My High School Reunion Welcome Address

MATI, Dec. 26, 2010, 6:30 PM – I haven’t been to my annual high school batch reunion for as long as I can remember. This time I had the perfect opportunity to meet my classmates and friends after such a long time. It was perfect; I was given an opportunity to give a welcome address, an opportunity with less than a minute to prepare. It was a perfect example of an extemporaneous speech. I hope it came out good. But what would have been a welcome address if I was able to prepare it? Here’s my guess:

This would have been my Welcome Address

First let me cite the lyrics of a song entitled “Someday” by Sugar Ray

Someday when my life has passed me by
I'll lay around and wonder why you were always there for me
One way, in the eyes of a passer by
I'll look around for another try and they'll fade away


Just close your eyes and I'll take you there
This place is warm and without a care
We'll take a swim in the deep blue sea
I go to leave as you reach for me


Some say better things will come our way
No matter what they try to say you were always there for me
Some way, when the sun begins to shine
I hear a song from another time and they fade away
And fade away

Welcome everyone to the Ihmacian Batch 96 Reunion Party. It’s been almost 15 years since we left the gates of our alma mater in order to pursue our lifelong dreams. Tonight it definitely “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as we fill our cups with more “Ice, Ice Baby”. “Pare Ko” let us be together even if the time is past “214” and even if you are hit by “Lakas Tama”. I really “Don’t Speak” much about sentimental things but its “More than Words” can say, and I hope I’m not “Selling the Drama”.

Everyone here tonight will surely remember this for the rest of their lives. We are all lucky to be able to arrange our schedules for this occasion. Your presence makes this reunion a success. For everyone else who are not here, may this night be a reason for them to find time for our next reunion hopefully next year. Some may have been hindered by time and distance from attending and some for other important reasons. But I’m sure they would be here if not for those reasons.

If memory is a child, high school is a mother. This is where our models, our frameworks, our philosophies in life have taken its roots. For all this time, all the branches have sprung from it. It’s the hub of all connections. It has always been a fact that high school is the venue for almost all our firsts towards adulthood. All the people that we have been in high school with are the undeletable files of our hard drives.

I especially want to thank everyone who made this affair a reality. The sponsors (you know who you are), and everyone who shared their time, money, effort, and talents in making this gathering a possibility.

i96! Once again welcome. Have a wonderful time meeting old friends and classmates.
I’m indeed proud and happy to say “I am i96!

Thanks to Ms. Gemma Arlalejo-Manligoy, my classmate and friend, for the wonderful pictures of me.

Til Next Year Friends

 The night overflows with booze.

 And then there was Faith...

...Hope...

...and Love

 ...and it all boils down to true friendship