The remarkable tradition of MBM 73 lives on as members of the class and their spouses came together on February 21 to celebrate the visit of four balikbayan classmates, three from the US and one from Canada. The venue was the well-loved Milky Way restaurant, a stone’s throw from AIM.
Balikbayan classmates Irwin Jazmines, Bart Tablante, Oscar Mauricio, and Vic Lorenzo enjoyed the warm reception and the legendary camaraderie of the class. Felipe Diego organized the dinner gathering and ensured everyone ate to their heart’s content from a sumptuous Filipino buffet spread, including the ubiquitous balut. Indeed, an MBM 73 gathering won’t do without a heaping dose of balut.
During Felipe’s welcome remarks, he intimated that starting this year, the class would meet more often than the customary quarterly gatherings. Get-togethers will now be held once every two months, primarily to celebrate the birthdays of classmates falling on those months. It can be said that the class is always looking for excuses to come together, and indeed, it is this close bond and genuine affection for one another that keep their lifelong friendships going forever and stronger through the years. One can perhaps attribute their solidarity and strong support for each other as one of the factors that enabled them to become the most successful cohort in terms of careers and service to the nation. AIM cannot be prouder of what this class has achieved collectively and individually.
As the evening’s celebration started to rev into high gear, the discussion shifted to the next adventure in April, when the class will descend on Iloilo upon the prodding of Jing Lapus, based on his recent visit to the thriving Iloilo Business Park with no less than the owner and CEO of Megaworld Corporation, Mr. Andrew Tan. Jing and Sandy impressed the group with the myriad of activities to be enjoyed, including the many outstanding culinary delights that have earned Iloilo the distinction of being a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Indeed, one cannot help but feel the energy and commitment of the class to indulge their utmost passion, that of spending blissful time with one another. And therein lies their secret to happiness and success.
Incidentally, AIM extends its heartfelt gratitude to the class for generously sponsoring the institute’s brand-new Executive Boardroom and to class member Alex Tanwangco for his donation towards the renovation of the Alex Tanwangco Caseroom and the Topserve Caseroom.
Onwards to the next big adventure!
