By Jose Guillermo – Sunday Punch
NDGM Batch 1994 is marking its 30th anniversary this year. To celebrate, Sunday Punch correspondent Jose Guillermo shares his heartfelt memories of those cherished high school days. He recounts unforgettable moments that defined Batch ’94, bringing readers back to an era filled with camaraderie, school traditions, and youthful adventure. Guillermo’s nostalgic reflection is a tribute to the shared experiences and lasting bonds that continue to unite this remarkable group.
When I wrote the first article, I thought I had shared most of the memories from our high school years. But I was wrong. After it was published, more memories began to surface, prompting me to look back once again.
In my first year, you should not—again, you should not—wear Air Max during PE, or else you’ll find it deflated. Some mischievous students would use thumbtacks to deflate those shoes; others would go missing, only to be found on the ledge of the building—if you were lucky. Otherwise, it was gone for good.
Thankfully, I didn’t have the means to buy those shoes. I can’t recall which ones I had, but I remember the name had “America” in it. I had this classmate who wasn’t sure about his gender, so I encouraged him to say, “Lalaki ako” (I’m a boy). When he said it, his voice was so soft that I couldn’t help but laugh.
In my second year, I was with 2-Rizal, located in what’s now the hallway leading to the gym. Our section was next to 2-Mabini, and we faced the old barangay court and DMSTC building. The beto-beto was placed in front of 2-Mabini, which made it easy to access during our foundation day activities. But getting to the canteen was a different story—it was a long walk!
I remember hearing about a student who used a mirror on his shoe to peep under a teacher’s skirt and he was eventually caught and was kicked out.
Back then, taboo films were all the rage, thanks to their, let’s say, “entertaining” content—haha! I, however, never watched any of them. Not joking—I never got the chance!
This was also the year that Mount Pinatubo erupted. When we returned to school, ash was everywhere. Face masks weren’t a thing back then, but we were the tough breed of 90s kids!
We had a teacher who was so dedicated in history; he always knew exactly which page to turn to in our almost three-inch-thick history book. Ask him about Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Warriors, and he’d recount the story like he had been there himself. Ask about Kublai Khan, Marco Polo, or the Great Wall of China—this guy was amazing. May his soul rest in peace. There were moments of misunderstandings, though, and my classmates from 2-Rizal probably still remember some of my antics—lol.
I also joined the science club that year, where we tried to separate mercury from an AA battery. I always wanted to mix chemicals but was constantly watched by our moderator. I did succeed in separating the mercury from the black substance inside the battery using either nitric acid or silver nitrate—can’t remember exactly. Maybe I’ll ask her about it at the reunion.
In third year, in 3-St. Gabriel, we were the “special section,” though I never quite understood why—or maybe I’m pretending I don’t know, haha. Third year was a big awakening for me, too—it was the year I joined Home Boiz Posse in ‘92, a group of 33 people, three of whom were girls. We were just happy to hang out with each other, and that’s why you should never miss school. If you missed a day, you missed so much! After class, we’d head over to “Akong’s” for congee—just 2 pesos a serving, or sometimes it was free if you were fast or pretended to have already paid. Yep, that was me—haha.
Chemistry and Geometry were nightmares for me. Honestly, I have no idea how I passed those subjects. I recall in Geometry, I wrote the formula on my handkerchief for questions 1 to 4, and the fifth answer was hidden in my pen. I ended up forgetting to wash the handkerchief, and my mom found it. I got an earful for that one, but I never did it again… or did I? Haha, we still had another year!
Still in third year, one of my classmates tried to avoid an exam by burning the trash can. While we were in class (maybe Economics?), smoke started drifting through the door. This same classmate rushed to the restroom, filled his hands and mouth with water, and tried to put the fire out himself. We all ran to the restroom to help extinguish it. Another time, while we were cleaning the room and “We Will Rock You” was playing, I started shouting, “We will f**k you,” and soon, others joined in—until a teacher walked in and caught only me still shouting. I was called to her office and asked who else was involved. I just said, “I don’t know, I was too busy banging my head.” Luckily, I wasn’t sent to the Prefect’s Office but was advised to visit the guidance counselor. I didn’t rat anyone out, though—I still remember their faces—haha.
Fights were common in our class. If you weren’t close to someone and made fun of their name, you were bound to face the consequences. One classmate almost got beaten up in the canteen. In another instance, a heated argument turned into an altercation, and one classmate was hit with a dustpan on the back. We also had a teacher we fondly called “Juffy.” If anyone went to his desk, we’d throw paper scraps or even a coconut husk scrub at them—this, of course, led to more chaos.
We had an Economics teacher—may his soul rest in peace as well. I still feel guilty about how we treated him emotionally. Two repeaters from the previous batch told us he had failed the board or bar exams three times. So, when he kept us late for our last break, someone would start murmuring “bagsak sa board” (failed the board), and it would get louder as we tried to cover our mouths so he wouldn’t hear. That was the St. Gabriel section for you. I wonder how other sections treated this teacher.
Now, here we are in our fourth year, 4-St. Matthew. Honestly, I don’t remember much about this year—haha! But I’ll try. I joined the “Baztekhan Club,” a martial arts club, but didn’t finish the training. I didn’t return the second day because I saw my friends peeking through the window of St. John’s classroom where the sessions were held. We joined the Peer Helpers group instead. Almost everyone from Home Boiz joined because we were required to join two clubs before graduation. Peer Helpers were there to listen or give advice. I joined just to fulfill that requirement. So, what about you? What club did you join back then? Share your experiences with me on November 23, 2024, and let’s see what you learned.
Looking back, fourth year is tough to recall in detail. But if you were part of something big, like the “big bang,” you’d remember it. I won’t go into details about that—let’s just say it may still be traumatic for those involved.
This was also the year of the firecracker incident—remember the firecracker in the library and on the third floor?
Our neighboring school, Our Lady of Grace Academy (now St. Mary’s Academy of Caloocan City), was dressing for PE, and we were doing some “peeping” until the principal caught us. He told us to go to his office. We hurried down, but one of my friends, who was on final warning, said he can’t be caught. So our friend told us to run once we hit the stairwell and never mentioned our name in the principal’s office—true friends!
We almost got into a fight after one of our friends had an argument with someone from a lower year because he had a misunderstanding with our friend’s classmate whom he might have hit. We found him in the auditorium and were about to take him to the Prefect’s Office when a guard we called “Capuno” drew his gun and pointed it to our friend, and then pointed the gun up. We reported the incident, but I never found out what happened after that.
During Christmas, we made sure to give a little something to “Mang Jess,” one of the beloved utility staff members. We weren’t heartless! We also broke up a fight between two freshmen, telling them to “hold him by the ear” until they both just laughed.
And who could forget Pizza Hut’s “Eat All You Can” promo? About 30 of us went, and one of us ate 24 slices of pizza. I had 18 or 22 slices. When the crew asked about drinks, we just asked for water. The least eaten was 16 slices. We left behind a mountain of crusts, and I think Pizza Hut Grand Central didn’t offer that promo again.
At the graduation rehearsal, they announced that students with failing grades wouldn’t join the ceremony. Knowing I had six failing grades in the third quarter, I thought I wouldn’t graduate and might need to finish high school somewhere else. But when my name wasn’t called, I was lucky. My mom was so proud. After the ceremony, I didn’t have time to take photos with friends. My parents rushed me out right after.
Most of us from Batch ’94 ended up in different colleges. I only took the exam at UST for Commerce, but I was debarred after a year and a summer class. Then I went to the University of the East in Caloocan City, studying AB Communication Arts, but didn’t finish due to financial constraints.
It took a long time to reconnect with many of my classmates. Thank God for Facebook! Now, after 30 years, I’ll make sure to catch up with all of you, even those I haven’t seen since graduation, and reminisce together.