IT WAS MAY of 1956. Having graduated from the sectarian De La Salle College, it was a different experience for me to enroll at UP Diliman. Five of us from my batch entered the state university despite stern warnings that we could become atheists?or worse!
One of the teachers we were warned about was Ricardo Pascual. So, imagine my surprise when I first bumped into the barong-clad, white-haired Philosophy professor at the Liberal Arts basement cafeteria in the company of other teachers. I chose a table close to them so I could overhear discussions on ?sacrilegious? matters.

Yes, I was that young and impressionable. I auditioned for the UP Dramatic Club, along with the likes of Lino Brocka, Jose Ma. Sison, Heidi de Peralta, George Sison, Donnie Montelibano, Pinky Rigor and Carolina ?Bobbie? Malay.

The UP Dramatic Club was proud of producing the likes of Jun Roy, Tito Gupit, Cherry Santos, Jules Yogorre, Bunz Arrieta, Joe ?Exxur? Velez, Angie Collas, Joy Gamboa Virata, Joe Viterbo, Celia Diaz and Doy Laurel.

Bureaucrat

Before the year was over, Etta Pargas (now Rosales) joined us, along with the likes of Ishmael Bernal, Adul de Leon and Winnie Collas (now Monsod). A tall Indonesian, Joop Ave, performed in ?Oedipus Rex? that year. Years later, he returned to his native country and became a bureaucrat.

When Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero received a Rockefeller scholarship, dean Tomas Fonacier, chose youthful Isabel ?Bebeng? Sevilla as our adviser. Those who had imbibed Freddie?s visceral approach were happy to have it matched by the literacy that Bebeng insisted upon. We shared artistic points of view, highlighted by ?green? jokes, courtesy of George.

I opted to enroll as part of a block, which meant a group of students sharing the same classes. Among my blockmates were cousins, Dolores ?Dee? Marquez, the country?s first TV musical star, and Bibsy Marquez Carballo.

Last July 17, Bibsy launched her book, ?Philippine Directors Up Close.? She focused on Ishmael and Lino, but mentioned me, along with NUT, Virgie Moreno, Jorje Aragon and Boots Anson-Roa.

So, when a young student asked how I knew Bibsy, I replied, ?Why, we were classmates!?