Mistahs,

It appears that our solicitation for financial assistance for Monching Loria has not gathered the momentum we had hoped for. Those who have already given — thank you. Your contributions are  with our class treasury (c/o Jun Sanchez) and I hope not yet been remitted to Nelia.

A suggestion was raised that individual amounts should remain confidential, known only to Jun. This is wise and preserves the dignity of giving. Jun has also offered to serve as the conduit, though some have proposed sending donations directly to Nelia via GCash.

Allow me to share a reflection.

When we give as separate individuals, we unintentionally lose something that has always defined us as Mapitagans — our unity. We were never meant to be “watak-watak” or “kanya-kanya”. In moments like this, our strength is not measured by how much each one gives, but by how we stand together as one class.

Let us remember the Nemenzo experience. There were suggestions then to send “abuloy” individually to Allan, Eldon’s brother. But one mistah strongly urged that our support must be collective. Because of that shared resolve, our Class President, Ces Ordoyo, was able to hand over an envelope amounting to ₱200,000 during the wake — not from one person, but from a brotherhood acting with one heart. That gesture spoke volumes about who we are.

This is not simply about money.

It is about presence, solidarity, and honoring the bond we all swore to uphold.

May I respectfully suggest that our giving for Monching be a class effort, not a scattered individual action. Let the Vice Presidents take charge — as they have successfully done before — without delay and without hesitation. The total amount can be given discreetly, without listing individual donors. What matters is that Monching and his family feel the full embrace of our class.

We have seen what happens when we move together — just look at the PhilVets raffle initiative. The VPs stepped forward, the class responded, and the results were exceptional.

Mistahs, this is one of those moments when we are called, once again, to live out what it means to belong to this brotherhood.

No pressure on the amount — give what you can.

But let us give together.

Because in the end, the true measure of a class is not found in reunions or memories…

It is found in how we show up for one another when it matters most.

Mapitagans — let us move as one.