THE AUGUSTEENERCELEBRATING 50 YEARS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

04 | The Augustineer December 2012 www.sas-alumni.com

The Way We WereBy: Armin Maribelle Montefalcon-Vera Cruz (Class of 1970)

Except for a few remarkable incidents, my memories of high school are not that vivid. But that is not at all surprising because those years happened 46 years ago. The academics and school-related extra-curricu-lar activities occupied my high school years, not much of gallivanting because Iba town during those days offered only weekend double programs at the Helen Theater, the only cinema and entertainment center in town wherein we could unwind as diversion from the routinely home-school-church-home schedule. Not because we were little saints but because we were happy and con-tented with what were available in our little world. I sure had my share of little mischief but not grievous enough to require a visit to the principal’s office or a demerit in my deportment grade.

I’ve heard the saying that high school is the rite of passage from adolescence to early adulthood. Very true indeed! The growing-up pains and frustrations of adolescence bring unique experiences that inspire and sometimes disappoint. But when one is able to overcome these seemingly endless frustrations with the right values in place, and with the Christian virtues engraved,

a strong character takes place. This was exactly how we were taught and trained in St. Augustine’s School.

Nothing much changed from elemen-tary graduation to my first months of high school. I was the same tiny girl in braided hair who used to jump over the fence behind the school to avoid the few meters of walk around the block from our house in Sagapan. I had the same set of classmates. This time we were no longer treated like children but young adults. Sister Mary Gertrude was the first high school principal and con-currently the Sister Superior. I remem-ber her as the soft-spoken nun who had incredible patience for restless teenagers. Sister Mary Agnes Pauig, the disciplinarian but loving principal with a powerful and beautiful sing-ing voice succeeded Sister Gertrude. She saw us through high school and understandably she was the teacher who influenced us the most. Her close guarding especially over the young ladies paid off, making sure everyone keeps up with the rules of the school.

It was under her ward and tutelage that we honed our talents, whether in singing or acting in stage plays. Early this year, I visited her at the St. Paul Vigil House in Tanay. Although, she already advanced in age, she is still the charming Sister Agnes that I used to know. It was really touching that she still remembered and recognized me.

My narrative will be incomplete without mentioning a few experiences we had in both elementary and high school. In grade school, all pupils were directed to speak the English language while inside the campus. No one was exempted; the rule applied to everyone from kindergarten to the higher grades. There were patrollers who moni-tored the violators and those caught are made to face every class and admit they broke the rule. It was more fun than punish-ment for us. English is not only to be spoken but also to be written in the correct gram-mar. In one spelling quiz on our 5th grade,

A pioneer graduate tells us a detailed account of his experience at SAS.

The Augusteener December 2012 | 05www.sas-alumni.com

Being pre Vatican II babies, we were trained to sing the Gregorian chants, the psalms, church songs and say the liturgical responses in Latin. It seemed easy and natural for us because our parents and grandparents prayed in the same manner. Also, the things that are now very clear to my photographic memory were the sleep over at the Sisters’ Convent during the Holy Week, particularly for the midnight Easter Vigil Mass when we have to sing for the cel-ebration. In whispers, we were curious about how the nuns live but we never uncovered much of the mystery; and to this day I still wonder if the nuns then used mirrors when combing their hair.

I also remember my first taste of teach-ing when I was assigned as a catechist at the Palanginan Elementary School, a prelude to my future career. We would take the tricycle to our assigned school and on our way back, we would drop by A6&R cafe owned by the family of one of my classmates, Audrey Ladrillono to have a bottle of ice-cold Coca Cola. Highlights of our junior and senior years were the declamation contests, the stage plays and glee club perfor-mances that required much patience

to endure long hours of standing to learn, practice and master new songs. SAS then, was well known in the entire province of Zambales for students who excel in these areas. They were Jean Escusa, Cecilia Achacoso, Lourdes Orge , Raymundo Blanco Jr., Manuel Farrales, and Lynn de la Rea. They were the school thespians who regu-larly acted for major roles in our annual school plays.

Academic excellence undoubtedly was the ultimate goal of everyone and those included in the honor roll easily quali-fied entrance to prestigious schools for college. From our ranks have risen prominent, highly-placed and respected UN-IFAD official, an Agricultural Attaché, an Assistant Vice President at Philip-pine Airlines, certified public accoun-tants, entrepreneurs, teachers, nurses, lay Church workers and homemakers.

Each one has his/her version of suc-cess. Some were career-driven while some preferred to live simple and peaceful lives but nonetheless happy and fulfilled. My high school years are memorable because of the friendships I have developed with classmates and school mates.

These friendships continue to linger until today as they are sealed with be-ing “kumares” and “kumpares” when we stood as sponsors for our children’s baptisms and weddings. Every time we get together, we are reminded of how we were in high school. We enjoy recalling those days of childhood in-nocence. They are precious, unforget-table, and irreplaceable memories. We may not have laptops, ipads and iphones then, but we communicated well. We listened and took to heart the advices of our teachers. We learned to take our responsibilities seriously. I would like to end my diary-type of reliving past chronicles with greetings of goodwill to all members of SAS Class of 1970. We have gone a long way, from the youthful optimistic teens of the 60’s to the accomplished and confident soon-to-be “senior citizens”of the cyber age. What we have become, we owe them from our alma mater and teachers, who in partnership with our parents taught us how to live meaning-ful lives, not only for ourselves but also for others.

“Being pre Vatican II ba-bies, we were trained to sing the Gregorian chants, the psalms, church songs and say the liturgical responses

in Latin.”

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A Tribute to St. Augustine’s School: 50 Years of Golden Harvests

The Mustard SeedRosemarlene Montefalcon (Class of 1972)

During the decade 60’s, the Diocese of Iba was called Prelature Nulius, only because it was just a small community of Catholic faithfuls in the entire province of Zambales, from Olongapo City down to the last town which is Sta. Cruz.

In 1961, the late Bishop Henry Byrne, an Irish national, was then the head of our Vicariate, the Prelature Nullius of Iba. He loved the Zambaleños. Thus he decided to put up the very first Catholic learning institution in the capital town. It was in 1962 that our Alma Mater, the St. Augustine’s School (SAS) was of-ficially opened and received government recognition as a private sectarian school established by the Missionaries of St. Columban led by Bishop Henry Byrne. This parochial school was delegated to the St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) Sisters for management. And this was the reason how it came about that SAS is a St. Paul Parochial School.

According to the pioneer graduates, their very first school was the Knights of Co-lumbus building beside the St. Augustine Cathedral where the Diocesan Pastoral Center now stands. Their classrooms were make-shift ones with blackboards as their dividers. They had only one section for each grade level. And that time, teachers who were nuns were able to teach their pupils one on one because of their small number. They only transferred after con-struction of the original school building made of wood was finished.

It was the first Filipina Sister Provincial Superior of the Sisters of the St. Paul Con-gregation in the Philippines, Sr. Madeleine Denaga who assigned four of her nuns to start managing the St. Augustine’s School in Iba.

Sr. Clemencia Dimalibot SPC, was the First Local Superior. She taught kinder-garten, Sr. Mary Thomas Fadera, SPC As-sistant Superior taught Grade I. Sr. Mary Mildred Pimentel handled grade II and Sr. Mariette Pimentero, SPC handledgrade III. They were the first SPC sisters who were dressed like flying nuns dur-ing that time.

These Sisters tried their best to give the first pupils qual-ity education that pleased Bishop Byrne and the Columban priests. They also got the full support of

the pupils’ parents.

These Sisters tried their best to give the first pupils quality education that pleased Bishop Byrne and the Co-lumban priests. They also got the full support of the pupils’ parents. The students were trained to speak English within the school campus. The com-muting pupils, who were only grade 2 and 3, prayed the rosary in the jeeps on their way to and from school. Every morning the sisters brought the chil-dren to church for a visit to the Blessed Sacrament while Bishop Byrne used to be in the cathedral going up and down The first pupils impressed their teach-ers very well because they showed intelligence and innate talents. This was observed by Sr. Mildred who was herself a gold medalist in dramatics during her high school years at the St. Paul College of Quezon City. She staged the play, “Our Lady’s slippers” with Josefina Garcia as the mother Mary and Rosemarlene Montefalcon who played the lead role in the play. Sr. Mary Mildred was also a musician. She developed the singing talents of the pupils to the surprise and admiration of the Columban fathers. The grade II and III pupils then could already sing beautifully the requiem mass in Latin.

When Sr. Mildred was transferred, Sr. Marie Lawrence Español SPC took her place. She was a classmate of Sr. Mildred at St. Paul’s Quezon City also a silver medalist in dramatics and a musician too.

It was this time when she staged the plays, ‘The Ladies Retirement”,

and “The Bamboo Cross” with Mary Jean Escusa, who was really gifted with a golden voice as a singer vocalist and Raymundo Blanco in the lead roles. Both plays were staged for high school students.

Sister Maria Pura Ramos SPC then came, another nun who was well known for her ability in dramatics. She staged, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, with Ma. Cristina Pastores in the lead role. “Our Father” is one of the really great plays ever produced by then SPC sisters. On the other hand, Edgar Yap and Manuel Farrales did well in declamation.

St. Augustine’s School started with just one section in each grade. Even then, SAS stu-dents were coming from nearby towns like Palauig and Botolan. The school canteen was just a small table with a few bottles of soft drinks, a box of candies, a two or three boxes of biscuits or sandwiches with marga-rine, just for some pupils who did not bring their packed snacks for recess prepared by their parents. Sr. Clemencia was in charge of the little canteen and then came Sr. Lydia who took over her.The school had programs from time to time, so the students had to bring the chairs down from the classrooms for the audience. Gardening was a subject in the curriculum for the boys. It was a problem, though, be-cause the school grounds have no enough space for planting. Luckily, we have that vacant space in front of the sisters’ convent. The land was believed to be a former cem-etery a long time ago, the reason why the soil was not suited for a vegetable garden because it was full of cement and stones. So instead, the boys planted papayas since it needed small space only for the seedlings with two yards apart and just two papayas for each boy.

Now the mustard seed that has been planted by the SPC nuns especially the pioneer ones, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Clemencia, Sr. Mildred and Sr. Mariette together with the late Bishop Byrne, Rev. Fr. Dennis Egan, Fr. Malcolm McKeating and Fr. Thomas Faye has now become a very big tree, sturdy and still going stronger at 50 years of existence. The nuns and priests who continued to develop and to nurture this “mustard seed” all these years are worthy of praises and emulation.