My visit to my classmates-friends in Cebu City

Although it was very brief, my 3-day visit to two of my classmates and friends in Cebu City was very memorable.

I spent my childhood in Cebu City from 1950 to 1965, studied elementary in San Nicolas Elementary School, and went to Cebu Institute of Technology for my high school and secretarial studies.  Being an introvert, I had few close friends, and two of them are Rosalinda Holganza (now Cerna) and Rosita Maratas (now Bacolod).  Linda was my classmate in third year high school and Secretarial, while Cita was my classmate in Secretarial.  When we graduated from our one-year Secretarial studies in 1964, each of us went on our separate ways.

Last year, I was able to reconnect with Linda thru facebook when her nephew wrote a message saying that his aunt has been looking for me for years.  That was the start of our  communication through emails, updating each other on how we had been since we went on our separate ways.  Later, I was able to communicate also with Cita, with whom I also exchanged emails.

Of the three of us, it was I who had the time to travel, so I planned for this trip to Cebu as far back as the last week of November 2010, and as early as the first week of December 2010, I booked my flight to Cebu City for May 31, 2011.

My friends toured me around the city, to the places which are all new to me.  The city has changed its face since I left in 1965, and I know I would be lost if I went around by myself.  The place was so beautiful,  no wonder foreigners who chose to retire in the Philippines prefer to live in Cebu City than in Manila.

When my original family (parents and siblings) lived in Cebu City for 15 years, we moved from one house to another.  I was hoping to see the other houses, but  sadly, the only house I was able to locate and recognize was the last house we lived in which was in Caimito Street, Mambaling, Cebu City.

I was able to visit Dr. Gadiel Isidro, the Bishop of EL International Church and  former pastor of the church where I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. We had a good visit, recalling about our respective families, how we had been since we last saw one another in 1960 and how the Lord had blessed our lives.

Although I spent only 15 years in Cebu City, I know I would always cherish the memories of my childhood, because it is during those years that my character was formed, and the place where the foundation of my Christian beliefs was grounded.