2024-12-07 Pasko Berde - The 2024 LSPAA Christmas Party

Pasko Berde 2024 was a 10 AM to 12 midnight affair!  The fun and the warmth of LSPAA's Christmas celebration more than made up for the cold weather outside!  Bagels and cream and coffee warmed up those who spruced up the venue early in the morning.  The Brown Rice band never failed to entertain everyone with their favorite 80s songs!  The band-led dancing and singing during the day was piggybacked by DJ Gregg Angeles-led dancing and singing late into the night! Left-over lechon belly, drinks and non-stop music warmed up those who stayed behind to close right before the clock struck midnight!

LSPAA past presidents, Rolly Saldana, Adjo Gonzales and Francis Santayana, have drawn the following Trenta Berde Grand Raffle winners:

1.            First Prize:      $ 1,000.00 - Norie Benedicto
2.            Second Prize:   $750.00   - Jansen Versoza
3.            Third Prize:      $500.00   - Paolo Gimeno

Proceeds from the raffle event is in support of ANCOP USA educational program for the underprivileged children of the Philippines. We sincerely thank all those who participated in the raffle event.  Congratulations to the winners! 

           The winners!

            The early birds!

The night owls!

          And everyone in between....

2024-09-07 TRENTA BERDE

The La Salle Philippines Alumni Association has proven its enduring presence in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area when it celebrated Trenta Berde, the 30th year anniversary celebration on September 7, 2024, at the Our Lady of Good Counsel Desales Hall in Vienna, VA.  LSPAA was founded and incorporated at the VA-State Corporation Commission on September 8, 1994.  Led by LSPAA's 16th President, Mela Almeda, the event was attended by 150 alumni, families, friends and benefactors in a fun-filled evening graced by the presence of His Excellency Jose Manuel Romualdez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the USA. It was an evening of recognition of the First LSPAA President, Bing Crisologo, who, though the years, has conscientiously attended all LSPAA events and stepped up at some point to assume presidency when the incumbent was unable to complete the term.  It was also the evening of the big reveal of the new LSPAA logo in the next 30 years, designed by LSPAA's inhouse artist and events brand expert, Ron Diokno. LSPAA extends its appreciation to all the Trenta Berde Sponsors, alumni, families and friends who made the evening a complete success!  With such unwavering support, LSPAA is poised to thrive through the next 30 years!

2024-06-22 Balik BowlALU

 After a 6-year hiatus, BowlALU is back!  It was a fun-filled Saturday for alumni and friends from Ateneo, La Salle, UP and the Philippine Embassy who filled up all the lanes at the Bowlero Bowl America in Burke, VA.  La Salle dominated most of the awards categories but everyone had bowl time fun in this 9-pin no-tap tournament.  Congratulations to all the players and winners!

Congratulations to all the winners!

LSPAA Picnic oBERDEr at Van Dyck (April 27, 2024)

The Picnic oBERDEr at the park was cold and rainy, but the warmth and the camaraderie of the young ones and young once who braved the cold more than made up for it. Good food and good friends brighten up the day!

HAPPY HOUR with the NEWBIES (March 7, 2024)

 LSPAA President Mela Almeda filtered La Salle graduates in LinkedIn, texted, emailed, called and ended up with a fun and refreshing night with the newbies at the Game in Washington DC.

THE MISSING YEARS (2020 - 2023)

COVID-19 reared its ugly head all over the world!  Time seemed to have stood still.  Nonetheless, LSPAA members and friends found solace in each other's company in the midst of uncertainties.  We found ways to connect and continue to celebrate friendships!

2020-02-14 LA SALLE-ST. PAUL Valentine's Special COVID-19 has already started sporadically in various countries, a few spotted in the US.  We were not yet that concerned!  We celebrated Valentine's Day, a collaborative fundraising concert by La Salle and St. Paul alumni for the benefit of the Taal Volcano victims.  It was an evening of food, friends and songs by alumni talents, filling the air with love and laughter!

2020-09-27 LSPAA LIBRA POWER at Barrel Oak Winery   Forging a picnic on pandemic days!  Happy birthday Dan La O (Sept 25); Carmela Almeda (Sept 26); Joey Velilla (Sept 26); Leony Gimeno-Rosario (Sept 29); Michael David (Sept 30). 

2020-10-09 WFW (Work from the Winery!) - A Friday afternoon escapade to celebrate the October celebrants.  Happy birthday LSPAA President Gregg Angeles (Oct 24)!

2021-09-25 ELECTION of LSPAA OFFICERS at the WINERY in SUNSHINE RIDGE FARM   We are still at the height of COVID-19 and variants started manifesting, but vaccinations had already started early in the year.  After almost a year. we gathered again.  It was a very pleasant day in a great winery by the lake in Gainesville.  We achieved our objectives of electing the set of LSPAA officers for 2021 - 2025 and celebrating the LSPAA Librans.  Congratulations to the new set of LSPAA officers!

President:  Carmela "Mela" Almeda

Vice President:  Rafael "Raffy" Rivera

Treasurer:  Patricia "Patti" Roldan-Goduco (not in picture)

Secretary:  Leony Gimeno-Rosario

P.R.O.:  Jocelyn "Josh" Dizon

2021-10-30 FIRST BOARD MEETING under the Incoming LSPAA President Mela Almeda (2021 - 2025).  It was also a birthday celebration of the Outgoing LSPAA President Gregg Angeles (2017 - 2021).

2021 October - In support of UP initiatives

2022-02-19 Valentine's at Mela's - Omicron has limited our Christmas, New Year, birthdays and Valentine's Day. But some of us are just hard-headed and insisted on coming up with a "board meeting" to gather and eat together! We came up with dates, save it for now: May 7, Saturday - LSPAA Cinco de Mayo picnic, scavenger hunt. Sep 24, Saturday - LSPAA Family Olympics. Dec 3, Saturday - LSPAA Christmas Party, cocktail type. Let's hope and pray that there will be no more COVID surges!

2022-09-10 LSPAA at Hillsborough Winery - We are catching the last vestiges of Summer and grabbing the first traces of Fall in the LSPAA Summer-Fall picnic at the Hillsborough Vineyards on Saturday, Sep 10, 2022 at 12:00 noon. It was sunny in the 80s.  It has been a long time since our last winery picnic in Sep 2021. The organizers have been besieged with medical concerns since then, but we are now celebrating! We thank the Lord for continued blessings to all LSPAA members.

2022-12-10 Balik Pasko Berde - It was a full day of Christmas Thanksgiving, for surviving the pandemic, for the renewed health of LSPAA officers and members who have endured various afflictions, and for giving us another chance to reconnect as we continue to get out of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Rev Ramel O. Portula, CICM officiated the anticipated mass.  Entertainment was provided by the Brown Rice Band with a guest appearance of Diva Montelaba.  It started at a 10 AM set-up and ended up at a 10 PM clean-up.

2023-02-20 Valentine's at Mela's - Catching up and a quick meeting at Mela's in Ashburn.

2023-06-10 Lea Salonga at Wolftrap - A gathering of LSPAA with a lot of Pinoy's at the Wolftrap to watch Lea Salonga's 4-1/2 songs concert!

2023-12-09 Pasko oBERDEr - The LSPAA Christmas Party at the Breakers in Fair Oaks Mall.  It was a night of Korean food and songs and dances with music provided by LSPAA's very own DJ Jimmy.

FLASHBACK 2019

The year 2019 was LSPAA's 25th year anniversary.  The year kicked off with Berde Buena Mano, the LSPAA 2019 New Year's Party at the Lorton Station Community Center on January 5, 2019.  It was a fun, whole day event, from the 10 AM prep group to the 10 PM clean-up crew, with a live band, food, games, raffle, singing and dancing in between!

2019-02-10 Baking with LeCordon Bleu Chef Jeff Garcia in Haymarket, winetasting at Gray Ghost Winery in Amissville and pub-hopping at Farm Brew Live in Manassas... all in one day!

2019-06-01 GOLF - The La Salle-Ateneo Sportsfest kicked-off with the golf tournament at the Penderbrook Golf Club in Fairfax.  Everything around the course was so green, but the blue ruled the game!  Congratulations Ateneo Golf Team!

Golf Awards:

• Low Gross - Joby Bascon - Ateneo
• Low Net - Tonet Zorilla - La Salle
• Longest Drive - Mike Guidotti - Ateneo
• Closest-to-the-Pin - Butch Samson - Ateneo
• Champion Team - Ateneo

2019-06-08 BOWLING - The La Salle-Ateneo Sportsfest at Bowl America in Edsall.  It was a sweet sweep!  The La Salle Bowling Team remained undefeated with the raining strikes! 

Bowling Awards:

• Highest Series Men - Jun Castro - La Salle
• Highest Series Ladies - Leony Gimeno - La Salle
• Highest Game Men - Butch Cascarro - La Salle
• Highest Game Ladies - Norie Benedicto - La Salle
• Champion Team - La Salle

 2019-06-29 VOLLEYBALL - The La Salle-Ateneo Sportsfest.  It was the hottest day so far in 2019 at almost 100 degrees, but not hot enough to match the exciting volleyball and basketball matches at the air-conditioned St. John the Beloved's Gym in McClean.  It was a glorious day for La Salle since, for the first time in the La Salle-Ateneo Washington DC sportsfest history, La Salle emerged as the new Champion in Volleyball!  HOORAY Volleyball Team!  After the review of the video footages, the team captain, the coaches, the players and spectators unanimously voted for Corky de Asis as the most valuable player!  His powerful and notably unresponded service points that brought the score to 12-0 at the deciding 3rd game clinched the La Salle victory that early!  Congratulations to Corky and all the players!

                      Volleyball Awards:

• Most Valuable Player - Corky de Asis - La Salle
• Champion Team - La Salle

2019-06-29 BASKETBALL - The La Salle-Ateneo Sportsfest.  On the basketball front, we congratulate the Ateneo Basketball Team for bagging the championship trophy!  Our gallant La Salle players gave Ateneo a good fight and heightened the thrills when the La Salle 3-pointers rallied to close the gap.  While the championship trophy has eluded our team this time, the fire to prepare for the next tournament has been ignited!

Basketball awards:

• Most valuable player - Rob Roa - Ateneo
• Champion Team - Ateneo

2019-06-29 The LSPAA-Ateneo Picnic and Sportsfest Awarding - Burke Lake Park.  It was a hot, sweltering day, but the camaraderie and sportsmanship between the two alumni groups provided coolness to the summer heat!

2019-12-14 Pasko Berde - Home for Christmas in Springfield - It was a socks party night at Elmer and Leony Rosario's residence, jamming to the beat of the band which did not have a name yet!  It culminated a whole year celebration of LSPAA's 25th year anniversary.