Welcome Remarks & Thank You Note

(as read on the evening of EngGAHling 2019, 02.16.19)

 

Good Evening Proud Thomasian Engineers. We are batch 1994, your host this evening. Today is a very important day as it gives us the opportunity to meet with old friends, old mentors in our grand old university after a long time. It also enables the alumni to familiarize themselves with the developments in UST Engineering.

 

Michael De Castro, Batch ’94 President

 

Allow us to tender our gratitude to each and every one of you for finding time to be with us today. It takes a lot of sacrifice to set aside time out of your busy schedules and come over to such a function. I do hope that the experiences of this day will be worth the sacrifice you have made.

 

Melvin Ocampo, VP Internal Affairs

 

Four letters to describe us – Gen X. Our stay in the 4 corners of the campus was from the time of Vanilla Ice doing Ice Ice baby to the time Eraserheads’ circus album was launched. It was the period when Daylight Saving Time was implemented due to constant power outages. Who would forget Mekenis in España, Rowies in Governor Forbes, Tapsi in Dapitan and Lopez Canteen in P. Noval? We are the last batch to have students from different disciplines mixed together during our first 2 years. The faculty of engineering was governed then by a certain Abet and his terror lieutenant, Santi (rest in peace sir). We are forever indebted to you, to all faculty members and to our beloved department heads --- Engr. Josefin De Alban of CE, Engr. Evelyn Laurito of ChE, Engr. Casimiro Hernandez of ECE, Engr. Jerome Amon of EE, Engr. Joehanna Ngo of IE, Engr. Raymundo Melegrito of ME. Salamat sa inyo.

 

Claire Sorio, Business Development

 

 

Five years ago, our group celebrated our 20th year anniversary. It was attended by almost 70 batchmates spread across the 6 engineering disciplines. That day, amidst the Hi and Hello, fun and laughter an ambitious plan was hatched, a small core group was formed thus the Thomasian Engineering Alumni Association ‘94 was born. Our yearly get-together coincides with our Christmas party. The yearly gathering gave us the opportunity to reacquaint with old friends, to know more about our new friends or simply, to be a family.

 

Gerald Sobreviñas, Auditor

 

This year as we celebrate our EngGAHling 2019, we give emphasis on the role of the alumni to the school and to the community.  We believe that we all have to give back a part of ourselves to our Alma Mater as a testament that we somehow owe a lot to her, that the success we enjoy wouldn’t have been possible without our stay in UST Eng’g. That is why we, as batch ‘94, as UST engineering alumni, believe in the saying “Giving back and paying forward”. We repay our Alma Mater by doing good deed to the future Thomasian engineers. Hence our theme and battle cry for 2019 EngGAHling is “Thomasian Engineers coming home to foster greater generations”.

 

Monina Evangelista, Event Planning & Management Committee

 

 

Aside from fostering greater generations and sponsoring scholars, Batch 1994 believes in continuity and long-term partnership with the school and fellow alumni. We believe that by giving a grand and well prepared homecoming event would encourage fellow alumni to come back, relive, enjoy and make it a time well spent. Something we can talk about in the years to come. 

 

Daisie Vicencio, Treasurer

 

 

Batch 1994 believe that our Alumni wristwatches is symbol of fashion, prestige and showing off our identity -- proud Thomasian Engineers.  The homecoming song “Inhinyero ako” is our gift to all alumni. It will serve as our drumbeat for all alumni to come home. 

 

Glenn Pascual, Secretary

 

 

As we come to a close, we would like to thank our friends who made ALL of these things achievable.  We would like to acknowledge USTEAAI led by President John Paul Pe for guiding us throughout this exercise. We would like to recognize Dean Abet Laurito’s role for assembling and leading our Circle of Jubilarians, you have been guiding us since freshmen until this day. Thank you fellow celebrants led by Ms. Lydia Tansinsin of batch 1954, the golden jubilarians of batch 1969, batches 74, 79, 84, 89 and our baby batch 1999 for making this event collaborative instead of being solo. Thank you to the faculty of Engineering for welcoming back your sons and daughters under the steward of Dean Philip Marcelo.  Thank you to all of our dear sponsors and partners – there are thousand people here who will remember this night with smile on their faces and several more scholars who will forever cherish your generosity. And to all our Thomasian Engineering Alumni who are present --- maraming salamat for giving us the chance to showcase to you what we can do. And lastly, to batch 1994 and TEAM '94 you made this affair overflowing with meaning and significance not only for us but more so to the whole Thomasian Engineering community.

 

Jhoanna Ong, VP External Affairs

 

 

This special and unforgettable night is a happy celebration of coming home to where our heart is. We all love our Alma Matter and we are all proud Thomasian Engineers. Let us all stand up and all take a moment to raise our glasses. Let us toast to the incredibly exciting night and say .Ako ay Tomasino, Inhinyero ako! Can we repeat? Ako ay Tomasino, Inhinyero ako! Thank you. Enjoy your dinner, and have a wonderful evening 

 

Michael De Castro and TEAM ‘94