Holy Spirit high school class '74 to celebrate golden jubilee

In 1974, 165 beautiful, charming, smart, even if awkward, teenagers graduated from the College of the Holy Spirit High School, the exclusive girls’ convent school, a bastion of knowledge for the daughters of socially-entrenched and conservative families of Manila and the neighboring towns and cities. 

Fifty years after, 74 of them have bonded to celebrate their 50th golden jubilee as alumnae of this famous and prestigious educational institution founded in 1913 by the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit. Come February 3, the ladies are presenting “Happy Days are Here Again,” a concert reminiscent of their youthful days, with no less than the “Kilabot ng mga Colegiala” Hajji Alejandro belting out his Metro Pop-festival award-winning Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika, composed by no less than National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, and a Motown medley, the hot and funky music of the era. Together with Hajji, Gino Padilla, who became famous in the 1980s for his disco songs, top bills this most awaited event, alongside the Philippines’ Ethereal Diva, Laarni Lozada and multi-awarded balladeer Miguel Aguila. Also joining the star-studded cast are the two award-winning high school chorales of the School of the Holy Spirit in Fairview and the Holy Spirit School in Ilang-Ilang Quezon City. To add gaiety and nostalgia to the production, the Axis Dancers will show off their 1970s- and 1980s-inspired movements. 

This, I learned from my dear friend, Carol Villar, who is the lead producer of the show. Being a former performer with the Karilagan Arts International, she is most at home with productions. She explains that the proceeds from the concert, with Kathryn Bellosillo at its helm, would benefit the Globe’s Hapag Movement, which aims to provide meals and livelihood to 100,000 families in various parts of the country in the next four years. Indeed a noble way of celebrating a milestone, one that would have repercussions beyond their golden jubilee year. Kathryn's company, Kyani Amare Philippines, has been in partnership with Globe in the project and is targeting the various parts of the country populated by needy families. 

Another lasting project is the publication of their book entitled “50 Golden Years: A Celebration of Life, Friendship, and Love,” both in electronic and hardcover formats. A work of love, dedication and enduring patience is how one may describe this book, which has been put together by the Golden Years Book Committee headed by Monette Iturralde-Hamlin as Chairperson, Alicia Achacoso-Lim as Co-Chair, and Edith Bereña-Stein as writer-cum-editor.  

I recently met up with Carol and the other members of the Holy Spirit High School 74 Angels, as they dub themselves. Over the delicious native delicacies of the Milky Way Restaurant, they shared their memories of their Holy Spirit days at Mendiola and how their strict and intellectually stimulating education has helped them become who they are today.

"She made me class president" 

Of her Holy Spirit days, Kathryn “Kata” De Jesus Bellosillo, the overall team leader, relates, “My most memorable time in Holy Spirit was learning from teachers who have impacted my life. Foremost is Mrs. Lourdes Moya, who was my prep teacher. Already in her 80s today, she has remained to be very amazing. “We remain in touch because I'm a godmother of her daughter. I was also her flower girl at her wedding. “ “She made me class president when I was in prep. She appointed me. I was clueless about what it meant to be a class president. But then I came to understand the importance of responsibility, accountability and leadership. So every year thereafter from grade one up to fourth year in high school, I was always voted class president. Her appointing me sort of honed my leadership. Like her, I also wanted to be a teacher. To this day, I love to teach and find joy in it! 

"The nun I will not forget is Sister Dorothy, who was an American nun. She was our principal when we were in grade 7. She was the one who coached me how to speak. For some reason, she always asked me to speak or recite something in public. Although she was strict, she was very patient and very kind. I liked her teaching style. So, I made sure to be a patient mother, especially when I needed to teach my kids. Of the many things I learned in school, the style of handwriting, to me, was iconic. My teacher liked my handwriting so much because I could follow the strokes of the nuns. I think they liked it so much that they made my handwriting the cover photo of the school notebook. 

"My favorite subject in elementary was Reading. I liked reading literature and sharing all those stories. I enjoyed the deeper meanings of words and stories. I also liked Science and Social Studies. Numbers were my weakness. I wasn't too good at math." Aside from being a mother of 8, Kata also heads Kyani- Amare Philippines, a subsidiary of an American company that manufactures and distributes health and wellness products in 50 countries around the world. 

"I needed to have high grades"

Monette Iturralde-Hamlin loves to jest that “I knew about the Holy Spirit from the time I was born. That’s because my three aunties were teachers in CHS, and one was even an S.Sp.S. nun, and were themselves graduates of Holy Ghost College (HGC) as it was known then, so it runs in our blood. 

"I was still a little girl when the nuns and teachers would come to our house. By the time I was three years old, I already entered HGC as a 'saleng-pusa.' My elder brother was in kindergarten because it accepted both boys and girls, and I was excited to join him. All the other kids were in uniform, but I was in a Monaco dress because my dad was Honorary Consul to Monaco at the time when Prince Rainier married Princess Grace. My three aunts would watch over me so I was kind of closely guarded while growing up.” 

What started as a fairly easy life became difficult because Monette’s father, Dr. Augusto Iturralde, a well-known lawyer who was also dean of the College of Law of Manuel L. Quezon University, died when she was 10 years old. “Mine is a little bit of a sad story,” she says. “I did not get to ask Daddy about his life as a diplomat but he left behind some paraphernalia including souvenirs from the wedding of Princess Grace.” Her mom was just 32 when her father died, leaving behind a family of five children. To make both ends meet, her mother converted their home into a boarding house. “My mom approached the nuns and explained that she could not pay for my tuition fee but she much preferred that I continue studying there. The nuns agreed to keep me, but the condition was I needed to have high grades. I thus became a full scholar from elementary up to college.” 

It was not just academics that occupied Monette. “I wanted to join the dance club but my mother did not allow me because we could not afford to buy costumes. I also wanted to become a Girl Scout but my mother could not afford to buy a uniform. I joined the dramatic club, instead, because the costumes were for free. I was always cast as a boy in the all-girls play.” But she also got to play girl parts, like the wicked step-sister of Cinderella. 

“My life at the Holy Spirit was important to me because my mother made sure that the values we practiced at home were the same values that we learned in school, ‘Veritas et Caritas.” And these were basic to the sisters, like working hard, being honest, and always telling the truth.” Monette’s favorite subject was English, where she excelled. It was her passport to the drama club. In college, she majored in Psychology and minored in English. 

One mentor whom she remembers well was Dean Isabel Hizon. Today, the lady is remembered in a native tree garden that was named after her. She was a teacher beloved by everyone. At a time when five years were needed to finish her AB-BSE course, Monette asked the dean if she could skip a year and graduate immediately. “By then, I had finished my liberal arts. But Dean Hizon wanted me to become a teacher and continue the family tradition of pursuing education as a career. So she wanted me to finish that extra year. I explained that I needed to help my mother send my four siblings to school. She then agreed." 

Monette graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors. Today, she heads TeamAsia, a 32-year old integrated marketing agency engaged in direct marketing, creative design, public relations, and events management.

"It taught me to be holy, actually"  

As a Holy Spirit student, Rosemary Baby Miranda Lim shares, “I loved going to school. Because all of my friends were there. All my playmates were there. I was always excited when I would be driven to school. In the afternoon, I would also be picked up. We lived in Cubao, which was quite far, but my mother would send me a hot, newly cooked lunch every day. 

“While it was fun being in school, it was also academically challenging. My teachers were all very good and strict. My favorite subject was Social Studies. It was all about the nations of the world. So I would sleep with my book. And our strict teacher in that subject was Sister Maria Beda. Everybody hated her except me. I loved her because I loved traveling. So I memorized all the different cities of the countries and their cultures, and I knew what language each country spoke. I practically knew everything.” 

Baby’s father, Turing Miranda, was the first Filipino sales director in the international airline industry. He worked for Egypt Air. He was one of the first multinational Filipino executives, and a pioneering airline executive. It was the time of Secretary Joe Aspiras when tourists began flying into the Philippines. No wonder that Baby grew up in a home that was frequented by ambassadors. “When I was in elementary, they would come to the house - the French ambassador, the Mexican ambassador. So I was used to meeting diplomats. Even the US Ambassador. And my dad, who may still be dressing up, would tell me, ‘Entertain them.’ So there I was a nine-year-old girl, coming out to the sala, while her mom was busy preparing food in the kitchen. And I would go and sit down beside the ambassador. And I always had this one question. 'What do you do when you're not working?' They would laugh. They said they had no time to do anything except work. And I would say it is such a pity. Then they would turn the table and ask me what I did outside of studying. And I said, I paint. I was so yabang. And then they would ask, 'Can you show me your painting?' Siyempre, mayroon ako. Of course, for show and tell. 

If she was gregarious, it was because both her home and school allowed her the privilege of meeting people and enjoying their company. But other than the socializing which she got started early on, she recalls that Holy Spirit “taught me the discipline of school, the discipline of studying, the discipline of following and obeying, the discipline of praying, and how important all these were. We were dressed in white on Fridays and attended the Holy Mass. It taught me to be very holy, actually.” 

With all these values, Baby would keep up to her adulthood because “you just don’t easily forget what you learned in your school because learning at Holy Spirit was fun even if challenging.” 

Baby today is a real estate developer. Their family company develops subdivisions and builds houses. She handles the company’s commercial warehouse leasing. Carol Caballero Villar remembers her favorite teacher, Mrs. Carrion, “who was sweet to me. She was the kind who would take care of you when you had all these little girl problems. She was very approachable and kind. Once, I soiled my dress in the playground because I could be so playful and I ran to her. And she said I should not worry because the school had extra uniforms and she gave me a fresh set. 

Mrs Moya was another teacher that Carol appreciated and admired. “I love her because she gave me her attention in class. She talked to me, talked to my mom, and to my titas when they came to visit or attend school convocations. Or my elders would bring me lunch food every day. So, Mrs. Moya would always be there to talk to them. 

“And then in high school, I remember we belonged to a group of fun-loving students.” Needless to say, they were the beautiful and talented ones. The crushes ng bayan, they had their ample share of admirers from the nearby all-boys San Beda High School. In the future, a lot of Carol’s batch and the upper and lower classes would marry a Bedista.

"We only have kindness of heart for each other"  

Monette pointed out that as teenagers and little girls, “we had our respective cliques. There were gangs of the heartthrobs and the gangs of the genius types. I belonged to the quiet group. We were always studying.” 

“Those were happy times and also times for heartbreaks, but we survived them all and became stronger,” says Carol. 

Today, they have transcended the various cliques and now, as a batch, recall those days. Kata says it forc the CHS 74 Angels and their classmates, “After 50 years, we have reconnected and we only have the kindness of heart for each other. For some reason, my heart is full of joy as I am excited to meet my old classmates, from whom we have been separated for the longest time. Today, we are a happy bunch, grateful that we have the chance to see one another, renew the good times and work together on these two big projects, the "Happy Days are Here Again" concert directed by Noemi Silangcruz, and the "Golden Years A Celebration of Life, Friendship and Love" hardcover and e-book. 

It has been a most noteworthy journey toward this forthcoming milestone, and the executive committee acknowledges the invaluable contributions of fundraiser Rosemarie M. Lim and CHS 74 Angels oordinators who searched far and wide for their old batchmates – Grace Soriano, Lot Santos Naval, Mayette Danac, Bernadette David and Marites de Guzman. 

The group is looking forward to seeing everyone on February 3 at 4 pm at the GSIS Theater, JW Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City. Thanks to GSIS President and General Manager Jose Arnulfo “Wick” Veloso, through the coordination of book creator and Daily Tribune columnist Bing Carrion. For those who are interested to buy tickets for the "Happier Days are Here Again" concert, please call Carol Villar at 09175055955.