Dear Shell Club15 Plus members,

We are excited to announce that we have collaborated with the global Shell Alumni Network (SAN) to arrange free access for SC15+ members to the upcoming Energy 2023 online conference (www.energy2023.org) from 28-30 June 2023.

The SAN was established in June 2020 as a social enterprise of Shell alumni across the globe with the aim to make a difference for its members and society by building on the talents and diversity of its members. Like SC15+, it is run as a volunteer organization with a small core team to serve its over 2800 members.

This year’s annual conference will cover 10 key themes and assembles over 1000+ thought leaders to discuss the ways we can all contribute to shaping the future of sustainable energy. Among the 100+ speakers and moderators are: Jeroen van der Veer, Simon Henry, Malcolm Brinded, Andy Brown, Jeremy Bentham, Carol Chen, Thomas de Boer, and many more.

All conference sessions are accessible flexibly over the three days of the event – you can either attend the live sessions or view the recordings (in Netflix style) at your convenience, or both! Click on the following link to register:

https://live.letsgetdigital.com/3147-Energy2023/virtualevent

Access to this event is being offered to you as part of Shell Club15’s Discussion Series Pillar. We hope you will take advantage of this very unique opportunity. Your participation in this SAN event will not only contribute to your personal development but also open up possible opportunities for professional engagements in the future.

Sincerely,

The Shell Club15+ Board

Humility, Simplicity, Joy, these essence of Christmas as mentioned by Father Paolo Pirlo in his Invocation were capsulized in this year’s Virtual Christmas Party. It was a fitting reminder of the image of the very first Christmas, that of a lowly and humble manger where the simple family of Joseph and Mary celebrated with joy the birth of Jesus.

In these extraordinary times when we could not party like we used to do and having missed already some of our colleagues that have passed on ahead of us, the picture of that humble, simple and joyful first Christmas spells a Message of Hope.

Our energetic Secretariat Head, Ms. Mila Azanza aptly thought of HOPE as the theme for this year’s get together. Chairman Baste Quiniones in his welcome address reinforced the message of Hope with his re-assurance that despite the insurmountable challenges being faced with, the club will continue in whatever way possible, to support, to care, to reconnect and bond together especially in a happy season like Christmas.

The messages of the former four (4) Country Chairmen, from Cesar Buenaventura, Oscar Reyes, to Ed Chua and Eli Santiago also elicited in us more inspirations of hope. We only need to count our blessings, to be grateful, to dream and take action for a better tomorrow, make good choices of leaders for our country for the future of our children and the next generation.

Sharing also their words of wisdom and experience were our outgoing Country Chairman Cesar Romero and incoming CE and Chairman Lorelie Quiambao Osial. To quote, Ms. Osial, hope as a strong emotion steers us to find our purpose and work hard to achieve it, to take positive actions of kindness and to regenerate it thru prayer and faith.

Mind you, aren’t all of them awesome and amazing? Our respected Shell leaders then and now were simply there for all of us, patiently waiting for their cue to speak to us LIVE that afternoon. They all deserve our big applause!

It was a night of fun, laughter and renewed friendships as the “ Bisaya” retirees trooped together on a busy Friday of 20th December 2019 to our favorite Christmas rendezvous at Laguna Garden at the Ayala Terraces, Cebu Business Park.

A total of around 44++ registered members accompanied by their better halves or for those elderly Senioras with their respective personal chaperones exchanged pleasantries, yuletide greetings with warm hugs and kisses manifesting the good rapport and camaraderie of the club members built in through the years.

I personally coined this year’s theme : Throwback Dekada ’80- Celebrating the Gift of Youth “ . Firstly- because- it was one the most exciting times in our Shell Life Journey- as majority of us in the Visayas Chapter are babyboomers who were just starting to paddle our way into the Shell Corporate World in the ‘80s.

We started the night with a Thanksgiving Mass officiated by our “ suki “ priest celebrant – Fr. Ian Fel Balankig, who is currently the Vice Rector of the San Carlos Seminary College. He aptly captured in his homily the deeper essence of our theme when he said – “by reminiscing the fun times of our Youth, we learn to value and live our present moment like a youthful child in complete surrender to the will of God in our lives.” Ven Lacustales who sang the Responsorial Psalm was the “one man band and choir master” during the mass.

Laguna Garden as usual never failed to satisfy our appetites with their delightful and sumptuous array of food and delicacies . Adding luster to the evening were the music and harmony of the “The Kars “ Trio of Glynnis and Anton who sang and played mellow and danceable tunes of the 80’s. Further warming up the night was the group dancing of” Rico Mambo “ led by sexy KZ and her brother of the Cebu Belly Dance Troupe. Tomas Gutierrez who was celebrating his birthday that same day surprised everyone when he belted out “What a wonderful world “ just like a pro. Also showcasing his family talented genes, Ven Lacustales did a soulful duet with his grandson Vince to the amazement of the audience.

Nobody left empty handed as everyone got a share of the Christmas raffle prizes, cash gifts and other giveaways courtesy of the generous sponsors from the Shell Club- H.O. Major winners among others were Richard Lim for the grand prize, Tito Reyes, Lucille Sanson, Felimon ‘ Jun” Daclan and Leonardo Arpon.

The event was also graced by the presence of Janot Barreto who represented the Shell Club 15 Board and who shared to us the Christmas message of the Board’s Chairman Baste Quiniones . Present likewise was Ms. Roselyn Tomarong – Visayas Retail Manager who preferred to stay on the sides to enjoy and be entertained. She was one of the generous sponsors of additional 1 lechon and 2 boxes of Shell calendars.

Indeed , it was fun to reminisce the times when we were young and vibrant, and that evening proved to be one. Even though some of us are no longer physically energetic yet our youthful spirit and mindset pulled us through up to the late evening.

The successful get together was organized and coordinated by the Visayas Secretariat – led by Ven Lacustales , Rose Reynes , Grace Gador , and Violy Galeos ably assisted by Lucille Sanson, Terry Suico , Suzette Salaveria at the Registration table, Rocky Daclan and Victor Pepito for admin logistics support and Tito Reyes as the Master of Ceremonies.

On December 14, Shell Club15’s Christmas Party, the hard-working Secretariat members were swarmed by enthusiastic attendees long before the opening at 7am.

Members were excited to see friends and colleagues. The number of guests was around 500, with spouses in attendance.

Our usual crowd-drawer was the team of Atty. Rubin Cura and Vic Pascual – who call themselves the Pogi brothers. This duo is not only well-versed in quipping jokes but they’re also fantastic singers! Their advantage over any other professional hosts is that they know the audience.

As has been the practice, the day started with holy mass, presided by our “resident priest”, Fr. Paolo Pirlo, now a certified Shell Club15 member.

The message of CH Baste Quiniones was “Volunteerism Keeps Shell Club15 Alive”. He reiterated this with a quotation by Winston Churchill – “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” As in previous events, Baste stressed that everyone is called to contribute not only money but talent. As if to answer the call, our Shell Tabangao ladies showed their talents and wowed the crowd with two dance numbers.

The Michael Cuneta Band kept the audience entertained by their songs. His dance instructors lured dance-lovers to the dance floor.

It could have been just another Christmas party. However, Shell Club15’s 2019 Christmas party was so very special because we were to honor a man whose legacy we will long remember. The theme of the 2019 Christmas party was “Denims are Forever” (Walang Kupas). The theme was chosen to underline our honoree’s unfading record of excellence – from the time he graduated from Civil Engineering in UP to a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, USA to numerous awards in the field of corporate management, socio-civic activities, finance and service to the country. What stands out in his long list of achievements was his being the first Filipino to be awarded as Honorary Officer of the Order of British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

It was a challenge to tell the story of Mr. Cesar Augusto Buenaventura, since photos were not enough to show his many accomplishments. I then asked first Filipina sand artist, Monica Regalario, to do the honor of telling the story of the first Shell Filipino president who served a term of 15 years.

The 15-minute script was written by Chairman, Terry Valladores. Monica was directed to portray not only the accomplishments of CAB but, more importantly, our honoree’s concern for the country, the underprivileged members of society and the environment, guided by Shell’s time-honored business principles of honesty and integrity. Cathy Azanza-Dy, who is also a December 18 birthday celebrant like CAB did the narration.

Though the surprise number by Pinky Marquez-Cancio did not materialize due to the hospitalization of CAB’s friend, Bert Marquez (also a Shell retiree), the Palawan State University choir (winner of many international awards) were quick to cover the gap. The song aptly mirrors the life of CAB – a song popularized by Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time.

CAB@90 remains strong in mind and body. His speech and boogie number were very much applauded by the audience.

To honor CAB, four CEOs were present – CH Cesar Romero, Oscar Reyes, Eli Santiago, and Ed Chua.

After the tribute, CH Cesar Romero, delivered his Christmas message and briefed the participants on the remarkable performance of Shell In retail and the consumer sectors.

Before the celebration ended, SC15 President Sam de Guzman informed members of the 2020 line-up of events. He urged all present to keep the communication lines going through their feedback to guide the officers in packaging events and programs.

You may watch the video of The Tribute to CAB@90, the Christmas party and photos of the event at our website – shellclub15.com.

Wishing everyone blessings of health and wealth in 2020.

Mila C. Azanza

Saturday, August 31, 2019, started with much energy. The event is not purely medical like in prior years but rather a holistic approach to wellness.

Though no longer spring chickens The Secretariat (Flor Soriano – In-Charge of Logistics, assisted by Annie Padlan, Ruby Ferniz, Tita Nits Pastrana and yours truly) wiith  some  trustees like Yoly Alcaraz, Ernie Cruz, Brandy Brandares & Malu Jimenez woke up at dawn to be at the venue by 6 AM.

By 7 AM, doors opened to the Be Well Day at the MERALCO Multi Purpose Hall, a venue which has been the home of many Shell Club15 events through the kindness of Mr. Oscar S. Reyes. The usual Medical Mission has evolved into a holistic approach to wellness, inspired by Country Chair Cesar Romero under the direction of Club15 Chairman Baste Quiniones and supported by Club15 President Sammy de Guzman with the indefatigable VP and ball of energy, Raffy Capinpin.

All trustees did their part well – to name the new Board – Baste Quiniones, Sam de Guzman, Raffy Capinpin, Gerry Valentin, Ernie Cruz, Malu Jimenez, Yoly Alcaraz, Vic Sonsing, Janot Barretto, Ferdie Vasquez, Elma Figueroa, Brandy Brandares, Carol Manuel -and Visayas & Mindanao Trustees – Ven Lacustales & Boy Lacno, respectively. MC/Barkers Vic Sonsing & Yoly Alcaraz used their vocal cords to the max to cascade info, help in crowd control, provide entertainment when called for, even at times when they have to compete with colleagues eagerly seeing their friends, telling jokes which have been retold and enjoyed with undiminished enthusiasm and laughter.

The MCs announced that in the absence of an official photographer, prizes will be given to the “Best Action Shot”.

Lines for registration, Medicard and flu vaccines swelled early but crowding was ably handled which left enough time for lots of picture-taking, initiated by Baste Quiniones and superbly enjoyed by the participants.  As we are all aware, “picture-picture” happens in any gathering.

The program proper started with a beautiful invocation prayer by Ruby Ferniz that God wants us to be happy and He is ever-caring about our needs.

In his welcome message, Chairman Baste Quiniones stressed that the new Wellness Day format was inspired by Country Chair Cesar Romero. He urged members to look at Club15 as a means to give and not just to take. He paraphrased the famous quotation from the late Pres. John Kennedy – “Ask not what the Club can do for you but what you can do for the Club.” He emphasized that making others happy, by serving and being kind will give us back happiness.

The first of three speakers, Dr. Gia Sison, was introduced by Mila Azanza, who aptly followed up Baste’s message to serve, by mentioning the gospel for the day – The Parable of Talents. She urged members to share their talents by serving. Mila extended CH Cesar Romero’s greetings to all participants because he cannot be present due to a prior business appointment.

Dr. Gia Grace Sison, a cancer survivor, mental health advocate and regular TV and radio host in CNN & FM 89.9 talked about Lifestyle Illnesses and what can be done at this stage in our lives in terms of eating properly and doing exercises during a regular day in the house. She encouraged participants to be aware of things that they can use to exercise in the ordinariness of the home like using mineral water bottles and canned goods as dumbbells, lifting a chair, walking straight on a line for balance and doing home gardening.

Janot Barretto introduced the Green Team of Baste – the PSFI Team – Pam Castro & Bernardo S. Camano, Jr., who came with agricultural produce like black and brown rice, string beans, finger chili which sold like hotcakes as prices were so cheap! To highlight the importance of the therapeutic value of Urban Container Gardening, there will be prizes awarded to participating retirees who will produce the highest yield using the 4Ps – Plan, Prepare, Plant and Produce. Pakbet seed packages were given out.

Jay Javier added 2Ps – Purpose and Priorities to serve as additional guides in gardening.. It could both be therapeutic and income-generating.

There was no need to introduce the third and last speaker – Atty. Rubin Cura, an adopted son of Shell Club15, long before he became an official member. He always wowed members with his emceeing talent in partnership with his “brader” Vic Pascual. Atty. Rubin has an equally-captivating singing voice and style.

Like in a BINGO session, Atty. Rubin drew maximum attention. From the view at the back, it was difficult to say if the group was sleeping or paying attention. However, when I went to the front portion, I saw that ears were glued to him as he explained Estate Planning, e.g., legitime, usufruct, donation versus sale of properties, holographic will, disposable assets, etc.  Interest was so high we had to courteously cut the session as it was 4pm and there was a heavy downpour which will definitely create horrendous traffic jams.  Thanks to Raffy Capinpin who sent questions to Atty. Rubin in advance.

We acknowledged the presence and support of our Chairman Emeritus, Terry Valladores, who braved the traffic from Meycauayan and Ortigas to be with us. Oscar S. Reyes could not make it because of a very nasty cold. I reckon Elson Dagondon, another staunch supporter, was unable to come due to a conflict in his busy schedule.

Thank you for the cash donations of our product exhibitors, Cherry Ducusin-Rivera,  Efren Ayo, PSFI for the Pakbet seeds, and Dra. Luth Umali for the toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Special thanks to  Dean Pax Lapid who donated three sacks of Lapid’s Chicharon!

In Sammy de Guzman’s closing remarks, he thanked everyone for their participation and support.  Furthermore, he invited everybody to the Christmas Party scheduled on December 14, 2019.

As we bid goodbye after the event, I saw Sammy de Guzman, thanking our very generous caterer and member, Teresing Bautista. She was deeply touched by Sammy’s kind gesture. Teresing added that she is very happy to be of service to Shell Club15.

As we go about in our individual races in life, let us be conscious of a quotation from John Donne  – “No man is an island”.   May our service create ripples of kindness and happiness for others. Let’s make our lives matter as we make people matter in our lives. After all, this is what life is all about.

As Baste always says – Kaya kapag sama-sama!

I have read somewhere: “We thought we were just having fun. We did not realize we were creating memories.” That’s exactly what we, members of Shell Club15 did last May 17, during our fun-filled summer outing.

Why Cintai Corito’s Garden?

The Fellowship Committee and the Secretariat as a team chose Cintai Corito’s Garden because of its spacious airconditioned function room, Bali inspired designs, lush greenery, and ease of travelling from Metro Manila southward via ACTEX and the Star Tollway.

Tresna Pavilion

Aside from the Welcome tarpaulin at the entrance, we ensured that a big tarpaulin depicting our theme was mounted as a stage backdrop. The curtains were drawn aside to let in natural light through the glass walls, and so that from the inside, the beautiful view outside can be seen. A playlist of lively music set the mood for socialization and a little bit of dancing.

Product Exhibitors

Being the first to arrive at 6:15 a.m., I was able to guide the three product exhibitors endorsed to me by Ferdie Vasquez, Head of Ways and Means. They arrived at around 7 a.m. – Efren Ayo of Oayo Soap, and the Spectrum Solar Company. Ms. Beth of Beth’s Organic Extract – TGH Juice arrived later. They were able to set up their exhibit. Spectrum and Oayo Soap took the opportunity to introduce their products/services sometime during the program.

In Colorful Florals

Since our theme on this 17th year is Luau or Hawaiian, a vast majority came in their colorful floral outfits – polo, blouses, short and long dresses. They were so nice to look at individually and as a group. As members arrived, they took to taking their pictures at once. We engaged an official photographer for the occasion, but others used their celphones, cameras, and videocams.

Registration

The Secretariat composed of Head Mila Azanza, members Annie Padlan, Flor Soriano Ruby Ferniz, and Menchie Martinez who took the place of Nits Pastrana who was not able to attend, arrived just in time to prepare for the registration. After registering, members either went back to picture taking or going inside the function room to get a cupful of Kapeng Barako and engaging in socialization.

Tour and Zumba

More than half of the 141 attendees joined the 30 minute tour, guided by a Cintai male staff. It was a good thing that many brought hats and umbrellas. Edison Sia captured them in his video which he posted in this fb group.
After the tour group arrived, the next activity inside the pavilion was the 30 minute Zumba session. The instructor was good. Music was good. Participants who finished the session were given a prize of P200 each.

Emcee – New Tandem

Mila Azanza, our emcee for all our events had a new partner. As Vic Pascual, could not attend due to some family event, Victor Sonsing took his place. Nice Vic! Both emceed did a lively good job!

Welcome Remarks

President Sam De Guzman welcomed everyone to this event. He assured that Shell Club15 is committed to being a loving and caring organization to its members. For this he asked that members give their suggestions on how the Club could serve the membership better. He wanted to be informed of the needs and be able to find ways on how to fill them.

Appreciation

One of the values discussed during the Teambuilding of the 2019 – 2021 Board at the Palms Country Club was Appreciation.

Mila Azanza called in front the members of the Secretariat and introduced each one. Then she called me as Head of Fellowship, followed by members Ferdie Vasquez and Raffy Capinpin. The Fellowship Committee and the Secretariat is the Team that is behind all our events. A picture of the team was taken.

Mila Azanza also called in front all the members of the Board who were present, and introduced each one. A picture of the group was also taken.

She also acknowledged Malu Jimenez by calling her in front as one among who first came to know that this Club would be formed.

Lunch/Socials/Group Picture

After the invocation by Vic Sonsing, members lined up for lunch. There were two buffet arrangement, one on each side of the function room. The menu was of chicken corn soup, rice, crispy fried tilapia, chicken rosemary, sauteed mixed vegetables, pork lechon, pineapple, watermelon, and pineapple juice.

A litle bit of socialization followed. Baste, our Chairman, artived at around 1:15 p.m. He had a meeting earlier with CH Cezar Romero.

As soon as he has finished eating lunch, everyone was asked to go outside for a group picture.

Shell Club15 Got Talent Contest

There were six contestants all in all – 2 each from Tabangao, SPPC, and Pandacan. All rendered a song number.
As tallied by the judges – Chairman Baste, President Sam, Raffy Capinpin, Ernie Cruz, and Malu Jimenez, these were the winners:

1st Prize P3K – Lube Makers Village People from SPPC
2nd Prize P2K – Boy Torado from Pandacan
3rd Prize P1K – Cezar Alcaraz from Tabangao
Consolation Prizes P500:
Gardy Felipe from Pandacan
Corneli.o Ramirez from Tabangao
Noli Villareal from SPPC

Bingo

Each member was given a Bingo card free. Additional carfs were sold for P100 each. The lucky winners were:

Ringo Baja – Last Man Standing P1K
Oscar Bautista – Last Man Standing P1K
Ernie Fabrigas – Last Man Standing P1K
Bert Pascua and Elmer Armada – Blackout P1K each

Closing Remarks

After thanking the Lord for giving us a great day, Chairman Sebastian Quiniones conveyed
three messages:

1. That we continue to be blessed by the support of the Country Leadership of Shell to the organization including CH Cesar Buenaventura
2. That there is an expectation from us to provide mechanisms for local retiree groups to interact – like the Be Well program, so that retirees in their areas are also engaged with each other and the Club.
3. To remind the group, and to add to the message of CH Cesar Romero diring our induction that we need a number of items in our season of life: be conscious on staying healthy, being active in relationships, and having focus on the Lord. We as a Club can assist on these and truly become a loving and caring organization to its members.

Lastly, he thanked the Board Team, the Committees, Secretariat, the venue, and all who contributed to making it such a great day!

At around 4:45 pm, walked to their respective transport, homeward bound.

Post Event Evaluation

The members of the Board and the Secretariat sat for a short evaluation on what went well and on what could have been improved. The Marketing and Sales Supervisor of Cintai Kristine Olalia joined us to listen to our evaluation and feedback. Afterwards, we settled in full all accountably.

Friday the 13th is considered a foreboding date by many, but it turned out to be a fun and exciting day for us. Shell Club 15 Plus’ summer outing for its retirees was scheduled early this year at the very start of the hot season at Palms Country Club in Alabang, marking its 16th year of service in the Good Samaritan Club. A bus was made available to transport the retirees to the venue from Shell House. The retirees experienced an excellent and sumptuous lunch with lechon, a wide assortment of dishes and desserts, with perfect service. There was an earlier breakfast of siopao and mami plus afternoon merienda, so it was endless eating for the retirees. A big thank-you to Shell Club 15 Plus’ President Baste Quinones for such a delightful treat.

Expert emcees Vic Pascual and Mila Azanza hosted the day’s program. It began with an overall report from the President and financial updates from Treasurer Au Alcantara. Excitement ensued during the various games where the contestants were hand-picked. Undoubtedly, retirees still have the boundless energy to compete in fast-paced activities. The theme of the summer outing was “Barbie and Ken” with a contest for the best male and female costumes. Menchie Martinez won the best Barbie costume, while Cezar Alcaraz was judged as the best Ken. Ann Sta. Barbara came in Barbie attire of a striking floral dress with a matching wide-brimmed hat, but she could no longer compete for having already won successively before. The winners in the singing contest were: First place: PPC Group; second place: Glo Rafon; and third place: Yett Aguado. The winners surprised and amazed everybody with their very good impromptu performance. Bingo is always a must-have game in any summer outing and greatly anticipated by many. It was the highlight of the day presided over by Ann Sta. Barbara and Vic Sonsing. Congratulations to all the winners.

We had special first-time guests this year with the presence of Mr. Marangal “Maring” Domingo and balikbayan Marian Tengco. They had a boss-secretary setup in the 70s when Mr. Domingo was Controller and Marian was his secretary. Shell Club 15 Plus presented each of them with a cake. It happened to be Marian’s 85th birthday on April 13.

Mr. Nitong Mirasol is also a first-time attendee in our summer event.

Shell Club 15 Plus’ Secretariat is the power behind its myriad events. We thank them for their untiring service, namely Mila Azanza, Flor Soriano Ruby Ferniz, Annie Padlan, Nita Pastrana and BOT members Au Alcantara, Mela Epili, Fe Goyenechea, Mary Ann Macoy, Yoly Alcaraz, Rudy Jamora, Jun Carreon, Vic Acorda, Vic Sonsing, Ross Taguiam (Bingo Masters’ favorite), President Baste Quiniones whose Palms Country Club membership was used for the venue and, of course, Vic Pascual III (Thirdy), Chairman of the Festivities Committee.

The yearly Shell Day for its retirees was marked on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8, a holiday of obligation for Catholics) with a “Showtime” theme borrowed from a popular noonday TV program. Compared with past celebrations, it actually featured more singing and dancing, so it lived up to its theme. Even before the 7:00 a.m. start of registration, the Secretariat was already swamped with eager retirees who arrived early. The coffee was already brewing, and there was toasted siopao too, so nobody missed breakfast.

The 8:00 a.m. Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Paolo Pirlo, Shell Club 15’s suki priest, and Fr. Richard Babao, a former Shell employee. Fr. Pirlo did not disappoint the retirees with his humorous homily. He never fails to elicit laughter from the crowd. In between, he explained thoroughly the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He said that the country survived all persecutions because of its devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This year’s Shell Day had 348 attendees, which included the spouses, and Meralco’s Multi-Purpose Hall was filled to the rafters. After morning snacks of pancit and bico, the camaraderie escalated. Regular emcees Vic Pascual and Rubin Cura seemed kinder this year, and their jokes directed at some aging persons were toned down. Thanks to the people in-charge of the audio system, they were not too loud this time either. They gave a brief run of the safety precautions within the Hall after singing a couple of songs in a duet.

Baste Quinones, the able current Shell Club 15 President, thanked Meralco and the organizers. Meralco President Oscar Reyes and Menchu Agustin had made the Multi-Purpose Hall available for our use for a number of years. Baste acknowledged the contributions of Meralco and Unilab to the raffle prizes plus cash donations from Abet Papa, Ping Sotto, and Mario Cruz. He advised the retirees of the Annual General Meeting scheduled on January 10, 2019 at Shell House. He revealed that the Shell offices will eventually transfer to Bonifacio Global City sometime next year. He explained the modification of the article of incorporation and bylaws. The meeting will also discuss Shell Club 15’s three-year plan, plus its financial status and investments. A new Ways and Means Committee was formed to look into funding. Then he called the members of the Board and the Secretariat to join him on stage and introduced them to the retirees. They later serenaded the retirees with the song “You’ve Got a Friend”.

Photos of 2018 activities were flashed on screen covering the Summer Outing and the Medical Mission. There was a video of former Shell employees now residing in other countries, and another one on the visit to ailing members like Lita Tuazon, Boy Lindo, and Cening Laput. Those who have passed away received a special tribute. Mr. Cesar Buenaventura delivered a personal tribute for the late Rey Marquez, extolling his contributions to Shell.

Raffy Capinpin was a noticeable new face. He was a first-time attendee after his recent retirement. Fred and Delia of Davao City are a familiar sight in every Shell Day. They haven’t missed attending one for the past years. Joel Mendoza, a balikbayan retiree based in the US, also attended the event for the first time. Deo de Luna was also seen among the crowd.

Cesar Romero welcomed the retirees and gave a brief report on Shell’s business progress. He said that Shell’s growth in 2018 is eight percent higher than last year, and surpassed two other competitors. The likeable Country Manager and President of Shell went around the tables and posed for photos with the retirees. Aside from Cesar Buenaventura and Oscar Reyes, Eli Santiago was another past Shell President who attended the event.

Vic Sonsing delivered the invocation and opened the Teresing-catered lunch, which served several dishes, including the ubiquitous lechon. After a filling lunch, local talents from different departments rendered their songs. The band of Michael Cuneta played, and the retirees danced to the music on stage. Two sexy ladies performed pole dancing and belly dancing. The belly dancer guided on stage retirees eager to learn on gyrating effectively.

Mila Azanza introduced the special guest performer – popular singer Pinky Marquez, who happens to be the daughter of Bert Marquez, a former Shell executive. Pinky admitted having fond memories of Shell when visiting her dad as a child at his office. She was a big hit with the crowd with her forceful voice and showmanship. She even helped Vic and Ruben in emceeing during a break. Her repertoire included a medley of old favorites, songs popularized by Karen Carpenter, and selected songs from “Sound of Music”. She ended her smashing performance with “Somewhere” from “West Side Story”.

The eating was not over yet, and there was ginataan halo-halo for merienda. Mila delivered the closing remarks on behalf of Terry Valladores. This year’s Shell Day was visibly more organized. The raffles were pre-drawn, so there was less confusion. With the untiring efforts of the ladies of the Secretariat, namely Mila Azanza, Flor Soriano, Annie Padlan, Ruby Ferniz and Nits Pastrana, everything ran smoothly. The curtain fell on a successful Shell Day, and retirees can only anticipate next year’s event, aching knees and other ailments permitting.