THE PEARLS: HIGH SCHOOL CLASS 1993
by Margaux Romero – Atayde
Before preparing for our Velada in 2018, we went back to our batch motto: Credo Domine – “I believe Lord” – and asked ourselves what this meant to us 25 years later. As we gathered and reflected together, we realized through sharing our experiences and the lessons life had taught us, that Credo Domine is not a passive belief, but an active conviction. It means that to live a life of FAITH, we need to live a life of SERVICE. We contemplated on how we have loved and served; how we wish to transform and evolve; what is the change we wish to bring to the world; and the kind of legacy we hope to leave behind.
We then saw our lives as a call to ACTION. And thanks to our Assumption education, it is action stirred by FAITH. With faith, we do not just DO. With faith, we actively listen, question, and discern so that we can choose actions that lead to responsibility, respect and integrity.
One of our major legacy projects as silver jubilarians was building SMILE (St Martin’s Innovation Laboratory and E-Learning), supporting Assumption Baguio in manifesting their computer and science laboratory. Thus, choosing to mindfully build relationship with our partner mission school, we kicked off our post Velada year facilitating a recollection for the Grade 6 students of St Martin in April 2019. We also provided the school with educational materials in response to their goal of strengthening the students’ literacy skills.
Of course, we all know what happened in 2020. Covid truly made the call to action loud and clear. From May 2020 to 2021, batchmates rallied behind assumption schools and communities and provided P580,000 worth of food, grocery and monetary assistance to Assumption Antipolo communities (in collaboration with Alay Kapwa Kalikasan of AA and Mother Groups); St Martin’s School Assumption Baguio; Assumpta Technical High School, San Simon, Pampanga; Assumption Mindanao communities, Boni community; San Juan Nepumoceno, Malibay communities; and Assumption San Lorenzo Employees.
In May 2021, we also went beyond our Assumption borders and gathered P506,050 worth of PPEs for frontliners in 7 hospitals around Metro Manila.
After addressing the impact of covid to health, we wanted to ensure that children get to continue their schooling even as their families struggle to deal with the economic effects of the pandemic. From August to November 2021, we thus raised P101,000 for the scholarship funds of San Juan Nepumoceno, Malibay and Assumpta Technical High School, San Simon, Pampanga.
There was and still is much to do. However, preparing for our Pearl year has also taught us the need to look inward, recalibrate and recharge so that we can face the world in a more relevant and compassionate way. With the help of Sr Sheryl and the medical practitioners in our batch specializing in different fields, we met this milestone reflecting on how we can prepare and care for ourselves physically, psychologically and spiritually for the next phase of our lives.
St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus, Foundress of the Assumption, Patroness of Educators and Students, Woman of Faith, Woman of Action said “In our mission of education, our first duty is to enlighten the mind with faith… form the youth in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ”
As our Pearl Project, Assumption High School Batch 1993 has commissioned the “St. Marie Eugenie Series”, a collection of limited edition sculptures by Ronald Castrillo, legacy pieces that can be passed on to generations of Assumptionists. For inquiries, contact Jenny Silayan 09178881122 or Rhea Manotok 09175334976.
There really is much more to the Velada than reunions and dances. In the midst of the fanfare, we embrace the golden opportunity to celebrate each other as women of faith and action. Credo Domine!
