23 THINGS I MISS ABOUT SACS


It's the 99th SACS day and I have taken the liberty of breaking your heart with nostalgia. Here are 23 things I miss about SACS.



1. Ora et Labora

Who can forget this? This is basically forged into my subconscious. Whenever someone says SACS, this is what I think of, posted in printed letters on top of the blackboard. I'm one of those geeks who made this my personal motto in life. I keep this in mind whenever I encounter difficult things like a really hard exam, or wanting my crush to like me back. Whatever circumstance, work and prayer go hand in hand.


2. The Library

The SACS library is the measuring stick by which  I compare all other school libraries with. And tbh, all of them pale in comparison. The SACS library is my favorite place on earth, ghost sightings be damned. We even got Ms. Alcantara to include some of our favorite books in her list of new books to be ordered during our time. The Orange Girl by Jostein Gaarder? You're welcome.



3. The Big Grounds

Well the grounds aren't so big anymore (geez they're trying to fit an entire sim city there now) but when I first came to SACS, I thought it was sprawling. With so many shades and trees and sky. Perfect for hiding and stalking crushes and daydreaming.


4. Sinyang

Not for the faint of heart, the Alphonsian's flagship food is the spiciest lumpia in a fifty mile radius. Also, Nang Sinyang might post your face on her wall if you visit so that's a plus.



5. Chocoloco, Olah

These shakes were all the rage back in my day. With just 10 bucks you can literally shake all your stresses away. Best taken after a math test from Ma'am Amodia.



6. The Gong

 I find ma'am Ponce announcing my tardiness out loud on her mic quite endearing over the course of my stay in SACS. Which happened everyday.



7. Ancient Computers

Gosh, everything in SACS is ancient. We still used diskettes then. Funny how our needs went from 512kb to 2tb in a matter of years, eh?

8. Ancient Sewing Machines

As in the ones where it comes out of the table itself. Pretty 20th century cool, huh? Too bad  I didn't have enough skill to memorize the parts of the sewing machine. Also, is it just me or were you scared you'll puncture your finger with that mean looking needle, too?


9. Ancient Typewriters

I don't know any other school who had typewriting classes. Quite hardcore. We took our final test blind freaking folded.

10. Ancient Teachers 

SACS teachers are known for their longevity. Generations of Oponside kids can literally have the same  Christian Living Ed teacher. Rumor has it the faculty room is even haunted by a ghost wearing blue, who only appears to newbies. Damn, talk about initiation.


11. Ancient school bus

I loved that old school bus, all faded and hipster. I had quite a few memorable field trips using said bus.



12. Hot science teachers

Hi Sir Embalzado I hope you never get to read this.


13. My skaterboy rockstar crush

I may or may not have written a short story about us, crush. You were like, my great highschool romance. Too bad it was only me who knew about it. You had an orange bag full of scribbles and a skateboard. You're so cute because you didn't know shit about basketball but when I checked your math papers you had really nice scores so I fell in like with you even more. Oh my. Clearly I was a child with too much angst and imagination. Haha geez. Oh well. He had great hair tho.



14. Horror stories

You can't last 4 years in SACS without your daily dose of horror stories. We are like the official portal to the spirit world. Haven't you wondered why they wouldn't let students stay after 5 pm? If there was a contest, dear old alma mater would be a shoo-in for the most haunted place in the island. The old ghosts in Mary's Hall would probably vote for it.



15. Daily Diary

Some kids may have found it tiring but I loved making my diary. Maybe that's the reason I've become a blogger person. I loved writing about stuff and buying colored paper in Marnikko just to make it look pretty. I would spend hours gluing stuff on while watching Sakuragi tried to battle it out in the court with the rest of Shohoku. A bowl full of binignit was never far away. Ah, good times.



16. Writing for the school paper

Obviously. I still have my old copies of The Beacon. My articles, bless my teenage heart, were damn awful. But I still loved it. My favorite part was going all over the classrooms and distributing the paper. It was such a big accomplishment to me. Until some annoying kids made it into paper airplanes.


17. Amot para photocopy

SACS is obviously an abbreviation for Sigi Amot Cada Semana.


18. Borrowing books from other classes

Books, footmops, flute recorders...what have you. SACS is a place where you can always count on your friends.



19. Morning Praise

Being a highschool transferee, morning praise was one of those culture shock things for me. People prayed the Our Father every morning?And held hands while doing it? Who is this good looking guy beside me? Am I supposed to hold his hand as well? Haha, kidding aside, morning praise was one of my favorite parts of my high school life. Although I was almost always late, I really loved singing the hymns to St. Benedict and St. Alphonsus. I never had the same experience anywhere.



20. Clubbing Day

Who didn't want to be an Explorer that freshman year? It was the coolest thing then. We went to field trips and did lots of science things. One thing I can say is that SACS took clubbing very, very seriously. There were clubs for bands, peer facilitators, nerds, debaters, math people. Every Wednesday was a flurry of people going every which way. It was a nice way to get to know other people and make more friends.


21. Community Involvement Programs

My pride and joy. Contrary to popular belief, SACS kids are exposed to lots of community issues. We went through one CIP each quarter. We went to slums, planted mangroves, taught catechism classes, cleaned churches, made lugaw and fed kids. We collected plastic bottles and newspapers and sold them for funds. We spent Saturdays scrubbing wax off the candle-lighting areas in church. And the best part of it was I enjoyed it a lot. It was one of the most purposeful things I have ever done in my wee teenage life.


22. Prom

SACS proms are something. We spend it at school, out in the open ground with all the ghosts that are haunting the vicinity. On our senior year, we were forbidden to wear dresses, so we had to wear slacks. Twisted, huh? But no matter, because the company is always fun. My cousin Mike snuck an Urbandub CD to the DJ and we danced to First of Summer in the rain. I know. Pretty neat, huh?


23. True friends

Wherever you go in this life, your friends in high school are the ones you'll basically have for the rest of your life. You better believe in forever, because that's what SACS friends are. You go through all this stuff together--- crazy projects, funny song and dance numbers, shared lunch and crushes---that after four years, you'll find that you've found yourself friends to keep. I know, it's very corny, but it is also very true. My favorite character trait of most people I know in SACS is their humility. Whatever they achieve in life after high school, when you meet again, they're basically the same island people you grew up with, and that's something rare.

I may be 20 something and old, but a part of me will always be 17, wearing blue jumpers and ruffled blouses, trying to make it in time for the morning praise bell. SACS is not a famous school by most standards. Our alumni don't always make it to headlines or have billboards. We don't even have commemorative T-shirts or mugs or lanyards after we graduate. But SACS's brand is not really visible in our merchandise. It's in the people it has produced: honest, hardworking, talented people who may work in the background but gets stuff done.


Happy 99th birthday, Saint Alphonsus Catholic School!


Ora et Labora, loves.  :) 











21 comments

  1. Can't say i had the best HS memories but I deffo miss how simple things were back then. I miss you Krish and the gang!

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    1. Haha remember Nancy Drew library moments? I miss you all too. Shoot ta next weekend? :D

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  2. Made me cry tho ;( thanks for posting igso. .

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    1. faith? is this you?? haha i miss you. daghan baya kaau kag kabuang sa sacs na. haha :)

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  3. very nice article it turned back time.

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  4. The good old days... :) i love it... Alphonsian rocks!!!

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  5. I spent only a school year with SACS way back 2001 if my memory serves me right. but this list of yours threw me back to those good old days. ora et labora, lumpia ni sinyang, mam ponce, sister gabi, st alphonsus hymn, nancy drew books, sewing machines, typewriters, the AVR, the big school ground, the rooftop, the acacia trees, the canteen, the shakes, the school bus, our CIP in Gasa sa Gugma and so so so much more!

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    1. Thanks, Richelda! Good times, right? CIP was always my favorite part. :)

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  6. Awesome! :D sikata ni camille oy. hahah

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  7. You should know include "kuya jo" the very strict non-teaching staff guy! Hehe Forever alphonsian.
    Greetings from California ☺️

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    1. omg I know! he always let me through the back gates whenever I got late though. he still knows me to this day haha :)

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  8. You truly nailed the things one must really miss about SACS! I started studying there when I was a freshman in high school up to my junior year. Unfortunately, I never was able to graduate because I immigrated that year but how lucky would I have been if I was able to graduate, right? Especially when the batch I was included was the last one to finish the original four years of high school (Batch 2014-2015) and not the new K-12 curriculum that was just recently applied. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading your blog! My mind flashed back to those 3 years studying, the strong bond you created with your classmates and many more of the experiences that highlights one's high school experience in SACS.

    P.S. I was also one of the students who were left to do the morning praise outside. What is embarrassing though is that I just leave nearby but I still managed to get late! Hahaha (Ang resulta nuon nakasuway jud ug community service, pero but-an kaayo si Sir Caquilala, paperworks ray gipabuhat nako dili jud limpyo :'D)

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    1. Haha awww. Thanks for reading! My time in SACS wwas the best. I wish you saw it before they made those gates and the atop2 thingy. Kuya Joe always let me in thru the back gatenpara di ko malate. One time wa koy badge, he gave me money so I can buy one lol. Haha also Sir Caquilala is the best! He was my biology teacher. He got into an accident ato but he still went to class...crutches and all. He's the best.

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  9. The Library upgraded to the nth level with aircon. I always stayed in the library---- it's y haven when i'm bored. I didn't survived my stay in high school without hearing horror stories... i will never forget Mrs. Edna Canete for tellingus horror stories during El fili and noli me. Haha. Mrs. Brigoli was my Bio teacher then and would give us love advices---this is what i like the most. Flute recorders lasted on Mrs. Tabing's time--- til piano came. The dressing room near the drafting lab and the tree in the window were said there's ghosts haunting over there-- St. Mary's Hall would top it. The Biology lab? The fetus issue which I never understood. Plus, the computer room.


    P.s. I also write for the Beacon before headed by ms. Datoy :))

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    1. I was trying to figure out who Mrs Tabing is. Haha si Maam Sadoguio diay. Music class scared me coz I can't sing a note to save my life! Most SACS teachers are amazing at what they do. Also Mary's Hall is the portal to the spirit world. True story. :)

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