There is a word that captures the magic whenever two or more brods gather, anytime, anywhere: “Fellowship!”

What many of us Upsilonians take for granted, others can only envy. Every moment together is a chance to live out values and traditions that have endured not only the passage of time but also shifting norms and beliefs.

And when Upsilonians meet, there is always that seamless, authentic engagement anyone can see and feel. Nothing—not age, absence, nor circumstance—can dull the spark of the simplest greeting: “Brod! Kumusta na?” It always feels as if fellows who last met decades ago had only parted yesterday, or as if brods from different eras had just come from the same tambayan.

Among the many bands of Fellows who embody this spirit, one group in particular has made fellowship a long-lasting tradition—persisting through time and change, and always with great fun: the Cubao Rangers.

Why Cubao? Why Rangers?

Cubao was a natural choice for the venue. Most of the members of the group lived in or around the area, making it the most convenient meeting point. It was geography as much as fellowship that brought us together week after week. Whenever someone wanted to meet with me, I would always say, "Let's meet halfway," and for me, halfway is Araneta Center.

As for the name, my own suggestion was Bandidos. But the late Jun Crudo ’56 had a better idea: Rangers. He reasoned that we were meant to be protectors. Protectors of what, you might ask? Whatever needs protecting—our traditions, our friendships, our brotherhood.

Six Founders and First Venue

The Rangers started as an impromptu gathering on November 20, 2012. The first six were Tony Rosales ’53, Jun Crudo ’56, Cesar Gumabon ’63, Bet Sason ’63, Nanding Ortiz ’72, and me.

Our first venue was Country Style, a small coffee shop beneath the escalator of Ali Mall in Araneta Center, Cubao. Each Ranger was just a text away. It only took one message, passed on to the rest. We did not even meet on a fixed schedule then, unlike now. We just met when there was critical mass, like three brods, and whenever the urge took hold of us.

When a fellow arrived from abroad or out of town, he was invited for coffee there. Sometimes Metro Manila brods dropped by too. Eventually, the shop grew too cramped to handle more than ten at a time, and sometimes we were displaced by other customers. So we looked for a bigger venue within Ali Mall.

From Coffee to Coffee-Coffee

We found Tully’s at the bridgeway between Ali Mall and SM Cubao, still within Araneta Center. It became our regular hangout. As Facebook photos circulated, showing brods from many batches laughing and enjoying themselves, more fellows began to join in.

When Tully’s closed, we moved to Cab Café at Manhattan Parkway along Gen. Malvar Street, still in Araneta Center. Brod Fred Sese ’57 especially liked the place because, aside from coffee, it served beer.

Soon, even the Cab Café was too small. We transferred next door to Ally’s All-Day Breakfast, which could accommodate larger groups. By then, our “coffee-coffee days” had become popular, with brods asking when the next one would be. That’s when we decided to make it a regular event—every Thursday.

At the fellows’ request, one Thursday a month was set aside for beer or red wine. We rotated among Oyster Boy at the Shopwise Arcade, Gilligan’s near Ally’s, and Giovanni’s Bar Ristorante beside Ally’s. Thus was born our “alcohol day,” every fourth Thursday, while the rest of the Thursdays remained devoted to coffee at Ally’s.

Lockdowns and New Beginnings

Then, at the start of 2020, a global contagion reached our shores. The government imposed lockdowns beginning late February of that year. Gatherings were prohibited, movements restricted, and establishments shuttered—including Ally’s. The Rangers’ Thursday fellowships had to stop.

Seven months later, with no end in sight, I relaunched the Cubao Rangers’ Thursday fellowship at the Consunji Room of Bahay ng Alumni on October 8, 2020. What began as a cautious reunion of a small circle quickly drew others. Word spread. Batches beyond Cubao started dropping by. In a matter of weeks, that intimate Thursday habit had grown into something larger—the fellowship that Romy first envisioned. Diliman Lights was born.

As the gatherings swelled, the format necessarily changed. The Rangers had always been a small, self-funded circle—everyone chipping in a modest amount to cover coffee or food. Diliman Lights, by design, was open to all, and the food and drinks were typically sponsored by one or two generous fellows. It was a beautiful, generous model—but it required hosts willing (and able) to shoulder each week’s bill, plus more coordination, headcount planning, and a larger venue. After two months of this growth, it was clear the fellowship needed the leadership of the person who conceived it. I turned over the Diliman gatherings to Brod Romy Carlos ’63, with overall stewardship entrusted to Brod Eli Ilano ’57. For a time, Diliman Lights thrived—Tuesdays for the Lights, Thursdays for the Rangers.

As Diliman Lights welcomed more and more brods, the costs concentrated on only a few sponsors and the coordination load became heavy; without a formal rota or budget line, sustaining weekly open-house hospitality grew difficult. Diliman Lights now stands semi-defunct—a bright chapter that shone when we needed it most.

The Rangers Carry On

The Cubao Rangers, meanwhile, endured: smaller, humbler, shared-expense, and steady—Thursday after Thursday; however, we have since returned to venues closer to our old haunts in Cubao. We chose ODDS Café at the ground floor of Red Planet Hotel, Aurora Boulevard corner Stanford Street. Attendance was small at first but grew steadily.

However, the high corkage fees for each bottle of red wine made us move again. This time, we returned to Giovanni’s Bar Ristorante at Araneta City—the same place we had used before for wine-and-booze Thursdays. It proved to be a comfortable and welcoming home once more. More recently, the Rangers have been gathering at the Palenque Food Court in the new Gateway Mall. The ever-gracious George “Nene” Araneta ‘53, often subsidizes the tab. After all, he practically owns Cubao.

Although there are no initiations to the Cubao Rangers and all are welcome, in order to be part of the Rangers’ chat group, you must attend at least three meetings.

Fellowship Without End

Venues may change, but fellowship does not. The same “war stories” are told again and again, loves lost and won recalled, each retelling as fresh as the first. And then there are the characters that make every Thursday gathering uniquely Ranger.

There is Jess Yabes ’66, diplomat, lawyer, and former ambassador, who regularly holds court at the Rangers’ gatherings. True to form, he often seizes the floor to share his views—sometimes sharp, always thought-provoking. Whether weighing in on politics, international affairs, or fraternity matters, his voice lends both authority and color to the table. Wherever you find Jess Yabes ’66, you’re likely to find Pepot Barcenas ’80 not far behind. Pepot has become his constant companion, often at the wheel, driving Jess to and from the gatherings.

There is Charvy Parra ’89, who snaps a photo every hour by the hour, as if pushed by the belief that “if it isn’t photographed, it didn’t happen.” He seems determined that no minute of fellowship escapes undocumented.

There is Louie Biraogo '79, ever the charmer, who has made a running joke out of his banter with the food server, whose gender remains ambiguous. The teasing never fails to draw laughter around the table.

There was the late Blamar Gonzalez ’66, bless his kind soul, who always seemed to be packing up food, only for us to find out later that he was bringing it home as pasalubong for his wife.

Among the notable habitues is Ernie Rivera ’45, arguably the oldest living Upsilonian among us. There was a time that for two years, he never missed a single meeting, such that he earned the moniker "Erning Matibay." When he was strong enough, he would even commute to the venue. When the pandemic struck and gatherings stopped, he would call brods, practically begging for the resumption of meetings. His persistence is a reminder that fellowship knows no age.

Other stalwarts include Tom Mayor ‘52, Kiting Villa ‘59, and Toy Palarca '66, and many more who have kept the Thursdays alive, their presence as much a tradition as the venues themselves. The younger generations are ably represented by Leo LLacer ‘89, Bong Damot ‘93, and Ariel Gumabon ‘09.

These quirks, stories, and characters are what make Thursdays with the Rangers special: familiar faces, fresh laughter, and the kind of fellowship that never gets old.

Join us, brods. Thursdays with the Rangers will always be worth your while. We promise.