UC GRAND ALUMNI HOMECOMING — Officers of the University of the Cordilleras Alumni Association led by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda and educator Sonia Daoas announced the lined-up events for the UC Grand Alumni Homecoming 2024 on May 18. Pag-Ibig Chief Executive Officer Marilene Acosta, BSA batch 1986, will serve as guest of honor and speaker. Also in the panel were UC outstanding alumnus Eduard Folayang, UC Vice President for Administration Rhodora Ngolob, VP for UCAA Pedro Gines. — Contributed photo
School officials and alumni leaders of the University of the Cordilleras called on graduates of one of the biggest private schools in Baguio City “to come home” on May 18 for its grand alumni homecoming.
Baguio Colleges Foundation-University of the Cordilleras Alumni Association President Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, UAAI Public Relations Officer Sonia Dao-as, and UC Vice President for Administration Rhodora Ngolob called on the alumni to join the homecoming which the school revived last year.
Pag-Ibig Chief Executive Officer Marilene Acosta, Bachelor of Arts in Accountancyclass 1986, will serve as guest of honor and speaker.
In a press conference, Ngolob urged the alumni to join the second staging of the annual event which resumed only last year after 20 years of absence.
Ngolob called on the spirit of “family-ness”, of support which defines the BCF, and later UC, culture that could be yet the best among the institutions of higher education in the city.
They were joined by alumni and now professors of the school who gave their testimonies on their experience during their college days.
Former two-time ONE Championship lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang profusely thanked the school for helping and “understanding” him as a student athlete and national team member when he skipped a semester or two to train and compete in international competition.
The three-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in wushu sanda became a UC student in 2001 and only graduated in 2009 or eight years in college.
“I am really thankful to UC for allowing me to stop when I prepare and compete when I joine dhte national team,” said the winner of Asian Games, world wushu competitions medals.
The panelists also welcomed journalists who are graduates of the school like Redjie Cawis of the Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera, as host.
Baguio Midland Courier Editor-in-Chief Harley Palangchao, Amianan Balita Ngayon Publisher/EIC Thomas Picana and former Sun*Star Baguio Editor Roderick Osis were welcomed “back home” as they were asked to return home by teaching the current communication students.
Noted alumni-journalists of the school, they said, include former ABS CBN North Luzon chief Dhobie de Guzman, former Gold Ore/City Digest EIC Joel Dizon, and radio broadcasters Edong Carta, Jordan Tablac, and Dionisio Dennis, among others.
Noted graduates of the school include Northern Philippine Times Publisher/EIC Alfred Dizon and DZRH correspondent Romeo Gonzales.
Dao-as has rather a difficult task ahead of her as she is also the president of the MPHS-BCHS-BCNHS Alumni Association which had its alumni homecoming on May 3 and 4.
Founded in 1946 by the late Benjamin Salvosa, the school is one of the first post-World War II learning institutions in the city.
Salvosa even dreamed of putting up a Law school and his desire to have one, that saw the school incur losses, was realized when two of its graduates topped the Bar exams in two occasions – Janet Abuel in 1998 and Noel Malimban in 2007.
This year’s alumni homecoming will honor the golden jubilarians (1974) and silver jubilarians (1999).
With more than 17,000 enrolled students, the school has started its biggest project so far, the construction of a 10-storey annex at Hamada Street. – Pigeon M. Lobien
