Ag-kakabsats

Siblings During our Time at City High

The first day of first year high school. Anxiety creeps in along with its cousins, Apprehension, Excited and Worried. About being in the right classes, being under teachers with reputations being STRICT, losing or gaining honors, new classmates, new subjects, yoyo grades. Stressed. Clothes okay? Not too showy, not too drab, not too baduy? Warm enough? Dry enough? School supplies the right ones? Baon enough? Anxiety levels start going up. Having classmates from our elementary grades helped: they were familiar faces in the circle of new and unknown faces.

For a number of us, these first year Angst feelings were common. But we had, for better or for worse, a curse or a blessing, siblings who were within the years we were at high school, to help absorb the shock, to help define who we are as individuals and as members of families. We perceive that some teachers look at us as younger/older siblings and assume that we have identical interests, goals, appearances, sensitivities. Hence labels are placed almost as clear as they were Post-its on our foreheads. In those developmental years, we were careful about these behavioral labels: as an over-achiever, an under-achiever or as a troublemaker. Competition becomes more complex, since it would be present both at home and at school.

Do you have any tales to tell, about your manongs, manangs, or addings while you were in high school?

This reminds me of a Diana B-C joke: If there is such a thing as an Adding Machine, is there such a thing as a Manang Machine, or Manong Machine? NCR and Burroughs, take note (where are they now?) Although we each have created our own niches, it is undeniable that we were affected with the actions of our older or younger siblings.

City High has a reputation of calling in members of families: although in some, the chemistry is different with some members who opt to go to sectarian or private schools. During my early first year, I tended to hang out and stay close to my sister Delia (Class 58), for support and to make the adjustment phase somewhat easier. Thus I came to know her friends and classmates closer than if I had not hung out with them and figure out the language of big sister high school talk: Perlita B, Bridget H, Aurora T, Susana B and the rest.

Please see below, a recollection of Siblings of Class 61 members, e.g., our M, M, and A’s who were either above or below us in high school.

Corrections will be much appreciated.

Joe A – Ruperto. ‘58

Emil A – Carmenchita ‘58

Art B – Elda ’59, Beta ‘62

Alberto C – Emmanuel ‘61

Eunice B-D – Cecilia ‘59

Ludy B-A – Ben ‘64

Diana B-C – Leo ’64, Leila '63, Perlita ‘58

Joselito C – Alice ‘63

Erlinda D – (brother) ‘60

Victoria D-E - Tedler '64

Evelyn D-B – Delia ‘58

Dom F – Vicky’58, Clarence '59, Eddie ‘64

Rudy L - Aurora ‘62

Philip L – Marilou ’60, Alma ‘59

Nap M – Anita ‘61(cousin)

Louella M – Buddy ‘63

Marlo P – Zeno ‘63

Purita deV – Terry – ‘60

Maryann Z-F - Marilyn '64