Ateneo College Batch '84 celebrates Ruby Anniversary

Ateneo de Manila University College Batch of 1984 celebrated their Ruby Anniversary with a small homecoming party at the Loyola Heights campus last Saturday, 30 November 2024.

The celebration began in the afternoon when members of the Batch were treated to both e-jeep and walking tours of the Ateneo College complex at the Loyola Heights campus.

Following this, the batch members gathered at the College Chapel in Gonzaga Hall for an anticipated mass for the first Sunday of Advent. The mass was officiated by His Eminence Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, himself a graduate of  Batch '84 (BS Management Engineering '84).

Accompanying the Bishop were two other batchmates, Fr Roberto "Bob" Buenconsejo SJ (AB Pre-Divinity '84), Assistant Professor of spirituality at the Loyola School of Theology; and Fr Eric Genilo SJ (BS Business Management '84), Professor of Moral Theology at Loyola School of Theology.  Alongside them was Fr Norberto "Kit" Bautista SJ, Director of the Office of University Development and Alumni Affairs.

During the mass, the members of the batch lit candles in remembrance of their batchmates who had returned to our Lord during the years since they graduated.

Following the mass, the batch members walked to the PLDT CTC 413-414 for their party proper. As part of this CTC 414 hosted a bazaar featuring food and other products from businesses owned by batch members.

The program for the night began at 7:00pm with welcoming remarks by batch representative Raffy Jose (BS Business Management '84), who also served as emcee for the night, leading into an audiovisual presentation for the batch.

Ms Carmela N Borgers (BS Business Management '84) who presented the batch directory website whose construction she had overseen over the past few months. The batch directory features a social media-like interface that allows members of Batch '84 to keep up to date with their batchmates. In addition, it also features an "in memoriam" page dedicated to their deceased batchmates.

Following this, OUDAA director Fr Kit Bautista SJ took to the stage to congratulate the batch, thanking them for their previous contributions (including the Ateneo ME CLASS 1984 Scholarship fund started by the BS Management Engineering graduates of the batch) while also enjoining them to contribute further.

Fr Bautista then introduced the batch to the YUGTO Scholarship program, the University's flagship scholarship program that aims to provide an Ateneo education to the most deserving students with limited financial resources. Specifically, Fr Bautista presented a video where four scholars explained their circumstances and how the scholarship program helped them achieve their dreams of an Ateneo education.

In addition, Karen Joy Perez (AB Sociology ’24), the valedictorian of Ateneo College Class of 2024, also came up to the stage to tell her own story of how Ateneo's scholarship programs, such as YUGTO, helped her in her journey, and how she would not have become the class valedictorian without them.

The final speaker of the night was Fr Bob Buenconsejo SJ who talked about the San Jose Seminary, thanking his batchmates for their support and enjoining them to continue to support the seminarians studying there. 

Fr Buenconsejo also introduced the members of the San Jose Seminary Choir. Members of the choir sang during the Batch mass earlier in the evening.

In addition, Fr Buenconsejo also introduced an AVP by Fr Manoling Francisco SJ's Tanging Yaman foundation detailing work it does and encouraging the batch to contribute to it as well.

Following the program dinner was served while Batch 84 was entertained by a band that played retro hits from the 1980s.

More photos from the reunion below.