by Jing Lejano
Apart from being journalists,
Regina Abuyuan and Dinah
Ventura share one other thing
in common: They belong
to Sigma Delta Phi, one of
the oldest sororities in the
Philippines. Through the years,
they have developed a bond
which some have said is thicker
than blood.
Can you tell us about
your sorority?
Dinah: Sigma Delta Phi is
the Society of Dramatics and
Fine Arts established in 1918.
It’s an organization exclusive
to women students of the
University of the Philippines,
and stands by the ideals of
leadership, excellence, and
sisterhood.
Regina: Our mother chapter
is in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
and we’re the oldest sorority
in the Philippines. Among our
members are Ofelia Gelvezon
Tequi, Anita Magsaysay-Ho,
Juno Henares, Nora Daza,
Joyce Oreña, and Ces Oreña-
Drilon. In social service and
politics, we have Charito Planas
and Nelia Sancho-Liao.
Why did you decide to
join it?
Dinah: I wanted to be part of
a group that espoused ideals I
admired. I wanted my college
life to have more meaning and
purpose outside of academics.
The person who invited me
was a friend, she was someone
I liked and trusted.
Regina: As an impressionable
college student, I was flattered
Sisters By Choice
that this group even wanted me
in. Besides, my Papa told me
that if I were to join a sorority,
it had to be Sigma Delta Phi.
Aspiration and wanting to
make my Papa happy, that’s
why I joined.How were you able to
form such strong bonds?
Dinah: Going through the kind
of initiation designed by the
sorority (no hazing!) made us
closer. It’s a unique experience
that allows an individual to
excel within a community
that has shared ideals, and
encourages us to appreciate
each other for both our
differences and similarities.Regina: We carried those
memories with us as we became
sisters and discovered more
about each other. We became
more than sorority sisters—we
became true friends and almost
blood sisters. Of course, there
will be differences and fights
along the way, but most of the
time, you find your way back
into each other’s arms.How do you sustain the
relationship?
Dinah: We keep the sisterhood
alive by keeping in touch and
continuing to be part of each
other’s lives somehow, through
activities we do for the batch or
the sorority or just because we
like each other.What are your shared
ideals?
Dinah: We strive to be the best
in whatever field we are in, to
make a difference in the realms
of influence we have been
given, and to continue learning
and growing as women.What’s the best thing
about having sorority
sisters?
Dinah: The best thing is being
accepted for who you are andknowing that there are kindred
spirits you can count on all
throughout your life.Regina: You “get” each other.
I know this might be the same
with other friendships, so I
can't say for sure—but I know I
feel a bond with the ka-batches
in our sorority whom I wasn’t
even friends with in college.
Maybe it is the unquestioned
trust and understanding you
know they’ll give, and what you
know you’ll give them, too.How do you bridge
the gap between the
older and the younger
sisters througout the
generations?
Dinah: Strangely enough, that
bond of sisterhood transcends
all age gaps and generations.
Seniority is something we
respect. It feels like you are in
a huge family where you don’t
know everyone, but once you
meet them, you immediately
know that you all belong in the
same family.Regina: Like any friendship,
true bonds take time to form.
It takes time for these ties
to transcend from being
mere sisterhood in name to
sisterhood in heart. I guess
that's what the founders were
thinking when they coined our
motto Cor Unum Via Una—one
in mind, one in heart, one in
community of spirit. You have
to put in the hours and effort to
reach that level.Dinah and Regina (third and fifth from left)
gather with their sorority sisters years
after graduating from college.