OROSA REUNION, DEC. 1, 2007
QUEZON CITY SPORTS CLUB

OPENING PRAYER
COMPOSED by MIMI ALILING LAPUS
DELIVERED by LYNN R.S. SUNICO

How gracious are You, our God and Father, for giving us everything in this life. You provide us with a meaningful existence, answer all our needs and guide us till the end. All Glory, Honor and Praise be to You, our God.

We thank You for gathering us today. As You have said, when two or three are gathered in Your Name, You will be in their midst. And so we believe that You are indeed with us now to Bless this reunion with family and relatives.

You willed us to renew our ties and to build new ones so that we may come to know our roots and value our heritage. May Your love make us one to be worthy of being called your children.

Basbasan Mo po kami at and aming mga mahal sa buhay.                    (Bless us and our loved ones in life.)
Dulutan Mo po kami ng malugsog na kaisipan at katawan.                     (Grant us health in our minds as well as bodies.)
Giyahan Mo ang aming buhay sa daan ng kabutihan.                              (Guide our lives into the path of righteousness.)
Pagtibayin Mo rin po and aming pananampalataya sa Iyo.                     (Strengthen our faith and belief in You.)
Nawa'y yumabong ang mga bunga ng aming mga gawa at patuloy       (May our works yield fruit as we continue
na magpapasalamat sa iyong kagandahang loob sapagkat Ikaw           our thankfulness at your generosity because You
and tunay ng pinagbubuhatan ng lahat ng mga biyaya. Amen                  are the true source of all blessings.) Amen

                                                                                                                                      WELCOME ADDRESS
                                                                                                                MRS. MILAGROS "MILAGRING" OROSA ALILING
                                                                                                                                           

Magandang tanghali sa inyong lahat, mga giliw na kapamilya, mga kaibigan at ibang panauhin.

Ako ay si Milagring Aliling, apo ng yumaong Agaton Orosa. Bakas sa bikas ko ang katandaan dahil sa ako as 87 taon na at ihahambing sa maglalakbay (o traveler), ako'y nasa "predeparture area" (na malapit ng umalis). Kaya marahil maluwag na tatanggapin ng ating kabataan na sila pala as may Lola Milagring sa pamilya, may "Ate" o "Tita" na mas nakakatanda sa inyo. Katulad ng ibang Lola, ako'y nagagalak na makita at makilala ang iba't ibang uri ng ating angkan.

Salamat sa isang masigasig na Mario ng sangang Simplicio Orosa na nakaisip nitong pagtipon natin. Si Mario, anak ni Tia Chayong at ni Tio Vicente Orosa, ang tangi sa atin na nagkusa, nagtiyaga at nagsikap na magsaliksik (mag-research) ng bagay-bagay tungkol sa ating pinag-ugatan upang mapaabot sa ating kaalaman ang "genealogy" (in simpler terms, family tree) ng angkang Orosa, kahit sa America siya naninirahan. (Mario, will you please stand to be recognized by our kins...Let us give him a warm applause in appreciation of his efforts.

Aged as I am, I take pride iin being still blessed by the good Lord with sound mind and body. So I feel happy to share with you a few priceless gems about our heritage, stored in my mind. Alam ba ninyo na tayong lahat sa angkang Orosa, as pinag-ugatan sa lalawigang Batangas, bayan ng Taal? (Yes, our roots are in Taal.) Dapat nating ipagmalaki at ipagpapuri ang ating pagka-Batangueňo or Batangueňa sapagkat tanyag na lahing uliran. (In other words the Batangueňo is reputed to be a model of excellence in many ways.) It is of common knowledge that many of the great men and women cited in the history of our country are of Batangas origin. We too, have our own share of greatness among our forbears. First and foremost is Maria Y. Orosa (known as Tia Mary to many of us) who pioneered in Food Preservation and related sciences. Not too long ago, our own Leonor Orosa Goquingco had been proclaimed National Artist in Dance. We had many talents and heroes who passed away unsung. To name a few, Dr. Sixto Y. Orosa and once-upon-a-time Mayor Agaton Orosa for exemplary civic leadership. The later batch of Orosas have likewise generated outstanding leaders in their respective fields of endeavors: a distinguished art critic-columnist, religious and spiritual leaders, a celebrated young theater actor, provincial officials, experts in culinary arts and services, brilliant lawyers, progressive entrepreneurs, dedicated educators, dentists, doctors, engineers and business executives all excelling in their professions. It will take a litany to name them. Indeed, we have a wealth of contemporary achievers that attest to the fact that the Orosas are identified with the "lahing uliran."

Kaya, mga kamilya, lalo na kayong kabataan, kayo ay hinahamon ko (I challenge you!) na panindigan ang pagka-Orosa at pagka-Batangueňo sa karangalan ng ating mga dakilang yumaong ninuno (our honorable ancestors.)

MABUHAY ANG ANGKANG OROSA