SUBSCRIBEA visit to my alma mater
A few Saturdays ago, I was at my alma mater with some former schoolmates for a visit at Don Bosco Technical College. And lo, there were lots of changes:
- its now coed, a radical change considering that during our days there, it was an exclusive boys school
- Stephen Ruiz, our ECE instructor before is already the dean
- the recreation hall has been demolished and when I was there, a construction work was being done
- classrooms are already airconditioned!
the rest are pictured below. Another thing, when I graduated way back in 96, our tuition was just a little around P11,000. Now, its above P40,000!
This used to be the college’s entrance but already closed. I was surprised that Ate Emy and LouiMar’s carenderia were still standing. We used to eat here for breakfast, merienda (snacks), lunch and sometimes, when classes are in the evening, dinner where food is cheap but not necessarily delicious.
The old big chapel still stands but was converted already into offices. This is where the entire school body go to mass.
The football field is still the same. Nothing’s changed except the players and spectators. During ROTC, we used to assemble here.
The Old Building. This used to be a Spanish convent of the Augustinians in the 19th century. It was also in one of the rooms of this building wherein the secret of the Katipunan’s (19th century revolutionary group that fought for independence from Spain) activities were divulged.
The small chapel within the Old Building where we used to have masses for some groups. Its also here that the first cardinal of Manila spent his childhood and learning for the priesthood.
The assembly area where each morning the whole student body gathered for morning prayers and talk by the Salesians. The building was our classrooms.
The canteen that we fondly called Jollibilog and later Jolliboobs. Its blue roof and orange steel supports are now gone, reconstructed and now fully airconditioned. Its now called Amici. La Cantina another canteen was transferred adjacent to the Old Building and another smaller one now occupies the former ROTC room.
The new entrance along Gen. Kalentong St. a few meters from the original entry point.
