Meet Our "Agot"...Erlina Diaz...proud alumnus of Notre Dame of Tacurong
Posted on Friday, 13 January 2017
Meet Our “Agot”…Erlina Diaz
…proud alumnus of Notre Dame of Tacurong
By Apolinario Villalobos
During my college days, I had the
opportunity to meet people with interesting personalities. They were very much
different from my high school buddies as our college that time was co-ed.
During my high school days, the girls were separated from us boys. While we
were under the shadow of the Oblate Director, the girls were under the wings of
the Dominican Sisters.
Although I got separated from some of my
high school friends who were financially fortunate to pursue their college in
bigger colleges in cities, most stayed behind just to be with the Oblates. Our
motley group of Liberal Arts students was the smallest compared to those who
belonged to BS Commerce, and the combined BS Education and Elementary
Education.
From among the new faces, Ruel Lucentales
and I sort of naturally and casually got stuck with a bespectacled and
frizzy-haired, though cute girl from Isulan – Erlina Diaz. In no time at all,
we developed some kind of a clique – the three of us, although, we were still
close to our other classmates such as Norma Burias (now Mrs. Boeh), Cesar Cruz,
Talama Makilala (Saavedra), Luz Garnica, and many more.
Ruel and I called Erna our “agot” which in
the Hiligaynon means “youngest”. Before classes would start, the three of us
were spontaneously drawn toward each other. And, as if on cue, would ask each
other about what each of us got for the previous day’s assigned readings. There
were times that our discussions would result to ill-feelings due to pride as
nobody would like to give in and come out wrong. But, after a few days, we
would again be meeting, as if the previous serious discussions did not happen.
We parted ways after graduation. While I
joined Philippine Airlines, Ruel got stuck with the Department of Social
Welfare which both of us worked for as working students when we were in fourth
year, while Erna taught at the Notre Dame of isulan where she finished her high
school. Ruel, later became the Director for Region XI of the said agency based
in Davao and moved up to the national level as Assistant Secretary, the
position he held at the time of his demise. Erna on the other hand, moved on to
become the Principal of their school. And, as I have developed some kind of
loyalty with PAL, I stayed with it for twenty years, after which I drifted
among companies and government agencies as Consultant.
One time, I surprised Erna with an
unannounced visit in her new-found retirement job as the High School Principal
of the Valdez Mother and Child City College (VMCC) (Tacurong), founded by Dr.
Bonifacio Valdez, one of the prides of our Alma Mater and city, being an
indefatigable civic leader who heads several organizations. Erna was still
wearing spectacles and with a strong Hiligaynon twang in her accent, but the
sharpness In her delivery of words as she spoke was still evident. With
fondness, we recalled days spent with our teachers and classmates. I purposely
did not remind her, though, that our batch was the last, as the college
department of the school was temporarily closed due to the meager enrollees
aside from the prevailing unrest at the time.
As I was treading the dusty path from the
gate of the VMCC toward the main road when I bid her goodbye, I was feeling
great with the thought that we may be the fortunate last batch of our dear
school, Notre Dame, but we showed our best as we are proudly and continuously
waving her banner of green and white.
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