It will be the first full scale attempt to gather UST’s alumni from far and wide, including various countries.

Dubbed the 2006 UST Grand Alumni Homecoming, the evening dinnerdance-entertainment affair will see graduates from the institution’s 17 different faculties and colleges renewing acquaintances, and recalling their campus days in that venerable educational landmark.

The reunion has adopted a theme – Connecting, Converging, Building Bridges Towards 2011. It is jointly organized by the UST administration through its Council of Alumni Presidents and Public and Alumni Affairs Office.

Tomorrow’s event will usher in the institution’s preparation for its Fourth Centennial celebration in year 2011. "Thomasians" all over the land and overseas are looking forward to their Alma Mater’s 400th founding anniversary five years from now. In all likelihood, it will be the university’s biggest event of the century.

The Fiesta Pavilion program tomorrow evening will have Rev. Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P., UST secretary general, doing the Invocation; UST Singers, National Anthem; Welcome Remarks will be delivered by architect Felino Palafox Jr., chairman of the Council of Alumni Presidents; Rev. Fr. Tamerlane Lana, O.P., rector of the university, will deliver an Inspirational Message; followed by Prayer Before Meal, by Rev. Fr. Pompeyo de Mesa, O.P., spiritual adviser of UST Alumni Association; Dr. Cristina CastroCabral, director of Public and Alumni Affairs Office, will make a presentation called "UST 2011;" then UST Singers will be back for a repertoire of songs in a concert.

Providing the dance music are the Faculty of Civil Law, and Faculty of Medicine and Surgery bands. Arnold Clavio and Ms. Ali Sotto, both UST alumni, wil be MC’s.

Meanwhile, former Press Secretary Greg Cendaña is confident alumni of the ertswhile Faculty of Philosophy and Letters where he is an alumnus, will have a big turnout. He seemed assured after convening the Philets Foundation at the Alfredo’s restaurant Monday afternoon.

Secretary Cendaña represents the foundation in the UST Council of Presidents, with 17 other alumni associations where Jun Palafox is the chairman.

STALLING AN OVERDUE ANNUAL MEETING. What the Security and Exchange Commission has ordered for the PHC to convene its annual stockholders’ meeting on Thursday, May 4, might fizzle out. A stockholder has filed a case of temporary restraining order stopping the much-awaited gathering, according to reports. PHC failed to call one in May, 2005, contrary to its by-laws. The petitioner has not been identified.

"That’s ridiculous," says Victor Africa, Philcomsat president, which owns 81 percent of PHC, upon being informed of the supposed TRO. The government is also a major shareholder.

"Every stockholder in a publicly-listed company should demand the holding of the annual meeting because that is the only opportunity for stockholders to question the board and officers on how they are running the company and to change them if their performance is unsatisfactory," declares Africa.

SEC is tasked to protect the stockholders’ right such as to demand a stockholders’ meeting and election of officers. A listed company like PHC with hundreds of small investors, such duty of the regulatory agency becomes more significant, said a Philcomsat statement in part e-mailed to media persons.

Jose Ma. Ozamiz, along with small PHC stockholders like him, has been pushing for the holding of a regular annual stockholders’ meeting because of their concern that the company is allegedly having financial problems. And if this is not so, then the stockholders must be informed accordingly.

Now everyone familiar with the case is watching what the SEC will do next, that is, if reports are confirmed that one PHC stockholder is seeking a TRO against the SEC-ordered annual meeting on May 4.

GSIS’ RETIREES COMPLAINT. Alfredo D. Pineda, president of the GSIS Retirees Association, Inc., sent a letter in relation to my previous column announcing that the Supreme Court had disallowed the deductions made by GSIS on their retirement fees and other benefits.

"It is true that the Supreme Court, citing Section 39 of the GSIS Act of 1997, other relevant laws, … ruled that retirement benefits are unconditionally exempt from attachment, execution and levy, and even from COA disallowances, and also that retirement benefits may not be withheld or applied in payment of retirees’ liabilities and obligations.

"The Supreme Court, in one of the penultimate paragraphs of its Resolution, unexpectedly made a very disconcerting pronouncement which completely contradicted its main decision. The Supreme Court ruled that amounts properly disallowed by the COA which are covered by alleged ‘authorization’ to deduct need not be refunded. In short, what the Supreme Court justly granted with its right hand, after a long and judicious reflection, suddenly took it back with its left hand," says Pineda.

The High Court may find it its duty to explain to the 1.2 million GSIS retirees all over the country the "contradiction" as alleged in the association’s letter to this columnist.