Atty. Vicente D. Millora is Turning 80

The patriarch of the Millora family, Atty. Vicente D. Millora, will turn 80 years old next week, February 22, 2013. Party-party-party! Party-party-party! :-)

Below, upper photos taken sometime in early 2012 or late 2011. Lower photos, the nuclear family, from left: Vvon, the 6th and youngest in the family; Monette, the second; Mavi, the 5th; the patriarch, the matriarch Lilia, Mico, the 4th, and Judea, the eldest. Not in the picture is Mil, the 3rd in the family. He died in a car accident in 1986.

The man is a famous lawyer, being a former National President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the organization of all lawyers in the country. He was a bar topnotcher in 1957, a former Assemblyman from 1978-84, and was an acting Governor of Pangasinan.

I mentioned above the 3rd son, Maximilian "Mil" Millora. That guy was cool, intelligent and very friendly when he was studying at the University of the Philippines. He finished AB Political Science, took a few masteral units in Philippines Studies, then pursued AB Law, also in UP.

Mil was a good friend of mine in our student org, UP Sapul and was a classmate in some Political Science subjects. Here's one photo I got from our Sapul yahoogroups, taken sometime in 1983 I think, in one of Sapul activities out of town. From left I'm the 3rd, Mil on the 4th.

When Mil was still alive, he would welcome me to sleep in their big house in North Fairview, Quezon City. I sort of abused it, I would sleep in their house once a week for more than a year sometime in 1985-86. And that is how I got to become close to his family.

Sometime in 1989, the entire family was planning to migrate to the US, so they asked me if I can stay in their house as I used to live there often anyway. I immediately said Yes as it would mean free room rental for me as my work was in UP area at that time. Since then, I called Atty. Vic Millora and wife Lilia as "Daddy" and "Mommy". I became a belated adopted son of the family.

I have lived in that house in North Fairview until it got burned sometime in 1995 I think. Then the family moved to another house in West Fairview, they invited me and I joined them again, until about 1999.. Around 2000, I stayed with my sister in her house in Makati as I changed work. I left the Millora residence after 10 years, wow.

Needless to say, I became part of the Millora family. And they have also became my second family in this planet. I joined the yearly family reunions whenever possible. 

I got married and my own family became part of the Millora reunions. Below, during Daddy Vic's 78th birthday celebration two years ago. See the big family including the grandchildren.

Mavi has four kids (girl + 3 boys), Vvon has four too (2 girls and 2 boys), Mico has three, all boys; Ate Dea has two. Only Monette is unmarried, but happily single.

UP Sapul

In my undergrad life at the University of the Philippines in the early 80s, I spent my first three semesters in UP Cebu, then I transferred to UP Diliman. I joined three organizations in Diliman campus, the UP Sapul (Samahan sa Pulitika, or Pol. Science Club), the UP ETC (Economics Towards Consciousness), and SURGE (Student  Union for the Realization of Genuine Emancipation).

By now, Sapul (formed in the 50s I think) and ETC (formed in 1979 by older batches) are still there while SURGE is not around anymore.

Some of our photos in UP Sapul in the 80s, we looked funny :-) Upper left, boys standing, from left: Ding de Jesus, Kiko Magno, me, Mil Millora (he died in a car accident in 1986), Gary Auxilian, Nonoy Fajardo, Jim Asuncion.

Top right photos: Jim "Bond" Asuncion and his angels: sister L, Kris Asinas, Percy Sabio, Da Alejandrino (sitting).

And some reunion in the 90s. At one time, I was a gung-ho streaker swimmer, after several bottles of beer. Top right, me, tokayo Nonoy Fajardo, Jim.

And more reunions, mix of late 90s and early 2000s. Upper left, from left: Kiko Magno, me, Ding, Sebastian Stormorken (Lalaine's son) and Abet Sales. Lower left, Boye Quiambao joined us.

These are definitely early 2000s photos.

And more.... I am close to the Sapul guys. Three of them are godparents of my second child, Bien Mary -- Boye Quiambao, Kris Asinas-Cabrera, and Monching Romano. Kiko Magno is also one of our wedding godparents. My wife used to work under him at DLSU. Lalaine attended our wedding in Iloilo City in 2005.

We hold frequent reunions in Sapul, something like twice a year on average. Someone arriving from Canada or Norway or the US, or from Cagayan de Oro, is enough reason to have another reunion and get-together.

I passed by UPD yesterday, the 2nd floor of Palma Hall Annex (PHAN) building used to be our "tambayan" or hang out place in the 80s. The building is still there, but it's newly painted now, and there is a new building attached to it, the new faculty center for faculty members of social sciences.

Will post more photos in the coming weeks...