WE’RE BACK! THE 22ND ASSUMPTION ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION GOLF TOURNAMENT!
By Ana de Villa Singson
After a 4 year pandemic-imposed hiatus, the AAA golf tournament is back! On it’s 22nd year, skill, heart and talent combined as 182 golfers, AAA’s largest number of players, swung their very best for the very best reason: they were there to support Assumption Mission Schools, centers of transformative education throughout the country. Every swing, every drive helped a scholar, a teacher, a school, a community.
August 14, competition day did not dawn bright and sunny. Rain was dense throughout the metropolis but…miraculously (we stormed heaven with prayers), it was bright and sunny in the prestigious Sta Elena Golf and Country Club in Cabuyao, Laguna! All of Santa Elena’s 3 nines were bustling with activity, the all-weather greens looking bright, pristine, gorgeous! AAA Trustees headed by AAA President Carmella Gana Araullo and AAA Golf Committee Head Andie Recto, welcomed golfers, many of them familiar faces from our past tournaments. Players were happily surprised that mulligans, those coveted replay strokes allowed after a not so good shot, could be used even on the greens, a first in our books and a rarity in tournaments! They were even happier that the tournament had multiple hole in one prizes: a popping red Mirage car from Carworld Inc Laus Auto Group, Turf Company’s electric golf cart, Php 100K cash prizes each from New Canaan Insurance Agency and MegaFiber/Cran UTI.
The shotgun format saw players teeing off simultaneously across all 27 holes, led by a ceremonial tee-off by Brian Poe Llamanzares, son of Assumption alumnae and tournament sponsor, Senator Grace Poe of AC HS Batch ‘86. Other ceremonial tee-offs saw Assumption “Old Girls” in full swing: Maribel Ongpin of College , a longtime pro golfer of Batch ’58 and Leana Farrales Carmona, Ladies Club Champion of Canlubang and Wack Wack Golf Clubs and representative of presentor sponsor, Assumption HS Batch ’86.
We had some pretty heavy hitters joining us. We counted at least 3 Club Champions, Ian Ocampo of Sta Elena, Leana Carmona of Wack Wack Golf Club and Malu Gamboa of Manila Golf Club. Hitting hardest and driving longest for the day was Raffy Ocampo with his breathtaking 321 yard drive.
The Corporate and business worlds were well represented. Gamely playing for Assumption Mission Schools were Giles Puno ( FPH President), renowned lawyer Atty Mario Bautista, Albert Garcia of Megafiber/cran UTI, Ian Ocampo (Petnet President), Noel Singson (FPH and FGEN CFO, Treasurer and EVP), Lito Santos (FPH EVP), Aris Malantic (SGV Partner), Jay Meloto (Forex eShip Business Sector Leader) Malou Fores (Mamou), Bledes Fores Legarda( Araneta Group), Gretchen Recto (former Sotheby’s country representative). Mingling on the greens was Assumption President Dr. Ola Regala. Not to be missed was Sr. Mary Joseph Concepcion, RA, purple-clad and striking on her golf cart, spreading blessings and benign good cheer wherever she went. Why everyone participated with so much heart was best expressed by Paul Chuatico, New Canaan Insurance Agency President, “Basta kay Mama Mary! Walang iwanan!” What better reason is there to play?
Twinning! Couples’ his and her fashion added pizzazz on the greens!
The tournament’s best was a combination of seasoned players and some new emergent players. Overall Gross Champion was Raymond Lacdao with an enviable 70 gross score. Overall Net Champion was Raffy Ocampo, Grossing 78 with a net score of 68. Other category winners who took home the coveted glass etched trophies were:
The day was replete with gifts and prizes. Players were gifted with brimming, heavy loot bags which they jokingly said weighed them down. The program emceed by AAA Vice President, Ana de Villa Singson and AAA Assistant Treasurer, Pudgy Carcereny Garcia, raffled out plentiful and generous prizes. There were gift certificates and gadgets galore. Most anticipated were the raffling of the highly rated TRIP electric folding bike generously donated by Avinash Hamandes, LG smart TVs, a Midea refrigerator from Concepcion Industries, Apple i-watch and Apple gadgets, Miladay Jewelry and a luxurious overnight stay at the Peninsula Manila Hotel.
Happy golfers! They are playing for a cause after all!
It was a long day and a happy one! It was also a poignant day for all of us in the AAA. We were taught in Assumption to be women of faith, women of action. And while faith never wavered through the 4 year break from what used to be an annual fundraising golf event, our ability to take action was given little elbow room by the pandemic, seclusion, social distancing and concerns of emerging in a very big and public way. But we gathered a crowd in Sta Elena. 182 strong! Heart strong! Mission strong! We’re back…and with a vengeance! See you next year for another round of the best golf for the very best reasons! All Hail!
Happy Raffle Prize Winners!
Happy Winners! The most coveted raffle prizes were the Trip foldable electric bike donated by Avinash Hanandes, founder of Trip Mobility, large LG smart TVs, a Midea refrigerator from Concepcion Industries.
REVOLVING PHOTO CAROUSEL
The AAA is very grateful to the many sponsors of our 22nd AAA Golf Tournament
GOLD SPONSOR : Assumption High School 1986.
PLAID SPONSOR : SM FOUNDATION
BLUE SPONSOR
RED SPONSORS
WHITE SPONSORS
Hole-In-One
RAFFLE SPONSORS:
Anvaya Cove
Apple Watch
Baguio Country Club
Browhaus/Strip
Classica 1 Aesthetica
Cibo
Eastridge Golf Club Inc.
Gretchen Recto
Golf X
Gourmet Farms
Hydration Nation
Hole-In-One VIP Golf
Karada
Luisita Golf & Country Club
Mamou
Mely Diaz
MENDOKORO
Midea
Miladay
Pottery Barn
Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club
PYC Restaurant ( Fluer, Pardon My French and One World Butchers)
Roti Shop
Sarmiento 1996
Stelton
Solaire
Store One Restoration
The Cafe Mediterranean
The Peninsula Manila Hotel
Trip
Valley Golf
LOOTBAG SPONSORS:
Arla Foods Corporation
Balibago Waterworks Systems & Balipure
Coca-Cola – Minute Maid Nutri+
Del Monte – Contadina Olive oil
Katinko
San Miguel Super Coffeemix Co., Inc. –
ULLSI
Unilab Inc.
Unilever
Purefoods Hormel
Panaderia Pantoja Inc,
La Espanola
Clara Ole
Gourmet Farms