Atty. Jeremy V. Bionat, CPUAAI Trustee

CPUAAI Officers with its President Atty. Joshua Alim (center).

Organized initially as “Jaro Industrial School Alumni Association” by the first High School graduating class on the evening of March 19, 1921, the association has metamorphosed into what it is now CPUAAI – the mother of all CPU alumni chapters worldwide composed of one hundred sixty two (162) chapters, both local and abroad. The CPU ROTC Unit Crossswords Frasority (Iloilo) Chapter Alumni Association is the newest chapter that has been organized and chartered on September 28, 2019.

Random flashback will reveal that the Jaro Industrial School Alumni Association was organized under the auspices of Rev. Dr. Alton Bigelow, Miss A. Bertha Houger, Mr. Harland and Mrs. Guendolyn Stuart, and Mrs. Dineros. The objective of the association then was to keep all High School graduates in close contact with one another and keep track of the affairs of the school. Membership to the association included not only those who graduated from High School at Jaro Industrial School (JIS) but also those who graduated from other High Schools before there was a complete high school department at JIS.

During the annual alumni meeting on March 26, 1923, the constitution of the association was amended to include undergraduates who had stayed in JIS for at least one year. Membership was classified into three (3) when the constitution was again revised in 1927, namely: Active members (High School graduates of the School), Associate members (those who have studied at JIS for at least one year but finished high school at some other secondary schools) and Honorary members (those who are members of the faculty and those who showed a desire to help the school). In that same year, the name of the association was changed to “Central Philippine School Alumni Association”.

By March of 1929, the alumni association began raising funds for the construction of a Girls’ Dormitory (which is now the Weston Hall) and the construction of a new building for classrooms. By then, Central Alumni Chapters were organized in Manila and Dumaguete. These chapters celebrate their own College Day simultaneous with the College Day celebration on campus.

When the college celebrated its twenty-fifth founding anniversary on September 1930, the Association was instrumental in inviting many alumni to return to CPU. The 1929-1930 officers of the Association were: Roque Granada (President); Urbano Nequin (Vice President); Agripino Ravina (Secretary); Manuel Bacerra (Treasurer) and Mrs. Guendolyn R. Stuart (Adviser).

The Second World War (1941-1945) brought a harrowing dent in the lives of many alumni such that it was not until a decade after the war that there was a resurgence of the alumni’s active role in the college.

“Out of the ashes and ruins of war shall rise a greater Central” was CPU’s slogan for the Reconstruction Fund Campaign coined by then Treasurer Mariano Caipang. Many Centralians responded with fervor as exemplified by its alumni presidents. The list of the leading lights of CPUAAI however is not complete although some available names are worth mentioning.

The names of Anatalio T. Viray (1955-1956) who served as president when the college celebrated its 50th founding anniversary; Josephina J. Ruiz (1964-1965); Jose Pablico (1968-1969); Aurelio A. Juele (1974-1975); Ramon D. Duremdes (1978-1989, 1993-1996) who served as President when the University celebrated its Diamond (75th) Jubilee; Juanito M. Acanto (1990-1992); Glenn A.M. Catedral (1997-2007) who served as President when the University celebrated its Centennial; Von Lovel D. Bedona (2008-September 2013); Alejandro S. Somo (October 1, 2013- December 31, 2013); Felice G. Molina (2014-2015); Daniel P. Dorillo (2016-2017) and Isagani J. Jalbuena (2018-2019) will always be remembered for bringing the Central Spirit to the fore.

Under the leadership of Dr. Glenn A.M. Catedral, the CPUAAI was also officially registered and incorporated as a non-stock, non-profit organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission last July 25, 1997.

With the present President, Atty. Joshua C. Alim at the helm, the Association partnered with the CPU Administration during the celebration of the Grand Alumni Homecoming 2020 last February 5-7, 2020. The CPUAAI Officers and Board of Trustees have also planned a modest celebration of the Festival of Lights and Music at Central starting on December 4. We are all looking forward to the forthcoming Centennial Anniversary of the Alumni Association’s founding on March 19, 2021. Let us all pray that the pandemic will end and we can have an exciting and memorable homecoming.