They arrived at the Dumaguete airport — a good number on connecting flights. Welcomed with a lei. Brought to the campus on the brand new Silliman bus.And are treated to a dance reminiscent of the early years on campus, as they hopped off to register at the Silliman University Alumni Council of North America (SUACONA) Student Center at the Oriental Hall for Tipon Silliman 2013.
Close to 300 alumni from North America, Canada and other parts of the world registered for the first-ever Tipon Silliman hosted outside its usual rotation. They add to the hundreds of returning alumni and guests that visit Silliman for the annual Founders Day.
Tipon is a bi-annual gathering of alumni and friends, organized by SUACONA. Hosting moves around the alumni chapters in different states — Chicago (2001), New Jersey (2003), California (2005), Florida (2009) and Alaska (2011). In 2007, Tipon was in Canada.
In Alaska, the group decided to bring Tipon to Silliman, in a grand reunion of schoolmates and friends. The celebration, running from August 21 to 25, lines up a series of activities for alumni and non-Sillimanians alike — an opening dinner overlooking Dumaguete, fun events and guided tours, formal meetings, 12th SUACONA gala dinner, Sunday service at the Silliman University Church and a special cultural performance at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium dubbed Handulantaw.
The celebration this year observes the theme: “One God, One World, One Silliman!” It affirms the richness of the Silliman experience, the breadth and depth of the Silliman education, and the relevance and reach of Silliman alumni across the globe.
This year’sTipon is organized with a core group composed of Tipon co-chairs Mrs. Betsy Merto-Engle, president of the Silliman University Alumni Association of Alaska, and Dr. Betsy Joy B. Tan, Vice President for Academic Affairs of Silliman University; and Dr. Gideon Alegado, SUACONA Chairman, and local coordinator Prof. Jocelyn S. Dela Cruz, who is the University’s immediate past Director of Alumni and External Affairs.
Close coordination has been done with both city and provincial governments in helping ensure a safe and pleasurable stay for visiting alumni and guests for this 112th Founders Day. Both the city and the province have also contributed in hosting events for the Tipon delegation. Particularly for the Tipon, the University, together with the City Tourism Office, accredited pedicab drivers who ply the streets of Dumaguete now wearing Tipon shirts. A similar show of coordination is present at the airport where porters don yellow Tipon shirts.
