Pampanga High School Class '65 Foundation

Defining the Significance of our Lives

Graduating from high school was a significant part of our lives. It was the beginning of yet another struggle in life and, for most, it represented a momentous step towards another institution of learning - college. A college education is a difficult enough aspiration to achieve for any person, and it was even more so for many of us in class '65. There were some whose parental resources were in place, so college simply meant to study harder, to mature a little more and to face the life of independence in far away Manila where all the prestigious universities were located. But, having enough resources for a college education was not a common privilege for many of us back then. Today, treasured stories of this batch reflect the journey of men and women whose dreams of better lives as young boys and girls have now been achieved.

There is Marilyn, one of the brightest in class, who through the Pampanga High School was awarded the Pampanga Ex-Governor & Ex-Senator Sotero Baluyut (pictured at left with his wife) scholarship that gave her free tuition, books, and a modest stipend at the University of the Philippines. While there, she took a part-time job as a student librarian and later as a student assistant at the U.P. Department of Linguistics to supplement her scholarship. She now lives in Geneva, Switzerland and works for the United Nations.

We also know of Ike, the oldest of 11 children of a public elementary schoolteacher, who was a very hardworking boy even in high school. He sold food items at the Estrella theatre in San Fernando. He would craft small paper bags from old newspapers and sell them to the tinapa (smoked fish) factory right beside their home. He obtained a working scholarship at the Assumption College Pampanga and he was able to work his way through college. He now works at the Pentagon in the United States of America.

Ed was dealt one of the toughest hands back then, doing manual labor as a construction worker in building projects along Ayala Avenue in Makati, Manila, just to support himself through college. Luckily enough, he was able to qualify for service with the US Navy and years after, he finished his Engineering studies in Los Angeles where he is still based to date. He works with Boeing, the aircraft company.

And, there are more stories. Lin, the eldest of 10 children, took a part-time job at the Casman Drugs in Quezon City while studying at the University of Sto. Tomas and is now an environmental scientist. Virgie who sold puto seco (a native cookie delicacy) in a market in Manila to finance her tuition, is now a successful nurse based in San Francisco, California. Lisa went to college in Manila but commuted everyday to San Fernando, courtesy of a Philippine National Railways train pass. Her best friend, Mars, made sure that his Mon-Wed-Fri subjects would be her Tue-Thurs load so she could share his books.

These are just some of the many stories of struggle and achievement, of hope and dreams and their realization. In commemoration of these grand experiences, and alongside the celebration of our 35^th year anniversary of high school graduation, the PAMPANGA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS '65 FOUNDATION was born. This is our Foundation, an organization where we can channel our resources to help the less privileged, particularly among our batch mates, to provide assistance to their families, to extend help for medical care, and most of all, to see a child, who like we were once, go through college. Eventually, the foundation will initiate livelihood projects for selected economically deprived groups. As our way of helping our Alma mater, we can also source and donate reference books, computer systems, do minor facilities improvement and upgrade the teaching capabilities of the faculty.

We have already taken the first bold steps. The initial contributions have trickled in and the entity has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Soon, we will be formalizing the plans of the Foundation for the next few years so we will know where we are heading.

One thing is sure, though. The foundation is here to stay, to serve the noble objective of helping the less fortunate among us. We were once poor and we were empowered. We once dreamt and we turned those dreams into reality. We once hoped and some good Samaritans came our way to lend us a hand. Some lives that were seemingly insignificant then, have now been pillars and cornerstones of business and industry. It is now our turn to share our resources to those who are in need. And what better way to do it than by our coming together and contributing time, effort and resources to make an impact and difference in the lives of others.

Lisa Lopez-Valerio