A Pre-Convention Dinner with Friends of UP Foundation in America (FUPFA)

Today is September 1, 2007. This is written before I go and register for the UPAAA General Assembly & Pre-Centennial Celebration.

Date of Dinner: Friday, August 31, 2007
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Belden Taverna, 2nd floor at 52 Belden Alley, located at the cusp of San Francisco’s Financial District and Chinatown

During the past year, I’ve been advising the organizing team of UPAAA and UPAASF quietly and yes, intermittently. I’d like to thank Ted Aquino (UPAAA) for understanding why I couldn’t become a more committed volunteer and for Manny Gaspay (UPAASF) for encouraging me to work on whatever I could handle during these past few weeks. My purpose of writing these notes is “to pay forward.” I will need to rely on my documentation to help find ways and means to help out my college alma mater.

SETTING THE STAGE

You know what it’s like. You receive an e-mail from an old friend about a small dinner with special guests from the University of the Philippines Centennial Commission. You don’t have any expectations other than a nice, rewarding reunion with this friend.

Let me give you some background about my relationship with Polly Cortez, a wonderful, energetic Filipina community leader.

It was then-Philippines’ Department of Tourism Attache, Peachy Pelaez, who first introduced me to Polly at the Philippine Consulate sometime in 1997 (or was it 1998? How time flies!). After the “getting to know you, like you, and trust you” phases, destiny brought us together in a project in July of 1999. Rex Drilon (at that time, who oversaw the Cebu Holdings, Inc.’s operations), through Teng Angan-Casipit’s recommendation, asked me to participate in the first-ever Ayala Land, Inc. road show in the US with Polly. Rex and Polly had worked together in the US as founding board members of Filipinas Magazine.

For this project, Polly handled most of the invitations to Filipino community members while I took care of most of the logistics. We learned so much from the San Francisco, Walnut Creek, and Los Angeles road shows. I’m such a sentimental “pack rat.” You see, I kept the e-mails of the preparations (10 days to get everything done!) of this road show in my Yahoo briefcase!

Polly Cortez just recently finished her term as a board member of the Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area. A 30-year US Treasury veteran, where she serves as Third Vice President and Regional Manager, Polly’s Vice Chair position at the “Friends of the University of the Philippines Foundation in America” or FUPFA (the easy name to make out your donation to) allows her to invite an eclectic group of friends for supposedly-social occasions. (Ah, Polly! You sure know how to reel us in! Very effective!)

Now you what happens whenever Polly contacts me. Yeah, I jump. And I ask her, “How high do you want me to jump?” Only kidding.

SMACK IN THE CENTER OF THINGS

Last night’s dinner was a truly memorable, educational experience. I came in from the cold and asked all the inquisitive questions. I even lamely countered Dado Banatao’s suggestion about forming an adhoc Development Committee within the UP Centennial Commission. All right, I’m so over-committed that at this time, I’m thinking only about how to write effective marketing copy and how to deliver a compelling message for a fundraising campaign. I’m going to let this weekend seep into my skin and bones before I know what level of commitment I can give to my alma matter.

The special dinner menu prepared for the “Friends of the University of the Philippines Foundation in America” was gastronomically outstanding! I feasted on Butter Lettuce Salad with Toasted Almonds and Tarragon Vinaigrette, and after looking at the trio of entrée choices — the roasted half chicken, hand-rolled gnocchi, or grilled wild salmon — I opted for the “Grilled Salmon with Saffron Rice, Roasted Peppers, Manila Clams, Fresh Calamari, House-Made Chorizo & a Micro Cilantro Cherry Tomato Salad.” Exquisite, divine, and such great cuisine! Are you hungry already?

Dessert meant a choice of Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with a Butter Cookie Crust, Strawberry Marmalade, Fresh Organic Strawberries & Chocolate Sauce OR Warm Fuji Apple Galette with Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice-cream. Yes, the Galette was it for me!

My blood sugar must have been at a “high” also because I was pretty hyper. I even forgot to pull out my digital tape recorder so I could document Dr. Emerlinda Roman’s talk before the group before dessert was served. I wish I did a count. There were 11of us seated at our table (with Polly being the 12th, doing double table duties as Vice Chair of this foundation). The other table may have had about 12 to 14 guests. And yes, during the dessert service, we sang a “Belated Happy Birthday!” song for Dr. Emer (her birthday was last August 30). The restaurant’s staff was so good at what they do that it was a pleasure feeling pampered throughout our dinner. No request destroyed the staff’s equilibrium even after six (or more?) cameras were given to one staff member, who graciously agreed to take our photos. “I-neglected-to-ask-for-her-name” enjoyed her volunteer work because she would comment, “Oh, this photo might come out dark!” or “This picture is a good one!”

Can someone please e-mail me a couple of these photos so I can include it in this entry? Please send it to [email protected].

THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE

It dawned on me, after the dinner ended, that I was able to get a clear grasp about the messages that will be resonated in some of the sessions at UPAAA’s Grand Reunion and Pre-Centennial Celebration this weekend. I was truly seated at the center of the table, occasionally feeling like a delicious, inquisitive, oftentimes “in-your-face” guest, yet actively listening to the conversations to my immediate left, right, and in front of me.

Dr. Emerlinda Roman, the UP President (a.k.a. the first Filipina to hold this position), was seated right across me. The first words out of my mouth when I introduced myself to her were: “Do you know Jessica Carino? She was my classmate at UP Cebu,” to which she replied, “Oh yes, from UP Baguio!” Little does Dr. Emer know that this meeting was serendipity indeed. I’m a little deaf so I always make an intention that God and the Universe will always make sure that when I need to clearly hear something important, I would be there at the right place, at the right time. To Dr. Emer’s immediate right was Tom Garcia, Ph.D., a San Diego-based angel investor. That’s Tech Coast Angels. To Tom’s right was Prof. Benjamin “Benjie” C. Sandoval, Executive Director of the UP Centennial Commission.

Dr. Josefino Comiso, the “rocket scientist” and an outstanding UP Alumni awardee, sat to Dr. Roman’s left and beside him was Corsee Dating Sanders of Genentech, a 2007 Filipinas Magazine Achievement Awardee for Corporate Leadership. Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin, the UP Centennial Commission’s Vice Chair, was the one at the head of the table, engaging Corsee and the rocket scientist on his right side and Senator Edgardo Angara on his left side. Senator Angara is the Chair of the UP Centennial Commission. I first heard the name of “Ed Angara” from my late dad, Jose “Joe” P. Lardizabal, stemming from business relationships at William Lines, Inc. (many years before it became a part of WG&A). Nice to know that you remember my dad, Senator!

Dado Banatao, the Managing Partner and Founder of Tallwood Venture Capital, looking very trim and very tanned from his running marathon trainings, was seated to my left and Maria Banatao, the perfect partner (spouse) of their gazillion business interests as well as community-service and development programs and projects, to his immediate left. To my right was Ms. Alexis Zulueta, the newly-installed president of the UP Alumni Association Northern California, Berkeley Chapter and a financial advisor for UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Gemma Nemenzo, my editor-in-chief at Filipinas Magazine, had arrived with copies of our monthly, glossy publication. Thank you, Gemma, for making my life easier as one of your business development team members. I’ll be sure to bring some media kits this weekend!

The UP spirit was pretty evident throughout the evening. My head was definitely on “information overload.” When I walked toward my bus stop with Tomo Garcia after the dinner (he was on his way to the Bart station), we were still engaged in a post-event chat about the good stuff that could come out of this weekend’s convention.

THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT’S GATHERING

Caveat: I’m including snippets and summaries of the talks and discussions that took place over the dinner table. My commentaries are also interspersed (and hopefully blended well). I might not have heard everything correctly. Over the course of this weekend’s activities, I might need to correct certain items in this entry. If you use my notes as research material for one of your discussion points or for a news article, please validate the information found here with Prof. Benjamin “Benjie” Sandoval, Executive Director of the UP Centennial Commission. Tel. no. (63-2) 928-4571 local 2042 or [email protected].

Dr. Ermerlinda Roman’s Informative Talk

– We’re pursuing fundraising activities. We need your help in whatever form you can give. The university is “bleeding.” We should do something about this situation quickly. This will affect our ability to be the BEST university. “To be the best” means (1) we must have good programs; (2) we must have good students; and (3) we must have good faculty. We see the UP Centennial Celebration in 2008 as a good rallying point to re-commit ourselves to the University of the Philippines. We’re the number one university in the Philippines. Everything we do in UP is in the service of the country.
– Some Statistics: We’re number 46 among the ASEAN countries. The criterion is based on peer rating from the universities. There were 7,000 respondents. And we ranked very well in Employer’s Rating (we’re number one!), Citations per Faculty (we’re number one, meaning that we have outstanding publications!). We ranked highly in the quality of the graduates. Our faculty-student ratio is low. There is also the criterion on the number of international faculty and number of international students. For financial resources, we’re at the bottom of the list.
– Our target is PHP 5 billion which is about just over US$100 million. We’re allocating the PHP 5 billion among different sources.
– The scenario is very encouraging. Half of the PHP 5 billion will come from the national government (we’re close to getting this!) and the other half will come from other sources.
– Other Sources: Out of the PHP 2.5 billion we will raise, PHP 1.8 million will come from development projects and PHP .7 million will come from UP Alumni and Friends. (Lorna’s note: Please confirm these figures.)
– Where will the money go to? (a primary fundraising question)
a. Faculty Development – our most important asset
b. Modernization
c. Scholarships
d. Selected Projects
– Our fundraising target for our Overseas Alumni is US$ 2 million.
– We’re hitting the $ 1 million mark already (with a high pledge redemption amount of $819,000 to-date)
– Our timeline for our target goals: 2008
– We know that you are all willing to continue helping us out since we are based in the Philippines. Your groups here can really help!
– Example of a development project: We signed a contract with Ayala Land to have a Science & Technology Park, a PHP 6 billion investment. This is going to be a vertical and horizontal development. We’ll be sharing in the rent charges for office space. We will be able to use this same formula to build similar developments.
– Tuition Fees: We’ve recently increased tuition fees. Yet we have a very good socialized tuition and financial assistance program. (Lorna: This means, in American idiomatic language, “sliding scale” tuition. Pay according to the income level you belong to. The higher your income bracket, the more you pay. Very socialized!)
– Profile of a UP Faculty Member: For purposes of this entry, “he” means “man” or “woman.” He has about 30 years’ work experience. Generally someone with a Ph.D. Annual salary is PHP 33,000, the equivalent of US$600. Why do these faculty members stay? They find satisfaction in teaching and helping young minds to grow. For example, a faculty member is contented in working inside a laboratory as long as it is completely-stocked and equipped. The realities of their financial situation only hit them when they get married, when their children need to go to school, etc. Some of them start leaving the university. We lose them to private universities or other industries.
– Discussions overhead at my table:
1. Dado Banatao: I direct my donations to the College of Engineering. This is in line with UP’s emphasis on Science and Technology. (Lorna: Dr. Emer told me that Dado has a Doctor of Science degree from UP, honoris causa. So, Dado cannot say that he is not a UP graduate. LOL)
2. More details about where the money goes to: The Endowment Fund is “in perpetuity,” i.e. we use the income. (Lorna: For more information, call the UP Centennial Commission.)
a. Professorial Chair: $30,000 per chair. Dr. Emer remarked that some alumni associations had 30 people contribute $1,000 each for one chair while health practitioners, such as doctors of medicine, make individual contributions of $30,000.
b. Faculty Grant: $30,000 per grant. According to ranking, i.e. this is given to the more senior faculty members.
3. Dr. Emer talked about her fundraising activities the past week, from Los Angeles to Fresno to San Francisco when we recommended to her to visit us regularly, if her schedule permits. “I write to the alumni associations and I remind them. Sometimes, I am their reason for getting together. Between Saturday and today, we were able to raise $143,000.” Wow!
4. There are 7,500 alumni based in the US that are found in the UP database. (Lorna: And so many who are out of touch with their alma mater, like me!)
5. Alexis Zulueta will be chatting with other UP alumni associations to offer their 501 (c ) (3) non-profit organization status as a fiscal sponsor for a fundraising program she and her group just launched, reaching out to the non-habitual donors. Their group’s goal is very simple, and taken from an emotional standpoint, quite heartwarming: “We want to be the first alumni association to give a 7-digit donation! All we aim to do is get 1,000 people to donate $1,000 each. That’s $30 a month for three years. And yes, We can discount at present value if you give us your $1,000 today!” Her first sign-up was Julie Hudson. (Lorna: Reducing to the ridiculous, Alexis reiterated that a student’s tuition fee — is this per semester? — is the equivalent of one cup of Starbucks coffee.)
6. Polly Cortez mentioned that large corporations are giving out matching grants. Among the more prominent donors are Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Alexis Zulueta said that the matching grant at UBS is up to $2,500 per year (so Alexis would contribute $2,500 per year to qualify for the total $5,000 grant amount.). The more UP alumni there are who are aware that these matching grants exist in their companies, the better off our UP Centennial fundraising efforts will be. Some of the other companies mentioned at the table were: Chevron and Goldman Sachs.

Dr. Magadaleno “Mags” Albarracin’s Remarks

– For me, it’s been “Payback Time!” to the University of the Philippines for the past 10 years.
– As an Engineering alumni member, I’m thanking Dado and Maria Banatao for helping us. We have a post doctoral student who goes to Berkeley (Lorna: Did he mean UC-Berkeley, I have to confirm this) through the Banataos’ assistance.
– Why give back to UP? There are all the reasons for us. A typical graduate earns PHP 100,000 more if he or she goes to UP. Estimated at PHP 50 million in 10 years, imagine if you give back a small amount (let’s say, 5%), that’s PHP 2 million. From an emotional point of view, UP is our home. We’re producing the “seeds” of our country here. (Lorna: Did he mean “the seeds of the future?”)

Senator Edgardo Angara Provides An Economic Picture

– 2/3’s of the students are pursuing Nursing, Hotel & Restaurant Administration (and Tourism), and Education.
– Very few students go to the Science & Technology sector. (Lorna: A lot of laughter from the crowd about “How To Be A Rocket Scientist!”)
– We, at the Unversity of the Philippines, must now begin to think that we are graduating people not just for the Philippines but also for the Global Market. (Lorna: Thank you, Loida Nicolas Lewis, for reiterating to me about the need of Philippine educational institutions preparing students to become “world citizens;” her terminology.)
– In four years, there will be 4 million new jobs that will be created in the Philippines. How many graduates will we be producing at that time? 2.7 million. Thus, enrollment is “askewed” or imbalanced.
– In formulating a future plan, we need to become a research university. The ones who will succeed and inherit the earth are “the meek and the creative.” For example, look at Dado Banatao. He is a creative person. He created wealth. Here are some other examples. Many of the animators in Hollywood and Japan are Filipinos. The beautiful buildings that we see in Dubai are designed by our Filipino architects, engineers, and landscape architects.
– We need technological capacity: Science, Math, and Engineering.
– We need the disciplines for Information and Communication.
– Look at some of these demographics and work content: There are 100,000 young Filipinos who work at night at our Philippine call centers — and the numbers keep growing. Five years ago, women were not allowed to work at night. (Lorna: I couldn’t help but chime out — oops, my big mouth! — and commented, “Oh dear, I always worked at night!” to which Dado responded with “So, you were illegal!”)😀
– What you can do for eight hours a day can now be done within three hours because of the advances in computers.
– Our curriculum writers must take these conditions into consideration.
– There are “psychic rewards.” (Lorna: as in intangible, priceless benefits)
– Give good working conditions.
– Note that our physical areas are deteriorating. (Lorna: Dr. Roman mentioned that Narra Dormitory, one of my favorite dormitories after it became a unisex dorm, is about to be torn down. Kalayaan Dormitory, where Myrna De Vera, my youngest sister, was one of its second year occupants in 1977, was the last dormitory built in the UP Diliman campus — and that was in 1975.)
– In summary, these are what we need to look at.
1. Put our graduates in a position where they will be able to compete in the marketplace.
2. Modernize the curriculum.
3. Upgrade the skills of our professors.
4. Accompany all of the above with visible, tangible things that the UP Alumni can see! (Lorna: And appreciate the fruits of their fundraising volunteer work.)
5. Bring the university “up to par” with our Asian counterparts.
– Discussions overhead at my table: (Lorna: I’m not an economist so please bear with me if I might not have been able to interpret my notes correctly.)
1. Senator Angara said that the Philippine Economy has a predictable growth rate of 7% annually for the next three years. “The currency is stable and inflation is slow.” (Lorna’s summary: In other words, barring any political factors, we will sustain the 7% growth. The Filipino business mind-set of “doing what we need to do” to sustain and enhance economic growth, whatever the political situation is, is alive and well in the Philippines.)
2. Senator Angara also mentioned that the two largest sources of this growth percentage are: (a) money remittances and (b) investments. An example of direct foreign investments is the call center industry in the Philippines. (Lorna: Alexis Zulueta remarked that this means there is internal growth in the domestic market.)

At one point, I asked Dr. Emer for some updates about UP Cebu. I found out that this campus is under the University of Visayas’s umbrella. After several challenges (and I understood this to mean “political factors” a la the old TV soap opera, “Peyton Place”), UP Cebu decided to focus on Computer Science. Budgeted at PHP 3 million per year, UP Cebu is fast-tracking to major improvements with the collaborative help of the UP system and the UP Cebu Advisory Council. It’s nice to know that some of my late dad’s dearest friends (“the renaissance men and women” of the Cebu Jaycees in the 1960’s) are hard-working members of this council. I felt quite sad that many UP Cebu alumni don’t know about the current situation. My call to action would be to spread the word about the First UP Cebu Grand Alumni Homecoming on July 18 and 19, 2008 and to use this visit as a rallying point: to collectively take advantage of the returning UP Cebu graduates’ intellectual capital, financial capital — and “Garbo sa Sugbu!” spirit.

Here are my initial thoughts after this pre-convention dinner.

For the immediate future:

1. Create a unifying message for the fundraising campaign. Get all the best public relations, marketing, and sales management minds together in an online discussion group so that they can come out with the most compelling marketing copy and marketing plan! Encourage the use of wikis (example, WikiSpaces) for group projects.
2. Establish a clear media plan, working with media professionals worldwide who just so happen to be UP graduates. If they’re out of touch with what’s happening, it’s time to let them know that there are many news stories to mine in the UP Centennial Celebration’s preparations.
3. Find ways to make the UP websites more SEO-friendly.
4. The main pages of their UP websites must have a graphically-captivating and clearly visible “call to action.” It should pass the “3-second test” in its graphical and copy content.
5. A viral marketing plan needs to be addressed, asking bloggers, yahoo and google groups (plus other listservs), and people with huge e-mail broadcast lists to “pump up!” the call to action.
6. A virtual bulletin board is updated monthly, like a sales chart, showing how much has been donated and how much more the UP Alumni members and friends need to accomplish. These amounts should be highly visible in the main pages of the UP websites with the intention of creating excitement and a team spirit. “Go, go, UP!”
7. Individual fundraising is like network marketing. You get five people, who will then recruit five people each, who will also recruit five people in the third tier. (If you really are serious about knowing how to do this effectively, then let’s talk some more. I’m currently helping out in our NaFFAA Region 8 fundraising and fund development activities. Ben Menor, the expert fundraiser in my life, taught me a lot of good stuff.)

For Consideration:

1. Future Search Summit: Oh yes, this is the best!
2. Future Search: Do I need to repeat this? Marily Mondejar, our president at Filipina Women’s Network, is the primary Filipina advocate of the “Future Search” process. You can contact her directly at [email protected].

From Future Search (a.k.a. “search”)

“A future search,” write Weisbord and future search co-developer Sandra Janoff, “is a large group planning meeting that brings a ‘whole system’ into the room to work on a task-focused agenda…. In a future search, people have a chance to take ownership of their past, present, and future, confirm their mutual values, and commit to action plans grounded in reality.”

By “whole system” Weisbord and Janoff mean 30-64 diverse stakeholders — a cross-section of people concerned with the activities of the organization or community undertaking the search. About one-third of them come from outside the system. For example, if a local community is doing the future search, then the outsiders might include officials and citizens from nearby cities, state and county officials, representatives of national organizations or businesses involved in the community — key people who don’t normally work together.

I’m on my way to go to the convention now. I don’t know what the weekend looks like but I’m sure glad I wrote all of these juicy details. Now, I can just imbibe in the fellowship of old friends and soon-to-be new friends!

To contact FUPFA:

FUPFA
50 Stanford Heights Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94127
c/o Polly Cortez, Vice Chair
Tel. 415 860-4048
[email protected]

To contact the UP Centennial Commission:

Prof. Benjamin C. Sandoval
Executive Director
University of the Philippines Centennial Commission
Room 214 College of Business Administration Bldg.
Guerrero Street
UP Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. (63-2) 928-4571 local 2042
Fax. (63-2) 920-7990
[email protected]

To contact Ms. Alexis Zulueta:

Alexis Zulueta
President
UP Alumni Association Northern CA, Berkeley Chapter
Tel. 925 746-0235
[email protected]

AND HERE IS WHAT THE UPAAA CONVENTION’S PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES LOOK LIKE, AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO:

UPAAA General Assembly and Convention
San Francisco Hilton (Financial District), September 1-3, 2007

CONVENTION SCHEDULE

Registration of Delegates 1:00-4:00 PM, Sept. 1, 2007
2nd Floor Lobby

Fellowship Night Program and Buffet Dinner 6:00-11:30 PM, Sept. 1, 2007
Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor

Breakfast Buffet 7:00-8:45 AM, Sept. 2, 2007
2nd Floor Lobby

Plenary Address 9:00-10:00 AM, Sept. 2, 2007
– Senator Edgardo Angara Mason Room, 2nd Floor
Chair, U.P. Centennial Commission
– Dr. Emerlinda Roman
President, U.P.

Breakout Workshops I 10:15-11:15 A.M., Sept. 2, 2007
Visioning the Next U.P. Century Mason I, 2nd Floor
– Dr. Emerlinda Roman
– Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin
Medical/Public Health Update Washington, 2nd Floor
– Dr. Francis Sy,
– Dr. Maria Rosario Araneta
Investing in the Philippines Montgomery, 2nd Floor
– Trade Consul M.R. Mendoza-Alvero
– Mr. Andy Manalac
– Mr. Rex Mendoza

Breakout Workshops II 11:15-12:15 Noon, Sept. 2, 2007
Social Development Mason I, 2nd Floor
– Mr. Dylan Wilk
– Mr. Joe Millares
Technology and Research Washington, 2nd Floor
– Dr. Jose Comiso
– Dr. Felicitas Lacbawan
Visiting the Philippines for the U.P. Centennial Montgomery, 2nd Floor
– Tourism Consul Rene delos Santos
– Mr. Alexander Clemente

Luncheon Assembly and Dinner 12:15-1:45 P.M., Sept. 2, 2007
Dr. Diosdado Banatao , Tallwood VC Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor
(Featured Speaker)

UPAAA Meeting and Elections 2:00-4:00 PM, Sept. 2, 2007
Mason Room, 2nd Floor

Gala Night Dinner 6:00-11:30 P.M., Sept. 2, 2007
Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor

Breakfast Buffet 7:00-8:45 AM, Sept. 3, 2007
2nd Floor Lobby

UPAAA Evaluation Meeting 9:00-11:45 AM, Sept. 3, 2007
Mason Room, 2nd Floor

—————————————————————————————————————-

FELLOWSHIP NIGHT PROGRAM
Saturday, Sept. 1, Grand Ballroom

6:30-7:00 PM Registration and Music
7:00-8:00 PM Singing of National and School Anthems
Invocation
BUFFET DINNER
8:00-11:30 PM Welcome Address and Introductions
 Ted Aquino, UPAAA
 Manny Gaspay, UPAASF
Greetings
 Dr. Emerlinda Roman, UP
 Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin, UP Centennial Commission
Alumni Chapter Presentations
Dancing and Music by Joe Alvarez Band
Awarding of Prizes
Recognition of Alumni Groups

Music: Joe Alvarez Band

GALA NIGHT PROGRAM
Sunday, Sept. 2, Grand Ballroom

5:30-7:00 PM Registration and Cocktails
6:00-7:00 PM Cocktails Dancing and Music
7:00-7:15 PM National Anthems by Dr. Ria Vergara
Invocation by Deacon Carlos Rabuy
A Prayer Song by Stella Mendietta and Robert Manongdo
Welcome Remarks by Dr. Manuel Gaspay, UPAASF President
7:15-8:30 PM SITDOWN DINNER
7:15-7:45 PM Performances by the Sincerity Girls Ensemble
(Excerpts from Henry Torres Musical “Giyera”)
7:45-9:15 PM Parade of Jubilarians
Recognition of Thomasites
Outstanding Alumni Awards
Introduction of UP President by Dr. Nestor Lawas
UP President’s Speech, Dr. Emerlinda Roman
Introduction of UPAAA President by Aubrey Aquino
UPAAA President’s Address, Engr. Theodore B.M. Aquino
Induction of UPAAA Officers 2007-2009
9:15-11:30 PM GALA NIGHT DANCING AND MUSIC
Intermittent Raffle Draws
Announcement of Golf and Bowling Tournament Winners
Recognition of Alumni Groups in Attendance

Emcee: Ms. Audrey Aquino
Music: Joe Alvarez Band