OLPS 59th Alumni Homecoming:Tiripon ngun-a para sa sisenta

By: Fire Sr. Insp. Renato Badong Marcial

(Originally published in Sorsogon Today on October 6, 2004)

“There’s no place like home!” as the saying goes; truly , one could never get tired of reminiscing the happy days spent in a place that is so unique and considered to be his second home.

I am referring to the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Seminary or OLPS, located at Bibincahan, Sorsogon City.

This institution, which we considered as our home when we were still seminarians, was instrumental in molding our lives. Like a home, our formators were our foster parents who strictly adhered to the motto “Ora, stude at labora,” in order for us to become prayerful, studious and workaholic persons, thereby preparing us to become servants of Christ in the near future.

Given another chance of choosing any institution in high school to enroll in, I would definitely not hesitate to enter the OLPS! Looking back, our experiences inside the seminary in a way had taught us and prepared ourselves to confront whatever challenges that lay ahead of us, and practically helped us manage our lives not only as a priest, a bachelor as well as an ideal family man.

The preparation inculcated to us in the seminary made us discern the very meaning and essence of our existence; thus, while inside the seminary, we mustered courage to explore our capacity as a person and sometimes tested our limits.

Some of our co-seminarians developed the art of survival; they scoured for food everywhere: inside the dorm, at the kitchen and in the refectory at the back of the seminary (where so many fruit-bearing trees grew, live chickens wandering around), and even in the sacristy!

Until now, I am still wondering why seminarians during our time, (or shall I say even to this day?) were always hungry!

Leadership is also one of the qualities that we learned inside; while we became responsible individuals, tending our beddings and other personal things, we were also given the responsibility to look into the welfare of our younger brothers, as we implemented the ruling class system.

The beadle, with his tiger looking image and scrutinizing eyes, together with his classmates, would always see to it that the policies and guidelines of the seminary were properly being followed. With the said “powers” laid down upon them by the rector, you could easily identify those seminarians who would qualify to be a future dictator! Thank God, no one turned out to be one; in fact, they are now good leaders in their own right.

Different strokes for different folks from different walks of life; different culture, different attitudes; everyone was different.

But by chance, these young individuals were chosen, gathered and molded in the same institution – shared their individuality, developed the art of intellectual argument, interrelationship with others, practiced the way of politics, freedom of expression (being a musician, philosopher, inventor, scientist, athlete, escape artist, weirdo, ninja, shaolin, etc.). You name it, we had it, and we turned out to be one of a kind!

What I mean is: we all experienced those things as we evolved like brothers inside the seminary home. There were endless experiences that could be retold by one who was once a part of that prestigious institution, and I believe everything that happened to us in OLPS has something to do with what we are now as a person.

Next year, our dear alma Mater, the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Seminary is turning 60, and the OLPS Alumni foundation, Inc. has finalized this year’s homecoming on October 16, 2004, (Saturday) at the OLPS minor seminary; this is in order for all of us to attend and contribute our plans for the next year’s big celebration.

This is therefore our chance to meet once again our “sano”, our contemporaries, and start reminiscing those unending stories of our times.

One of the very important data needed is to establish the directory of each one who was part of the seminary: meaning, if you graduated or officially enrolled in the OLPS even for an hour, then you are one of us!

The OLPS Batch’87 has also appealed to the officers of the alumni association in the institutionalization of the OLPS yearly alumni homecoming, which was unanimously approved, so that every year, all of us shall look forward to this grand activity.

Below is the program of activities for our homecoming. Please do come home!
8:00 a.m. - Registration (OLPS Minor)
9:00 a.m. - Motorcade (from OLPS to downtown)
11:00 a.m. - Mass (Seminary Chapel)
12:00 noon – Lunch(Refectory); per Batch/Class shall bring
their own food
1:30 p.m. – Business Meeting (Auditorium)
4:00 p.m. – Games (Basketball, Billiards, Lawn/Table Tennis)
6:30 p.m. - Fellowship, with live band (Auditorium)