Reliving Filipino Friendship
A Palawan Christmas reunion that reminded us who we still are.
There’s something profound about reunions, especially when it involves old dear friends around Christmas time.
These are the people who saw us at our most vulnerable and most impuissant. They celebrated our wildest triumphs and stuck with us through our deepest doubts.
BIG DAY
It’s been eons since graduation. Life has pulled everyone in different directions. A few have migrated abroad. Some have chased careers and built families along the way. Another friend travels around the world collecting stories like souvenirs. Texts and group chats keep the spark alive—quick “happy birthdays,” the sharing of milestones, the occasional late-night vent…
But nothing compares to being in the same room again.
So, there we were in that beautiful resort in Puerto Princesa, curiously named “The Funny Lion”.
But prior to that, most of us had to move heaven and earth to make it happen. Flights are booked, drives are planned, excuses are made to bosses and in-laws.
And then there’s just the anticipation and the waiting.
The day arrives and the hugs are tight, never tentative or shy. “You look exactly the same!” someone exclaims, even though time has etched hard lines around eyes and softened some edges. But then the laughter starts, and it’s like no time has passed at all.
Stories pour out over glasses of wine and an excellently curated menu.
Remember that all-nighter where we all got hammered? That road trip to the thousand islands where we ate kinilaw peppered with white sand? Those heartbreaks that felt world-ending, soothed by late-night drinks in our dorm rooms?
These memories, once tucked away in the busyness of adult life, resurface with startling clarity. Some shed quiet tears shrouded by laughter as we evoked so much nostalgia.
Conversations inevitably turn to the present as we talk of the joys of new opportunities and the challenges of parenthood. The quiet victories over personal struggles.
Vulnerabilities we shared in college resurface, but now with the wisdom of years.
“I never told you this,” one of us said but that’s why these moments are special. We reinforce the enduring power of our bonds forged in college. It was more than those courses or classes. It was about forging ties between friends who turned into family.
Friends who knew us before we had titles and responsibilities, before we had it all figured out (or claim to). They remind us of who we were—and, more importantly, who we still are at our core.
PROMISES
As the evening winds down, promises are made: “We can’t let another year go by like this.” Group photos are snapped, toasts raised to friendships that withstand distance and time.
When it was time to go, I had to look back. I hate goodbyes but that warmth lingered in my chest.
In a country that often feels fragmented, these reunions are a gift—a reminder that true connections don’t fade. They simply lie in wait like embers, for that spark of togetherness to bring them roaring back to life.
Can’t wait to say hello again…