Afraid for Pisay

Last Monday, we had to wait for almost 2 hours for Tony Blair's talk. I was talking to Jackie and somehow the discussion came to her asking why I entered Pisay and didn't choose to continue studying in St. Paul, instead. After all, St. Paul is a prominent school and a Catholic institution at that.

I tried to remember. Aside from the obvious fact that we didn't need to pay for tuition and that I received stipend every month, I thought to myself, "Why?" I wanted to remember the reason, not only for enrolling but why I have grown to love it so much and why at the end of my Pisay stay I knew I made the right choice all along.

And so while I was procrastinating last Tuesday, I decided to look at my previous Pisay blog entries to remind me why. More than being overwhelmingly reminded, reading through helped me see why the current Pisay issues don't make me and many other members of the Pisay community happy.

I have high respect for the Pisay faculty. They're competent and they have more than their own skills to show, they have batches of Pisay students who have become better under their care to show.

I have absolutely nothing against those who were allowed to graduate. After all, they didn't make the decision. Going through 4 years of hardcore Pisay education is no joke. It strains your mind, your body and even your heart. There's always the argument that those who fail didn't give their best and there's a high chance that's true. But despite whatever, to not graduate after all that(actually, even just having to leave Pisay regardless of the duration of your stay), well I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Pisay students are the best of the best from their schools. They're sent to Pisay with the hope that their skills will be sharpened and that their hearts will be toughened. That's what you get yourself into and that's what the school promises to give you. That's why both sides have the right to expect the best from each other.

I remembered writing about my Pisay stay in my Ateneo application essay and I concluded with this:

It was indeed hard. I could have stayed in my old school and I probably wouldn’t be as stressed as I am now. But I could now proudly say I chose the road less traveled. Many people already run away at the thought of Philippine Science High School. But that cannot be said of me. I chose to go through the numerous workloads, through the seemingly unlimited lessons in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math, through the pains of failure and through the pressure of being one of the country’s scholars. And now that I am nearing the end of this rocky road, I do not regret taking this path because I know I have become a better person not only for myself but also for the people around me and for my country. I have become unafraid of challenges because they make me stronger. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would still want to be in Pisay because through pains, I have found myself, the people who truly love me and my God who never abandoned me.

I'm just afraid that the coming generation of Pisay students won't get to say that anymore. I'm afraid that Pisay won't challenge them. I'm afraid that this school won't push them to their limits. I'm afraid that the fulfillment and the struggle of giving everything that you can give to get through each week that have formed us, that we loved, that we laugh about now, that have made us learn about ourselves and the extent of our abilities, will cease to exist in the school.

Many people have said they're afraid that the quality of Pisay education will deteriorate. I'm one of those people. And the previous paragraph is what I mean when I say I'm afraid for Pisay.

This issue isn't situation-specific, people-specific or batch-specific. It's sad though that certain people and two consecutive batches (may I just say Batch 09 were my first children as a big sister so I love them to bits and pieces) have to go through all these. I just certainly hope they get their act together soon. It's not only the institution's name they're affecting. They're hurting its most precious resource, its people.

I miss my high school friends

I love my college friends. I love YFC-A. I love ASLA. I really really do.

But I miss my high school friends. The only way I know what's happening in Ray2's life is when I read her blog. Fatima's when I see her multiply and she leaves a message in my tagboard. Greggy when I see his name in Ray2's blog. Ivy when I see her pictures in multiply. And just about everyone else (Henson, Ryan, Nico,...)through their blog, multiply or YM stat messages. I don't even get to visit UP or Pisay. I don't know what's up with our teachers, SCA, YFC, the fair, Science Scholar or just about anything.

I just realized my recent entries aren't very happy. Don't get me wrong. I'm generally happy. I probably just don't know how to write happy in a few sentences very well. hahaha.

waste

We've been cleaning up the past few days. And as usual, I had to scan through my collection of handouts and papers since 1st year high school.
Side note: I'm really proud of myself for deciding to throw a lot of them. I had to let go.

There was one particular paper with comments from a teacher who I respect a lot that made me realize I might be wasting one of my skills that I enjoy most.

Oh well.

Economics is fun...

when you study stuff like this:

Economics of Cows

//I had Ec102 last sem under Sir Walfredo (Wally) Belen. Super great, young at heart and funny teacher. Of course, Sir Vlad pa rin because Ec 102 was made easy because I learned a lot from the best teacher ever. Thanks sir! Oh and ray2, thanks for that econ post. I remembered this because of that. :))

TRADITIONAL ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies and the economy grows.
You retire on the income.

CHINESE ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim full employment, high bovine productivity and arrest anyone reporting the actual numbers.

INDIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You worship them.

PAKISTAN ECONOMICS
You don't have any cows.
You claim that the Indian cows belong to you.
You ask the US for financial aid, China for military aid, Britain for warplanes, Italy for machines, Germany for technology, France for submarines,
Switzerland for loans, Russia for drugs and Japan for equipment.
You buy the cows with all this and claim exploitation by the world.

AMERICAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You sell one and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
You profess surprise when the cow drops dead.
You put the blame on some nation with cows and naturally that nation will be a danger to mankind.
You wage war to save the world and grab the cows.

FRENCH ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.

GERMAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You reengineer them so that they live for 100 years, eat once a month and milk themselves.

BRITISH ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
They are both mad.

ITALIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You don't know where they are.
You break for lunch.

SWISS ECONOMICS
You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you.
You charge others for storing them.

JAPANESE ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You redesign them so that they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create cute cartoon cow images called COWKIMON and market them worldwide.

RUSSIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 17 cows.
You give up counting and open another bottle of vodka.

MALAYSIAN ECONOMICS
You have two cows.
You slaughter one for Hari Raya Puasa and the other for Hari Raya Haji.
Just before that, both the cows were wandering along the PLUS Highways.

PHILIPPINE ECONOMICS
You have only one cow.
So the government claims there is a shortage of cows.
The government ask grants from other countries so the country can produce more cows.
The other countries oblige.
The government divides the grants among themselves, and blames the opposition of corruption.
The people stage People Power 42.
The government is overthrown.
Then it’s back to the single cow.

------

and when your teacher says stuff like:

"There will be a lot of graphs but I can assure you there will be no corruption."

After telling the story about a class who named their Econ course 'Graphs and Laughs,' "Because their economics teacher has a sense of humor. Familiar no?"

"What is serenity? Hindi si Dyesebel yun." //Hindi econ. haha.

Talking to one classmate about Playboy in the Philippines, "Nagkukulang na nga bigas, magPlaplayboy ka pa."

//I should have learned how to write down my teachers' witty comments since high school. I could have sold a book. :)

Filipino victory! :D

I'm pretty sure this news will be in many blogs and emails but I just really have to have it here too. hahaha.

Gian Dapul won the English Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition.

Yes. This is the same competition that Patricia Evangelista won. Only, Gian is just an incoming senior student at Pisay.

It's amazing when you hear news about Filipinos we can be proud of and know not only their names and their feats. Watching the group of Ivy, Cindy and Mariel on TV for their project that won in Intel and now Gian gives credibility to what people always say, we can all make a difference in our own way and make our country proud.

Congrats Gian! :D Good job. The entire Philippines, especially the Pisay community is migty proud of you.

As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

When I'm ecstatic.

Because Ray2 was going through old pictures and was observing her hair(haha.), i came across the pictures with AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, back when he was newly assigned and he visited Pisay. Got these from Rob's multiply.

Just see how ecstatic I was. That's me there, behind Ed holding my file case. :) Nakakahiya pala akong mastarstruck. Hahaha.

why?

Why is it that I end up really drained after EVERY Math long test?

Really, really, really tired right now. My heart rate is so high. I'm afraid I might be one of those people prone to having a heart attack at an early age. Haaay. Kaya I'm writing this senseless blog entry na lang hoping I'd become stable soon. :p

Oh oh oh! Guess what book I'm reading right now. "Filipino Youth in Special High Schools: A survey of Senior Students of Philippine Science High School, Philippine High School for the Arts and O.B. Montessori High School"

Sobrang natuwa ako nung nakita ko sa library. Just felt like sharing. :)

SCA Kyut Kamp. :D

11.09.2007 - 11.11.2007
PSHS MPG.
Pictures in my multiply.

So many things I can say about the event. Great way to end the sembreak. I was sooo blessed. I miss all of you. It was a wonderful feeling being reunited with the family.

SCA Core. SCA '08 (ates and kuyas). SCA '09 old people. Iya, Rap, Gabby, Krizelle, Jaja, Tone, Angel, Lissan, JB, Leah, Jay, Ian, Josh, Apollo, Kevin, Jio. Great, great job. Thank you so much for having us. Thank you for continuing to serve and take care of SCA. Your love for God and passion to share that with others is overwhelming. It was great seeing you guys again. Unexplainable joy ang nafeel ng heart ko seeing you all. :) I love the carolling. Ang galing galing lang na game kayo lahat at sobrang hindi nauubusan ng energy. :D

Fr. Mon, Ma'am Caps, Ate Tin, Ma'am Aimee, Ma'am Rachel, Ma'am Osit, Sir Taf and Sir new teacher. Thank you rin po. :D Thank you for being the people who inspired out batch and are continuing to inspire other batches with your faith, love, concern and patience for all of us.

'11. Though none of you will probably see this, welcome to the SCA family! May you experience God's love through this family and share it with the rest of the Pisay community. I'm excited for all of you. Sobrang ngayon pa lang kita na ang inyong enthusiasm. :)

SCA '07 core. Ben, Cecile, Dane, Fatima, Greggy, Ivy, Jason, Karizz, Lester, Nico, Ray2, Rob, Tin. I missed all of you. Thank you for being there. Thank you for the fun obstacle courses, card games, oc arrangement of food, oc meals and last bites. Thank you for the company. I feel really happy and secure when I'm with all of you. Thank you for the conversations. I never cease learning from you. I love you all. <3 style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Buong SCA '07. We should have a reunion camp or something. :D Para makapagkamustahan. :)

God, thank you for gracing the camp. Thank you for being there with us. All the love that I felt was from you. I know too that the overwhelming joy I feel when I am with these people is because of Your love that's in the center of it all. Thank you! :D We love you. <3

Alumni Homecoming 2007

Attended the Alumni Homecoming last Saturday.


I loved being there. Mostly, we just sat down but I really enjoyed doing that. It felt great to just be there surrounded by the people I feel so at home with. In high school, we didn't stand up, say hi and take pictures with everyone. Just knowing that these people were around us made us feel safe and comforable. That's why this was one of the rare moments when I loved just sitting down and saying nothing.

Like Ray2, seeing the Journ people and talking about the paper made me miss Journ too. :(
Actually, I miss '07, our teachers and everyone else. :(

Before reaching Pisay, I felt a certain nervousness. During the invocation, I felt a chill. In the grandstand, I felt nostalgia. And on my way home, I once again remembered that we will never share the same moments we used to while we were in Pisay. But I'm more than greatful I had the chance to experience Pisay with them. Hopefully, though not the same moments, the taking part in each other's lives hasn't ended.

Sorry. Senti.

Pisay Movie Reflection =)

Those on the right side of the normal curve are the winners. Inside each side of the normal curve, there are smaller normal curves. No matter which side you're on in that smaller normal curve inside the right side of the major normal curve, you're still a winner!

No. This is not a review. =)) Refer to the hyperlink in the next paragraph for a wonderful review. :)

from Ogg's movie thoughts:

The highly specialized academic training breeds a curious and unique culture among its students. Characterized by vicious competition, contained social lives, and harsh predestination, the Pisay culture feels very much like a tribal unit; separated from the suggested norm of those outside the cemented walls of the institution, but still operating a reflex against any extraneous stimuli that comes its way.

Being a member of the Pisay community, I couldn't agree more to the fact that the academic training we received brought out a curious and unique culture that non-Pisay-ers may not easily understand. These are brought about by (1) the sense of pride that getting into that school gives us, (2) the humility that the early realization that there will always be people better than us brings, (3) the tremendous amount of workload we receive, (4) the early commitment to pursue a career in the field of science and technology, (5) the pressure/responsibility to make this country a better place that we receive as early as 1st year and (6) the feeling that we have been so blessed by God to experience all these. That is to name only a few.

When I talk to many Pisay friends especially now that we have moved on to college, we realize how idealistic we have grown. We expect the best from everyone and everything because we know it's possible. We know that idealism isn't inversely proportional to realism. It is when we start believing that we and the country don't deserve the best that we contribute to our country's doom.

I met a couple friend of my parents who has a son in Batch '09. When we discussed the fact that Pisay students don't seem to want to go abroad, they said, "Ano ba ang pinakain sa inyo ng Pisay?" My parents have another friend who is an alumnus of Pisay. His son is in Pisay as well. They share the same ideals. Hindi ko rin alam kung ano ang pinakain sa amin ng Pisay, pero ito lang ang alam ko, ano man yun, masaya akong natanggap ko yun.

The film brought almost all the emotions you could experience in Pisay to the movie screen. I couldn't help but cry.

More than saying congratulations to a wonderful movie, I deem it more appropriate to say "Thank you!" Thank you to Director Auraeus Solito, Batch '86 for immortalizing Pisay and for making all of us more proud of our school than we already were. Thank you to the cast for giving justice to all the roles. Ang galing niyo lahat! Of course, lalong lalo na Batch '07's very own Shayne Fajutagana! You make us all proud! :D

So everyone, go watch this movie! If you're not from Pisay, I'm not sure if it'll make you feel we're actually humans too or if it'll make you feel like we're mutants. haha. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure everyone can relate to the emotions in the film because this film is all about being young and being Filipino. I'm sure we either are or have been both that in our lifetime. To the Pisay people, it's our story. I don't see how you're not going to love it. :D

enrolled!!!

I'm officially an atenean! Enrollment was quite tiring but I guess better than Pisay and UP (from what I hear).

I'm nervous about college especially about my PE. But with God's grace, I know everything's going to be fine. I'll be with my blockmates tom. I hope to have fun.

And had lunch with some Pisay people who are going to Ateneo. Love them, all. I think there's going to be a lot of us. I estimated 20. There might be 30+. In a couple of years, maybe 1/3 of Pisay graduates will choose Ateneo over UP. hehe.

Graduation Entry # 3:Jasmin

“Talaga? Hindi ka mukhang Jasmin,” is a comment I often get. Ano nga ba ang mukhang Jasmin?

I guess Jasmin was a pool of people who really knew how to have fun. Every break the guys would be at the basketball court even if it was only a 10 minute break in between 2 classes. The Sci stream had a different lunch period than the people in tech. We, in sci, would do our Geom homework together. Once the bell rings, the tech people come and pick up our homework. And then in art class, we all gave our best efforts to stay awake. Lol. We indeed had class unity.

Just when people were starting to list down what section they were in, the entire ’07 commented that Jasmin was going to win in the Intrams. During batch intrams, our team with Dahlia ended 3rd out of 4 teams. Lol. But that wasn’t the only thing we were good at. We won 2nd in Katutubong Sayaw. Acknowledgements to Ma’am Cardenas for everything she taught us. She actually also even bought our costumes from Mt. Province.

A lot of teachers have told us that our section had great potential. They have gone as far as telling us we were better than the other more prominent sections. I know na pwedeng pambobola yun. But I believe in that. We were a great mix. We balanced out each other. Each one had his own forte. Brought together, we were one awesome section.

In this class, I was given more than enough opportunities to lead. I absolutely loved leading the 4th quarter soc sci class project and the 4th quarer Filipino group project. I had to go to Commonwealth with my CPU and to my godfather’s house just to finish that Pinoy project. Still, I had loads of fun. Thank you sa isang usapan sa caf na narinig ko. That made me feel really happy.

Siguro nga hindi ako mukhang Jasmin. Pero dahil diyan, mas mahal ko ang Jasmin at mas nagpapasalamat ako sa kanilang lahat. Every minute in Jasmin was worth it. Even if I don’t seem like a typical Jasmin person as other people say, I felt at home. I found great friends. I guess I wouldn’t have even had the chance to know many of those people if I weren’t in Jasmin. I thank God that He didn’t make me miss out on the chance to do so.

I don’t get to talk to many of you anymore but I certainly wish to thank all of you. I was nervous at first to even be in Jasmin but ceasing to be in that section was twice as hard. I learned that things are not always what they seem. Even more, you cannot judge people before you have the chance to know them. May reunion ba ngayon? Kailan yung next?

Graduation Entry # 2:Garnet

Garnet was such a well-bonded section that my adjustment to Pisay didn't become all that hard. All the girls became friends since the 1st day of the FOP. The guys - well, it didn't take long.

We had the most unique schedule. We had a break at 7:30 - 8:20. Now I know why I never got used to waking up early. We always ended class at 5 because we had a break every 3:20 - 4:10. We had a lot of time to bond as a section and well, cram our Math homework in the morning and Art & Drafting plates in the afternoon.

We always stood up for our section and defending our section was almost always a given. During the intrams, the girls cheered so hard that we gained an archrival. We even had shifts in buying the guys water and refilling the bottles. During the kite-flying, we were all affected by the technicality that prevented one of the teams in our class to win 1st place.

Still, we had our fights. Who would have forgotten how we all ganged up on Jasper for what he was doing in our forums? Lol. Whenever there were class projects, we ended up shouting at each other and complaining how the guys couldn’t sing. Despite all that, we end up being happy with how things turn out.

It was only when I was in 2nd year that I learned what the other sections in the batch thought of us. They actually thought we were secluded and that we weren’t even bonded. I guess we were in a world of our own. I didn’t care because I enjoyed every moment with G07.

After that year, we never really got to bond anymore. Actually, I think I was one of those who fell apart. It didn’t help that there were only two Garnetians in my second year section. Still, this section will keep a special place in my heart. All the people in that class were my first friends. They were the people who helped me adapt to a new environment. I will forever remember all of you. I pray we get some time to catch up on each other. I love you, Garnet.

Graduation Entry # 1:ADMU Essay

This is my first graduation-related post. This was the essay I submitted to Ateneo. Pisay really is such a life-changing experience.

//Di ko to sinulat. Dati pa to so I'm not violating yung sinabi kong tatapusin ko muna lahat ng requirements. haha. :))

“It’s not suppose to be easy,” said one character in the movie Raise Your Voice. He was talking to the character played by Hillary Duff, who was breaking down because of the pressure she was experiencing during the summer program she was attending in the country’s premier music school. That line made me cry.

Entering Philippine Science High School (PSHS) was my idea but I believe it was God’s plan. I learned from a classmate in grade five that there was such a school and I wanted to get in. I don’t remember why. But three years later with God’s grace, I found myself at the gates of Pisay.

PSHS is known for the rigorous academic training it offers. I got a lot more than that. Pisay definitely gives more than just an advantage in college admission tests and more than an impressive resume. It has given me moments, lessons and realizations that I will always remember.

First, I have learned that there will always be people better than me. I wasn’t valedictorian in grade school nor was I in the top 5 but I was considered one of the most intelligent in our batch and that made me feel good about myself. When I entered Pisay, I was in a pool of valedictorians and salutatorians. Their presence made me want to work harder. It inspired me to be the best me that I could be. I also learned to compete with myself instead of competing against others. By competing with myself, I have learned my personal strengths and weaknesses. I realized that there is so much more growth in developing one’s self.

Second, Pisay gave me a hard time. I often had so much more than I could swallow. My brain had to be stretched just to fit in all the information I needed to remember for my tests. I had to stay up until morning and get only three hours of sleep to finish all that was there to do. This taught me to be hardworking. Pisay will forever be the institution that got me used to working. I am now used to tons of workload and I believe this will help me in the real world where there is even more to do.

Third, Pisay made me experience failure. When I was in third year, I received my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd failing card grades. I even got a 3.0 in Math during the second quarter. I just had to cry when I learned. But when I thought about it, I realized that the failure was a result of the things I chose not to do because I chose to do other things. It was my fault. I have also learned that failing is not the end of the world. As long as you stand up and choose to become a better person after it, then, failure is not such a bad thing after all. At the end of the year, I had no failing grades left.

Fourth, I have also had my share of victories in this school. During the same year that I got failing grades, I was uplifted by the victories I obtained. I got into the computer programming training pool. I joined and won various press cons for Editorial Writing. This made me realize that I am precious and I have skills and talents that just have to be developed. These made me realize that God does balance things. He gives us a share of sadness and a share of joy. When the sufferings are unbearable, the joys are overwhelming.

Lastly, Pisay has instilled in me a greater sense of service. My education in St. Paul College, Pasig, my parents’ passion for service, and my membership in the family ministries of Couples for Christ have made me want to try out serving others very early on in my life. In Pisay, it was reinforced by the many opportunities that came my way. I was able to serve in religious organizations, academic clubs, the student arm of the school’s Guidance Office, the school paper and the batch council. To others, extra-curricular activities are considered hindrances to their academics but I did not think of my activities as such. I believe that these things I participated in helped me grow more holistically and has given me the chance to share myself with others. This I believe is the real sense of the Pisay education. Its goal is to produce graduates who have a great sense of love for country and the earnest desire to serve others. This is something I’m sure I did not miss out on. I now feel that I owe this country. I owe it to the Philippines to give my best in everything I do, to do my share in nation building, and think of others’ welfare before my own. The training Pisay gave me was not for mere personal gain. I became a better person in Pisay so that I may also become a better member of society. And that’s just what I intend to do.

Despite all that I’ve mentioned, I could not say that Pisay has always made me happy. There were many times that I had to examine my self worth. There were so many times I felt like I was dumb and that I wasn’t good enough. There were times I felt so pressured because everyone outside was expecting so much from me as a scholar. There were times I would think whether I made the right decision of going to this school. There were times I just wanted to quit to escape it all.

But those just stayed in the mind. With lots of prayers and support from my loving parents, I have stuck it through. I am now in my last year, still alive and stronger than ever.

It was indeed hard. I could have stayed in my old school and I probably wouldn’t be as stressed as I am now. But I could now proudly say I chose the road less traveled. Many people already run away at the thought of Philippine Science High School. But that cannot be said of me. I chose to go through the numerous workloads, through the seemingly unlimited lessons in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math, through the pains of failure and through the pressure of being one of the country’s scholars. And now that I am nearing the end of this rocky road, I do not regret taking this path because I know I have become a better person not only for myself but also for the people around me and for my country. I have become unafraid of challenges because they make me stronger. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would still want to be in Pisay because through pains, I have found myself, the people who truly love me and my God who never abandoned me.

As Hillary Duff says at the end of the movie after going through everything, “This is the hardest, scariest, best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Praisefest invitation

Thirstquencher: Is He in you?

Praisefest 2007

March 22, Thursday

4:00pm - 8:00pm

PSHS Field

Free admission

Your reply slip will serve as your ticket.

pre-graduation entries and tributes

I have so many things to write about graduating and so many people I'd like to thank but I promised myself that I have to submit all the other stuff I have to write before I write a long blog entry.

so for now, this is all i can write. :(

speed quickie

I actually enjoyed today's econ speed quickie(s). Yun lang. I just want me to someday remember there was actually an econ quiz I super absolutely loved (loved enough to post a blog entry about it). haha. :D

HARANA

HARANA

Love is the reason of all.

February 15, 2007

4:10-6:00pm,

ASTB Exhibit Hall

Guidelines:
1. The entry must be an original composition not exceeding 5 minutes.
2. The song must be in either English or Tagalog but not a combination of the two.
3. The song must adhere to the theme but must not necessarily be about romantic love.
4. Each group must have up to 6 members only.
5. A group may submit more than one song. One application form for each song.
6. Application forms are available at the photocopying machine near the library and must be submitted on or before February 7, 2007 to either Rayray Alcantara of IV-Gluon or Karizz Morante of IV-Muon.
7. Lyrics must be submitted on or before February 12, 2007 to the same people mentioned above.
8. Each group must pay an application fee of P50 for every song as they submit their application forms.
9. Criteria for judging:
30% musicality
30% lyrics
20% originality
10% adherence to theme
10% audience impact
10. Prizes:
1st place P1,200
2nd place P900
3rd place P600

For more information, contact:
’10 – Jef Imperial (Sapphire) ’09 – Apollo Go (Ilang-ilang)
’08 – Lara Cion (Rubidium) ’07 – Lou Aguinaldo (Charm)

PS. Application forms will be available soon, haha. In the meantime, write songs muna.

Teenpreneur Challenge... here we come

The two Pisay teams qualified for the second/final stage of the Teenpreneur Challenge. This is really exciting. :D

Praise God! This is such a wonderful gift!!! Ang bait talaga Niya.

Teenpreneur Challenge

Today we participated in the Teenpreneur Challenge at the Entrepreneurs School of Asia.

When I arrived, almost everybody was there together with Sir Vlad and Sir Job. We felt so comfortable the moment we got in. Feeling ata namin Pisay yun e. haha. First, we attended the orientation. There was an orientation discussing entrepreneurship, its social aspect, ESA and Gawad Kalinga.

Then, we went on to the challenges. There were two Pisay teams.

TEAM A: Karizz, Kat, Vinna, Ivan, Jannel, Ria, Jessica B., Jason, Paul, Ia

TEAM B: Gian A., Gino, Angela, Luigi, Ryan, Cheska, Edrick, AJ, Dane and I

We were tasked to look for two words, which were passwords to documents that we needed to open to proceed to the next stage.

Then, we were given peanut butter produced in one GK area. We were tasked to make improvements to the product. Then we got to present it to two judges with cameras and a mic right in front of us. Nakakaba. pero ang cute ng product namin. Meron pang jingle and dance. :D PeaNoy's Peanut Butter. :D

During the debriefing, it was sort of sad to hear that we were competing against the other Pisay team and only one will move on to the final challenge. We'll know by Tuesday. I really want to go through because all these seem exciting and there's so much we could learn from it. But well, we did our best and whoever gets in, it's God's plan so I'll just wait for Tuesday. I was just really glad to be there today. Haha. Hindi pa nga ako dapat kasama nung una e.

I realized something today. I know that when Gawad Kalinga rebuilds communities, crime rates go down to 0% and people are happier. Not forgetting the main point, that God is working in their lives through GK, these happen because they feel good about themselves. They earn their dignity and self-worth not only because they have homes but also because they are treated with trust and love. And if their product becomes marketable and becomes a good source of income for their community, then things are even better. What could make them feel better about themselves and blessed than being able to provide for the family they love?

That's why I hope this Teenpreneur challenge becomes really successful. Ang galing talaga ni God! He knows how to bring people together so they could make a difference in each other's lives.

On a lighter note, sayang! Di ako nakasama sa kanilang 3pm lunch at Eastwood. :))