Patio Isabel - semi reunion/eat all you can (album)

Dec 1, 2007
Cebu City

Only four of us were able to see each other (Benjie Suan-Logon, AnaFe Buensalida-Duldulao, Rosemarie Alfeche-Florida and moi!). 

I'm referring to my college classmate/schoolmates from CIT. The computer science and computer management classes were often merged or shared some subjects so our group is a little bit bigger than usual for the pioneer batch.

I was still glad that we came together even though -

- Rita had to cancel because her husband had not come back from Bohol and she could not leave her youngest child alone, plus she was in Alegria, Cebu
- Erwin had to fly to Davao very early that morning to accompany his mom to attend her best friend's funeral and so had to refuse at the last minute 
- Peping and Altair were in Manila, Philippines
- Paul was in Hong Kong, China
- Imelda (Marimel) was in Florida, USA
- May was in Cincinnati, USA
- Alexis was in the US, but I can't remember the state
- there were no replies from Ejean and Leoven but I think they are still in Cebu
- Manuel was off somewhere flying about Asian skies
- Vangie and Amor were in different parts of Australia
- No contact numbers of Apen (Jonafen) and Judith who last I heard/saw were working in Cebu's City Hall
- Rolando was in Singapore
- Donna Jane (JingJing) and hubby Harry could not be contacted by AnaFe even though Jing and An are both in PLDT hehehe...
- We have no idea where Liza and Sunshine (Cara Mia) are though somebody said the former married a soldier.
- Cecille was last heard to be in Norway
- last I heard Bing is still in the US and Anthony was in Davao
- Rainelda became a nun (and we had no contact with her)

I am writing the above in the hopes that if one of those prodigal (ehem) classmates of ours does come across this post, we may be able to get updates or at least they would know the current news we have of the other people.

There are a lot more people we haven't heard from in ages. I would like to be pleasantly surprised by news about these friends and not have to wait for 20 years to know how they are doing.

Funnily enough, though we are the pioneering batch BSICS and BSCM students, very few of us are in the IT field, and fewer are those that regularly use email, internet, yahoo messenger, chatting tools etc. For most part, it was texting that we used to confirm the schedule. 

I literally dropped on Rosemarie at the dead of the night when I found out still lived in Naga City (with an only son/child who has the luck to be saddled with me as one of his godmothers) . I was in contact with AnaFe who was still in PLDT since well, we do have some issues with PLDT once in a while and who best to ask but your classmate? *grin*. 

Rose with her hubby Alde is doing very well in the construction business and has a lovely home between the road and sea. Ann is travelling around the roads leading all around Cebu from one end of another. A surprise when one remembers how very feminine and mahinhin she was way back in college.

Benjie is one person I try to see at least once when I go home to Cebu since apart from being godmother to her eldest child, she and I also go a long way back, not to mention I almost always share a meal with her outside or in her home.

I do hope that this December, we could gather again, in somebody's house in Cebu and have a longer time to chat and update each other. The afternoon was entirely too short because of a previous schedule and payroll to be done by An and Rose..but Benjie and I continued on some exploratory rides and visit to the SM CIty Cebu extension afterwards, where we saw that Cebu is now also becoming more and more crowded with tourists. 

I saw a heap of Koreans, some Japanese, some Westerners...and we also bumped into another Technologian (CIT term for alumni) from a later year who remembered us (she still remembered me as one of her teachers, probably one of the "terror" ones). Cebu is still small after all!

"Patio Isabel" is in Banilad, near Gaisano Country Mall. 

Address: J. Panis St., Banilad
Cebu City, Cebu

It is located along with some other good restaurants that tourists (local and foreign) gravitate to. At P160 per pax eat-all-you-can native fare, the price and offer was very reasonable and satisfactory. In deference to my stomach I had only small servings of some of my usual fave viands and had make-your-own-halo-halo as the meal-ender. 

From the chismisan to the fond farewells and poses, I could only wish for more of these to happen...at least once every time I come home to Cebu.

- Dec 5, '07 12:04 PM