How time flies. Parang kailan lamang ng tayo ay magkakilala at maging magkakapatid sa Alpha Phi Omega. Gusto sana naming sariwain ang mga panahong ito kaya kami na naging APO noong 1960, kaming mga Blackjacks at High Noon ay nag-kaisa na magdiwang ng aming Gintong Taon…at siempre gusto namin kasama kayo!

KAYA, YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO JOIN US AND
GET BACK TO THE 60′S
DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY TO THE MUSIC OF TWO ACKNOWLEDGED RETRO BANDS
THE X.O.P. and the Endangered Species

on Oct 23 at the Fiesta San Miguel, Dusit Thani Hotel. Sumptuous Buffet Dinner will be served at 7PM plus Bottles of Wine at every table. Please bring your partner, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend or whoever will make your night memorable. Let us once again re-live our frat ball years. But of course, like any frat ball there is a cost to it. For this night we are asking from you a minimal contribution of P1000 per head. We, the Blackjacks & High Noon are subsidizing the difference.

The invitation is attached. PLease confirm your presence with Alumni president Manny Clarino at ev_clarino@yahoo.com.ph and/or 09178102882. Once your presence is confirmed, Manny will send you the printed invitation. Please note, our initial reservation is for 100 pax although we expect more will be coming to the affair.

In behalf of Blackjacks and High Noon, this is

Ernie Hernandez
Blackjacks, Eta 60A

(Check photos of the event here: Back to the 60s)

• Mel Adriano – 500
• Cloud 9 – 500
• Evita Sagalongos – 500
• Tito Mayor – 1,500
• Ardy Abaya – 1,000
• APO-Eta Zodiac 1973D – 500
• In Memory of Brod Eliseo “Dad” C. Clamor Sr. – 500
• Gracie & Brod Mel S Gonzales Jr – 500
• Sis Maybelle M. Raquel (Happy-happy! on June 4th) – 500
• In Memory of Brod Dr. Librado I. Ureta – 500
• Alex Brillantes – 1,000
• Gary Hernal – 1,313.81
• Rudy Rojas – 500
• Jun Rivera – 2,290.97
• Glod Dimaano – PhP 1,374.58
• Mar Tano – 2,000
• Mike T. Guzman – 4,676.50
• Ralf Emerson Javier – 1,500
• Caesar Frondozo – 1,856.20

Pictures to follow.

Brods/Sis, The anniversary ball was a success! Seeing brothers and sisters gathered even just for a night, brought chills to me, being the Grand Chancellor. It was fun to see brothers exchange stories, as well as contact numbers. At first, most brothers were hesitant to dance on the floor but a few bottles of beer and wine made almost everyone look for partners or join the line dance.  It really was a night I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Congratulations to everyone especially the committee Chair Brod Q Pastrana and Sis Rosie de Ocampo, Awards Committee Head Brod Chato Mariñas, with the support of our hardworking President Manny Clarino and all other committee members. Congratulations as well to our Order of Lafayette Awardee Brod PNP Chief Gen. Jess Verzosa and the set of Oblation Awardees. You truly made us proud to be APO-ETA!

Allow me also to thank the following for their generosity of sponsoring the resident brods and sis:

1. Jun Rivera $40 – thru Brod Frony  Balderama
2. Bernie Castillo $200 – thru brod Edmund Zamora
3. Frony Balderama $100
4. Freddie Cabling – 2 brothers
5. Boysie Brill – 1 brother (thru brod Freddie Cabling)
6. Dan Vargas $100
7. Alex Tamayo, Lito Quiray, Chito Sarrol, Ted Topacio, Tito Mayor, Ding Viray – 14,000 pesos (thru Brod Tito Mayor– turned over to President Manny Clarino)
8. Willie Vinegas – 4, 000 pesos turned over to Brod Manny Clarino

Our gratitude also goes to Brod Major General Jojie Segovia, Sis Pia, Brod Koreeks, and Mamasal for purchasing some artworks for the benefit of the resident brods. A part of the proceeds will go to the artist and another part will go to the resident fund and be used for Brod Ronald “PAPSI” Baccay’s candidacy for University Student Council Elections on February 24. He is running for Councilor and we are currently campaigning for him.

Finally, our gratitude and appreciation to brothers and sisters from Northern California who donated 24,000 pesos for our projects thru Brod Aris Corpuz. You may not be here with us during the fraternity ball but certainly you were present in spirit and definitely are in our hearts and minds.

ETA for EXCELLENCE!
See you next year!

Fritz G. Sapon
Grand Chancellor

My apologies in advance if I forgot to mention some names especially with the donors and artworks’ buyers. Please feel free to correct me. Thank you as well Brod Danny Basobas for allowing us to ride in your car (`though we got lost) and Brod Frony Balderama for lending us your access database (I hope you had a good time here and wish you a safe trip back to the US)

Photos by Bro. Gene Licauco. December 26, 2009.

Initial Board of Directors
Ruffy Ignacio
Lester Arevalo
JP Paredes
Cesar Picazo
Chito Dakis
Lito Quiray
Alex Tamayo
Ojie Laurente
Melvin Villaver
Aris Corpuz
Bernie Castillo
Joe Servanda
Ben Tuason
Joe Daroya
Edmon Zamora
Gene Licauco
Joy Carlos-Smith

Officers (2009-2011)
President – Manny Martinez
Vice President East Coast – Alex Tamayo
Vice President West Coast – Lester Arevalo
Secretary – Jeff Guevara
Treasurer – Ceasar Bobbitte Picaso
Assistant Treasurer – Ray Nocon
Auditor Director Sorority Affairs– Cynthia Villar

Directors for Planning and Development
JP Paredes – Northwest
Bitit Lukban – Central Valley and Sacramento
Gene Licauco – Northern California
Bodgie Gapido – South California
Lito Quiray – East Coast
Gary Hernal – Midwest
Dessie or Pidge Quiray – Southeast
Rod Panizares – Canada

Directors for Special Concerns

Frony Balderama
Director for Membership and Donor Database

Ruffy Ignacio and J P Paredes
Director for Grants & Contracts

Art Rivera
Director for Special Projects

Pidge Quiray (Not Confirmed)
Director for Internet Communications

Aris Corpuz
Director for Cultural and Civic Activities

Joe Servanda & Joy Carlos-Smith
Co-Directors for Social and Fellowship Programs

Ojie Laurente
Director for Biennial and Donors Fundraising Banquet and Ball

Atty. Marlon “Butch” Alo
Director for Arbitration

Lito Quiray
Director for Publications

I would like to invite you to the APOETAANA Golf Tournament sponsored by Honda of Pasadena. Pati mga kaibigan ng mga brods and sisters are welcome to join. Reception will follow after the tournament at 909 Volante dr, Arcadia Ca 91007. Honda of Pasadena will take care of the dinner and some prizes for the raffle. If you wish to donate some items for the raffle drawing mas maganda yaaaan!!!

We would like to form a golf committee for ETAANA please let me know if you would like to volunteer call me at 626-7108600.

Where: Santa Anita Golf Course
When: November 1, 2009 Sunday
Time : 9am registration
Green Fee: $99 per person
Address: 405 So Santa Anita, Arcadia Ca 91006 tel# 626-4472331
Dinner and awarding at: 909 Volante dr Arcadia, Ca 91007 (two miles from the golf course)

Please send the payments to 909 Volante dr Arcadia Ca 91007 payable to ETAANA Foundation.

Maraming Salamat,
Bojji”Manny”Martinez 1982D

After a long weekend (July 2-5, 2009) of fellowships, white water river rafting, hiking and partying with music provided by Seattle’s best Filipino live band (with Bro. Chito Refuerzo on lead guitar and UP alumnus Teza Mendoza on vocals), the main task of carrying on the work of the ETA Alumni Association of North America Foundation has just started under a new administration.

There were suggestions of re-electing me as President of ETAANA and some even suggested a President for Life term ala Bro. Manny Clarino of the UP APO Alumni Association. I am very happy that we were able to squelch such exuberance because the lifeblood of our Foundation lies not in a so-called “stability of leadership” – because the Foundation itself is a bedrock of stability – but in the dynamism that new blood can infuse into our Foundation. Between Bro. Ruffy Ignacio (AGC 1999-2001, President 2001 -2005) and myself, the leadership of our Foundation has been based in Washington for the past 10 years, not to mention that three biennial affairs were held in the beautiful State of Washington. That, to me, should be enough stability as we embarked on building our 501(c)3 foundation stone by precious stone.

I was extremely pleased that there were several new faces from the 50′s and early 60′s batches – with their beautiful families – that graced the occasion of our biennial reunion, as well as braved the risks of the white water river rafting, not to mention the greater risks posed by the Gallery golf course on Whidbey Island. All in all, the affair on Cornet Bay, Whidbey Island, Washington was a resounding success.

Behind any success, however, are the people who provided their indispensable support, starting with our spouses without whose cooperation we would not even have had the time nor the interest in taking over such a huge task of organizing our biennial affair.

Last, but certainly not the least, from the bottom of the hearts of each and every member of ETAANA, I would like to acknowledge and convey our deep appreciation to all the members of the Greater Washington Alpha Phi Omega (GWAPO) without whose constant and tireless support, our ETAANA members could not have possibly found the time to enjoy their stay. We salute the members of GWAPO under the leadership of Bro.GWAPO President Ernie Paragas, and the spouses Bro. Caesar and Sis Cora Mitre who, with the GWAPO members too numerous to mention here at this time, ran the kitchen with efficient hands.

Finally, I would like to announce that we have a new President, Bro. Emmanuel “Bojji” Martinez (’82-D), who was unanimously given carte blanche by the ETAANA electorate to form his own corps of officers to carry on the fine traditions of ETA chapter here in North America.

Congratulations to you, Bro. Bojji, and we will provide you with all of the support that you will need to carry our your mandate.

Sincerely and fraternally,

JP Paredes
M-16, ’73A, ID# 0007-1973-04351 Life
Past President, APO-ETAANA Foundation (2005-2009)

This is to inform that DAR Undersecretary Delfin Samson, Eta batch 1957, succumbed to cancer yesterday. His remains lie at Arlington, Felicidad room, Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.

For your information.

Tito Garcia