Message delivered during the Memorial Service at Malate Catholic School on 09 June 2019: If Andrew Macatangay, our Student Catholic Action president (Batch 82), were here, he would have been the more fitting speaker to talk about our honoree, Mr. Evaristo Albano. But sadly, he passed on last December. Richie Loberiza, the president of the Altar Boys Society, would have also been a shoo-in for this task because apart from being guided by Mr. Albano in the ABS, they were neighbors in Pasay City so their affinity went beyond the academic walls of Malate. Kaya lang Richie is still out of the country. But any way, the ball landed on my lap when Atty. Nina Serrano asked me to say something about Mr. Albano. So I gladly embraced the chance. I guess I would be speaking for Batch ’82 when I say that Mr. Albano was an important, constant figure during our growing up years in high school. Apart from being the vice principal, he was often the lector/commentator during the 6 am daily Masses at the Malate Church. On some days, he would even help during communion as a Minister of the Holy Eucharist. During the daily flag ceremony, all he had to do was to stand at the entrance of the gym and all of us would know that it was time to line up for the morning calisthenics. He had a certain air of authority that commanded our respect. With his mestizo features and his demeanor, one could easily mistake him for a priest if one didn’t know who he was. Nonetheless, we regarded him with reverence. The diligence he showed as he went through his responsibilities as a lay minister in the Mass, as a school administrator, and as a moderator of SCA and ABS was truly admirable. Looking back, I now realize that it was how he taught us to live the Malatean motto of being ‘True to our Faith’ – minus the proselytizing. When I heard about his passing from our FB group, fond memories quickly flashed through my mind. As SCA moderator, we would go to Mass every Thursday morning and have Cell Meetings after our classes. He would always cap the meeting with his personal reflection of the gospel. And then there were the Leadership Training Courses he would give the SCA members once a year. Of course, apart from the workshops and the inputs from Mr. Albano and Ms. Dolly Soriano, his counterpart in SCA at Girls’ High, these live-in seminars were usually co-ed. I think a big motivation for us to join SCA at the time was the chance to mingle with girls, especially during the social work we did during Saturdays. These included playing with orphans at Hospicio de San Jose along Ayala Bridge and the street children of Silungan Center in Quiapo; or rolling cotton balls at Ospital ng Maynila or spending time with the kids of Leveriza and Dakota; or washing soiled linen of infants at the Daughters of Charity Center in Tondo. Plus pogi points siyempre yon sa girls kapag nakakasama ka nila sa mga works of charity na katulad nito. Tapos ang masaya pa, we all gather at Harrison Plaza at around 5 pm to prepare for the anticipated Mass at six o-clock. SCA members formed part of the choir that helped animate the Mass at that Mall. Choir leader at guitarists namin sina Andrew Macatangay at Jong Mariano (who is now based in Japan). Tapos may replay pa yon kinabukasan during the 10 am Sunday Mass sa Harrison Plaza din. During October, we would also pray the Rosary at noon time at the Marian Garden. And in November, we participate actively in the Novena Masses leading to the Fiesta of the Our Lady of Remedies on the third Sunday. That’s how we spent high school under Mr. Albano’s mentorship. His constant, reassuring figure helped us form the habits that we would later depend on as adults facing life’s exciting twists and turns Perhaps if I would be given the chance to talk to him on a personal level, I would like to ask from him some tips on how to continually sharpen your saw as a teacher. I would like to hear his interesting stories about taking care of his two lovely daughters. Or how he adjusted to being a migrant Filipino in the US. I would like to ask him whether he even entert
