By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo

The ties that I hold dear in my Heart

It was in 1958, that my sister, Manang Aurora and I, transferred to St. Joseph College (now Holy Spirit School).  All of the Manding sisters including my cousins Myrna Uy and Gloria were also enrolled there.  They are all my cousins on my mother’s side, since their grandmother and my grandmother are sisters.  

Irene, the author’s daughter, with the Reo brothers of Tacloban

We were enticed, as externs, to stay in the old Maceren building (now gone) – as beautiful as the cloister of the S.Sp.S. sisters facing Libertad street (now CPG avenue).  Below the cloister was the school parlor where guests were received. The music rooms for piano and voice lessons were adjacent to the parlor. 

St. Joseph College in Bohol was then managed by German sisters and Filipino professional sisters.  It was then an all-girls school except for the elementary grades where young boys were accepted.

Barbara “Babs” Gonzaga Ong and her siblings were all there at St. Joseph College: Chulia Borres (+), Medy Ngo, Purita Borres, Liz Somodobila, Dodong and Pempe. Chulia was our class salutatorian and emerged as champion in Current Events during the Cidal: Cebu Interdiocesan Academic League.  It was also in that same competition where our class valedictorian, Virgilia “Daya” Lim Yap came out champion in Religion.  Yes, there were many achievers from our batch.

One feast day in our senior years, our class adviser invited Nang Asing Gonzaga (the mother of the Gonzaga siblings) to be our class resource speaker representing the parents during the Christmas program.  Nang Asing was a teacher at the Tagbilaran Central Elementary School and so was my mother, Gunding Gonzaga, a native of Baclayon.  Nang Asing turned down the invitation and endorsed my mother to take over the role.

Some of the guests during the party: Anding Romy Bullecer, her sister Macy, and a good friend, Azon

That started it all: Where the Gonzagas of Tagbilaran carved the ties with the Gonzagas of Baclayon. 

Early this January of 2025, Babs Ong came to the house with Rufa Clavano Cimafranca, the grandmother-in- law of her son RG of the Builderware fame. RG is married to the beautiful layer Ebone, granddaughter of Rufa. Rufa and I, in college were friends, as both of us belonged to the Corps of Sponsors at Holy Name College (now Holy Name University). As the three (3) of us sat at the round table of my Blue Apartelle, we happily walked down memory lane.  

Then I received Medy’s message. “Wa makatuod ang event coordinator where to deliver the invitation for Bab’s birthday.  Kay hi-tech naman lagi, the invitation was sent thru messenger by Medy.”  What Medy meant was the invitation to the 80TH birthday celebration of Babs Ong on January 20, That was one invitation I could not refuse.  Gimingaw na baya ko ug kitakita sa mga amiga. Dili kabayran ug salapi ang kalipay sa panaghigaay. 

Mila Lim, the mother of Irene’s friend named Hazel

The event brought me back in time to our high school days.  The holy mass started at exactly 5:30 and the sequencing of the program was in clockwork precision.  Murag taga madre jud gihapon.  The music of the Beatles (very popular during our younger days), dominated the atmosphere including those that were popularized by the Cascades and other artists of yesteryears. 

Then came the performance of the REO BROTHERS of Tacloban.  

Remember the abs-cbn champion? My research says: “The Reo Brothers is a Filipino rock band composed of five brothers. The band performs renditions of music from the 1950s to the 1970s, that of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Dave Clark Five, Bee Gees, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Lettermen, America, The Ventures, VST & Co., and other prominent bands of the era. The band grew in popularity after they performed at the ABS–CBN Christmas Special 2013 in the Araneta Coliseum. The Reo Brothers band received the only standing ovation that night.” 

Ma’am Ekit (right), our piano and Music teacher then at St. Joseph College and daughter Claire (left)

On our way to the elevator, we had the time to chat with the Reo brothers of Tacloban who are now based in Manila. They said:  Panginabuhi kami anay para makapalit hin tuna ha Tacloban.  Its their dream to own a lot of their own.

Then came the picture taking by tables. It was at this time when everyone felt the warmth of the 80th birthday celebration of Babs Ong, simply because the invitation came all the way from her heart.What was majestic was the Ongs’ gesture of THANK YOU, done by RG, who stood right at the door of the grand ballroom and never missed to express the words of gratitude to all those who came and celebrated the occasion with them.

Indeed, it was a beautiful experience to renew ties during a gathering dubbed as: “Eighty and BLESSED!”

The handsome RG Ong, sending off guests