TC Torchbearers.. How it all Began...

by: Dr. Joseli Godinez-Casiño
The idea of seeing my elementary classmates in a reunion first came into my mind several years ago. Decades have passed since I’ve last seen and heard from most of them. It’s not that surprising, as most of us were already married and preoccupied with various family and business matters. Considering the geographical proximities and trivia added to the reasons why we were not able to communicate with each other. But these obstacles have not deferred me from dreaming that one day I would finally reunite with my long lost friends… Since then, I had always hoped that the opportunity would come. I never though that this mere eagerness would gradually be realized in an unexpected way.

Accidental Encounter
One day while in my workplace, I bumped into a female employee who was hurriedly getting into the elevator. When I looked at her, she seemed a bit familiar and startled to find out that indeed, she was my elementary classmate whom I had been eager to see. Overjoyed, we embraced each other until we almost cried. After settling ourselves. We asked how well each other was doing, then I found out from her the whereabouts of classmates whom she was in touch with. This led me to look up their contact information. The next step was to arrange for an informal meeting at a preferred venue.

First Meeting
It was on January 26, 2001 that we held our first meeting at Wendy’s restaurant at The Quad, Makati City. Our group then comprised of myself and five other elementary classmates from Batch ’74. From the same meeting, we moved to another venue, Triple V at Mega Mall in Ortigas, Pasig City, upon the request of a classmate who wanted to join us.

During that meeting, I was so inspired by the stories they shared, especially the exciting episodes that unfolded in their lives. In addition, our gathering gave us the opportunity to know each other’s situation as well as those of classmates who we had yet to meet. I then got to know the respective business addresses of those who were not with us. With that information, I felt certain that coordinating with others would be much easier as I looked forward with excitement that moiré batchmates would attend our succeeding meetings.

More importantly, I was thrilled to learn then, that some of our batchmates were able to weather the storms in their lives in spite of limited resources. They have been steadfast in their lives in spite of limited resources. They have been steadfast in their resolve not to let life’s travails overcome them. Truly, they are worth emulating.

Other batchmates, on the other hand, rose to prominence and are now well-off, but they did not let their success spoil or ruin their character. Humility and kindness still reign in them.

With these, I thanked God for His Grace and Mercy.

A challenging and encouraging task
Personally, I find the task of locating other people more of a challenge than a burden. Despite the difficulties it entailed, all the more I was encouraged to complete it. More that that, I considered it as an adventure. It gave joy and sense of fulfillment in my heart, especially while I was doing my task. I can still vividly recall a couple of years ago how, through the help of friendly sources, I was able to trace in the father of my church mate who she had not met in thirty years or since birth in the distant City of Dipolog, Zamboanga dek Norte. From then on, I knew that truly everything in life has a deeper purpose and I was able to accomplish that close to impossible feat only though the Grace of God.

Events that motivated me
As I go along this adventure, let me cite some few yet significant instances which all the more inspired me to continue my quest to look for other batchmates.

· In June 2001, I called up DHL in my effort to get in touch with a certain batch mate who was then employed there. After several attempts, I finally got to talk to him over the phone. I was surprised to find out that he held a very high position in the company starting from humble beginnings. After graduation from elementary, he worked at DHL as a courier and then supported himself through high school. Unfortunately, being the only bread winner of the family, he stopped his schooling so that the medical needs of his sickly father could be met and the education of his relatives could continue. His diligence finally paid-off after years of working with the company. He was promoted to the position of Director for Operations and now owns and manages several businesses since resigning from DHL.
·
Another story is that of a female batch mate who was teaching then at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City. I got a big break in my search for this woman batch mate after scanning a PMA yearbook lent to me by the husband of my officemate who is a PMA alumnus. Further, my search for this batch mate became clearer and was given a boost when a relative of mine who used to be the Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, offered his assistance in locating her. Thus I was able to locate and meet her.

· Another instance is that when the two male batch mates who bitterly parted ways years ago as one resented the other’s choice of companions. However, their story did not end there. The duo met again, this time finding themselves in one of the meetings organized by other batch mates. Unable to contain their emotions, they tearfully reunited and were determined to strengthen their friendship from thereon.

These events really gave me a good lasting impression that culminated in such a way I never imagined like the joy and the triumph of the human drama.

People to find can be categorized into two groups: male and female. The fact that the family names of male batchmates do not change, the task of finding or searching for their present locations did not pose any difficulty for me. On the other hand, looking for female batchmates proved to be much more difficult as their maiden names change when they get married. Yet in spite of such difficulty, I still find the task of looking for them an added challenge.

Subsequent meetings
More meetings followed after the initial gathering in early 2001. I noted that there were about thirty-five to forty of us who attended our first Christmas party in 2001. That was significant as there was a remarkable increase in attendance and a visible interest among us to see one another, laugh at each other fondly, reminisce the past and talk about the present and even the future ranging from trivial to crucial issues.

A dream that turned into reality
Sometime in 2001, I began to long for our group to develop into a foundation. I didn’t want it to remain just a mere socials group, but I wanted it to transform into a more dynamic entity with a noble civic mission that will leave a lifelong impact to its members and to our Alma Mater. I consulted my batch mates and spelled out clearly to them the underlying reasons why I yearned that our group should evolve into something significant. After we discussed thoroughly the merits of my proposal, we finally and unanimously decided to band ourselves together to put up a foundation with a common purpose and that is to help our needy batchmates.

Although we haven’t registered our group yet with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a foundation, we nevertheless started our first fund-raising project for the Asian Students Christian Foundation (ASCF) Mango Tree House Orphanage. We spearheaded solicitation drives for the said orphanage both in cash and in kind. It was a resounding success.

However, we also realized that during the time we solicited for and in behalf of the orphanage, we encountered a number of problems. Most notable were from potential donors who would insist that we present SEC registration papers. We decided to shelve the idea of putting up a foundation since we didn’t want to jeopardize the group’s existence. Furthermore, it looked like an impossibility then since it would have entailed a broader scope of assistance from various groups and individuals and funding was also limited.

TC Torchbearers Association was born
On September 15, 2004, we finally registered our group with the SEC as the TC Torchbearers Association, Inc. with a mission to foster camaraderie and unity among members; uphold the goals of the Alma Mater; and to provide moral support and assistance to all members. In addition, the granting of scholarship to deserving high school students is integrated in the mission of the TC Torchbearers. To date, our fund raising projects are being carried out. Likewise, financial assistance is extended to members upon the recommendation of the association’s officers. On June 5, 2005, TC Torchbearers commenced its first-ever scholarship program at the High School level. It is a way of helping Trinity College (now Trinity University of Asia) with two worthy and deserving students bagging the scholarship grants.

However, this noble task cannot be sustained without adequate funds. Invitation is open to all who share the vision and mission of the TC Torchbearers and are willing to help make these aspirations come true.

Officially, the membership has risen to 115. a number of our members include those from abroad (U.S., Canada, Middle East and Asia). Official members have TC Torchbearer’s ID’s and are entitled to discounts at selected business establishments in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

TC Torchbearers Association, Inc., like any other organization, exists with the helping hands of its members and friends. Though we come from different experiences, exposures and orientations, it is normal for each of us to have differences in opinions. However, these have not become a stumbling block but rather have enriched our experience. As a result, the bond that keeps us together and helps us find a resolution to any problem will definitely continue in order to uphold the sacred mission of the TC Torchbearers.

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