Twenty-five years ago, I wrote a column about a group of young men who, in 1974, graduated from what was then De La Salle College.
I wrote: …. these Christian gentlemen who entered college at the beginning of the First Quarter Storm were in the midst of their studies during the bombing at Plaza Miranda and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. They woke up one Saturday morning in 1972 to find out that Martial Law had been imposed throughout the land.
It was a time of war in Vietnam and Mindanao. It was the period of the flower children — the hippies, and of really long hair for young men. It was a period of live bands at Flame, Rino’s and Wells Fargo.
This class was cheering at the Loyola Center when, on 21 October 1971, La Salle regained the NCAA basketball crown after a championship drought of 15 years. It was a class that experienced the fury of super typhoons and floods in mid-1972 and gave heart, soul, toil, and sweat to morally, financially, and physically help the typhoon victims in Arayat, Pampanga, as part of the school’s Luzon Rehabilitation Program.
The class experienced the effects of the Yom Kippur War through long queues for gas rationing. It witnessed the last years of elementary school at the Taft Campus and, in 1973, saw the beginning of a new chapter in La Salle’s history when the college opened its doors to young women and adopted a co-educational system.
Fifty years have passed since the Class of ’74 graduated, and many things have happened. We had EDSA 1 and 2. We have come full circle from President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1974 to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2024. We have a globalized, technology-driven, and highly competitive business environment.
The majority of the class naturally entered the business world as entrepreneurs and professional managers. There were a few who entered the government. The others entered the legal and technical professions.
In whatever field they entered, it is with great pride that I affirm that all had distinguished themselves and contributed to the growth and development of our nation. They became captains of industry and leaders in their respective fields. Regrettably, I cannot name all of them lest I fall short of recognizing the multitude of equally accomplished individuals from the Class of ’74, thus failing to do justice to their collective achievements.
However, if there is a ’74 graduate who epitomizes what the class has achieved, it is Br. Bernard Oca, FSC, current President of De La Salle University. What greater testament to the caliber of our class than to have one of its own assuming the helm of our alma mater?
Today, 50 years after, the Class of ’74 is in the age line of 7 — a lucky number. The bulk have grandchildren. However, sad to say, so many have passed on, too.
If there is one thing that sets the Class of ’74 apart from the vast majority of their age group, it is the rarity of retirement. Not only do they continue to work, but they even embark on new ventures. They epitomize the enduring spirit encapsulated in the famous line of the 1970s — “keep on truckin’.”
On 2 March, the Class of ’74 will regroup on the hallowed grounds of their alma mater on Taft. There, they will reminisce about days gone by and talk about the future. They will remain steadfast in their commitment to excellence in their respective fields and making meaningful contributions to society. They are, and shall remain, Christian achievers for God and country.
Animo La Salle!
