Debt of Gratitude (Utang-na-loob)

This is part of the text I delivered during our 9th annual contract signing of the CNHS 65 Scholarship Foundation.

What is Debt of Gratitude? You owe this debt of gratitude to your parents. Your mother carried you in her womb for 9 months. Your parents took care of you; they clothed you, fed you, gave you a roof over your head and sent you to school. Can you repay the debt of gratitude you owe them? No, you cannot pay back your debt of gratitude to them with gold, money, or any tangible things on earth. Debt of gratitude cannot be repaid. According to a Malayan Proverb, “one can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.” Debt of gratitude is for life, it cannot be repaid and you carry this on throughout your living days.

Your character is a reflection of how you were brought up by your parents. You are the mirror-image of your parents. The way how you think about gratitude mirrors the character of your parents. Good virtue starts at home.

Your present status, your education, you owe it to the Foundation. We are not seeking any repayment. We just expect plain recognition from you. Recognize your debt of gratitude to the Foundation, not just vanish into thin air after all the help we extended to you. A simple thank you from time to time will suffice. A regular communication with your benefactors will do.

“Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of all vices.” – Thomas Fuller

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” – Cicero

Fuller’s and Cicero’s definition of gratitude is somewhat conflicting, for Fuller it is the “least of the virtues” and to Cicero it is “the greatest”, nonetheless the meanings of the message they impart are somewhat the same.

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Debt of gratitude cannot be repaid. Dala ninyo ito habang buhay, you carry this on for life.

New Graduates of the Scholarship Foundation

It is with great pleasure to announce to all that another 3 of our scholars graduated from TUP last March 27, 2008 bringing the total number of our graduates to 15. This was made possible through your unending and benevolent support to the Scholarship Foundation. This school year 2008-2009, we have added another 4 very poor but bright youngsters to the program of the Foundation all to enroll in Education at Cavite State University. For details of the graduates as well as of the new scholars please visit our website at Cavite National High School Class 65 Scholarship Foundation.

Our 43rd Anniversary Homecoming

The 43rd Anniversary Homecoming celebration of Cavite National High School Class of 1965 officially kicked off last February 14, 2008 as a welcome party for the "balikbayans" cum Valentine's party at the rest house of Dante Salud in Kawit, Cavite. The homecoming activities were graced by a modest number of "balikbayans" from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the USA. Again, humbly we say, the reunion was a success.

An early morning mass was officiated by our classmate Fr. Teddy Villanueva at the Ladislao Diwa Elementary School on February 16, 2008. After the mass, a jubilant class 65 alumni assembled for a parade along the main streets of Cavite City which ended at the Montano Hall of our Alma Mater. The reunion culminated with a dinner-dance at the Chua's Pavillion in Dalahican, Cavite City.

Videos of the events are incorporated and embedded in the webpage of the homecoming.

Videos in our Website

I finally uploaded and embedded in our webpage the videos of our last Ruby Anniversary Celebration. We can now share to those who missed the momentous occasion the events of the homecoming in moving picture. The videos were filmed by Milo Reynante (better-half of Nini Austria), Nene Simpelo and Josie Reyes. All the 3 films were compiled, edited and transferred into DVD by Ernie Flores of which I was one of the lucky recipients.

The videos are divided into 7 flicks:
1. Welcome Party - October 30, 2005
2. Tour of Corregidor – November 2, 2005
3. Parade and Family Day – November 5, 2005
4. Hawaiian Night – November 6, 2005
5. Road Tour to the North of Luzon – November 8 – 12, 2005
6. Appreciation Party by the Balikbayans – November 14, 2005
7. Pansol Resort Outing – November 16, 2005

I have to do my own format conversion, editing and removing some scenes in the video just to be accommodated by the video server. The quality of the video is not so vivid like the original, but it serves the purpose.

To watch the video, visit our website at Cavite National High School Class 65 Alumni Site and click the link on “Anniversary Celebrations”, then go to the link on "Ruby Jubilee or you can go directly to my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/Tedd7467 and click the playlist “Ruby Anniversary”. The video is not suitable for dial-up connection and is best watched with DSL or better connection.

I will update our web site with the events of this coming reunion come Feb 16 both in still photos and life videos when all materials have been compiled.

Welcome

My websites:

• Cavite National High School Class 65 Website 

• Anniversary Celebrations of Cavite National High School Class 65

• Cavite National High School Class 65 Scholarship Foundation

• Navarro Family Website

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