“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” -William Shakespeare
Prejudging ourselves and our capabilities impedes us in doing great things. Surely, there came a time in our lives when we easily drew conclusions that we could not do something even before we finally attempted to. Some of us have already chosen the alluring temptation of quitting rather than to pick up their swords and prepare for winning a battle. This, above anything else, is what I consider as our lives’ worst tragedy.
I won’t be a fool denying that we often find it harder to trust ourselves than to trust others. Most of us are more comfortable in submitting to our parents’ will for we have been taught that they knew what’s best for us. Meanwhile, others will seek for their friend or peers’ opinions, leaving our very own judgments as our last resorts.
Of course I am not condemning their significant roles in our decision-makings. Most assuredly, they can give us the wisest advice we could ever receive from anyone else. However, I totally detest that we are sometimes losing our precious self-esteem when we doubt our own sentiments.
This irrational attitude of distrusting ourselves was probably brought to us by our flawed mind-setting that there are two things in this world: the things we can do and the things we can’t. Unfortunately, we assume that the latter appears to be more prevalent than the previous. Thus, we are unwittingly creating our own imaginary boundaries and self-imposed restrictions.
There is nothing wrong about it anyway, right? Well yes, just don’t expect that a life full of limits will be—at the very least—satisfying.
It is very apparent that thousands of opportunities are unfolding in our lifetime. We should embrace them. They are of great importance to us because they have the sole power in changing our forevers. But in spite of this, there are still some of us who would not dare making the most of them because they know that an opportunity always involves countless risks—a truth that no one can disclaim.
It is, indeed, true enough that we have to get through life’s jeopardy before we could finally savor the sweet scent of victory. We need to consume our fear before it consumes us. No one told us it will be easy; we just have to make it worthwhile. Some of you may say it takes a great deal of courage to do that. But I disagree, my fellow Tamaraws.
Courage may bring us far but believing in ourselves will only bring us farther.
I read a great poem by C.W. Longenecker that fully summarizes what I am trying to convey: “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”
Now, I suggest you ask yourself if you think you are that person.

Still uncertain? Start chasing those doubts away at jeromes.deguzman@gmail.com.

The recently concluded elections just showed that the Filipinos are indeed hungry for change.
Political ads, platforms and speeches in campaign sorties always focused on change. The word ‘pagbabago’ never failed to come out of a candidate’s mouth, and though it sounds like a broken record, it always draws cheer from the crowd.
It’s good to see that our countrymen have grown tired of the old system our government had ages ago. The 75 percent voter turnout proved that they believe in the power of their vote.
Now, the elections are over. The public had just witnessed the proclamation of the person who shall lead the country in the next six years. The question: what do people do next?
According to an essay written by a high school student that I’ve read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Filipinos have their own messiah complex. They look for one person who will annihilate poverty and save the Philippines from the crises it is in.
In the elections, people seemed to prove the student’s point. After the counting of votes, what do they do now? Most of them sit and wait for the elected officials to do what are expected of them. Sadly, they seem to go back to their apathetic ways.
While the government plays a big part in the country’s progress, or its deterioration, officials should not be the only ones who do the work. A single person, like the president, cannot give solutions to all the problems of over 90 million people.
The purpose of the president and the government is to lead the state. Leaders need followers—which are us, the citizens. If they do not have such, they will be dysfunctional.
I always hear the adage “be the change that you need to be.” Yes, it’s a cliché, but clichés are the basic lessons we always tend to forget. If we want change, we should take single steps, and the most effective way is to start with ourselves.
You don’t need to be a student leader or a member of a charitable organization to be a catalyst for change. Ways as simple as throwing trash in its proper place can go a long way. If you believed in the power of your vote, believe in the power that comes from small things.
Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Take a good look around you. Open your eyes to reality. I hope what you see will make you move.
As the next president starts his term, we should be reminded that any elected leader of the state is not a messiah. He is human. He makes mistakes, he has weaknesses. Even if he may not be your choice as president, if we want real change, if we want corruption, poverty and hunger to end, we should help him in all the ways that we can.

Make a change at clariceansil@gmail.com

The trophy is open for grabs, anyone deserving can have it.
Today, you may be a loser disregarded by the society. But who knows tomorrow, you may be a winner applauded yet resented by many.
An undisguised failure of the Filipino culture: people cannot be simply happy of what others have become. Some would even push their lucks just to scrutinize for the minutest fallacy.
Our institution—Far Eastern University (FEU) has its own stories of compliment and criticisms.
When the FEU Cheering Squad grabbed the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ Cheer Dance Competition title in Season 72, the group was stormed with unjust comments and unfair remarks from other competing universities.
Luckily, there were few schools who sided with FEU and somehow accepted the verdict made by the judges.
Recently, Commission on Higher Education named the top performing nursing schools and FEU’s Institute of Nursing (IN) seized the top spot under Range 1 which are for schools that have 1,000 and more number of takers.
FEU-IN posted a 74.63 percent passing rate not quite close to 100 but was still named as the top performing nursing school since it was able to produce the highest number of registered nurses which is 1,982.
Moreover, Manila Bulletin’s June 1, 2010 issue bears the headline “FEU, CEU top nursing schools” and this made a lot of eyebrows raise and bellowed undeserved statements to the Institution.
“This headline would have been an impact on the quality of nursing students our country will produce. Imagine, if would be nursing students just based their preference on which school to choose to, and if they based their preference only in the main headline of the manila bulletin without reading the whole story, many will be misled. Surely, the quality of nursing education will surely sacrifice,” this is a comment posted in the TamarawBayan website by a UP student.
The same student wrote a letter to the editor of the Manila Bulletin, stating that the title used for the story was quite revolting and misleading, does not fit the story and is very inappropriate.
I may have a different understanding of what the message is trying to convey. But I felt disheartened on how other people see Tamaraw education. In my three years stay in the University, specifically under the IN, my learning had never been in any verge of sacrificial bout.
Blurting out criticisms and side comments have been the nature of most Filipinos. It does not bode as an ill character of our race but it would somehow instigate a greater conundrum if not given profound notice.
Conversely, criticisms could be pertained to as constructive ones and might also serve as little beginnings for healthy improvements.
Being on top does not make you supreme among all and earning the highest grade in school does not even define you as the best student.
Titles, trophies, and medals are but simple emblems that serve as a reminder of a job well done. They are not exceptional materials that make you a finer or a better person.
In this game of life, everyone has their turn to sit at the top. Some could be sitting there for quite a long time but it does not guarantee them a lifetime warranty of the spot. Sooner or later they have to share or relinquish the glory.
There are no perfect devices or means to measure intelligence. But I cling to my belief that the most important thing is how astute you had lived your life that you had made a significant difference to the lives of people.

Blurt it out at ajmodesto@gmail.com

Student Publication – A student publication is published by the student body through an editorial board and publication staff composed of students selected but fair and competitive examinations. Once the publication is established, its editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies and manage the publication’s funds.
Written above is Section 4 of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 (CJA), a policy to uphold and protect the freedom of the campus press. Surely, a student publication is viewed as a newspaper made by students. Its essence in the campus, however, has been unfortunately hidden in most institutions wherein freedom and truth become words unknown.
Innocence and apathy could leave you jaw-dropped once you get to hear stories of oppressed freedom straight from the people being stepped on. I must admit that I never really cared about other student pubs before; but not until the word purpose hit me like a rock.
In a campus journalism seminar I attended last April, a lot of student publications from different parts of the Philippines participated and their own share of stories were told in a group discussion we had. FEU Advocate was grouped with six fellow NCR-based publications to talk about the current status of our respective campus papers.
Everyone was actively sharing their share of unfortunate, if not tragic, stories during the discussion. The Advocate was silent then not because we are not participating. We didn’t have anything to share at the moment—and that came to be the frustration of other student publications.
Call the Advocate lucky for not having serious problems to share but it’s not the point. That time I was wishing that our fellow vanguards of the pen had the same situation as the Advocate—not much problem in finance, no existence issues and no they-are-public-enemies treatment. But no, they can’t because of two words: school administration.
Freedom of the press entails responsible journalism. Responsible here means eyeing truth, advocating what is right and giving way to fairness and equality in the campus. But how can a student publication practice and promote responsible journalism if their freedom is kept away from them?
Take this as an example of evident hindrance. The publication fund is the lifeblood of a campus paper as it cannot operate without it. However, issues such as holding and non-turnover of funds are among the top grosser in the discussion. It is indeed a smart trick by the admins of schools experiencing this. Smart, but not clean.
Some would not consider the existence of their student publication. Some would even dare to completely shut the organization down. It’s actually violating the CJA, that thing written in the Philippine Constitution. And why do such violations happen? Simple. An article was released about the school admin that somehow threw mud at their image.
Talk about annoying.
I may sound like an activist now but I am proud to say that I do understand why most campus journalists are tagged as activists in their own alma mater. It is because they are fighting for their right, their freedom to write. The guts to talk can be easily given but the guts to take and do actions for what’s right is far more respectable. Why blame these hordes of writers from acting like activists? The pen is mightier than sword, people.
There can never be a perfect society where mudslinging, corruption and some other underground stuff don’t happen; and the campus setup is not excluded here. If you, dear readers, are shielded from your right to information, then we can never achieve the so-called balance between power and subordination. It is the student publication’s life-long job to protect that right. That is, if campus journalists are given their freedom to write.
Lucky are those universities and colleges whose student publications are active and free to be an independent body within the campus. I commend the FEU Admin for being as fair as they can and for being open to criticisms and student opinion. As for the administrations of universities who continue to oppress our co-journalists’ freedom, I am praying for you.
A student publication’s purpose is to serve the studentry on black and white. It’s what campus journalists naturally do. So let it be done.

Let’s have fun-fun-fun at velarde.pia@gmail.com.

Ang araw ng pasukan! Simula na ulit ng isang akademikong taon. Habang ang ibang mag-aaral ay hindi pa tapos sa proseso ng enrolment, ang iba naman marahil ay abala sa pagpapalit ng kanilang mga subjects at schedule. Kung ikaw naman ay tapos na sa prosesong ito, binabati kita dahil isa ka nang ganap na estudyante.
Kapag natapos mo ang mahabang proseso ng enrolment ay daig mo pa ang nanalo sa isang timpalak. Ang proseso ng enrolment ay maaaring madali kung ang mga mag-aaral ay matiyagang maghihintay. Mas’werte na tayo dahil uso na ngayon ang online enrolment pero kung isa ka sa mga katulad kong irregular student, kailangan pa din nating makipaglaban sa mga kapwa mag-aaral mauna lang sa pila.
Ngunit sa anumang proseso, may linya o walang linya, lalo na sa kinagisnan nating mabagal na pag-proseso na kultura sa Pilipinas, hindi din natin maiiwasang matutunan ang isang paksa na hindi nakukuha sa paaralan—ito ang Theoretical Foundations of Patience 101 o TFP101. Hindi ka man obligado na kunin ito ngunit mapipilitan ka na lang kapag nasa sitwasyon ka na.
Ito ay isang pangkalahatang katotohanan na kinikilala ng isang tao na kailangan niyang maghintay ng maghintay upang makamit ang ninanais niya. Nakakainis na ding isipin, maghihintay ka sa linya, o maghihintay para sa iyong pagkakataon.
At kapag natapos mo na ang paksang ito, kulang na lang ay bigyan ka ng tropeo bilang pagkilala sa haba ng inilagi mong pagpupursigi para dito.
Pero paano kung iba na ang sitwasyon? Isipin mo na lang ang dinadanas ng mga taong mahigpit ang pangagailangan at pumipila pa sa mga pulitiko o sangay ng gobyerno para lang makahingi ng konting tulong.
Maaga pa lang ay nakapila na sila, umaasa na mapansin at maaksyunan ang tulong na kanilang kailangan. Pero ano nga ba namang magagawa ng taong humihingi ng tulong kundi matutunan ang salitang “maghintay”.
Kung tutuusin nakapagtataka kung bakit kailangan pang dumaan sa ganito kahabang proseso, hindi ba’t buwis naman na binabayad natin ang pinapamahagi nila? Bakit pa kaya natin kailangang maghintay ng mahabang panahon upang tayo ay mapansin? Pero kung makikita mo sa mga anunsyo ng mga pulitiko, mas malaki pa ang kanilang mga pangalan kaysa sa mga benepisyo na kanilang ipinamamahagi. Tipong galing sa sarili nilang bulsa ang tulong na kanilang binigay.
Naalala ko kapag pumipila kami sa isang sangay ng gobyerno upang makahingi ng medical assistance. Alas-3 pa lang ng madaling araw ay nakapila na kami sa labas ng kanilang tanggapan. Alas-6 pinapapasok ang mga tao at alas-8 nagsisimula ang pag-proseso. Pagkatapos nito ay pababalik-balikin ka pa para lang sa tulong na hiningi mo. Pilipinas kong mahal!
Karamihan ng makakasabay mo sa pila ay mga may edad na at galing pa sa malalayong probinsya. Nakakalungkot isipin na kailangan pa nilang dumaan sa ganitong proseso na ang ibinabahagi naman ding tulong ay mula sa buwis na ating binabayad.
Isa sa mga kinaaayawan natin ay ang paghihintay, kaakibat nito ay ang pagka-inip. Sa simpleng pagtingin lamang sa ating paligid ay malalaman natin na walang sinuman sa atin ang nais na mainis at paghintayin.
Naalala ko noong araw ng halalan, napaka-haba ng pila sa aming presinto ngunit ang kanilang ginagawa ay pare-parehas lang. ‘Yung tipong pinaghiwalay pa ang proseso na p’wede namang pag-isahin na para bumilis ang kalakaran.
Sa limang Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) na andon, tatlo ang masusing ginagawa ang kanilang trabaho bilang tagabigay ng balota, tagasulat ng pangalan, ang huli ay naglalagay ng indelible ink at umaalalay sa paggamit ng Precinct Count Optical Scan o PCOS machine.
‘Eh nasaan ‘yung natitira? ‘Yung isa dakilang taga-abot ng marker at ang huli ay nag-iikot sa buong presinto na para bang isang guro na nagbabantay sa pagsusulit at taga-ngiti. Nakakapagod naman talaga ang trabaho ng huling dalawang ito. Kung sana nagkaroon ng maayos na pagka hati-hati ng trabaho mas bibilis pa ang proseso.
Kaya nga siguro habang maaga pa lang ay sinasanay na tayo sa pagpila ng matagal, para kapag humarap na tayo sa realidad ng buhay ay sanay na tayo. Kumbaga rerepasuhin na lang natin ang mga natutunan natin sa paksang TFP101.

Repasuhin natin ito kaibigan sa bill_andrew828@yahoo.com.

What goes around comes around. It’s the one thing I have learned about sports. The first day you’re in, the next day you’re out.
With 29 titles in the rack, Far Eastern University (FEU) is yet the winningest team in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Volleyball. Glorifying the golden days are names such as Wendyanne Semana, Jospephine Cafranca, Mecaila Morada and Rachel Anne Daquis who all contributed in putting FEU at the top of the ladder.
But in the last two seasons, the glory days remained nothing but a memory.
During UAAP Season 71, FEU reached the finals for the third consecutive time only to fall behind De La Salle University. And just last Season 72, FEU marked its first ever exit off the Final Four, making it the squad’s worst finish.
Now that another UAAP season is set to start, many questions are aligned—questions regarding who will put FEU back in the game now that it has been proven that Cherry May Vivas and Shaira Gonzalez cannot do it alone.
Positive thinking and enthusiasm may not be enough now that Coach Nestor Pamilar has learned the art of chopping heads. And he chopped more than one head out of the elite lineup including one-time Best Setter April Jose, libero Rose Anne Taganas and former Team Captain Mary Rose Cabanag.
The most popular reason for the said actions was that “it was for the team’s sake”. But for some reason, I wonder if in the process of chopping heads, were future adjustments ever taken into consideration?
How can the team work with new people in, if even the FEU team that seemed to be really intact did not work out?
Tracking back history, it took four years of rebuilding for the Lady Tams to finally get the 29th title in 2008, whereas a powerhouse lineup of veterans secured the win. Now that there are only five veteran players left in the lineup, how many more years will we have to wait for the 30th crown?
But thinking otherwise, maybe it was the reason why it did not work out. I believe in formulas, like in chemistry. I think, for a team to really succeed, it must have players and a coaching staff that know each other and most importantly, work with each other very well.
Maybe, the revamp serves as the new beginning where the remaining players and new ones will start from. And even beginnings are usually scary, they, together with the rest of the FEU community, must step forward.
Some might say that this could be FEU’s big turn-around. A few seasons ago, they are in; the next few seasons, they are out.
But as English writer G.K. Chesterton once said, fairy tales are more than true not because they tell us that dragons exist but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated.
UAAP Season 73 will, more or less, be a fairy tale story for the overhauled lineup of the Women’s Volleyball team. But it has happened a lot of times, that a younger batch defeated a more favorable team. Nobody said it will be easy, but with a heart of a champion that FEU athletes always have, no dragon is strong enough to be undefeated.
And we should also put the trust in FEU’s recruitment program because it is the same program that built the University’s dynasty of top-caliber athletes like Lydia de Vega, Arwind Santos, Elma Murros and Johnny Abarientos to name some.
Most of us are like the FEU Women’s Volleyball Team, we are starting from scratch, trying to make something out of nothing.
Let the brand new school year be your scratch line, you start from a clueless beginning to a fairy tale journey, where even the seemingly impossible things happen.

Step out of the scratch line at loragene.dee@gmail.com

Intrigues often plague our society. And once in a while it happens when something indescribable, like a really big issue hits our country like a storm.
Those were like the Ampatuan massacre, etc. People would then swarm like bees, buzzing about the latest issue. And then when it is no longer in the “hype”, people would “forget” it ever happened.
It would have been appropriate for some cases. Forgive and forget. It is part of moving on. Now, how about those on-going issues forgotten by the mass that they are devotedly supported? Where were they, months after the certain incident happen? Did they really care or were they just involved because it was “in”?
It’s a case of the Filipinos, that occasional “amnesia.” Or maybe it is not forgetting, but simply put apathy.
***
National elections had just ended and the number of voters had increased dramatically. From 2004’s 33.5 million voters, it increased to 2010’s 38 million—marking the highest number of voters in history. Though comparing to 2004’s percentage of voters, it dropped to two percent since only 77 percent of the 50 million who registered voted.
The number of voters is usually a reflection of the nation’s involvement, or the lack of it. Maybe the increase is due to the transition to automated election but nonetheless it is a step geared towards involvement.
For the year ahead, especially for the seniors and freshmen, make your stay in the school meaningful. FEU garnered Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) 2008 Outstanding Student Services Program award last year and we have many opportunities to do it again.
***
Last summer, our group was assigned in Batangas for duty and was designated in the emergency room. We went to the coordinator’s office to address our concern considering we were assigned in the same area the week before.
The reply to us was that it was really how it is and no group was assigned in the Operating Room (OR) on the last week of duty. We get there and we realize that our clinical instructor (C.I) was not our C.I and we cannot be accommodated in the area so we have to move our shift which was 2pm-10pm to 10pm-6am where there were barely any patients coming in.
After three days of stay in the hospital, we learned that there had been a mistake and we were really supposed to be assigned in the OR department. More so, a group also from FEU was supposed to have their duty there and was also assigned in the OR making the staffer’s statement in the coordinator’s office invalid.
Point is, had we been given time to be listened to, the situation would have been different. The mistake would have been corrected. This scenario is quite common in various offices in the University where professors and officials altogether have the same default answer to the student’s queries. At times the concerns are the same, at times it isn’t. All the same, listen.

Experiencing mental indigestion? Let’s analyze it at jeanecalvo@gmail.com

Having been injured along the journey does not mean you are going to lose. Life has been labeled as unfair and difficult. It may be defined as said but life is not all about losing the fight and losing everything.
Life may bring us pain and suffering but more than that, it brings us joy. Most of the time in our lives, we tend to focus much on what we want and forget about what we need. Because of that attitude, we are losing so much of the opportunities that are passing our way.
People extend and exert effort just to get what they want. They are doing their best to achieve what they thought are good for them. In such cases, they are forgetting that they need some things to help them grow and be matured.
Focusing on what our hearts desire makes us narrow-minded. We are just seeing the path that we want to take and we are taking everything else for granted. We are losing grip of the things that are more important in our lives.
This is just like a teen who wants nothing but to party all night and forget the rest of his life. This teen is missing a lot in his life. Instead of learning the right things, he is staying where he is with his stupid mind. But do not forget that this teen can always choose to be right and choose what can bring him up.
Although, we may have focused on the wrong things, we can still make the right choice before it’s too late. Our success is in our hands. As we all know, we have been given intellect and free will. We have intellect to weigh things and to differentiate right from wrong. Also, we have been blessed with free will so as to make the choice, to choose the right path or to be blinded by the wrong ones.
The way towards success may not be easy. There are many complications and pains. But we need to go on and never stay where we are to learn. I have once read a line like this “Pain is required, suffering is optional.” It makes sense, isn’t it?
We may be living the wrong way, wrong attitude and wrong belief today. And we may choose to live right at this very moment of our lives. We may be in pain right now but we may choose to go on and let time heal our distress. Let us learn how to be right and let us learn that losing is sometimes a stepping stone towards the win.

Question: is this season great for FEU or not?
I would presume that most of you Tamaraws felt disappointed on FEU’s performance in the UAAP Season 72.
Of course, seeing the Tamaraw cagers end on third place again and the volleybelles out of the final four for the first time in history—that’s heart-breaking.
Not only that, a handful of teams were also on a downhill slope in their respective events. Defending champions stepped down from their thrones and champion-hopefuls either retained or lowered their spots on final standings. Although there were squads who still wore the championship belt with pride, it is, of course, a sad story to see the limelight taken away from the green and gold side.
However, these shortcomings must not lead us to lose faith with our athletes. I am not saying this just to make something positive out of something disappointing but just think: if we, the FEU community, would not keep the faith on our teams, then who else would?
Reality is, no matter how much you work for something you want, if it’s not yours for the moment, it wouldn’t be. You have to be patient and work harder to finally grab whatever it is you’re aiming, like a championship in the UAAP.
Getting things as easy as one-two-three is a blurred idea especially in sports. Those schools that excelled this season did not just sprung out of their lairs bearing the championship-caliber performance they displayed. They had their rebuilding phase, which is most likely where FEU is now.
Nothing’s perfect and so as our Tamaraw athletes. We can’t always expect them to be the best on every event the University’s in. Losing is part of winning. Learning from mistakes is included in the process and correcting it is a right turn to the road of glorious triumphs. All it takes is appreciation.
And so I would answer my question. Yes, it is a great season. A great season of rebuilding to charge back as a better team for the coming battles. Optimism is good, people.
This is not the end for FEU. It’s the start of a new and improved beginning. The end would only come once you stop fighting for what you think you deserve.

***
As a sports writer, it is a given fact that you should have a keen sense of observation on whatever event you’re covering. This helps you note the important factors as to why the team lost or won in the game even without asking the coaches or players yet.
Whether my sense of observation is good enough or not, it is clear that what FEU lacked this season was the big 11-letter word called consistency.
Noticeably, our teams always have a good start. They win almost every time, giving us the hope that it is indeed green and gold’s season to shine again after a long drought.
But then, it is also noticeable that when it comes to the end game or in the winning sets in terms of volleyball, FEU rapidly becomes prey to their opponent and unfortunately loses the match although having a strong start.
With this, the golden opportunity for the Tamaraws to once again be on the limelight of mainstream events also slips away. The chance to prove that this is our season vanishes in just a blink of an eye.
That’s how consistency comes to the picture. Consider this: what if we were consistent on the strong start in every game, could we have been part of the finals? If we were consistent enough on holding tight on the opportunity, could we have been champions?
Questions every Tamaraw wants to ask but too late to be answered the way they want it. Truth be told, each team has its weaknesses and consistency may have been FEU’s definition of weakness this season. I just hope that better seasons would come to Morayta again. After all, experience is by far the best teacher anyone can have not only in sports, but also in all aspects of life.
***
Another truth: this would be the last time that this box of thoughts would appear for the school year.
Given that, I would like to thank the FEU Advocate Editorial Board AY 2009-2010 for being patient on a meddling kid like me, especially to my utol Edu and Ate Larra. You guys rock.
To the Sports section, always keep the fire burning. I hope you’ll also have the consistency on taking our section to greater heights.
To my babies namely Mona, Nikki and Ace, I know you have a long way to go in the org. Always respect your elders and aim high. Your nanay is very proud of you.
Of course to my most beloved children namely Anna, Joie and Lora, saying thank you here will never be enough for all the ‘F4’ bonding, working and overnight ube and the ups and downs we encountered, whether they were sensible or not. Kapit lang and good luck, minions.
And to everyone I know and who knows me, thank you for whatever it is I have to thank you and see you when I see you.

Sa apat na taong inilagi ko sa FEU, marami akong nasaksihang pagbabago. Pinaganda at inayos ang mga pasilidad ng Unibersidad. Meron ding mga bagong propesor. Nasa listahan na rin ang Hotel and Restaurant Management sa mga kursong itinuturo. At s’yempre, mga bagong student leaders.
Isa lang yata ang napansin kong hindi nagbago–ang tila walang katapusang pagbabandal sa mga upuan.
Tuwing titingnan ko ang mga upuan sa classroom, palagi kong napupuna ang mga nakasulat sa mga ito. Nakakatawang parati na isinusulat ng mga estudyante dito ang mga lektyur. Madalas ngang biro ng iba, “Kawawa naman ang nakaupo dito, walang notebook.” Bakit? Kasi, dito sila kumukuha ng mga sagot kapag may exams na ibibigay ang propesor. Sa dami ng pinag-aaralan, halos mapuno na ang buong espasyo sa mesa. Ang pinakadahilan lang naman ng mga estudyante kung bakit nila isinusulat ang mga ito sa mga upuan ay, takot bumagsak o kaya naman, hindi nagbalik-aral.
Meron ding mga walang katuturang pagbabandal sa mga upuan. Pero hindi ko sinasabing may katuturan ang pagsusulat ng mga sagot sa mga silya. And’yan ‘yung mga ridikulosong nag-iiwan ng mga numero nila o ng kakilala nila na para namang may mag-aabalang i-text sila. At ang pinaka-ayaw ko–ang mga malalaswang guhit ng mga ari ng lalaki. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ang hilig ng mga estudyanteng lalaki sa pagdidibuho ng mga ganitong tipo. Nakakapagpababa.
Pagkatapos, mag-uumapaw ang mga kabi-kabilang reklamo sa pagtaas ng tuwisyon. Kamakailan lang noong nagkataong pumasok sa classroom namin si Pres. Lydia Echauz isang umaga habang naghihintay kami sa propesor naming madalas na huli sa klase (isa pang problema sa Unibersidad). Agad niyang napansin ang mga pagbabandal sa mga upuan. Ipinaliwanag niya sa amin ang epekto ng maling gawaing ito. Ayon sa kanya, sa martikula din kinukuha ang pagpapapintura sa mga ito upang magmukhang malinis muli. Hiling niyang maging mature ang mga estudyante at tigilan ang ganito.
Sa pagtatapos at pag-alis ko sa minahal kong FEU, nais kong magkaroon ng malaking pagbabago dito, hindi lang sa mga pasilidad, kun’di lalo sa mga estudyante.
Naisip ko ngang bakit hindi lagyan ng surveillance camera ang bawat classroom para mabantayan kung sino ang mga lumalabag sa simpleng pagbabawal sa vandalism upang maiwasan, o ‘di kaya ay matigil na rin ito. Naumpisahan naman nang may camera na sa mga gate, ipagpatuloy na rin sana hanggang sa mga silid.
Hindi lang naman pagbabandal ang maiiwasan, pati kopyahan at iba pang kalokohan ng mga estudyante at propesor, kung meron man. Siguro at sana sa ganitong paraan, buong komunidad ng FEU ang makikinabang. Magiging isang mas maayos, malinis, at mapayapang institusyon ng edukasyon ang pugad ng mga Tamaraw. Ang kanila ding mga magulang ay mas magiging kampante na pinag-aaral nila ang kanilang mga anak dito.
Madalas ngang sinasabi, “Wala sa eskwelahan ‘yan, nasa estudyante.” Tama nga naman, ‘di ba? Dahil naniniwala akong sa mga estudyante nag-uumpisa at nanggagaling ang pag-unlad ng isang paaralan. Kung maayos ka, maayos din ang eskuwela. Kapag may nakita kang nagsusulat sa upuan, sawayin mo na. O ang mas mainam, isumbong sa OSACS.
Kung gusto natin ng pagbabago, tara! Umpisahan natin sa upuan.