Blog Title: Mission: Imaginable

At the End of the Day

At last.

I'm done with high school debate.

Thank you, everyone.

• To my partners over the years: Joenilyn, Angel, Norina, Versosa, Sae, Allan, Leandro, Michael C., and Joshua...
• To the best trainers: Carlo, Dani, Sir Martin, and Nicolo...
• To the CSA kids I've raised and trained: Allan, Kei, Michael C., Lance G., Rajiv, Veronica, Braulio, Steve, Kevin, Matthew...
• To the Pisay kids I'm just starting to get to know: Lance Y., Titus, Niboe, Cat, Mike, Yves, Jejo, and of course my brother Romeo (the best debate kid evarrr)...
• To my idols: James Soriano, Gica, Miko Biscocho, Peterson Poon. (Well, kasama na rin diyan si Sir at Nicolo. :)) )
• To the encouraging people I met along the way: RK Krishnan (who I timed for all those years ago volunteering at IIDC 2005), Sir Bob (the best debate adviser ever), Aids (who thought I deserved to go to Baguio with the rest of UP Manila for NDC), Jojo, Jonats (oh so long ago)...
• To my favorite (and sometimes most often-received) adjudicators: Claire (who gave me a ride to City Hall after Grands!), Dino, Benj, Aids, Kip...
• To my many, many debater friends: Ea, Ceejaye, Pao, Julian, Kikoy, Bryan, Ben, Alvina, Daryl, Miro, Camille, Pam, Pola, Nicole, Lance T., Migs, CBor, Philip, Raffy, Lenard, Clarence, Bas, Henry and so many more...

Anon: Varsity Blues

(Following is my column Konstantine for our class news magazine, Anon. Scanned pages from the magazine will follow once the first and only issue is released. And hey, this version is fact-checked this time. :P )

Konstantine
“Varsity Blues”
By Michael Manangu

THE HORROR STORIES of CSA’s best, brightest, and strongest from joining interschool competitions are many – all different in extent and circumstance but certainly not new.

Over the years that Augustinians have been joining contests here and abroad, they have run into all kinds of roadblocks. For instance, Augustinians arrive at a contest venue only to find that the school had not even registered them yet. Even more common is when students are unable to join because of the sizable financial commitment involved, especially true of out-of-town events. When these students get to participate and return triumphant, sometimes their achievements aren’t even given recognition in the proper school ceremonies!

Truly, there must be a serious problem of varsity neglect in our alma mater.
The word “varsity” is used very loosely here. In the eyes of the administration, only the sports teams and our cheerdance squad are awarded such status. That is, they may hold auditions for their members, compete in interschool contests, and display their status “symbols” among students (i.e. varsity jackets, cheerdance uniforms, etc.). Yet, this is a very narrow-minded take on what constitutes a varsity – one that glorifies physicality and undermines other valuable talents such as mathematical skills, public speaking ability, musical prowess, and many more. In a school that seeks to foster a culture of excellence by honing students’ unique gifts, this is not only disquieting – it is alarming.

And even among the sports teams that are given varsity status, the incentives are scarce and far in between; the deterrents, sometimes, even stronger. For example, more than once have Augustinian contest participants been forced to either use private vehicles or public transport because the school could not spare them a bus or two. The non-sports contestants suffer the same fate themselves.

This neglect of our Augustinian achievers is not a recent occurrence. Years ago, the Insights sports pages featured editorials such as “Where is the Love?” and “Yes, We Have a Chess Varsity,” all detailing the travails of an average sports player. The authors who have spoken about these things may have left the halls of CSA already, but their ideas still hold true – not only for sports players, but for debaters, quiz bee contestants, Chorale members, and all who compete for the honor and glory of the school. In fact, among most of the school’s players and contestants, the mindset that the school will almost never compensate them for their services could drive many to aspire less – or worse, stop competing out of school completely. Additionally, the school makes them feel that to get the recognition and benefits they want, they must first request for it. Players and contestants have to file requests for bus reservations, or submit narrative reports to prove that they did compete and win. Team captains and contingent leaders in a lot of cases have never been told that they should do all these things. Furthermore, a newly appointed captain would know nothing of where and when all this paperwork is needed. He knows not who to ask for help, nor does he have the time for the same.

True artists may do what they do for the love of their art, but our “artists” are also students. They are students on their way to becoming true artists. In addition to their varsity duties, they have to juggle school work, family, friends, and relationships. They are also ordinary boys and girls, trying to lead as enjoyable a life as possible.

The school is not to blame completely, however. The community has also taken small steps to give our Augustinian achievers the rights they deserve. Varsity players only chip in for a small fraction of their jerseys and equipment. Some victories won by our school’s best are still well-recognized, the Balboa Cup recently reclaimed for CSA by its debaters being a notable example. The CSA Parents-Teachers Association has a program to provide contest participants of all intelligences with financial aid. Students who participate in certain competitions on behalf of certain subject departments get the highest possible score in schoolwork given by these departments. Sometimes teachers even choose not to give some players makeup tests anymore, in the belief that this will allow these students to rest.

But despite all this there is still much to do. To guarantee the rights of our varsity players, the system must be improved.

First, the school should begin accepting requests by regular competitors (the CSA Debate Organization, the Chorale, the Math training pool, et al.) for varsity status. The administration should come up with a clear policy on what constitutes a varsity team that recognizes and encompasses all kinds of intelligences. Privileges should also be defined for each varsity under this new policy. Their hard work and missed lesson definitely warrants this kind of recognition.

Second, new team captains or any concerned competitor must immediately be introduced by their coaches to the Student Activity Coordinator and the Student Activity Committee to orient them on high school paperwork and get their achievements recognized. Moreover, the SAC should establish an arm dedicated to hearing grievances, filing paperwork, and making narrative reports. This way, the division of labor between varsity and student government is clear and efficient; everyone can do what they do best.

Lastly, and most importantly, everyone should get to see CSA’s finest in action. The administration should have classes excused (with the obligation to take makeup work, of course) to watch locally held varsity games. The administration should also hold exhibitions and showcase these people’s talents to as many people as possible. This will boost our players’ spirits and make them feel that the community supports and recognizes them.

After all, the school should not act like these students’ talents are of their own design. There’s a reason why players pray right before the big game. God gave these talents to Augustinians and therefore the current policy on varsities should not only exalt the players, but He who enabled them to play in the first place. Ω

Anon: Success 101

(Following is my somewhat accidental collaboration with my classmate Noel Jalbuena for our class news magazine, Anon. Scanned pages from the magazine will follow once the first and only issue is released. You can ask me why it's accidental on Y!M if you want. :D)

Success 101
Noel Jalbuena and Michael Manangu

Here’s an easy question:

Do you want to reach the top of the world?

Well, usually the best first step to start climbing is through the classroom.

Being the exceptional student initially seems to be a simple idea for anyone. We think to ourselves on our first day of class, “I can do this!”—only to learn that this is actually the perfect example of something that is easier said than done.

We all want to be that student praised by math teachers and admired by those who only dream of getting a 75. We all say, “Those guys must be really smart!” Our intelligence quotients (or I.Q.s) are often thought to be the deciding factors in doing well in our studies, but here’s the thing: it’s not about being smart, it’s about being focused. Success in studying is concentrating and having a mindset that strives to make it – not only through one chapter of a José Rizal novel, but also a ton of other books and much, much, more.

Observing some of my classmates, I noticed that we are all driven by different engines; we mostly share the same experiences in school, but we race in our minds with different interests, different goals, for different finish lines. We basically want the same things, but while some may be good at setting goals and reaching them, others are less lucky – or as events may show, less focused.
For example, a certain high school student’s goal has always been to make it to his dream college, pursue the course he would want to study, and spend his post-college life working somewhere or on something he loves. All he wants is to be successful doing this; therefore he hits the books hard in high school and ends up earning himself a “line of nines”.

On the other hand, another student – ambitious, albeit short-sighted – thinks about video games and nothing more. All he wants to do is play around even when he can at least try to help himself work on his priorities. Students like these would usually be struggling to keep up with the school’s standards and would probably feel that the first student is a nerd or a geek.

Even though the first student may seem smarter, for all we know, the second student who is failing might even be more of a genius himself. This is not considered a rare case at all. Mr. Heubert Khan Michael, Guidance Counselor for the Seniors, has said more than once that a lot of our batchmates, despite their low general averages, are actually shown to be pretty intelligent as shown by their I.Q. and achievement tests. Sometimes, people of the high average class do not even score high on these aforementioned tests.

You do not need the I.Q. points to be at the top of your class. If you find the right vision that will drive you to work hard, trust me—you’ll get there. Are you just going to settle on becoming a nondescript graduate? Or do you want to be something more? An international pilot? The new Steve Irwin? A famous celebrity? A Formula One racer? An all-star basketball player? The president of a world-known company? Name anything you want to become. You will not be disappointed with how things will turn out for you as long as you put into mind what you want to become and the things you want and should do.

Imagine if every single person would be just like the first student. What a competitive world it would be! A world where everyone strives for nothing less than excellence! You can be part of that world.

So what exactly does it mean to focus? When you focus, you learn to set priorities and goals. You realize that there are things to do now, and things to hope you get to do later, once you’re done with what you originally set out to do.

Remember Freshman Home Economics? Your HE teacher, if you were listening, discussed the concept of setting goals for quite a while. You may have put this supposedly archaic lesson behind you, but the idea behind good goal setting is actually pretty sound.

So what was that lesson about again? Well, the gist of it is that goals must be S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

To be specific is not to be vague when you’re setting a goal to focus on. When you do that, you often cut yourself too much slack. “I wanna be rich” is not specific enough, while “I want to be a millionaire by age 25” is precise. The trick here is to avoid bland-sounding goals and to visualize – what do I really want by the time I’m, say, 25? You’ll find that your vision is much clearer afterward.

Next, make sure that you have a success criteria – standards that will tell you when you have succeeded. Ask questions such as, “How much?” “How many?” “How will I know when it is accomplished?”

Then, make sure that when you set a goal, you’re already taking steps to make sure you reach it. This is best done planning – what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Planning may seem like a pain for some, but it pays off in the end if executed properly. And if at first your plans seem doomed to fail, don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t expect too much. Take baby steps, dream big, and expect little.

In the movies, the insolent and slow-witted Borat may have got his Pamela Anderson; unfortunately, you are not Borat, and neither are you in Hollywood – yet. Make sure that whatever goals you are setting compliments your interests and abilities. Just as our favorite Kazakh reporter got to meet his fantasy girl, you can do whatever you want to do, provided you have the proper resources, the carefully budgeted time, and the gumption to see things through.
Finally, set deadlines. Otherwise, you would feel like whatever you are aiming at is not really urgent and not worth focusing on at the end of the day.

The second student has the potential to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. He doesn’t set any concrete goals yet he has the drive. However, other people can take advantage of his lack of focus and just lead him to places he never would have gone to in the first place.

Realistically, most of us are just like the second student. We look for all the cheap thrills and we daydream off during class hours, drooling over them thinking “I wish I could do that forever!” A lot of us do not plan, and a lot of us do not even know how to give our full attention to just one thing for a whole hour.
If you think about it, daydreaming alone can keep us from succeeding. We must admit doing this way too much. How can you focus when your mind’s on the moon?

Here is something you can do for yourself: Start your dream now as a student. Once you find your way to your well-earned success, you can dance on the moon all you want. You’ll finally be able to drive your red Ferrari, and hug your significant other all you want.

So here’s that easy question again: Do you want to reach the top of the world? Then go satisfy your ambition! Start climbing!

Close to the End

Well, today's been a pretty productive night. Well, save maybe for the 30 minutes before I decided to study my monologue (redoing George Clooney's role as Miles Massey in Intolerable Cruelty) - but everything looks good.

Things are supposed to be pretty depressing right now (what with accounts to settle with the school and Seniors' final exams in a week - and more I can't tell you) but I'm pretty all right just typing. Every day I think about life and how it changes with every passing second, and I can't say I'm most satisfied with the life I lead right now, but at least I can be thankful it's more than all right.

With great friends, a dependable family, and a college that's waiting for me just beyond the horizon, being me is just going to get better again.

Lowlowlow: IDeA Three

DeA Three was the most fun I had at a debate tournament yet:

So how'd it go, really? Well, it's better just to describe.

• Assumption College Purified Drinking Water. The most malabo thing ever. And to think people were all abuzz making jokes about it for a while. So we had theories:
• If you pour it on an unbeliever the heathen swine will melt. Hahahaha. Tried it on Braulio. :))
  
• Tasted like an Assumptionista supposedly. (Eew. It doesn't though. :P)
• The school. Assumption College was nice. It was great to go to another school. :)) It wasn't as interesting as Poveda; the architecture was old and bland, and the newer parts of the school made my nose itch. But part of their grade school had HDTVs. I wish my school were that rich. Grr. XDDD Miko Biscocho and Steph Co had fun playing around with the computer and the widescreen. :)) You have got to love the technology:

• The un-debate-tournament-ish feel of the tournament. AC really made us all feel at home. They put our school logos on our IDs, and played hiphop all throughout the tournament. They were really great at creating a fun atmosphere - especially when the La Salle boys started breakdancing in front. It was the coolest thing ever to see at a tournament. Flow Rida's "Get Low" gets stuck in my head more every passing day, no thanks to them. XP

• My second public speaking appearance! Well, not as a speaker. :P As the subject. :)) You know, even if "Jayson Maulit is a godsend" was the topic. Everyone's favorable reactions made me feel finally at ease with the whole community. Hey, I'm kinda famous now! :))
• The socializing! I hung out with La Salle Green Hills for most of the day and in the evening that followed. I'm not usually a very openly guyish guy, but with the LSGH boys I felt really great talking about things that I could never really discuss with girls. And besides, I'm part of their Brotherhood now. Hahaha. Ask Kikoy. :P
  

• More socializing! Poor Ben. Remo thinks he's unlucky. That'll change. :)) (EDITED. Ugh. Journalists check for veracity of details.)
• My kids broke! Even if Michael Calanog and I only managed to make it to five, I'm really happy. Karl and Veronica broke! And so did Miro! I had been waiting for that a long time now. :D And I hope I'm going to Grands. 22 looks good this year.
  

Good times. :))

One more feather in my cap and I can wrap up high school debate. :)) Finally.

I wanna train with college people this summer. :))

For Sae

By this the end of this weekend, my friend and former debate partner, Sae-Seul Park, will have gotten herself settled in just in time for attendance at Seoul National University (in popular Korean parlance as just Seoul University, or abbrieviated, SNU). She left Manila this weekend and was given clearance for college right after she took our school, Colegio San Agustin's Quarterly Exams ahead of everyone else.

I'd just like to take the time to say just how much I - and many others -will all miss our huggable, loveable panda bear.

Sae's not an easy person to connect with. Her rounds in debate are even faster than Maxim machine gun rounds, and she often appears very busy. But underneath the busy exterior of my very good friend is one of the most witty, most ambitious minds I have ever met in my high school life.

Sae and I began debating at the same time, when we were Freshies. She was different at the time because she was a Korean who ventured outside the safe foreigner zones in CSA to join the mainstream academic community, through our CSA Debate Organization. While other Koreans may have chosen to join the International Students' Organization or some other club that had easy enough requirements, Sae was more daring. She wanted more. Or maybe she just couldn't find another club. :P But she was there, and from then on, she was my friend.

We spent two years as debate kids - and then two more years are two-thirds of the illustrious (and also infamous) First Triumvirate of CSA Debate with Joshua Lim.

I remember this time fondly - we'd sometimes gang up on Joshua when he gets too talkative or overbearing on the kids (which Sae promptly disowns and for whom she says she does "social work"); other times we'd feel emo (haha) and we'd sing songs together in between rounds (My Chemical Romance songs especially since Sae loves them and I like them too); we'd vent about school, requirements, and the administration once in a while; talk about how Philip Poon frustrates her to bits when they're talking personally and not so much online; and we'd talk about how other guys just like talking to her about video games because she plays them a lot in her spare time...

Good times.

And every minute with her always makes for such witty and fun talking.

But she's gone now, and soon (I hope) she'll be in the Ivy League once her letters come in. Then she can come back to the Philippines, and have a real going-away party before she leaves!

In the meantime, though, it's time to say-

Blue and Maroon

I never really thought that I would be thinking this deeply about college when I went to UP Diliman and Ateneo this weekend.

After all, all I would be doing is some research for my Filipino class and we would be out of there quickly.

But even when I knew what I was there for (and how much time I had) I couldn't really find the strength within myself to focus on what I had to do - it seemed I was too busy rejoicing my return to these magical places, that in my mind held so many cherished memories.

But after walking around the Academic Oval (spotting Inna in the process) and the brick walkway from SEC to the Rizal Library (this time seeing Shiveena Parmanand on the steps of the Library - but the last two parenthetical statements are beside the point), I finally was able to feel what it really meant to make a decision, free of the third-party advertising and high expectation.

And I noticed that it was much harder to make the choice than I originally thought - after all, my parents did say I could go to any university I wished to go to, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I were to make a choice.

But in the end, I went with what felt right - and that was when I finallly, really, really decided that I would go to UP Diliman.

Both universities held for me so many good things - but even if they both did, UP did something for me that Ateneo could never do - UPD made me feel at home.

I thought about it: I was jumping excitedly down the steps of Romulo Hall (not exactly courteous or academic, but appropriate if you want to talk about how I felt); I marvelled at how I could more or less get around the Oval and show Nicole, Paolo, and Raymund just where to go; the first impulse I had once getting off Paolo's car was that I wanted to walk to Econ or Vinzons and look for people I knew; and of course, I wanted to look for a fishball stand.

Yes, I said to ADMU-crazy Paolo, UPD was just as he saw it - chaotic, archaic in some places, confusing at times, and unkempt - but that's just what I liked about it. It was the microcosm of the Philippines - from the activists who call for social revolution to the conyos who could barely care about what's going on, to the seemingly average Juans in sandals and an old but reliable faded green shirt.

It was just as I saw it in the past and it would be what I would be seeing for the next four years.

Even if I am attending the Director's List reception for the School of Social Sciences later at Leong Hall in Ateneo, I know nothing can change my decision now.

My eyes surveying Ateneo from the Leong rooftop next week would just see what I saw on a bench underneath a tree near Kostka - somewhere I just can't be.

Teachers

As I prepare to leave CSA, somehow something creeps up on me and begins to remind me in what ways CSA was beautiful for me. Despite the school having done more harm to me than good (relationship vacuum considered here), the grounds seem to call out to me, telling me that I'm going to at least look back and reflect on some fond memories of school.

Some of which just materialized just now - not out of some deep reflection on what I'm going to miss from high school, a self-discussion I'm most likely not going to engage in, but from the excitement of leaving. More specifically, my talks to teachers about college - about how I passed for Ateneo & UP Diliman, what minor to take, what solution to the transportation dilemma I should resort to, et cetera.

And it's only then that you realize that these teachers - despite being sometimes uninvolved, unenthusiastic, or uninterested - actually do care about you, their students, and that these pedagogues really do believe in you when you show them they should. And some teachers can get the message across that even if they're not that brilliant, at least they tried their damnedest to help you, and maybe a day will come when you'll appreciate even them.

So maybe if I'm not going to miss the system in CSA, then I should at least miss my friends, and my teachers.

What touched me most in that time I was talking about college were two things-

Sir Dizon, my Research teacher, telling me that in a way, college is a sort of revenge for all of those people who've hated me throughout the years - for him, from what I understood it seems that it is here where the playing field changes and a person's perceived image to Business and Society is changed in the flick of an UPCAT/DLSCET/ACET database page.

The other is not so much about life in high school in general, but a reminder of how education was supposed to work in the first place - not only from teacher to student, but also in the reverse:

Sir Katipunan, my Social Studies teacher in Sixth Grade, asked me in the course of our college conversation if I still listened to John Mayer - and it was then I found out that he became a big fan after I lent him my copy of Room for Squares all those years ago.

That really made me smile.

Looking back now, it's going to suck that my brother's not in CSA anymore, because then he wouldn't have experience the same jolts of wisdom that would lead me to where I am now. He wouldn't ever get to meet people like Ms. Regato, who'll completely agree with you that going to buffet dinners simply to eat desert doused by the chocolate fountain is a good idea. *wink*

Like Mrs. Fule, the most heartfelt teacher I have ever met in all my years in school who imparts memories of rainbows and suspectators.

Like Ms. Tin Sanchez, who will place you on her periodic table and make you never forget just how important an element you are - literally.

Or like Sir Bob, the greatest high school debate moderator on the face of this planet EVER.

But then maybe God has better plans for him in Philippine Science High - to meet a different set of teachers, who will help point him out to a place where my brother as happy as I hope to be someday.

And maybe then he'll have his own set of teachers to miss.

Ateneo

Basically:

OMG.



Director's List.

I'm going to have to fix the fact that I sold myself short though...

Benazir Bhutto, 1953 - 2007

So Benazir Bhutto is dead - assassinated on departure from a rally where she spoke.

Right in the middle of Pakistan's fractuous post-state-of-emergency.

I wonder what this will do for Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif.

Unfinished

Randomnicity #1: Parenting

One night and I decide to post some random text messages, pseudo-self-realizations, and insights I make about taking care of kids. :)) I guess I'll just put it in here, just to store these in a place where I can look back on it when I'm old and laughing my ass off my stupidity. (Or maybe not because it isn't so stupid after all. :3 )

• Spaces where kids can roam will be the death of me... :))
• But it's going to be easier to run after kids that you have and raise yourself, whether with a ball in hand, or a boyfriend in tow. (Outside note: Assuming the child is female, that is. :P )
• Parents must realize that they're not the only ones who can teach their children love, because the world can too, even if it may mean something different.
• My male children will be bald. Mwahahahaha. (Baldness is dominant in males and my dad has a quickly receding hairline.)
• My kids will have a lot of names of aunts and uncles to memorize. :))

Vindicated

(Cross-posted)

There would be too many things to talk about and people to thank and congratulate, but at least I can mention a few:

• To Sae, my panda partner: Thank you so much for going to the tournament with me and living through the next two days giving speeches and getting pissed off at people who wouldn't respond to us. This is going to be your last tournament, but I hope you look back on it fondly. At least now I don't have to say "There, there, panda bear" anymore when you feel bad about debate... :P
• To Allan and Kei: I know that this tournament wasn't as great as you expected it to be, but at least it's not going to damage your resolve to forge on - more than just that - aspire for the greatest. We have one more Invitational, and it promises to be great - besides, you have two years to go. :D
• To Veronica and Lance: Getting started in debate may still prove tough for you kids, but don't give up. Debate rewards those who persevere and read. :P Just continue doing your best.
• To Braulio and Michael C.: It's good that you're beginning to make the most out of your being partners for a while now. All partners have issues, but that shouldn't stop you from giving the best damn speeches ever. Good job, you two.
• To James Soriano: Once again, you've taught me something I feel I'll be remembering for a long time. Thanks, pare.
• To the rest of the top ten best speakers: It's great that I finally have a chance to stand beside you guys for the first time in all my years joining IDeA tournaments. People like you are the reason why debates are such a great learning and laughing experience.
• To Raffy Galvez: Thanks for the public speaking mention. It's great that mocking me was able to help you get one step closer to the win you deserve. :))
• To Rob and Paula: Well, you don't do Pisay such a bad job after all... :P Especially you, Rob. :P

Mutiny! (Not)

It's been a long time since I've commented on a current political issue in this blog, but my experience of this event was so different from the way I felt other events in my immediate vicinity that I just had to write.

So a bunch of anti-administration critics holed up in The Peninsula Manila. The story of it all is, of course, here, courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV must have thought that he could successfully stage another "People Power" revolt in Metro Manila. After all, how could you go wrong when you have a cache of bishops and Catholic Church "leaders", disgruntled former Arroyo administration officials, civil society representatives, and the votes of nearly 11.2 million people? As events showed, one could - and would - go very, very wrong.

Barely a day into the revolt and their leader already surrendered. Trillianes had clearly miscalculated the extent to which his supposed influence - both on the army he's been hinting has been fermenting the brew of revolt for a while now and on the people who mostly gave him their protest and sympathy votes against Arroyo - could turn the tables against the current administration.

Clearly the ingredients for a successful "People Power" revolt were half-baked: he lacked the backing of the most prominent (but not necessarily the strongest) moral authorities in the Philippines, the mobilization of the bourgeoisie (as has been crucial in the ousting of both Marcos and Estrada), and the support of the military (most, or all of it, of course).

But beyond talking about what went wrong in the mutiny is the analysis of what's going on now that the whole thing's been nipped in the bud.

Because see, I think Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) is utterly insufferable, and the same goes for Trillanes, but at least Trillanes had the advantage of working for the more popular team. But now not even the people's support and disenchantment are going to save Trillanes, because it's not election time anymore.

• While Trillanes had the edge of being seen as persecuted by the Arroyo administration, now GMA and her allies have a legitimate excuse to see him locked away. No Senator of the Republic has ever attempted rebellion on this scale, especially not when he wasn't backed up by most everyone else (which exempted the people in the Estrada People Power uprising). Media as it is has jumped at the opportunity to present him and the others in this fiasco as a public nuisance, as you can see from how the Inquirer and the Philippine Star communicate their reports on the matter.
• GMA has an interest now in tightening her grip on power, and the curfew last night was just the beginning. With every "terrorist attack" and "public disturbance" GMA will just get more and more opportunities to train her guns on what she brands as "enemies of the state". (The curfew last night was unconstitutional, given Article 3, Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution, which says, “The right to travel cannot be impaired except…as may be provided by law.”)
• The "Genuine Opposition" is going to look like more a flop. From the onset, this revolt didn't even have the direct backing of its titular leader, Joseph Estrada - the newly pardoned former president even went so far as to say that he was in no way involved. But yeah, part of why organized resistance to GMA fails is because the opposition can't get its act together, because obviously intra-governmental maneuvering and (half)-armed uprisings are very different things.

Back North

Night falls when you close your eyes, my love, and nothing stirs except my heart.
~ Angelo Suarez, "Katrains for Quit"

Today was wonderful.

To walk the same paths you walk and to breathe the same air you breathe was an opportunity I had longed to revisit.

And thank the Light that we were able to spend just this little time together.

Thank you for the gift, too.

I guess there'll be other times, ne?

Until then.

Someday the people shall know my name.

The PSDC Post Full of Thanks

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation -Philippine Schools Debate Championship has been nothing but good times, but it wouldn't be possible without my friends.

There are many of you to mention, so here goes:

To Leandro: As frustrated as I was that I happened to be your partner for this tournament (given the mishap you got us into and all), at the end of the day I'm not going to carry that grudge. You did your best, but always remember to try harder, especially when I give you your next partner. Thanks.

To Sae and Joshua, the other members of the first CSA Triumvirate: Thanks for everything. To Sae for the witticism, the moral support, and the consolation (not to mention your panda of atonement that hopefully has been washed of Philip Poon's sins), and to Joshua for the empathy, the matter, and for being a great teammate to me and partner to Sae for all these years.

To Kei and Allan, the kids who broke even higher than the Triumvirate did: Congratulations. I seem to remember the first day when you guys showed up to try out for the Chi Delta, and you were so young and very, very amusing to watch. Well, you guys still are amusing, but you know, at least you're loads better now. Don't get burned out; you have years to go, and more octos to break to, and finals to reach. Just keep on it, and you'll be fine.

To Karl: Thanks for bearing with the rest of your contingent. As much as you said you'd be pretty antagonistic, you were actually pretty fun. I just hope I can give you a better partner...

To Braulio, the most kiddie of them all: I learned a lot from you, kiddo. But you know you have a long way to go - but you're getting there.

To James and Hansky, my favorite Finals team: Thank you so much for honoring me with your perseverence to reach the Finals. You guys are as stellar as you ever have been, and you still are the really good persons you are after everything had been said and done. It's for people like you that I stay in debate. And I'm proud to be your friend.

To Nicole Gaba: See, you won again! Don't you just love that? Great job- I'm sure you and Evan would make a great couple. :p

To Peterson and Evan, debate psuedo-grandslammers: Damn, you're still good. People must so worship you right now, hahaha. Kidding. Anyway, congratulations on winning the finals. I'll be seeing you in the next three. :P

To the rest of the Woodrose girls (Pam, Gaba, Pola, Abby, Chrissa, Pat, Sam, Lexy, and everyone else): You ladies have been wonderful hosts of your little corner of the convening room. I can't thank you enough for the hugs and the great chats we've had over the past few days and the food that you've offered me while waiting. I hope I never forget.

To Miro: Haha. Never mind that I said your shorts were distracting even yourself. :P Congratulations to you and K.Loh on breaking.

To Camille and Thea: Camille, my fashionable friend- thanks for another great Nationals experience! And congratulations. And thank you too for the compliments to my last-day outfit. :P And to Thea, congrats too! Don't call me Juli ever again.

To Peep: You did me the greatest favor, swinging with me for Round 1. I can't still thank you enough.

To Sir Martin and Nicolo: The critique really helped. Thanks.

To La Salle Green Hills: Thanks for the great encouragement you guys gave me, and for everything that makes LSGH, LSGH, double entendres, obscene jokes and all.

To Ateneo de Manila High: Thanks for taking me in whenever I came to your table/convening room/side of the room/wherever. I've always loved being with your contingent, and I guess that hasn't changed.

To Mikki: Thanks for trying to bring me to the ADMU infirmary. Even if it was closed, you have my gratitude.

To Kenneth Abante: Guess you know what it feels like to be... linked. Hahahaha. Congrats, pare.

To Nico Conception, for giving me the funniest seventh round ever.

There are so many more people I want to mention... but this post is so long! Oh, well- thank you! I know you'll get your emotional investment back many, many times over.

Until the next tournament then!

Give Up (The PSDC Entry)

Twenty-two schools, a hundred and nine teams, two hundred and eight debaters.

Thirty-two octofinalists.

One winner.

And a will to win.

Six days of good times - of meeting old friends and making new ones, of cracking jokes with and taking witty but harmless potshots at them, of taking care of the debate kids and teaching them to of proving to everyone just how good a debater I could really be.

But despite the fact that I originally set out to conquer the Philippine high school debate scene one last time, this year's Philippine Schools Debate Championship turned into something much, much greater.

We managed to break to the Octofinals at 32nd (after two teams from Ateneo de Manila and one team from Xavier School got subjected to the breaking cap), but thing is: I never debated that octofinal round.

And that decision not to has become one of the finest hours of my life.

You see, in the very first round of the whole thing, my partner didn't show up. While I did manage to get a temporary partner (thank you Peep!), the rule was that I would not be able to get the one point gained by getting 3rd place in that round. The Adjudication Core, though, neglected to dock the point, so after getting 11 more points, we were declared the 35th best team in the Philippines and the 32nd breaking team.

I was perplexed though, because if we got twelve points (and the 36th and 37th team got 12 too), then we would have never broken, having had a point record of 1-2-2-2-1-2-2. Even after everyone else said that I shouldn't have to report the mistake anymore (which really calls to question the morality of the people around me, but never mind), I decided to report it the next day and take it as calmly as possible.

While it was not something I would have wanted to do if I wanted to win, I still knew it was the right thing. But who knew that telling the truth would have everyone telling me how big a person I was? I never anticipated the minutes long pats on the back, the hugs from everyone (male or female), and the handshakes-

I even wondered why, given that I knew it had happened earlier and I didn't report it right away, but I guess people didn't bother with that anymore.

It felt good, nevertheless.

I was able to watch the round that I was supposed to be in to cheer for my friends Nicole Gaba and Pam Chan, and tell my kids and my long-time teammates Sae and Joshua, to do well. And I got to root for everyone that I could (only succumbing to a six hour-long splitting headache later in the day) up to the Finals that I really wanted Ateneo to win. Because how can I not, when they dedicated their last two speeches of the tournament, as well as the rest of that final round run, to me?

I never felt so honored.

As far as people were concerned, I had won. And that's enough for me.

So to everyone, thank you. Let's save the thank yous for the next entry, shall we? They're quite long...

CMLI

Champions Once Again.

In Baguio

Well, I have to make this post quick.

I'm in Baguio right now for the Children's Museum and Library, Incorporated Annual Convention. As Oregon-Oxford debate finalists, we get a free pass.

Well, I haven't much to write... maybe just some random thoughts:

• Baguio is full of Koreans. Wow KOREAN WAVE. O___o It resembles my school a lot, except everyone's not in uniform.
• Teachers' Camp is miserable. Hot, stuffy, dilapidated - when will the government think it fit to update the facilities?
• I wish I could stay in Kei's house again... hot water, please!
• I'm such a slacker. I haven't completely nailed down the prepared Oregon-Oxford speech. I'm usually quick about the whole thing, but the pressure is extraordinary.
• I wish I could have watched the National Debate Championships at the Philippine Military Academy - I wonder what happened? I guess I'll have to wait a while to find out.
• I miss a lot of people so much now. And I can't believe I'd actually miss being bored at home.
• I need to train. Badly.
• Ugh.

Dumbledore Is Outed

Somehow I knew this:

J.K. Rowling outs Dumbledore.

I wonder what the fundamentalists will say now.

Crushed Under Debris

It's amazing how you think you're going to be safe sometimes.

But really you can never be too sure.

Condolences to my friend, Norence Tan, whose father Reinier Tan died in the Glorietta bombing.

And to think my dearest was contemplating going there...

For Sir Abodiles

To quote the organizers:

Enjoy a night of bossa and strings as concerned artists AKA, Waking Up the Sunrise, Julianne, and bossa queen Sitti perform to raise money to help Mr. Edgar Abodiles of the Colegio San Agustin High School Department through his difficult time.

Organized by the CSA Pilot Class of Batch 2001, the event is open to anyone who's interested in helping Mr. Edgar Abodiles, or to fans who'd love to help out a worthy cause while listening to great music.

Tickets are priced at P500, inclusive of food and drink. For inquiries, please get in touch with the following people:

Aggie Manangu - 0928-5028626 / agnes.manangu@chinatrust.com.ph
Vanessa Banta - 0919-4394622

For people who want to find out more about Sir Abodiles, I've lifted the following announcement from CSA's official website:

Mr. Ed Abodiles, a faculty member of the High School Department suffered from renal failure last week and it was established after a series of tests, that he has chronic kidney disease.

He needs immediate and life-saving assistance. We are making an urgent call for the following:

a. Connections with charitable foundations;
b. Free medical professional services;
c. Expertise of nephro-surgeons;
d. Assistance from medical drug companies;
e. Possible kidney donors;
f. And ultimately, financial assistance.

This call comes with a sense of urgency because:
• A kidney transplant costs P 800,000 to 1M
• A dialysis costs 3K to 5K per session. He will need 3 to 4 sessions a week
• A medicine to increase his hemoglobin is P 1,900.00 per shot

The financial burden is too heavy for one to bear. We ask this community to be one with Ed in his suffering.

We would like this community to understand and see this campaign not a short term assistance but one that is long and extensive. We pray that we will not grow weary of helping Mr. Abodiles.

---

That said, you can comment or text me at 09182800351 to inquire about tickets too.

Issues and Non-Issues

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog. I know that I committed to posting regularly, writing whenever I can about whatever I can think about, but somehow I just can't.

I can't write about anything - be it debate, or music, or love, for that matter.

But as a writer, I find it highly unusual that I'm not unhappy about this at all.

As I was trying to input my thought processes into this Blogger screen one night, my sister came by to tell me that I needed to sleep. I tried to put it off, telling her that I was still trying to write - and we began:

"So why didn't you get to writing earlier when you've had the computer for most of the night?"

"Well, I couldn't write then."

"But can't you see that you're not even managing to produce anything?"

"Because it seems there's nothing to write about-"

"I thought you were in high school! People like you always find something to write about-"

"But I can't."

"Ah, so what happened to your issues? You don't seem to feel you have any problems right now, do you?"

"No."

"Ah. That's WHY YOU CAN'T WRITE."

So just that came to me: that I might actually be satisfied with my life for once.

I find that as I grow older I become more introspective and more open-minded. In stark contrast to before wherein I used to fear the past - the events, and what people made of such events - I'm now beginning to welcome discussion of the then without qualm or apprehension. Once the solutions to my previous problems begin to show themselves to me, I act quickly on them and see how I may use these solutions proactively to prevent the growth of others. In my moments of silence, I think about the big picture and how seemingly minute details work themselves into a more comprehensive world view. I've learned also not to take on the burdens of my friends - instead helping them to solve their own problems.

While I may have had some misgivings about not being able to involve myself as deeply as I did in some things (like my friends' constantly problematic relationships with people) I found that it's caused me to feel better about life in general. I don't worry so much, I don't make such a fuss about so much anymore...

But above all, though, is one thing - that I've learned, finally, to downplay. To make non-issues out of so-called issues.

After several years, I feel a lot of what I've did was actually pretty foolish and was never supposed to be done. I don't regret them, but there's this feeling in me that asks, "How could you have done this?" and it pops up once in a while.

But then again, hindsight is 20/20 (though someone I know might beg to disagree).

When issues aren't issues anymore, you're not really supposed to feel anything.

Feel anything but relief.

Relief that you're finally growing up.

Shock and Awe

(Alternatively, this entry could be called "A Tale of Two Tournaments" but I guess that would have been too cliché. Besides, this has somewhat more content. Haha.)

September has got to be my most hectic month for debating yet.

To illustrate, let's see how I used my time this month:

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the month (save for last Friday and the Wednesday and Friday the week before) I've used to train my debate kids, without being trained myself.

Three out of four weekends I've used for debate tournaments. The first of those would be NAsHDC (as narrated in these previous entries), and the next two I'll be narrating here.

V is for Viva - Err, Vendetta

This Friday will be the most exciting one in Colegio San Agustin Makati for a long while.

Unfortunately, it will also be one of the most polarizing in recent school history.

Five days from now, September Twenty-one, Two Thousand and Seven, is the annual High School Cheering Competition.

Before I get to the commentary, a brief background on one of the school's most enduring institutions. Inaugurated in the late 80's, the Cheering Competition was first intended to advance: one, the spirit of camaraderie and cooperation within the four batches (the Filipino term for what would be an American class), and second, the spirit of healthy competition between said batches. This activity has typically been upperclassmen-dominated, however, leading to continuous popular favor of the Junior and Senior batches for top awards.

If I'm not mistaken, Senior batches have won all but four cheering competitions; three of these were won by Juniors, and one by Freshmen. Usually, if a Senior batch fails to get the championship, they at least manage to be declared runners-up.

It's interesting to note that within my lifetime in high school, two of such non-Senior victories were won. My Freshman year saw Batch 2005 win back-to-back victories as Juniors and Seniors.

The first time this batch won, the whole building was immediately split into rival groups. And some of these would eventually cause a face-off in the High School Garden. This was quickly contained; however, the damage had been done - no one could really forget about it for a while.

Two years after, my Junior year proved to be even more momentous when my Batch 2008 WON.

To add insult to injury, however, the Freshmen were named runners-up, to their natural confusion and everyone else's mixed violent and Senior-sympathetic feelings. I could feel that the then-Sophies felt slighted that day - how could the Freshmen best even them?

It was by no means truly dramatic; after all, this was high school. In fact, this whole entry even plays up these events a bit. But for a lot of other Augustinians, this whole thing could have been much, much, bigger than others first made it out to be.

Most of the Seniors of 2007, like the Seniors of 2005 before them, tied red ribbons to their ID straps and took their grim defeat as nobly as they possibly could. But no one could stop a minority of students from taking the brawl-and-trash-talk route, and a fair amount of chaos ensued that would further widen the rift between batches.

Fast forward to 2007.

School year 2007-2008 opens. It is announced that the Gymnasium, where Cheering is held, would be renovated the following year - thus, no Cheering 2008.

Status quo would therefore have these parties in play:

• The Seniors - my batch, the defending champions. Although still reeling from the triumph of Tribo Tres, most of the batch is still slowly working towards the realization of El Quatro Latino.
• The Juniors - the once-Sophies who got the shock of their high school lives when they found out their Freshmen had bested them are now building their war machines of tribal chants and foil shields, out to prove their Cheering worth one last time, not unlike the Seniors.
• The Sophies - last year's surprise runners-up, and now Dos Solares, now aware of the fact that they have to top their last performance, and are understandably quite pressured.
• And the Freshmen - the newest members of the high school, Banyuhay, newly introduced to the politics of cheering, and are set to make themselves stand out amidst the roaring salutes of blue, red, and yellow.