The NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter Manila held its annual Christmas gathering, NUSparkle, on Saturday, 2 December 2023, at the Atencio-Libunao Hall, located at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila. The event venue was generously donated to the University of the Philippines by Mr JJ Atencio and Atty Rod Libunao in 2019. Atty Libunao (Law ’13) graciously sponsored this last major gathering of the chapter in 2023.
Sixty alumni attended this year’s NUSparkle. The alumni in attendance represented nine faculties and schools, including those from the Arts and Social Sciences, Business, Computing, Design & Environment, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Public Policy, and Science.
The programme started around 6:30 pm. The Chapter Chairman, Mr Richard Tan (Public Policy ’13), provided a review of the chapter activities for the past year as well as an overview of the activities next year, including a general membership meeting in Q1 of 2024. He reiterated the importance of NUS Cares as a way of giving back to the community and showing gratitude to NUS. Each alumnus or alumna present contributed a minimum token of Php500 (~SGD12) at the point of registration, proceeds of which will all go to the chapter’s NUS Cares activities.
The short programme ended with the formal recognition of Atty Libunao as the Chapter Adviser with a letter from the NUS Office of Alumni Relations.
Dinner was served after the end of Mr Tan’s speech, which included a sumptuous buffet spread and open bar that everyone enjoyed.
