06/05/2026
Beyond the nostalgia: âHawak mo ang beatâ for ALMES!
Dear Alumni,
âHome is where the heart is.â And our just concluded homecoming proved this. May bonus pa, dahil âHawak mo ang beat!â
For one whole glorious day yesterday, May 2, more than 1,500 hearts, young and once young, beat as one! The energy was relentless. From the very first step of the early morning parade to the last glimmer of fireworks against the night sky, and the final beat of the music that capped the night, the spirit never wavered!
Against the backdrop of the 109th anniversary of our beloved Alma Mater, we were back at ALMES to recollect good memories of yesteryears, rekindle friendships and cement our bond as one community.
As we stood before a sea of happy and exuberant faces, we didnât just see graduates; we saw the living history of our beloved school.
To the alumni from the decades of the 50s, and the batches that followedâyour presence was the soul of one of the most memorable, happiest and nostalgic homecoming events. You are the roots of the tree we all grew upon. To see you standing alongside 39 different batches was a powerful reminder that while time changes our faces, it can never dim the ALMESian spirit.
Special mention to all batches that, for months, have worked in the trenches âplanning, fundraising, and dreaming. On the big day, that hard work exploded into colors! From the creative genius of your batch tents to the incredible "outsmarting" of each otherâs get-ups, you turned our grounds into a festival of pride. Tunay na pistang alumni!
And who could forget the boodle fight? Seeing batches share food and laughter in that true spirit of salo-salo was a highlight we will never forget.
The day was indeed electrifiedâfrom the roar of the crowd during the parade of batches around town, to the ruckus of the boodle lunch, to the riotous dance contest, to the special batch awards, and the hundreds of simple and pricey raffle prizes from batches and generous sponsors, tears shed during the overdue reunion.
Such a massive grand homecoming of alumni wasn't just a successâit was a masterpiece of ALMES spirit.
Amidst the celebration, we paused to look back with gratitude. It was really moving to honor and pay tribute to the past leaders of our Association. We stand on the shoulders of giants; their dedication to our mission paved the way for the 39 or so batches present on homecoming day.
But the grandest part of this Grand Alumni Homecoming wasn't the prizes or the spectacle. It was the moment we looked toward to the future. It was the scaling up of our continuing mission of investing in the future of our young people.
In partnership with the WJRC Foundation, we have stepped up our investment and introduced the Alumni College Scholarship Program.
With funding from the Foundation, we have transformed our nostalgia into opportunity. Thanks to our kind-hearted honorary alumnus, Winston John R. Casio, PhD, for making the scholarship possible.
We are no longer just graduates reminiscing about the past; we have become the guardians of the future. We are ensuring that a child sitting in the same classrooms we once occupied will have a path to a college degree because their "Ates" and "Kuyas" reached back to help.
To the School Principal, teachers and staff: Please continue to give your very best in guiding and nurturing our children; the alumni association will always be on hand for the good of our young people.
To our benevolent Sponsors: You didn't just fund an event; you invested in a dream. Your generosity allowed us to celebrate with dignity and give back with a heart.
To our Fellow Alumni: Thank you for the "lot of surprises" you broughtâyour laughter, your stories, and your unwavering love for our Alma Mater.
We came together as individual batches, but we left as one family, united by a mission. And this we do because we are One ALMES, One Alumni, One Community, One Magdalena! Ito ang mantra na pilit kinokopya!
ALMES gave us our first lessons in life. Today, we gave the school our promise: We have come home; this time around âhawak namin ang beat.â
We, in the Board of Directors of the Association, while may not be enough, gave our best.
This homecoming is officially one for the books! Thank you for the memories, the laughter, and the unwavering ALMESian love.
With overflowing pride and deep gratitude,
Rolly Francia
May 3, 2026
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WqEquTECkvLYXuy3dlIXHuvegDz70GT7/view
