SSEAYP Sulong Batch ’99: Moving Forward and Sharing Light

In 1999, we were the SSEAYP Sulong Batch of Participating Youth (PYs) from the Philippines. We called ourselves Sulong because it means "Forward" in Tagalog, and it could also be interpreted as "Sulo Ng 99" or "Light of 99", reflecting our hope to share our inner light.

Our team and our world

There were 30 of us, plus our National Leader Lelu Contreras. Our Youth Leader was Katherine Lacson, and our Assistant Youth Leader was Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor. 1999 was a special year. The internet was just gaining popularity, and cellphones and pagers came just some years earlier. The world was worried about the so-called Y2K bug and the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis.

Our group represented all the regions of the Philippines and included entrepreneurs, civil servants, lawyers, company executives, bankers, NGO workers, and fresh graduates from university. We excelled in different spheres of talent – traditional dance, music, singing, debates, presentations, team leadership, and logistics.

Cultural immersion and exchange

Our first port of call was Singapore. That’s when we knew our lives and mindsets were about to change. The Singaporean national leader boarded our bus from Changi Airport and welcomed us. He said, “When people ask me where I’m from, I hesitate saying that I’m from Singapore. I like saying I’m from ASEAN.”

From there, it was more than 50 days of cultural immersion, exchanges, institutional visits, concerts, discussions, exhibits, presentations, home stays, cheering contests, impromptu drinks and singing at the Mermaid Salon, receptions, and ceremonies. All this, multiplied by the sequence of countries we visited – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, back to the Philippines, and finally, Japan. The NLs, YLs, and AYLs made side trips to Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Solidarity groups and National Presentation

As the SSEAYP 1999 program progressed, so did our close interactions with the PYs from other contingents. We had to be dispersed into different Solidarity Groups, and each of us had two cabin mates from different countries. 

This program was designed for maximum interaction.

One highlight of SSEAYP ‘99 was the National Presentation of the Philippines. Before the program at Dolphin Hall, we organized a Santacruzan, depicting a religio-historical beauty pageant and procession in the Philippines. 

Many of the Reinas were female PYs from other countries, handpicked for the ceremony and dressed in our beige and gold-colored Filipiniana gowns. 

The main presentation depicted milestones in our history, including our anti-colonial struggle and the People Power revolution. We used period music and dances, including our Western influences on music and boogie, as well as dances from the Cordilleras and the much-loved tinikling bamboo dance.

Legacy of the Sulong batch

Sulong’s National Day presentation set the bar high – not just to impress our audiences, but to present the history, culture, food, music, and worldview of Filipinos, especially as we ushered in the new millennium. 

The Sulong batch was known as the most engaging, most musical, and friendliest among all the contingents that year. That’s why when we sang the Raymond Lauchengco hit song “Farewell” on our last night and inner reception in Tokyo, everybody was crying happy tears, thankful for the best two months of our lives.

SSEAYP allowed us to move forward and share our light. 

By Vladimir Guevarra
SSEAYP 1999  

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