UP Ibalon Web Community

On Thursday February 5, 2009, the wheelchair and prosthetics project spearheaded by Ibalonians Dr. Josephine (Penny) R. Bundoc and Jose (Butch) Robredo pulled through in Naga City with the participation of the Physicians for Peace, the city government, and the Rotary Club.

When martial law was declared in 1972 all student organizations in UP was banned. After all, there is even a presidential decree which says that any group of three persons is an "illegal assembly". And if this three persons talk they will even be guilty of "rumor-mongering" which is punishable by imprisonment! I even remember an incident with Nestor Raneses in the waiting shed going to Yakal Residence Hall from Molave.

In the four academic years that I have been on-and-off a resident member of UP Ibalon (this covers the school years that started in the years 1974 to 1977 but his stretches up to March 1978), a total of about 110 members entered the organization. This includes the 19 doctors of medicine that I already wrote about ["The MDs of UP Ibalon Of Earlier Years", 11/15/08]. With my own eyes I have seen Ibalon grow big and flourish.

The anniversary celebration of UP Ibalon and UPIAA on December 1, 1995 was more subdued than 1994 (which was the organization's 20th anniversary). But it was no less attended. Its ambience was even better as it was held in the old house of Lodie Padilla and Delen Padilla-de la Paz in Magallanes Village, Makati.

I always fancied UP students to be bright. And as bright persons I thought they will be able to sift truth from facts. After all, UP was strong in empirical research.