We're back!!!

These same words were said in 1999! I’ve asked Higee quite a few times to revive this newsletter, to no avail. So let's just make him!!! Don’t you agree that there are things going on with most of our batchmates, a chronicle of it all is most appropriate at this time? I'm reviving the Dimension in hopes of stirring up enough enthusiasm for the silver reunion.

I have recently spent more than an hour rereading the archives of our newsletters from 1997. It brought back a lot of good memories and it served as a journal of our growth as a group. There are events in our lives that are certainly worth writing about and there are those that string us through to the next issue. With that in mind, I am back on my computer and word processor, to share some of the good and important events in our lives and hopefully to get others involved, kahit hanggang sa next issue lang!

In most of the issues back in 1997, we closely monitored who’s expecting and who just had one! Did it cross anyone’s imagination that we will, so early in our lives, be listening about the loss of one of our own’s child’s life? Such an unfortunate event, yet the effects are so profound!

Where are they now…

Have you ever wondered where your high school best friend is? Nine years ago, our class celebrated our 15th year class reunion. The effort and countless hours we have labored over this newsletter were well spent. We have rekindled old friendships and started new ones.

As we begin a new journey, we would like you to experience the joys of childhood friendships. This column will continually run updates on alumni as we locate them or as they agree to be featured here, so that you, too, may find a long lost friend. After each feature, the information will be listed in our directory.

My name is Nek, formerly Francisca Torres, married to Ronald Elefante also of batch '82.

Higee Quintos Aguiluz, editor of Dimension-Internet version now resides in Los Angeles. He is a self-taught computer whiz, who possesses a business degree from the University of the East. Intellectually gifted, he is the most underrated person of our class and I am his biggest fan!

GOOD LUCK to Elinora Danao-Sagad, who is currently Officer-in-Charge of Santiago City's Accounting Department, and Dr. Jeffrey Demano. Both are preparing to take the next CPA board and Bar exams , respectively.

At 12, JOY led a full life. She was a daughter, a sister, a student, a friend, a teacher and most of all, a role model, an angel. She was here, now she’s gone!

Christeen Joy Ramos Lim, who was a freshman and on the honor roll at Infant Jesus Montessori School , a young lady full of dreams and promise, had been at her mother’s bedside when the former was recently in the hospital. She had told her mother that one of her dreams was to have a debutante’s ball and when given options as to where, she simply said, “Only in Santiago, I don’t want anything fancy.” To fulfill this dream, she is wearing a pink gown and a tiara, and she's described as "so beautiful, but so painful to look at..."

Joy passed away on August 22, 2006 of dengue. Joy, the third child of Mandel and Maybel Lim, was a model of service both at home and in the community. Her parents reminisced about the services their daughter gave them and the Lord. According to Mandel, oftentimes he took for granted the glass of water at mealtimes she readily prepared for them. It’s one service of hers that he will pine for, but that’s just one of the countless other things they’ll miss.

At an early age, Joy showed all of us that in life, we must go full circle traversing the same path as Jesus Christ to return to our Father. As a role model, a young Sunday bible school teacher with 10 students, Joy taught us her greatest legacy, her service to her fellowmen. In life she touched many young hearts and brought them to Jesus, in passing she saved countless others from the same fate. Santiago is now aware of the perils in the environment, all because of Joy!

Joy, such a blessing to Mandel, to Maybel and to all of us.

At the Shrine
L-R: Maybel, Joy, Faith and Fely

The Homecoming...

Here's the silver lining... Tintin, second daughter of Mandel and Maybel Lim, who was also in critical condition, is well and home! She and Maybel came home to Santiago on Wednesday, August 30th around midnight.

It was a heart-breaking homecoming. While Tintin waited in the car in front of St. Peter's, Maybel entered the funeral parlor and burst into tears.

GEMS
from The Journal

How can one console a mother upon losing a child? How about a friend consoled by the grieving mother…

Maybel, bless her heart, did just that for me. Her unbelievable trust in God’s plan for her child and their family and her strength to accept that this is a blessing from God, made me question my own faith.

Would I be as strong if two of my children become gravely ill at the same time? How much more to lose a child? Not only did Maybel say that she is very thankful for the “extension” God has given Joy’s life, she said that she acknowledge that God has truly blessed them with an angel, one who has served the Lord with all her heart and who now served to save other kids, for had it not happened there might not have been a citywide cleanup of Santiago. She believed that God has confirmed HIS presence through this ordeal by affirming HIS love through people she does not even know, through the well-wishes and offers they receive, in prayers and in-kind.

With her strong resolve to move on and her vow to keep the memory of her child, how could one not shed tears?

Dear Mandel, Maybel and kids,

We are one with you as you go through this difficult time. But remember His promise, "Come to me those who are heavily laden and I will give you rest." Only He can be your refuge.

We are one in the spirit, you remain in our prayers...

From Batch '82

UPCOMING EVENTS

Joy’s internment will be on Saturday, September 2, 2006
at 9:15 am in Santiago Memorial Park.
There will be a memorial service at 7:00 am.

Adopt-a-school feeding program: Next feeding date is September 8, 2006.

Executive Committee meeting: Next meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 16, 2006 at Eleanor's office.

Contact Us

HIGEE - email: promdi7@yahoo.com
NEK - email: nek.torres@yahoo.com
MALOU - email: mangyanpogi@yahoo.com
JERRY - email: gnm_mayapis@yahoo.com.ph Cell: 0917-574-5888
TERE - email: tam_marithe@yahoo.com.ph Cell: 0927-932-7778

The Class Directory

We would like to show how we have grown from a listing of 35 in August 1996 to our current listing of 130(?).

Thank you very much to our Santiago counterparts, for sending us a list of updates and new listings. If you would like to change any information on this listing, please drop us a note. Please send your information to Marilou Bayaua or Francisca Torres.