By Victoria Viterbo-Quimbo
The ‘80s: Starting UPSEAA
Sometime in late 1984 or early 1985, a group of young UPSE graduates responded to the calls to organize an alumni association for the UP School of Economics. Santi Dapul (BSBE’77), a founding member, recalls that several of them from Class 1976, 1977 and 1978 gathered for a meeting one day and “appointed” Francisco Aseniero Jr (AB Econ ’67. MBA’72) to head the UP School of Economics Alumni Association (UPSEAA). “Frankie was not from Class ‘76, ‘77, or ‘78 but he was close to us since he is married to our batch mate Nanette,” Dapul reminisces. “Since he was the ‘oldest’ in the group, we appointed him as president of the Association,” he mischievously adds.
The founding members of UPSEAA included: Alexander Escucha (AB Econ ’77), Roberto Abling (AB Econ ’67), Ferdinand Constantino (AB Econ‘72), Ma. Elorna Victoria C. Filart (BSBE ’83), Jerome Paul G. Arino (B.A. Econ ’84), Roberto N. Aventajado (AB Econ’70), Clodualdo R. Francisco (MA Econ ’79; PhD Econ’83) and Ricardo Calapatia (AB Econ ’70).
UPSEAA under Aseniero prepared the groundwork for institutionalizing the association by registering it with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1986. Activating the alumni was a focus and producing an alumni directory was a priority. Aseniero recalls meeting regularly at the APO printing premises in Quezon City.
A memorable event that UPSEAA organized was the homecoming in the UP Executive House where soprano Andion Fernandez serenaded the alumni.
Aseniero says UPSEAA was fairly active until the EDSA revolution, when it “lost the momentum” to pursue its organization-building activities due to the extraordinary times. “Nagkawatak-watak na; there were more pressing issues—political and social…lots of political and economic adjustments were being made…”
Post- EDSA years: Reviving UPSEAA
Several years through the post-EDSA administrations of Aquino and Ramos, UPSEAA was revived. Gilda “Dida” Cosio-Salita (AB Econ ’71) recalls that Armando “Mandy” Armas Jr (MA Econ ’68; PhD Econ’75) spearheaded its “revival” in 1994, encouraged by Dean Amado Castro. “I recall that Mandy got in touch with Bot Aventajado, Ric Calapatia, Johnny Endaya and Frankie Aseniero. Ric called me to attend the meeting in Bot’s office at the PICC. Bot was a consultant of Erap Estrada who was then the country’s Vice President,” says Cosio-Salita.
The first Board of Directors of the UPSEAA under Robert Aventajado’s (ABEcon ’70) leadership were: President: Aventajado; Vice-President: Orlando Vea (AB Econ’70); Secretary: Cosio-Salita; Treasurer: Elizabeth Ong (AB Econ’71); Legal Counsel: Ernesto Albano (AB Econ’71); Calapatia (AB Econ’70), Armas, Marita Araullo-Limlingan (AB Econ’71), Endaya (AB Econ’69), Ferdie Constantino, Eric Mondragon, Boy Morales, Jack Teotico (BSBE ’76), Lourdes Zara-Velasco (AB Econ ’71), and Romeo Bernardo (BSBE ’75). Later Facundo “Pakito” Yeneza (AB Econ ’75), Victoria Viterbo-Quimbo (AB Econ ’81; MA Econ ‘91) and Menardo Jimenez Jr (BSBE ’88) were elected into the Board.
The Aventajado Board had big plans. A flagship project was the construction of a P10 million two storey building to be known as the UPSEAA Center that would house administrative and student organization offices, recreational and restaurant facilities and discussion rooms. The groundbreaking ceremony took place during the joint homecoming hosted by Batches 76 and 77 on 22 February 2003. But the building never materialized as this project was shelved to give way to other priorities.
Another plan of the Aventajado Board was to institutionalize the alumni homecoming. The first homecoming was held on April 13, 1997 at the UPSE Atrium where recognition awards were given to Deans Jose Encarnacion Jr and Amado Castro. This was followed five years later in February 2002 when the Macapagal Hall (UPSE Auditorium) was inaugurated with Pres. Gloria Arroyo as special guest. Since then, the homecomings were held on a yearly basis, except in 2004. Class ’80, which hosted the homecoming in 2005, started the turn-over of responsibility to the next hosting class. It was also during this time that the Board decided to fix the date of each homecoming to the third week of September.
The Board also worked for the accreditation of UPSEAA by the UP Alumni Association (UPAA), paving the way for it to become a formal member of the UPAA. It likewise formulated a vision and mission statement that would guide the Association. The UPSEAA website was also launched in 2002 which contained information on the organization (note: the website has been re-launched as part of http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/alumni.)
2005 Onwards: Strengthening UPSEAA
Enter October 2005 and a new Board of Directors with Jack Teotico at the helm, elected during the joint homecoming of Batches 77 and 78. The new Board members were: Teotico, Romy Bernardo (Chair), Ernie Albano, Santi Dapul, Vickee Viterbo-Quimbo, Pakito Yeneza, Leah Panganiban-Castro (AB Econ ’78; MA Econ ’82), Mariles Abacan-Ibarra (BSBE ’80), Verona Villanueva-Juanengo (BSBE ’80), Beth Ong, Dida Cosio-Salita, Daniel Reyes (AB Econ ‘79), Mandy Armas, Sherry Palencia-Verzola (AB Econ’78) and Jose Anselmo Cadiz (BSBE’79). Aventajado and Aseniero were ex-officio. Victoria Torres-del Rosario (AB Econ ’81) and Gerard Suanes (BSBE ’84) would later join the Board.
The Board under Teotico’s leadership focused on smaller-scale, doable projects which would involve more people. “The success of the ‘bite-size’ projects would depend on how well we are able to mobilize people, encourage more donors and more participation from the entire body of alumni,” Teotico articulates. “Remember the concept of the army of ants?” he adds.
The Board put together a Shopping List of projects based on consultations with UPSE led by then-Dean Raul Fabella. The shopping list, which would serve as UPSEAA’s road map, included audio systems for the Macapagal Hall, renovations and upgrade of student classrooms and seminar rooms in the first and third floors, a P 1 million UP Endowment Fund, professorial chairs, faculty-student seminar forums, etc.
“Having a road map activated the Board of Directors into a potent, active and working force with clear goals and targets in mind, which are two-fold,” Teotico says. He explains that one is to source the physical and financial resources and facilities much needed by UPSE, its students and its faculty. The other is to address the needs of the alumni through a forum or body where they can actively participate in by: attending homecomings and get-togethers, fundraising activities such as the Economy Class variety concert, donating to a scholarship program (“Proud to support a young Filipino economist”) , funding professorial chairs or encouraging alumni to attend forums and seminars hosted by the school ( like the one featuring the “presidentiables” and the presentation of the results of the Ayala funded research programs).
Teotico’s Board was able to institutionalize the annual Alumni homecomings by identifying core alumni from incoming silver jubilarians who will actively work in the planning and execution of the homecoming and closely working with these core alumni to ensure a successful annual homecoming. Lifetime alumni membership cards are now available, deserving UPSE students are given scholarships by the UPSEAA, and the newsletter has been revived. A database of alumni is being built up and maintained and a directory of alumni will soon be made available. An Alumni Relations Officer has been tapped, dedicated to its activities.
It was also during this time that the homecomings would become a much grander special event and the host batch would pledge to accomplish an item in the “shopping list”. In 2005, Classes ’79 and ’80 turned over to the school a P1M donation, which was used to renovate Room 301, a seminar room. A year later, Class ’81 raised the bar for the event by inviting more alumni to the 2006 homecoming and pledging more than a million pesos for the renovation of Room 111, a multipurpose room twice the size of seminar rooms. Robina Gokongwei-Pe of Class ’82 pledged for the renovation of Room 114; Deutsche Bank through Eric Cruz (BSBE’77) provided funds for the renovation of Room 303. All mentioned rooms have been completed. Last year, silver jubilarian Class’83 donated a UPSE Master Plan as their homecoming gift and their batchmate Olive Limpe-Aw (BSBE ‘83) pledged for Room 103. Class ’82 has also committed funds for Room 102.
The Teotico Board can be credited with expanding the alumni base of the UPSEAA and jumpstarting an organized and sustained “Alumni Relations.” Teotico and his Board believe that the Board has not only succeeded in increasing the awareness of people about the UPSEAA, but have also increased its membership base and more importantly, have encouraged its members to be proud about the UPSEAA. “For many years, the UPSE did not have an organized and sustained Alumni Relations. The Board under Teotico leadership jumpstarted it,” Board member Ernie Albano says.
Board member Viqui Torres-Del Rosario is quick to add that the Board owes its accomplishments to the “can do” mindset of the alumni (backed by the UPSEAA) and the unwavering support of the UPSE administration that has been helping make things happen at the School.
