BCF- UC GRADUATES ASKED TO COME HOME FOR MAY 18 ALUMNI HOMECOMING

May 3, 2024 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY

School officials and alumni leaders Thursday called on graduates of one of the biggest private schools in the city “to come home” on May 18 for the school’s alumni homecoming. Baguio Colleges Foundation – University of the
Cordilleras Alumni Association Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda and UAAI public relations officer Sonia Dao-as as well as UC vice president for administration Rhodora Ngolob called on the alumni to join the May 18 alumni homecoming which he school revived last year.

During a press conference at the school’s Canao Hall, Ngolob urged former students to join the second staging of the annual event which resumed only last year after 20 years of absence. Ngolob called on the spirit of “family-ness”, of support which defines the BCF, and later UC, culture that could be yet the best among the institutions of higher education in the city. They were joined by alumni and now professors of the school who gave their testimonies on their experience during their college days.

Former two time ONE Championship lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang profusely thanked the school for helping and “understanding” him as a student athlete and national team member when he skipped a semester or two to train and compete in international competition. The three time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist in wushu sanda became a UC student in 2001 and only graduated in 2009 or eight years in college. “I am really thankful to UC
for allowing me to stop when I prepare and compete when I join the national team,” said the winner of Asian Games,
world wushu competitions medals.

UC athletic director Danilo Cong-o said that many of their athletes became national and international champions with only Thornton Lou Sayan as the remaining national team member (wushu taolu) remaining. He said that last
year’s SEAG bronze medalist has three remaining units and will graduate soon. Sayan joined the UC wushu taolu team in 2014 after graduating from the nearby Baguio City National High School. The panelists also welcomed journalists who are graduates of the school like Redjie Cawis, Communication Arts class of 2003, as host.

Baguio Midland Courier editor in chief Harley Palangchao, Amianan Balita Ngayon publisher/editor Thomas Picana and former SunStar Baguio editor Roderick Osis were welcomed “back home” as they were asked to return home by teaching the current communication students. Noted alumni – journalists of the school, the three said, include former ABS CBN North Luzon chief Dhobie de Guzman, former Gild Ore / City Digest editor in chief Joel Dizon, radio broadcasters Edong Carta and Jordan Tablac and Dionisio Dennis, among others.

Tablac and Dennis were even working student who graduated as canteen staff. De Guzman and Carta were also student workers as service crew for Jollibee or even hotel staff. Noted graduates of the school include publisher/editor in chief Alfred Dizon and DZRH correspondent Romeo Gonzales. Dao-as has rather a difficult task ahead of her as she is also the president of the MPHS-BCHS-BCNHS Alumni Association which had its alumni homecoming last Friday and Saturday (May 3 and 4).

Founded in 1946 by the late Benjamin Salvosa, the school is one of the first postWorld War II learning institutions in the city. Salvosa even dreamed of putting up a law school and his desire to have one, that saw the school incur losses, was realized when two of its graduates topped the bar exams in two occasions – Janet Abuel and Noel Malimban.
With more than 17,000 enrolled students, the school has started its biggest project so far, the construction of a 10- storey annex at Hamada Street.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN