Semi Retired Foamer: MANDAON ILUMNI WEEKEND (PHILIPPINES) 8-3-2025

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Well, 2025 has certainly been a year of firsts for me—at least in the Philippines.

The Asawa, in a moment of great generosity (or mild insanity), decided it was finally time to parade her derelict husband before polite society. Thus began my grand debut—complete with not just her high school alumni celebration, but also the fiesta of her original barangay. Truly, she knows how to test a man’s stamina.

This particular tale covers the first of those two marathons—the alumni event. Proceedings kicked off with a cheerful march from a church on the eastern side of town (we’ll get back to that bit later), winding through the streets, past the port, around a few blocks, and then—because why stop there?—all the way back east to the high school.

The warm weather didn’t seem to bother anyone except, of course, yours truly—the foreigner who thinks anything above 25°C is grounds for concern. Still, spirits remained high as the festivities rolled on, marking the start of two solid days of celebration. Two days, that is, for my Asawa's batch—because apparently nostalgia runs on an extended timetable here.

In among the stunningly beautiful rolling hills of Masbate stands the Mandaon National High School (amongst other names it seems), the pride of the town and the training ground of many future legends—most of whom probably didn’t expect to end up in alumni homecomings comparing waistlines and hairstyles. In the years since, the school has undergone a bit of a glow-up and now answers to the grander name Federico A. Estipona Memorial High School (FAEMHS). The name change even made it into official government records, proving it’s not just a rumour passed around at the sari-sari store over a Tanduay Rhum or ten.

Despite the new title, locals still affectionately call it Mandaon National High, and it remains one of the mainstays of education in the municipality. These days, the school’s heart beats online—mostly on Facebook—where posts about flag ceremonies, class projects, and alumni reunions share space with nostalgic comments like “remember the canteen siopao?” The campus itself occasionally stars in drone videos, proudly showing off its spot near Barangay Laguinbanwa (although I have found no actual reference to said barangay, so take that with a grain of salt), complete with that familiar mix of sunshine, school spirit, and students pretending not to be late (often refered to locally as Filipino time).

There may not be a fancy official website yet, that I am aware of, but between the Facebook pages, alumni groups, and the ever-watchful eyes of the DepEd Masbate Division, FAEMHS is very much alive and kicking—just with a new name and probably better Wi-Fi than it had in the ’90s.

In the Philippines, an alumni event—often called a homecoming or reunion—is a lively gathering of former students who return to their old school to celebrate memories, friendships, and the teachers who somehow survived them.

These events usually include a parade or motorcade around town (because no reunion is complete without blaring music and banners), followed by a program at the school featuring speeches, dance numbers, and sometimes friendly competitions between graduating batches. There’s always plenty of food, booze (shhhh) photo-taking, and good-natured boasting about who’s aged the best or travelled the farthest.

It’s not just nostalgia, though—many reunions also include community service, scholarship donations, or campus improvement projects. In short, a Filipino alumni event is equal parts party, mini-festival, and heartfelt homecoming, all wrapped in the warmth (and noise) of school pride.

Location 1 (See Map)

Preparing to lead the march through Mandaon.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and two below.

The march commences, making it's way down Rizal Street towards the beach and port area of Mandaon.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Batch 72.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 74.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 75.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 79.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 80.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 82.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 83.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Batch 83 had some colourful members. :-)

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and three below.

Batch 86 was the Asawa and her pals.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Approaching Mandaon Port, a beautiful seaside location with a rather discriminating security guard that selectively enforced the rules he had displayed.

Photo: Brad Peadon