URULIAN 2010: Going Back, Giving Back

Urulian 2010 is a mobilization of the members of Aden HS’85 in preparation for their silver jubilee in year 2010. Batch members, Emil Avenido, James Castro, Chuck Florece, Nelson Paz, Don Santy, Tito Simando, Sancho Tolentino, O-ay Villegas, Chris Zaens and Ivan Zenarosa, to name a few initiated the formation of a concrete program which will help in their reaching out to batch mates, teachers and the bigger community of Naga as a way of marking their 25th year as Ateneans. Urulian 2010 also aims to rekindle among the members of AdeN HS’85, gratitude and fidelity to the Ateneo spirit, thus the theme: Going back and Giving back, along with “paglaom, pagkaburunyog asin pagdamay” as the hallmarks of their activities.

In the hope to reaffirm their identity as “ATENISTAS” who are called to make a difference in other people’s lives, Urulian 2010 was established with the following objectives:

1. To sufficiently inform every member of batch 85 about the advocacy enabling each one to take initiatives according to his capacity and circumstances
2. To gradually deepen the understanding and thus involvement of the members of Batch 85 in both the Going Back and Giving Back aspects of Urulian 2010.
3. To raise adequate resources to support Giving Back projects for intended beneficiaries.

These objectives are heartfelt and sincerely aspired for by the members of HS’85. In fact, as early as five years prior to their much-awaited jubilee, a good number of them already pledged an amount for one year, which will be renewed every year until 2010. Urulian peso and dollar accounts have been opened specifically for pledges by batch mates both here and abroad. These pledges are intended for “legacy projects” such as fundraising for Ateneo faculty development, donations of school facilities and supporting scholarships for deserving “atenistas” as well as projects duly approved by the batch during annual batch meetings. Moreover, the batch aims to establish an AdeN HS’85 Foundation, duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

While it may require most of the batch members to dip into their wallets for financial contributions, it is not the only way to push the Urulian cart forward. Batch mates are mostly encouraged to give their time and talents and be physically involved in Urulian activities and programs. The lawyers among the batch are currently working on the SEC registration papers for the HS’85 Foundation. Someone’s working on the Urulian theme song. A group is cooking up a concert featuring first-rate Bikolano artists. Another group’s thinking of sponsoring a movie premier. The medical professionals organized the medical mission. The civil engineers linked the batch with their association (Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers or PICE). The guys overseas are completing the database work. The web team has come up with a very interesting and informative website: http://www.adnuhs85.org for the Urulian. This was formally launched last May 28, 2005 at the CPA review room of the Ateneo de Naga University.

As of now, the Urulian committee is in need of batch volunteers to do the database work in Bikol for their batch Yearbook. This is an essential element of the Urulian 2010 mainly because their batch graduated without a “Triumph” yearbook. This Urulian Yearbook is envisioned to be a chronicle of their batch member’s lives with the hope of immortalizing their stories on the printed page for their children and their children’s children.

These and more, goes to show that the Urulian 2010 is indeed a batch effort with all members pitching in with whatever they can contribute for the success of their jubilee. This is their legacy to their beloved alma mater, which has given them the solid foundation that has brought them to wherever they are now. Indeed, there is a time for everything. For the AdenHS’85, this is the time to Go Back and Give Back to the Ateneo they dearly love.