to our residences. For some, it was a focal point for couples to meet after class on their way to somewhere…ASC

Below with the family of Lladones in Zamboanga.

The morning after my arrival in Manila on Jan. 19, I looked out the window of Astoria Plaza from the 26th floor curious to see what the area looks like after 35 years. At 6AM I thought I was looking at fog, at 7AM it got thicker, then I realized it is smog, so thick I can not see the train on EDSA or the streets below. It was like that for the rest of the week. Saturday, I took the ferry to Corregidor. About a half-mile into the bay I took this picture around 8:30AM. Farther out, I looked to my left, Navotas and Malabon area, and turned to my right to Cavite, what I saw is the same as in this picture, metropolitan Manila in a blanket of smog......