ASSA stands for Adventist Secondary Schools Association. It is composed, at the moment, of five academies namely Baesa Adventist Academy (BAA), Central Luzon Adventist Academy (CLAA), Lipa Adventist Academy (LAA), Pasay City Academy (PCA) and AUPA. This year’s president is Mr. Reily Leonardia, principal of PCA.

The annual professional growth meeting of the faculty of the member schools this time was sponsored by AUPA with the theme: “Shaping up the Molders of Dreams”. Invited by the host school was the Keynote speaker Dr. Caezar Idaosos, Dean of the College of Education. Also invited were the resource persons Mr. Marcelino “Bong” Dano, Mr. Dante Oblimar and Ms. Amelina R. Fabroa. Bong had been teaching in AUPA for 16 years but beginning last year is in a contract with the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program, and currently assigned in Darlington High school, South Carolina. He is here is the Philippines for the summer break and his topic was “Innovative Teaching Strategies and Attitudes”. Dante is a staff of the music department and is the director of choirs such as the PIC choir, the Canticlaires (AUP faculty choir), the Unceasing Cantica of the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. His topic was “voice techniques for Teachers”. Amy is the chair of the PE dept. and has been very busy lately with the Gymnaires for Christ and the taping of the SSD sponsored Physical fitness video. Her topic was “Integrating Fitness and Recreation” Indeed it was a very wholesome and informative professional growth convention” according to the ASSA president when he gave his closing remarks to thank AUPA for hosting the event.

Headed by Manny Dizon (Vice President, PUCA ’78), who is currently the CIO of ePLDT, some members of PUCA batch ’78 visited the Academy on Sunday July 15. The visit was also a reunion with their batch mates Elmie Villago-mez-Lagajino, Academy Principal, Miriam Razon-Estrada, Dean of the College of Health (COH), Benjamin Esperat, retired US navy who is currently enrolled in the College of Nursing, and Mr. Romualdo Palad their Physics teacher who teaches in the College of Education, AUPA and the College of Health, The trip was part of the treat for batch mate Suzette Mina-Frias (Class Assoc. Treasurer and Gerry Roxas Awardee) who recently arrived for a short vacation from Canada. The group proceeded to Tagaytay Highlands, one of the elite retreat spots in the country located at the heart of Tagaytay city overlooking the scenic volcano in Taal lake. AUP Academy prepared lunch at the AUP Cafeteria where they talked about plans for their 30th anniversary reunion in 2008, their participation in the grand home-coming in March and their 30th anniversary project for AUPA. Included in the group were Annie Lisud Madamba, Rosana Ramos Escobar, Edith Reyes Dizon, Puring Reyes Amponin, Susana Montoya Balibay, Leah Ilagan, Melody Abuel, Renato Ignacio, Celso De Maala, Raul Deoso, and Glen Galang, and some family members.

Stalwarts of AUP alumni associations in the US Sam Villanueva (PUCA batch 61) and Norma Tulio Amoguis (PUCA batch 56) have expressed their support through separate e-mails to the orga-nization of the Grand Academy Alumni homecoming slated on March 22, 2008 in AUP Silang Campus. In one of the Cyberlink issues Sam has called for the revival of the Federation of the PUCA batches that was organized in the 80’s as he listed suggestions to the Academy Principal on how to organize an effective homecoming. Norma on the other hand expressed the desire of their batch to award scholarship grants to graduating Academy students during the home-coming as well as to keep them posted on the needs of the Academy students and teachers.

Atlong last AUPA has an audi-torium/gymnasium built for Academy functions. Since the Academy set foot on AUP Silang Campus in 1981, it had managed to use the facilities of the University Gymnasium. Chapel periods and special programs had to be arranged ahead of time, and scheduling PE classes was the most agonizing of all because it would only depend on the vacant periods of the college classes.

Thanks to the AUPA Home and School Association of 2000, during the time of Gerald Narciso, Academy Principal for spear-heading the initial funds for the Auditorium/Gym project. Since then funds from various sources such as student and faculty promotions, trust funds and donated materials from the US were accumulated and during the second semester of 2006-2007, the University administration finally commenced con-struction under the supervision of AUP engineers and the office of the VPFA. To date the Academy family has held Sabbath services, Home and School Association and Professional Growth meetings, PE classes and sports tryouts in the audi-torium. Soon evening convocations and programs may be held because of the lights installed. Chapel periods, however may not yet be held because the stage has yet to be constructed and because the PE Dept. can loan the Academy only 100 chairs since there won’t be enough for the college if they would allow more. Chapel periods are still being held at the PIC or the University Gym. The good news, however is that some parents and friends have pledged to add some chairs and so did the Philippine International Church (PIC). AUPA hopes for more participation from various individuals and groups while the construction of the walls, bleachers and other parts continue.

The scheduled PUC/AUP Academy Alumni homecoming will only be the first after a long spell of 12 years. Leo Arit (PUCA batch 77), the current Academy Alumni president calls on all the blue blooded PUC/A/AUPA batches from the 40’s to the present especially the respective presidents and officers to renew their bonds with their beloved alma mater and long lost friends of those bygone days and join the March 22, 2008 homecoming.

On behalf of 515 students, their parents and guardians, 33 faculty and staff with their families and 14 working students I bring you the warmest greetings, from your beloved alma mater, PUC/AUP Academy!

Upon entering the campus main gate, on the right are buildings with the blue rooftops, fronting a row of trees with concrete benches underneath their canopy, and an open green field with a full grown acacia circled with green concrete benches, where students are dressed in blue skirts or pants and white tops with the logo bearing the name of their school, singing “Lupang Hiniranag” and “On Ever Onward” during flag ceremony on the paved alternate road and pathways…this is AUP Academy today.

Situated in two separate sites, the old building is at the rear wing of the University Gym. The other is above the slope passed the tennis court--the Academy main site with the blue rooftops.

Functions in the old building are (first floor) the first year homerooms: Andromeda, Antares and Aquarius sections, in between them are the computer laboratory and the Academy Internet center. At the end rooms are the canteen, the Pathfinder and CAT rooms and the CRs.. A separate building houses the Technology and Livelihood classes for boys. On the second floor are the library, Audio-visual and music room, the PE stockroom, the Guidance office, the Discipline office and other teachers’ offices. Management and discipline is a challenge with two separate buildings.

Functions in the main site are situated in phase I and Phase II buildings and they are homerooms II to IV namely Centaurus, Pegasus, Polaris, Orion, Cepheus, Pleiades, Gemini, Phoenix, and Chameleon. Between them are the administrative offices of the Principal, Secretary/Accounting clerk, Asst. Principal, and Registrar. Other buildings include the Home Economics building, the Chemistry lab, Biology lab, Gazebo we call Octagon, more teachers’ and student organization offices comfort rooms, working boys’ quarters and the Auditorium. Drinking fountains are in strategic places but water, sometimes, is rationed.

Phase III will be constructed in November of this year. This is to finally transfer all the functions in the old building to the Academy main site. It is a 16 classroom two storey building with a separate wing for the library, computer center and administrative offices, however, funds raised are good only for three classrooms.

Students have been awarded in contests such as Nutrition quiz bees, extemporaneous speech, essay writing, play for points or anagram, Choir festivals, and journalism.

The Student Government is the largest and highest governing body of the student organizations and the Academy Voice is still the official student publication. The Faculty counterpart is the Academy Views and News. Each year level; however has the Scribbles I-IV. And the Prime is the Academy yearbook. Two of the largest student organizations are the International Student Association (ISA) which has over 110 members most of them Koreans and Indonesians, and this year’s graduating class which has more than 150 members. . The sports club has been awarded trophies after another. The Academy Choir continues to sing praises to the Lord and promote the school, while the Academy drum and lyre band is often seen at the front line of parades on and off campus, although the past year it has suffered from lack of instruments. Sabbath services are managed by the Academy religious committee which is under the Philippine International Church. The Academy congregation is divided into family groups with faculty members as advisers and each family group is scheduled to lead Sabbath programs.

The Academy faces two accreditation surveys in 2009. We were awarded three years in 2006 by the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities Accrediting Agency Inc.(ACSCU-AAI) and the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA). Both would like to see a unified Academy in terms of physical facilities when they return. May God sustain us all with good health, prosperity and enthusiasm in continuing his work in AUPA.. Mabuhay ang PUC/AUP Academy, Mabuhay tayong lahat!