My Neopolitan Cycling Club buddies in the 90s

In the 90s, I was a cycling addict. Not the racing type but a regular road bike rider, I would ride my bike something like 4-5 days a week during the dry months, and about 1-2 days a week during the rainy months. I lived in Fairview, QC that time and my group was the Neopolitan Cycling Club.

We would go to Baguio, Subic, to follow the Marlboro Tour.  Below I think this was in Subic. The blue Mitsubishi pick up, that was my first car, I bought it 2nd hand, mainly to transport bicycles and my friends, haha. From left: me, Jun Miranda, Mar, Roan Ordoyo, Bernie Narciso, Boy Ordoyo. I would drive the pick up from Manila, 6 of us plus five bicycles. When we reach Subic, we ride our bikes, Roan is the son of Boy, he would drive the pick up following us. Anyone who has a flat tire, or just felt tired, can get off the bike and ride the car. Extra food, water, clothes and slippers in the car too.

From left: Roan, Roen Divinagracia, Boy "Hilo", Jun Pinawin, Jun Concepcion, Doming Ramirez, I think Tony. The thin payatot standing is me, hehe.

I miss those days. I've lived in Makati for many years now, Fairview is far away. Many of my cycling buddies are still there and still riding bikes, this time more shiny-expensive ones.

Boy Ordoyo is also called "Boy Manager", he was our club President, he's well off and would sponsor a number of young and brave riders to join the Marlboro elimination rounds, hoping they would make it to any of the regional teams.

Remembering Papa, Mama, Manong Nestor, Ate Alit

Today is All Saints Day, tomorrow is All Souls Day. I remember my parents, Papa Bienvenido "Ben" Oplas Sr., and Mama Consuelo Oplas. 

Mama died on Sept. 3, 2015 at 81 years old, Papa followed her on March 9, 2017, just two weeks before he would turn 90 years old.

Below, at Mama's burial in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. We are five siblings, our eldest, Manong Nestor, died around 2007. From left, me (4th in family), Manang Bebeth (2nd), Neneng Marycris (3rd) and Bonifacio "Bobong" (5th, youngest).

My family. Wife Ella, Bien Mary the younger, and Elle Marie the older girl.

With relatives from Bacolod and Barili, Cebu.

Papa and his grand children. Manong Nestor has 3 kids (Kim, Nessa, Krizza), Manang Bebeth has one (Marvien), Neneng has two (Guenevere and Lancelot), I have two (Elle and Bien) and Bobong has one (Lois). Below, Papa in the 70s, he was a Barangay Captain for many years in the province.

Manong Nestor, our eldest. He was bright, Valedictorian in elementary and high school. Then he went to Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) and finished BS Chemical Eng'g, worked at Mobil oil for many years in Manila, pursued law, became a lawyer, then became a City Councilor in Cadiz for three terms, then City Administrator. He died of prostate C with diabetes at a young age of 52 yo.

His wife, Ate Alita Manatad Oplas, was also a lawyer. She died of cancer, about one year ahead of Manong Nestor.

Below from left: Mama's younger brother Tyoy Junior Sarmiento, me, Neneng, Papa's younger brother Tyoy Miling Oplas. Then Manang Bebeth, and Manong Nestor. This should be in the late 60s.

An old photo at a river near our house in Lag-asan, Cadiz City. In the front were me, Manong Nestor, and Bobong. Manang Bebeth in white glasses behind Manong.

Pa, Ma, Manong, Ate Alit, Tyoy Junior, Tyoy Miling, and many other relatives who went ahead of us -- thank you for the kindness and laughter in my younger days. Rest in peace.
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See also:

https://travelpinoy.blogspot.com/2021/09/my-mothers-6th-anniversary-in-heaven.html, September 03, 2021

https://travelpinoy.blogspot.com/2013/12/nessa-oplas-sy-wedding.html, December 08, 2013.

Jeffrey Ng birthday party in 2019

This is a belated post but better late than never -- the huge birthday party of Jeffrey Ng -- President of UPSE Alumni Association (UPSEAA), a known entrepreneur, philantrophist, Rotarian, etc. His birthday was late September but the party was held on Oct 6, 2019, three years ago.

There were many tables that night. Tables for UPSEAA people, for his family, business partners, rotary clubmates, and so on. Photos below (I grabbed from fb photos of fellow alumni Inky Reyes and Ernie Albano) are mostly UPSEAA people. Here, President Jeff to my left.

Dancing and rockin with a live band.

Even Sir Raul Fabella, former Dean of UPSE, also danced (right most), haha. 

What a night. Thanks again, President Jeff.

Last April, Holy week, my family went for a vacation in Boracay, we stayed at Astoria Current -- huge, beautiful, beachfront, with two swimming pools, lots of always smiling staff almost anywhere. We have buffet on our 2nd night there, lots of food. And on our 3rd and last night, Pres. Jeff came from Manila with his mother and wife and he invited me and my family to dinner with him.

Thanks again for that, President Jeff. You rock.

Elle Marie is 16, Bien Mary is 12

My two beautiful daughters. Elle Marie turned 16 yo last Saturday, Bien Mary turned 12 yo today. They are in Grades 11 and 7, respectively.

 

 

With their cousins Yoshi and Nika, with their Tita Baby.

Time just flies fast. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Elle, Bien. By being obedient, pretty and healthy girls, you make me happier. 

Love you, mga anak.

China Bank building restoration and museum

Last Saturday, July 16, our friend at UPSE Alumni Association (UPSEAA), Alex Escucha, a retired SVP of China Banking Corp. (CBC), invited me and a number of UPSEAAns to a tour of the renovated CBC Business Center in Binondo, Manila. Binondo is also known as the "world's oldest Chinatown." 

CBC was formed in 1920 and the building was built in 1922-1924. CBC celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020 and Alex was the Chairman of the bank's Centennial Committee. Alex is also a fellow Ilongo, he is from Iloilo while I am from the neighbor island Negros Occidental.

Alex gave us these two papers, a big pamphlet of the restoration project, and a special edition of BizNews Asia where CBC and its leaders, selected clients, were featured. The photo of the restored building is impressive, very good lighting with a cloudless early evening sky as background. It looks like one of those old classic buildings in Europe financial districts. Very talented photographer to make this photo.

Alex doing the basic lecture about the bank's history from the 1920s to the restoration project in 2018 in time for the centennial celebration. The big room where the briefing was conducted is the restored “banking hall” with high ceiling restored. Bright, well-lighted and wide, the column-posts appear like long solid rounded marbles.

Our group photo after his basic lecture. Alex standing in the middle with the women.  I'm the leftmost standing with the men. Notice the three large glasses with stained archi designs, cool.

At the museum, 4th floor of the building, former Executive offices. Alex explained the old trading routes in East Asia, where the founders of CBC came from -- Dee C. Chuan came from Fujian, now called Fukien.

Another group photo at the steel retrofit with shock absorber rubber damper made by Sumitomo. Portrain of Mr. Dee, the founder at the background. Alex is sometimes called Alex Escu-chua, hehe. Standing at the back, 3rd from left is Jack Teotico, Past President of UPSEAA and beside him, 4th from left is Jeffrey Ng, current President of UPSEAA. Directly in front of Jeff is Ronee Juanengo, also a Past President of the Association.

At the museum, I was amused by thse old steel money-counting and adding machines aside from the classic abacus. 

And these Batman-style old cars in the 1920s, American colonial period. That time, five- or seven-storey buildings were already considered "skyscrapers".

Alex's tour lasted for nearly three hours. After that we went to Grand Cafe 1919, it used to be the Binondo office of Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp. built in 1919, hence Cafe 1919. Just one block away from CBC and have nice yummy food.

Additional readings here:

(1) 400+ pages centennial book digital copy, https://www.chinabank.ph/100years/

(2) China Bank's centennial book

By Stephen CuUnjieng. January 28, 2022

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/28/opinion/columns/china-banks-centennial-book/1830886

(3) China Bank Binondo building restoration: A champion of heritage resiliency
Rosette Adel   April 15, 2022 | 2:30pm
https://www.philstar.com//headlines/2022/04/13/2174331/china-bank-binondo-building-restoration-champion-heritage-resiliency

(4) FB post by Augusto Lozada Toledo II, May 1, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/100007541109001/posts/3179728295621843/  

(5) Binondo rising
by Jaime Laya June 13, 2022, 12:05 AM
https://mb.com.ph/2022/06/13/binondo-rising/.

I have no deposit account or loan with CBC. But I have deposit account with China Bank Savings (CBS), their subsidiary for MSMEs. CBS VP Jo Fernandez invited me to speak at one of their lectures during the lockdown, I opened an account with them and my honorarium was directly deposited there.

Thanks again for the tour, Alex. Appreciated it.