It’s homecoming once again! Time to return to a place that’s been our home away from home… where the embracing arm of our alma mater warmly awaits us with exultation and pride.

We’ve been away from the Academy for a time, some longer than the others. As your Class President I enjoin every Mapitagan to pay homage to our dear PMA. And the best way to celebrate homecoming is to reminisce our good old days together as cadets where we ‘suffered’ and ‘enjoyed’ together while learning the art of leadership..the rigors of command and administration, with successes and failures in between.

Isn’t it an amazing feeling to regard each other as ‘classmates forever’? Welcome home Mapitagans. Happy 42nd Graduation Anniversary.

From the desk of the class secretary:

“For Seniors, golf is for enjoying the game and staying fit; if you intend to excel, you must be in the PGA Tour!” by Bai Onell

Our Class Call for this Homecoming issue of the Cavalier Magazine is dedicated to our Mapitagan Golfers (MG). They are like the ancient crusaders sent to do battle in the Cavaliers’ Cup. So, we must honor them and salute them for representing the Mapitagans in the Games of Cavaliers 2021 (Battle of Classes) Fellowship Golf held from 17 November to 3 December 2021 at the Villamor Air Base Golf Course (VABGC), Philippine Navy Golf Course (PNGC) with the championship round played at the Camp Aguinaldo Golf Course (CAGC).

The whole class threw their support with El Presidente Nick Bartolome sponsoring their participation. They have the best good- looking uniforms, kahit na matalo basta panalo sa japorms! Hehe… Another way to say it: our usual battle cry, “Di bale na mamatay, huwag lang mapahiya!”

The MG team was led by PB George Regis as Team Captain and coordinator (if you still do not know what “PB” means, ask any MG), with the following 11 members: 1) Dante Balao, 2) Hermie Colina, 3) Rainier Cruz, 4) Bong De Asis, 5) Larry dela Cruz, 6) Paco Francisco, 7) Manding Guzman, 8) Onell Lleno, 9) Ces Ordoyo, 10) Emil Sarmiento and 11) Herbert Yambing (arranged alphabetically, not by handicap or expertise. Hehe).

The 12 Mapitagan Golfers played in Division B of the Fellowship Games composed of PMA Classes 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 and 81. After the games at VABGC and PNGC, Class 80 garnered 435 total points placing 3rd place in the Division, with the following results:

1981 – 507 pts (1st place)

1979 – 448 pts (2nd place)

1980 – 435 pts

1977 – 411 pts

1978 – 402 pts

1976 – 363 pts

Class 1981 eventually garnered the championship in Division B while Class 1990 bagged the over-all team championship of the Games of Cavaliers, just a mere point over Class 1983.

Although the third place result of our team did not qualify us to the championship round, “none of our MGs are actually losers since the experience alone brought them blessings. The fellowship and renewal of camaraderie among Cavalier Golfers matter most,” as per PB George. He promised to do their best again for this year’s GOC 2022.

El Presidente Nick B responded by saying: “Good job MGs. 3rd place is ok. You deserve our applause! Cheers to our fighting 12 MGs. Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo! Thank you MGs. You made us proud. Kudos to the Team Manager, Boss George.”

Oby Antonio typically seconded with: “We should remember the Cadet Prayer “…. teach us to make our play in every game, whether in mere sports or life’s mightier struggles, one where our desire to win is second only to our love of the game itself….”

Amen to that, Bok Oby. And good luck to our MGs for next Games of Cavaliers, this year 2022 GOC. I am sure we would have a better fighting chance of winning next time if only all the other “good” players of the class will participate in the Golf games. Calling Cadets so and so. . . . (no need to mention their names here, for they know who they are. Hehe). Fore!”

On other matters aside from golf, we had again another zoom meeting last 17 November 2021 (our third) and another one last 11 December 2021 (our fourth) on the “Zoomustahan” series. The third meeting had 23 Mistahs joining, with three attending from abroad: Jess Lomeda in Vancouver, Canada; Oby Antonio in Wisconsin, USA, and Bob Ramos in Seoul, Korea. The birthday celebrant of the day, Macky Macapagal, was present and we sang to him a birthday song “na lahat sintonado”!

One topic discussed was the plan to conduct a Class Christmas Party last December 2021 but in view of the current pandemic situation where it is not yet safe to mingle, it was agreed that no Christmas party will be held anymore for the year. We will just reserve it for this year 2022.

On the fourth zoom meeting there were only 18 attendees, perhaps due to busy schedule of others for the holiday season. Discussed were: Games of Cavaliers, settlement of PMAAAI and PMARAI dues and COVID-19 health protocols and prevention tips mostly from our experts Doc Frank Gali and Bong Cabantac.

Those concerned Mistahs who still have to settle their dues with PMAAAI/PMARAI are reminded to do so as the amnesty for the reduced fees will expire this first quarter of year 2022. Again, no need to mention their names here as they already know who they are with the constant reminder by our Class Secretary.

As usual, the zoom meetings officially lasted for almost two hours, but still continued even after adjournment, with “bolahizing” among Mistahs. We noticed though that attendees to our Zoomustahan get to decline every time we hold such zoom meeting. Hope the other Mistahs can find time to join our future zoom meetings which we only hold once a month. Aside from trying to re-connect online with each other amidst this Covid pandemic, our meetings serve as a venue to discuss class activities and programs. Incidentally, we shall start putting up class funds starting January this year to support the medical needs of classmates. A committee composed of Ces Ordoyo, Macky Macapagal, and Jun Sanchez is finalizing the details for presentation to the class. Our Mapitagan Open Forum Viber Group is the venue for discussion.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Odette that hit the central part of the country including Palawan last December 16, 2021, it is very disheartening to know of devastation suffered by our kababayans. We have classmates who were affected, Mike Ige Rodriguez whose house in Puerto Princesa was damaged with roof flying off and trees uprooted. Bai Gupana’s family was also affected in Dinagat Island. But the good thing is nobody was hurt among them and that repairs of houses damaged can always be undertaken. In response, a few of our classmates contributed some amount as funds for relief operations for those affected by the Typhoon. Boss Nick eventually decided to allocate the funds generated by the class to Dinagat Island with Bai Gupix spearheading this noble project of alleviating their sufferings.

The class condoles with the family of Zyril Carlos whose beloved mother passed away last Dec 31 at the age of 93. We sympathize with the Carlos family in their loss with prayers for the eternal rest of Mommy Frances in paradise.

On Dec 11, Bai Hermie Colina announced in our Viber group that, “My eldest grandson had his parade this morning as Leading Cadet of the Australian Air Force at the parade ground of the Australian Defense Force Academy”. Congratulations, Bai Hermie.

The first 100 copies of Alumni Register were already distributed to mistahs who signified for it.

Hopefully the Omicron will not get in the way during our annual trek to Fort Del Pilar. See you at the Borromeo Field. Happy 42nd Graduation Anniversary!