Anatomy of the Pangangaya

Often times, I find myself writing about peculiarities of life as a cadet in PMA. I remembered a few years back writing about the concept of “Vaultfiles” as we have it here. Then, I also wrote on several occasions about the significance of the Alumni Homecoming, Uncle Bobo and other traditions that we hold on to even if some people do not fully understand the value of these things to cadets and PMA graduates alike. Today, I write about a certain practice that has come to be significant among the cadets. I will write about the tradition of pangangaya.

During my Physical Fitness Test last 31 January, the mood was festive. Not that there was a fiesta or something only that we tend to put some festive mood on important events that our cadetship. Everywhere, one can see signs and other forms of ingenuity intended to boost the morale of the Firstclassmen who will be taking their last Physical Fitness Test at cadets. The festive mood is brought about by these things that really, although little actions, motivate us to do what we have to do to overcome such obstacle. It is our way of telling each other that we can do it. Most especially, it is the way of the underclassmen to say that they wish us the best in this significant chapter of our cadetship. Of course, this comes as a some kind of privilege as you go up the hierarchy of cadetship. Although the practice has evolved to sometimes include a downward shift of this practice, tradition dictates that this is given by a subordinate to a leader as a form of validation that they appreciate his or her leadership.

Of course, as cadets we look forward to these events. For my part, I was excited what was in store for me when I celebrated my birthday last year. I know that to a certain extent, the underclassmen are forced by tradition to extend to me the pangangaya since I was a firstclass cadet, the effort that they will put into doing it will give the idea how much they appreciate you as their leader. Believe me, even as an observer, you can see by comparison which upperclass is more appreciated than the other. Another aspect is that there are occasions when these traditions mark importance on certain parts of your cadetship. For example the privilege of being thrown into the pool at the sundial is only accorded to graduating cadets who celebrate important victories, their birthdays and, of course, during graduation day. As an underclass then, I marveled at the thought of me being “dunked” there. The joy is not on the actual practice since that pool is basically ice cold early in the morning but simply, it marks that you are already at a certain level that you have EARNED the right to be accorded such tradition. It is a privilege that is not earned easily but a reward for your hard work and perseverance. We pass on this tradition to celebrate our cadetship, to mark its triumphs and to express our appreciation for another.

This tradition also comes in various forms. On your birthdays, aside from the dunking at the Sundial Pool, you are given a grand welcome at the mess hall with various decorations being placed at the entrance or sometimes up to your seat. Sometimes, underclassmen will go into the trouble of composing some form of dedication to be read inside the mess hall for everyone to hear. These words although usually funny are, again, expressions of how they know you as a person. In most cases, it’s the only opportunity that they will have to call you things without the fear of being reprimanded or punished afterwards. Aside from birthdays, PFT’s are marked with certain rewards that you get after. The trend now is in giving chocolate drinks but they say it was different in the previous years. The true essence is to show appreciation. A kind of support to one another to say that we are happy for what you have accomplished.

These are the pangangaya’s that I received during the last PFT aside from those in kind that I already consumed (I had 5 chocolate drinks and lots of junk foods)

Believe it or not they made this mock-up... I found this "sleeping cadet" when I came back from mess

This is what the note said

This underclass really took advantage of the opportunity... The one on the side was saying "meron bang PFT?" in English... We should be flattered to be called Generals but the disappointment is when he signed his name...

This was the sign at the stairs. Although this was not intended for me particularly but I appreciated the "poetry"

I consider this one of the best, I found this after I went back to barracks being happy and all because I passed my PFT

Well, that's the little information I can share about this tradition. Forgive the lay-out...

San Carlos City and Body Painting

About two years ago, I spent my break at my father's hometown in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. That was to be the last time I will be there until now. What made that vacation fun was that it concided with the annual City Fiesta and to my delight, I practically spent my whole vacation partying.

But this entry is not about partying, this is actually a follow to the last entry that I have about my tito's Body Painting Competition which he holds annually since 200o and of course my daddy's hometown.

At first glance, one would think that San Carlos City is a sleepy place living away from the fast paced life of modern society. To this day, the city prides itself with pedicabs as a mode of transportation to go around it. The pedicab is really a pedicab in the real sense of the word, it is bicycle powered. Believe it or not, in this part of the country this is still what is used. But again, I must say that to form an impression on the city in general based on these seemingly backward practices will deny you of the many things one can experience in this place. To put it simply, San Carlos City is home to a vibrant culture that has cultivated itself on its own, truly a unique sight in all of Negros Island (to an extent in all of the Philippine Islands).

The City prides itself with the Pintaflores Festival. The festival simply means "We paint flowers." In this spectacle, the main motiff are flowers in all its vibrant colors painted on the bodies of those who perform the street dance. It is basically an explosion of flowers that sets the very festive mood associated with the fiesta celebration. It is a sight that amazes everyone with the vastness of colors that appears all in one place. As people would put it, it is an "explosion of colors."

Well, other events highlight the celebration but what comes close to heart is my tito's BodyPainting Competition. I personally think that this is the perfect evidence of culture in this part of the country. The provocativeness of topless models being painted on their bodies which has been accepted as part of the festivities is truly something that is worth the look of any tourist. I can say that not many has actually seen how these work of art is done, truly there is beauty in the human body. One will discover the perfect combination of shapes, wonderful colors and, of course, the human anatomy. More amazing is that these creations are mostly locally bred with their raw talents unhindered by expectations set by popular culture. Truly, it is a reflection of a society that has defined itself over time through the heritage that it has developed detached from modern society.

I dare people to witness these events and see for themselves a differnt kind of experience that is promised to be a wonderful memory. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

The Making of a Body Painting

This model and artist tandem won in the 2005 edition of the Body Painting Competition

Did I not say it was fun???

Other pictures

Note: The Pintaflores Festival is slated every first week of November. The NUI Pintaflores Bodypainting Competition is a major activity during the week-long celebration. All pictures that depict the bodypainting competition was taken by this writer. I just realized that the pictures I took was never "released" to the public. Sorry but the lay-out can be terrible because of the limited options blogger provides.

Death in Deathly Hallows: A review of Harry Potter Book 7

Harry Potter have indeed grown. In the Deathly Hallows he was finally the Hero that most of his fans have wanted. The bold one and as the book would put it: someone who would do things for the greater good.

From the sad conclusion of Book 6 with Albus Dumbledore dying and Voldemort in the rampage, everyone knew that the last and final book was to have the answer to all the mysteries that plague the series of books about the young wizard. As all Harry Potter books do, it begins at the Dursleys, Potter's Muggle family.

Harry is already aware of the danger that he was to go into. He knew particularly well that the task Dumbledore left him before his death was not easy and it was the time to do it. The Order of Phoenix being his sole protector was in his defense when he had another encounter with his nemesis while being transported to the safety of the Weasley's Burrow. This very incident led to the first death in the book. This was to be the start of being the hunted as Voldemort siezes power in the Wizarding world and begins a reign of terror.

The first half of the story seemed to drag on the plot of hiding from Voldemort and finding the other Horcruxes. I feel that it took a while for J. K. Rowling to put direction to the quest of the three heroes (Ron, Hermione and Harry of course). I also think that it was because she was trying to explain all the mysteries that she left unanswered in the previous books. This was added by the new idea of the Deathly Hallows which also has to be explained. Harry travelled from place to place discovering things and getting answers especially those from his parents. The thing with all the travelling and moving was it seemed to dwell too much on issues about Harry's personality which was a bit boring. But then again, he is Harry Potter so the magic and the anticipation of getting the answers to all the questions I had kept me glued to the book.

The Battle at Hogwarts was, I should say, a redeeming part of the book since it gathered all of the characters in one place to make their stand against Voldemort. It was a fitting finale that allowed all the characters to show what they were really made off. Like the end part of the Book 5 where Dumbledore's Army fought with the Order of the Phoenix, magical duels really are fun and that covered up for the earlier part that seemed to exclude all of them.

It dragged again when a whole chapter was devoted into explaining the real score about Snape. I do feel that Snape had to be redeemed only that I do not agree with how it was done. I feel that his redemption should have been scattered throughout the whole book. I also feel that the explanation was done "forcefully" (read the book to understand what I mean).

Finally, Harry and Voldemort's duel was not as fantastic as I thought it would be. Although it was good that for the first time Voldemort was found out to have weakness, the duel was just not how I expected it to be.

The book could be over rated if I may say. Its release came at the exact playdate of the movie of its 5th installment. Also, there was just too much mystery to explain and it had to be done in the final book. Some say that the explanation of all the mysteries was the way to weave all the seven books as one story. I do agree with that, but then again, I still think that it would have been better if it was not done forcefully. I also think that there were so many deaths that was a bit uncalled for. I feel that those who died would have been elevated if their death was chronicled in such a way as to portray nobility (like that of the elf).

I still am a Harry Potter fan but I just have to say that I am disappointed with the final book. With an epilogue that happened 19 years after, I do not think J.K. Rowling will have a chance to redeem herself for not sustaining the magic of Harry Potter.

Anyway, I also have other questions: How did the Sword of Gryffindor came into the possession of Neville?

Lamentations of a Squad Leader

A funny thing happened when I was going out of the mess hall this evening. I saw one of our new secondclass cadets shouting at a plebe in complete anger... and then I waved at her... she lost her concentration and started to smile.

I will have to explain. In April 1 of every year we have new plebes who go through the summer camp training. For most of those who have been cadets, this will become the hardest test they will have to go through. Those who will do this job are those that we call as the Plebe detail. The common practice now is that the plebe detail are the secondclass cadets (third years). It is from this experience that we get to derive the reason why the mess hall is mess hell for plebes. And so in the span of two or m0re months, the PMA cadets are divided into two groups, the regular corps which composes the upperclass cadets and the Plebe detail. The mess hall is then divided into something that is the perfect illustration of the difference of being an upperclass and a plebe. On one side (the upperclass side) the cadets are eating comfortably, talking and even smiling at each other. On the other side are stiff plebes who shout at the top of their voice when answering questions. The members of the plebe detail bark out orders while the plebes had to maintain an exaggerated posture of heading up, chinning in and bracing up. To an unexperienced spectator, it would seem that the two sides are on the extreme parts of a spectrum... the perfect contradiction. But of course, all of these are parts of the PMA training that has been their since the Academy's conception. In reality, each perform a task that they had to do as cadets. The task of the upperclass cadets on the other side is simply to eat since they have been through plebehood already, while those on the other side are the plebes and their tormentors (I couldn't think of a better term... sorry)

In reality, the shouting on the other side are roles that the second class cadets had to take. Instead of simply telling the plebes what to do, it is their job to do it in a manner that will not only be loud and clear but also something that will shake their disposition. It is intended to really confuse them and make a hell out of their life. Last year when I was a member of the plebe detail, my already loud voice had to be louder and it had to possess that certain characteristic that will confuse the plebes. So going back to my story, it was funny because I destroyed the whole act of that secondclass cadet shouting at the plebes by simply waving at her from the other side (sorry mababaw lang talaga ang kaligayahan ko).

Anyway, I wrote a second part to an article that I wrote for the Corps Magazine (Incorporation Issue) last year. It's still about roles that we play as cadets but I place a more personal touch. This is unpublished and this is the first time that this will appear to the public... Enjoy

Me and my three stooges... Plebes I mean: more lamentations of a Squad Leader

There are a two things that I learned from the time I started to wear my second stripe: first, I can only do so much for my plebes what will become of them will be their own personal decision; and second, it is not because of that limitation that I will stop being a squad leader to my plebes, I will persist until I am relieved of my duty.

In a similar article that I wrote for the Incorporation of my seven plebes as a member of the plebe detail then, I tried to understand what it entails in being a squad leader. This time around, after becoming a squad leader to another set of plebes (three this time), I learned anew and had an experience that has made me realize more things in my journey towards a better leader. These are my lamentations.

When the plebes were incorporated to the Corps last June, I saw my seven plebes distributed to the different companies. The days of summer camp are finally over and the regular academic term began. They had their new squad leaders while I was also given another set of plebes to take care of. With the same attitude I embraced the responsibility promising myself that I will exert the same effort in doing what I know I should do to these young cadets. I thought that it will be easier since this time around there are only three of them… so I thought. It seemed that I was in unfamiliar territory. It seemed that this was a totally new environment and I had to learn again.

My three plebes are the tallest ones in the crop of plebes that are in my Company. Each of them had different backgrounds and like all plebes, forced into the reality of cadetship, this time around not just to adjust to military life (which was one of the main thrusts of summer camp) but also to reach the standard of excellence that is expected of a cadet of PMA.

Unlike the situation in summer camp, I wasn’t the boss. As I was trying to do my job as squad leader, I also had to deal with new set of company mates because of the recent company realignment. I had to adjust not just to being a squad leader to three plebes, but also a member of a company with new faces and different culture. There were things that had to be done and just as always, expectations that had to be met.

My plebes were not that different really (except that they were tall) they were ordinary plebes who like me three years ago also struggled at the adjustment from being carefree to regimented. They had a hard time coping up and I also had a hard time trying to think of the best way to teach them what they have to learn. From the uniform that I had to scrutinize up to the last crease, to the shoes that do not shine the way it should, all of these things were not easy to teach. And then there is also the much compliance that they had to do. From those that were given by the firstclassmen, to offenses that they had to compensate, all of these were parts of a confusing scheme that will definitely shake a person’s identity.

One of my plebes, the youngest in the bunch, was from a family that we can say as sheltered. Not that they were rich it’s just that his family raised him in a way where he was not given much pressure. His family did everything to keep him away from life’s problems. He wasn’t hard headed; he was just someone who was not used to being ordered. Here comes his squad leader (me) who would shout at him at the simplest wrong move, give him a long lecture on why things had to be done in a certain way and then punish him severely after wards. It took sometime for me to realize why he is like that and again, talking to his parents (and writing I should say) proved to be useful. From the bits and pieces of the stories that I gathered regarding his family, I was able to understand why he acts the way he acts. His response to my methods was something characterized by fear. He would practically do everything to escape my wrath, sometimes to the point of lying. More than trying to make him “snappy” I was more concerned in making him understand the importance of facing our fears and doing what has to be done despite these fears. That was my first struggle.

In dealing with these three, I had to teach them teamwork and at the same time make them understand the value of the things that they are doing. Unlike in summer camp where their entire world somewhat revolved on what the squad leader teaches them, they now enjoyed more freedom and with it they are also able to interact with more people. I have to deal with establishing a reputation so that my word will have more authority than the others, which was the second struggle.

I can not overemphasize more the role of the squad leader in training the plebes. The struggles that I faced, I believe were not just personal struggles but I guess in some way are also the same struggles that my classmates were facing in going about their roles as squad leaders. When I look back now, I still wonder how I have endured all those times when I just felt I had the worst job in the world. When I first see them in their civilian clothes during reception, I thought changing them was impossible. Now, almost a year after, they smile at me when they see me. Not because I was very kind to them, but because we have come into terms with the reality that our jobs, them as plebes and mine as a squad leader, was part of a glorious scheme that has endured and stood the test of time. More importantly, all of us have gone through a sacred rite of entry that nobody will be able to understand unless he or she has gone through it themselves.

Today is four days before graduation. The day after that, my seven plebes in summer camp and my three during the regular corps will have their first stripe as new thirdclassmen (yes, I am proud to say none of them resigned or got discharged, its not because I am just good, it’s simply luck). One will be taking the removal exams but I am confident he will pass it. In 01 April, another set of plebes will come and a new cycle begins. I will move on to become a firstclass cadet. There will be new squad leaders and when Incorporation Day comes, my then plebes will become the new tigers. I will see them with their buddies (the new plebes) and will just hope that what I taught them will have some reflection in the way they will handle their new role. I am hoping that at some point, I have become a part of the person that they will become. Well, I could just hope and as I end my lamentations, I look up to God and thank Him for everything.

The life that I took is not simple, yet it has revealed to me facets of life that I will never encounter have I lived my life differently. I guess in the end the person that we become is still a result of the experiences that we had. Definitely, as I put an end at being a squad leader, the experience has made me a better person and I hope the ten plebes that I encountered also changed for the better

Duty First: A Book Review

I am presently reading Absolutely American by David Lipsky. I intend to write a book review about it once I am done. I am no longer with the Corps Magazine so more likely the review will remain as an entry in this blog. Anyway, I decided to publish a book review of another book about Westpoint that I have read about two years ago... here it is:

“Book Review: Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders by Ed Ruggero”


Like a precious diamond, a leader has to undergo a hard process for them to become valuable. This is very well explained in Ed Ruggero’s book Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders.

The book follows the lives of different personalities inside America’s Premier School of Leadership, the United States Military Academy. The author, being a former cadet, gives a remarkable picture on how life is inside the halls of this institution. The book, which spans a year, jumps from one person to another, from the lowest plebe, the squad leaders, the graduating cadets up to the Superintendent himself. Published in time for West Point’s 200th anniversary, it is meant to inform the public on the how the leaders from West Point are trained and developed into fine young men and women.

As in the life of every cadet, everything begins with the first day, In the case of the book, it begins on 29 June 1998 the day the Class of 2002 reports for duty, R-Day as they call it, the day they formally become cadets (new cadets for now). Bob Friesema, Jacque Messel and Pete Haglin are the three personalities focused in this part of the book. They begin as young teenagers having the distinction of being accepted as cadets. Some are hesitant to make the final decision while others are very eager to come. At this stage, almost everything is uncertain, the parents wonder if their child will make it and fit in, the new cadets fear the unknown while the administration, the officers and the upperclass cadets, who will train these new cadets are not sure if they have prepared enough for this day. The anticipation then shifts to the rigorous training of “Beast” were the new cadets learn the most basic and essential part of their training – obedience. Everything does not seem to make sense for everything seems to happen so fast and everything they do is a mistake. They learn to follow an order to the last letter. The lives of the three new cadets are now undergoing a drastic change from being normal kids in their old high schools; suddenly they begin their West Point experience.

Another perspective is also shown – that of the upperclass cadets and the officers. Grady Jett, Shannon Stein, Greg Stitt and Alisha Bryan are secondclass cadets (third year), who are now trying to define themselves as leaders to their new cadets. Like the new cadets, they also wonder whether or not they are doing a good job as leaders. They try to fuse the concepts they learn, their own experiences and the wisdom handed down to them by their superiors; juggle all of these concepts and try their best to be the best leaders they can. At this stage, Kevin Bradley, a firstclass cadet (fourth year) also learns to command a company under the guidance of his Tactical Officer, Major Rob Olson. Again, another style of leadership is illustrated and another method of teaching is employed. The company commander learns to decide on his own while the Tac (Tactical Officer) employs a method to teach Bradley how is it to be in charge of a Company.
As Beast ends, the characters again face another challenge crucial to their training as leaders – academics. The new cadets adjust to the system of academics in their new school and the way they handle themselves amidst the other requirements they have to meet. Here, the new cadets, now called as plebes, try to understand the system that will change them from taking orders to giving out orders in the coming years. The grueling academics is coupled with other competencies that they must master; athletics, table duties, plebe knowledge and even current events. More important also is that they begin to understand the facets of leadership they observe. They begin to make their own preferences regarding different leadership styles applied to them. Little by little, they begin to form their own concept of themselves as leaders.

There is also a very good illustration on another essential part of their training – athletics. The cadets, who are mostly talented athletes, are now faced with expectations, not just from their instructors but expectations of the soldiers they will lead once they graduate. So many issues are addressed from that of women being considered physically inferior to the pressure of maintaining a slim body. Believe it or not, like any other colleges in the US, West Point is not spared from eating disorder cases within the Corps of Cadets.

The most crucial also is in the area of character building foremost of which is the Cadet Honor Code. The description is very vivid on the implementation of the Honor System, to how it is taught to the cadets and to the various opinions regarding the code. In the recent years, drastic changes have been done in the implementation of the code. The new Superintendent has deviated from the previous doctrine of absolute dismissal once found guilty; instead, other punitive measures are applied to the cadet, the goal of which is rehabilitation. The rationale is that since West Point is a learning institution anyone must be given the chance to fail for failing is an important part of learning.

Finally, the year ends. The soon to be yearlings are now preparing themselves for the new responsibility they will shoulder, the secondclassmen are ready to take on greater responsibilities as firstclassmen and the new lieutenants wonder if they really are prepared for the real thing at the same time nostalgic over leaving their home for the last four years. The book is very enlightening. It was as if I can see myself inside the pages. The making of a leader is not an easy process as very much shown in the book. I have come to realize the various aspects of leadership and like the cadets in the book, wonder whether or not the process I am going through will prepare me for the real thing. At certain points, I was taken aback by the experiences of the main personalities, realizing that their own angst mirror the kind of feeling I have regarding my training. The reality of what is waiting for me out there is very much superimposed. Reading the book allowed me to make an assessment of myself realizing the magnitude of the responsibility I am being prepared for. This book is also very apt to other students of leadership. The concepts illustrated are very much basic and can be applied even in areas other than the military. I definitely recommend it to everybody

When we sincerely love our brethren…

(This was the article that I wrote for Project ISLAM that was published in the Academic issue of the Corps Magazine. I am hoping that by publishing this article in my blog many more can understand the power of genuine love)

What would it take to end the war between the Christians and Muslims?

This is a question that confronts many of us. In the Philippines alone, we have a long history of Muslim insurgency. We have had generations and generations of Christians and Muslims fighting each other, to the point that it has affected many of our countrymen, including the state of our country’s progress.

In one Muslim Community in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte could lie the answer to this question.

Delabayan is a small Muslim community of about 300 families. In March 2000, this community became the stage of the country’s most recent war between the Armed Forces and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

What began as the MILF’s show of force when they attacked Kauswagan town triggered a full- scale war, the biggest in our recent history. The place became an instant war zone that displaced the many civilians that occupied the place. This was also to become one of the biggest miracles that will happen between Filipino Christians and Muslims.

God’s Call

On 26 March 1999, Pastor Florentino de Jesus spoke to a group of people. He spoke about genuinely loving all Muslims.

In his sermon, he used the verse in Genesis 17:20 which said “…as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers…”

He challenged everyone – including then Major Johnny Macanas – in that gathering to show love to the Muslims.

As a young man, Major Macanas’ idea of Muslims was full of biases. Like most of us, he was told of stories that were full of hatred for the Muslims. He believed that they can not be trusted, that they destroy everything that this country stands for and, much worse, he believed that they should all go to hell.

He carried this bias even when he became a soldier. As a young lieutenant early in his military career, he always kept his distance from the Muslims, believing that they might do something bad to him. When he was assigned to Lanao del Sur in 1989, he isolated himself from the Muslims even if his unit was situated at the heart of a Muslim community.

In the six months that he was assigned with that unit, he was always suspicious of them –increasing his hatred more and more. At one point, he quarreled with a fellow Muslim officer simply because of his biases.

On this day, he was “convicted” when Pastor de Jesus challenged those who heard his message, thus: “Who are we to hate and curse the Muslim people who God had blessed and loved so much?”

As a devout Christian, these words reverberated inside his heart, and tears started to flow from his eyes. He felt a sense of guilt that, eventually, he realized that his biases were baseless and that he was cursing a people that God himself had blessed and loved.

At that moment, he prayed to God and said, “Lord, if you want to use my life to bless the Muslims, I am willing.” Thus the acronym ISLAM was born; it means “I Sincerely Love All Muslims.”

With Major Macanas’ change of perspective, there was a drastic change in the way he treated the Muslims. While before, he had wanted them all to go to hell, this time he felt a sense of compassion that he never felt before.

He wanted so badly to show to the Muslims that he genuinely loves them.

By June 1999, he became the Civil Military Officer (G7) of the 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City. In his position, he was able to visit many Muslim areas, further enhancing his appreciation for their culture, especially the religion of the people that he formerly cursed. But still he was longing for the perfect opportunity for him to show his new “bias” for the Muslims.

The war with the Muslims: The overflowing of genuine love.

In March 2000, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front attacked Kauswagan town in Lanao del Norte. When the Armed Forces conducted its offensives, the rebels retreated to the community of Delabayan, displacing everyone in that community as their home suddenly became a war zone.

Thus began the all-out war against the MILF.

Major Macanas, being the G7 (Staff function for Civil Military Operations), was immediately tasked to take care of the evacuees that were displaced. Even at this point, the biases of our culture became clear as the Christians and Muslims were separated for no apparent reason.

The Christians evacuated to Iligan City while the Muslims went to Marawi City. When then President Estrada ordered the release of one thousand sacks of rice for the evacuees, only ten percent of this rice reached the Muslims.

While the Muslims in Marawi were dying of hunger, the Christians in Iligan were celebrating the “punishment” of the Muslim people. Major Macanas, performing his official function, immediately dispatched the Division’s resources to save the Muslims. His first project was medicine distribution to the evacuation center in Marawi. As he was supervising this project, he wondered why the Muslims were not happy with what they were receiving, prompting him to ask one older woman in Visayan:

“Nganong dili man ka malipay sa among tabang? (Why are you not happy with the help we are extending?)

“Unsaon man namo ang tambal nga tulo naman mi kaadlaw way kaon? (What use will we have with the medicine when we have not eaten for three days?)

At that instant, Major Macanas felt this heavy burden which prompted him to go to one area and cried out to God. While praying, it was as if God spoke to him, thus: “I allow this war to happen to create a desperate need for the Muslims.”

At that point, he realized that this was God’s Golden Opportunity. With the division not having any resources to address the concern of the hungry Muslims, he sought the help of the different Bible-believing Christians in Cagayan de Oro City, dubbing it as Project ISLAM.

This was not easy for him. Almost all of the churches he went to did not want to extend their help. But he continued because, as he would say, he was heeding a command from God. The first big break came when Pastor Alex Eduave of the Pentecostal Church of God heard of his initiative.

Pastor Eduave was the last person anyone could expect to help the Muslims. His brother, who was a soldier, was brutally mutilated by Muslims who even plucked out his eyes. But his faith was more powerful and he sensed the same burden that Major Macanas felt.

In May 2000, the two finally met and, immediately, Pastor Eduave mobilized his church to gather support for the Muslim evacuees in Marawi. In a week’s time, after their initial meeting, two Army trucks were heading towards Marawi City, full of Christians willing to help the Muslims. They gave food, medicine and even conducted parlor games for the children to make them forget the trauma of war.

In that activity, the Muslims were as amazed as the helping Christians for they, too, believed that all Christians are out to kill them.

When Pastor Eduave handed a measly two kilos of rice to one older man, he said, “Bapa (lolo in Maranaw) pasensya na kayo at ito lang ang nakayanan namin.”

The old man replied, “Pastor wala mi nagtan-aw sa kagamay sa inyong gihatag, ang nakit-an namo ay ang kadako sa inyong kasing kasing.” (Pastor, we do not look at how small your gift is, what we see is how big your heart is.)

That brought tears to Pastor Eduave who realized the amazing power that genuine love can do.

When an imam was interviewed by the media, he did not have anything to say other than simply “unbelievable.”

The children who participated in the parlor games almost forgot that they were victims of war. They had big smiles on their faces as they had fun playing with the Christian groups that were there.

When the group left that day, the children were crying, they were holding on to their new- found friends and it was as if they never wanted the Christians to go.

As soon as they got back to Cagayan de Oro City, they started to tell the miracles that happened in Marawi City that day. They started to talk in different churches, gaining more and more support from other Christian groups.

In the succeeding months, there were more trips to Marawi that were of the same nature.

They preached no Christianity; they simply showed the Muslims genuine love.

Rebuilding Delabayan

When Camp Abu Bakar, MILF’s stronghold, was finally captured in September 2000, it also ended the war – prompting the evacuees to go back to their land and start a new life.

On the same month, 30 families led by Sultan Kamlon Moner went back to Delabayan. They did not know how to rebuild their lives. They simply said that if they were to die of hunger, it would be better that it happened in their homeland.

General Roy Cimatu, who was then the Division commander, gave specific instructions to Major Macanas to rebuild Delabayan. He said that when he graduated as a young lieutenant in 1970, he was immediately sent to fight the war with the Muslims.

Now that he was a general, it was still the same war that he was fighting.

On the first Friday that the group of Sultan Moner arrived in Delabayan, they gathered together and prayed to Allah to help them. They prayed for food and other immediate needs for them to survive and begin their new life.

The next day, the Christians came bringing with them the things that they prayed for. The Muslims expected their rich relatives to help them but instead it was their “enemies” who came and brought their exact need.

This happened several times that finally Sultan Moner and the other Muslims realized that the Muslims and the Christians must have the same God who answered their prayers.

Major Macanas realized that they can not go on just giving the Muslims food forever. Something must be done for them to start life anew,thus the immediate need for houses.

This was a huge undertaking that he felt he can not do. He prayed hard to gain wisdom in this undertaking but still it was clear that God was telling him to build houses for the Muslims of Delabayan.

Then, God spoke to Major Macanas again in the form of a small card he saw which said: Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.

This was his confirmation and, although hard, he knew God was behind him. With almost no money to begin, Project ISLAM conducted fund-raising drives just to raise money to start the building of houses. The group was so hard up that they even went as far as planting camote and selling it just to find money. That was how they built their first house and, after that, support from all over poured in.

The word about Project ISLAM was like a brushfire that captured Christians from all over the world. Unbelievably, money was being sent even as far as the United States and people were coming from everywhere to help build the houses for the Muslims.

Now, Project ISLAM has built more than 300 houses for our Muslim brethren. Other infrastructure projects also came like Youth Centers, Livelihood Projects and even their own Water Reservoir.

Delabayan now has the biggest water reservoir in Lanao del Norte and it boasts of providing water directly to their homes.

Muslims and Christians united… at last!

With the many projects that went on, the people of Delabayan still were suspicious that the Christians simply were trying to convert them to their faith.

The leaders of Project ISLAM also observed this and they prayed hard to resolve this gap. It was through this that the leaders decided to build a mosque for the Muslims.

The decision was not received well by many of the Christian groups who supported the project. Some considered this as a betrayal of their faith. But Major Macanas and all the other leaders remained firm in their decision.

As a result, those who did not agree left the group. Now with fewer people, it became harder to raise the necessary funds, but still they persisted, heeding the same feeling that they had when they first started the project.

Another group provided the seed money for the construction of the structure and, from there, everything just came into place until finally, it was finished.

That was the clinching point that finally broke down the barrier of suspicion between the Muslims and the Christians. The Muslims were finally convinced that the Christians were not helping them for any ulterior motives. The Christians sincerely loved them.

Now, the mosque in Delabayan is the only one in the country and maybe in the world constructed by Christians.

When Camiguin was struck by flash floods in 2001, it was the Muslims from Delabayan who immediately took action and extended help to the Christian victims.

It became clear that love begets love. The people of Delabayan, with very little resources to spare, gave their own malongs so that they can at least show their love to the Christian victims.

Just recently, a soldier got wounded and strayed near the area of Delabayan. If this happened before the all-out war, the soldier would have been killed by the Muslims themselves. This time around though, a miracle happened. The farmer who saw this wounded soldier brought him to Delabayan and the community nursed him back to good health.

When the officers of the 4th Division learned of this, they were simply amazed, for this has never happened before. For those who took part in Project ISLAM, they knew that it was the fruit of showing genuine love to their brethren.

These are only some events that have never happened in recent history: Christians and Muslims showing each other genuine love.

Project ISLAM today

Today, Project ISLAM continues to help the people of Delabayan in improving their lives and sowing love. They have started to send the youth of Delabayan to college to further help in the building of this community.

These scholars will become the pioneers in providing the knowledge that will make the community self sufficient and independent.

Delabayan now is very progressive. Soon, it will become a town separate from Kauswagan.

There have been many suggestions of doing the same project in other Muslim areas but the leadership still is not ready to leave Delabayan. They believe that God still has another miracle to do.

The miracle in Delabayan is the perfect illustration of the power of love. It has created an impact so great that it did not only improve the lives of people but it opened eyes to a possible solution to the conflict between Christians and Muslims.

Muslims from Delabayan now call themselves “born-again Muslims,” a new term that evolved as a result of the amazing events that unfolded in the former war zone.

Muslims and Christians alike in the place now believe that they are people of the same God and that the key to the long-standing conflict between their religions is genuine love for each other.

Note: Johnny Macanas is now a lieutenant colonel assigned to the PMA. He continues to espouse the doctrine of sincerely loving the Muslims. This story was the result of the writer’s interview with LTC Macanas. Project ISLAM Foundation may be reached at 2nd Floor, Kissmet Barbershop, Capistrano-Divisoria Sts, Cagayan de Oro City; with telephone nos. (88) 2315522 and (8822) 740010.

Redemption in the Anvil and another article

I have a reason to celebrate. Standing in the rear this morning during the early morning flag raising ceremony, it was announced to the whole PMA community that the Corps magazine was awarded the Anvil Award for best Public Relation Tool as a School magazine (I do not exactly know the official award but this is what I was told). Although I am done with the Corps Magazine now, I have been a part of all the issues that came out in the last 3 years or so and have always aspired to come up with good articles, took the extra effort to really find some good story and really did my best. And so, in my silence standing so far away from where everybody's attention was directed, I could just be glad that somehow I was part of something good for the Academy.

I am actually contemplating on redemption. Its not that I want to take credit for the award but in state, after what I have been through, somehow, I am looking for something that will redeem myself from the allegations thrown at me as a result of the article I was supposed to write. Just imagine how hard it was for me to forego any break until August of this year just because someone was offended when I asked about people's opinion on something that I was writing on. Of course that also include some harsh words, certain deprivation of the things that I like to do (writing that is) and definitely the fear that it has caused me when it dawned on me that I just might lose my cadetship. You could just imagine how redeeming it was when something that you did is recognized. Not to mention the fact that it was my words that carried the Corps Magazine to that Award (I wrote the write-up that came with the 6 issues included in the package that was the basis for the award). I may seem desperate or just craving for recognition, but when my very credibility is questioned and my innocence is doubted its the things that I have done that will somehow redeem me just as how it is with this Anvil Award. I really pray for some redemption what has happened has happened I just want my credibility back.

Well just for your consumption, I am publishing another one of my great pieces (ehem!!!):

THE ROLE OF THE CADETS IN PMA’S PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

This one was written when the PMA Command announced an essay writing contest for the 2004 Foundation Day celebrations. I won the cadet category of that contest and was publicly awarded by no less than then the Superintendent and the Commandant of Cadets. The topic is somewhat serious as this deals with PMA's pursuit for excellence but nevertheless I still think this is a good one.... Enjoy.

“I am a member of the Cadet Corps. I live on taxes of my countrymen; I do everything to prepare myself in protecting the Filipino people and when the time comes, I am expected to put my life on the line for the good of my country.”

You may call that a creed of some sort, a line that maybe frightening as it calls for a sacrifice of life, but then that is what is expected of me and to all the other members of the prestigious Cadet Corps Armed forces of the Philippines. Here in this institution, we are thought to be noble men that will be ready to face anything in defense of the motherland. And so this brings me to the role of the Philippine Military Academy in producing men of noble character, men of great patriotism and of course side by side with this goal is the Academy’s pursuit of excellence. Whatever level of excellence the Academy can offer, that will be the same level of excellence that the graduates will exemplify the moment they are given that elusive rank on their shoulders. In PMA, young men and women with dreams are gathered. They are given a full government scholarship and then in four years time, the country watches as they are molded into the finest men and women of character, of courage integrity and loyalty and, of course, of excellence.

The Philippine Military Academy has been undergoing so many changes. It is also undeniable that so much has been said on these programs. Some say, that it is a desperate attempt to please the people who have been criticizing the way PMA cadets are trained. Still others say that it is because of pressures from various sectors that are angry with the military, the academy included. This is the dilemma, the pursuit for excellence in a changing PMA amidst the various opinions of different sectors, all this in the hope that the graduates will be men that will exemplify the highest order of character and love for country. That, in itself, can be a frightening dilemma, a seemingly impossible goal or maybe an expectation too great to achieve.

This generation of cadets are in a period of confusion. There are those who were already cadets before the changes were implemented such that they have been raised in a different culture that the command is now trying to change. And, of course, the new breeds, those that are totally unaware of how it was before and are the focus of attention of everybody, those that are believed to break the status quo, the hope of the Academy. This is a very interesting characteristic as it provides a distinction on the different points of view of cadets regarding the pursuit of excellence. And so we go to another question, how do we pursue excellence in an environment where everybody does agree on what to pursue? These generations of cadets are the key in pursuing excellence in the academy. In my point of view, pursuing excellence at this point of time is getting rid of the culture of malpractices that have developed through the years. Sad to say, malpractices in the Cadet Corps has become a culture that has evolved through the years, unchecked and becoming more and more grave each generation. Unknowingly, cadets have adopted this practices and accepting it as simply natural and thus the cycle goes on and on creating a status quo that is now deeply rooted within the ranks of the Cadet Corps. When I was a plebe I hated being hazed, being “shabbied” and being subjected to so many things that I can not understand. As a result, I promised myself that I will never do anything that I hated to any of my future underclassmen. Later on, I realized that my attitude has changed towards things. I always reasoned that it is never the fault of any cadet to be exposed to the malpractices that he or she was subjected to or is doing to his or her underclass. I was just convinced that every malpractice that I hated is enough reason for me to go on with my training bearing in mind that in the long run, it will be my turn to be an upperclassmen and when that time comes it will also be my turn to practice what I think is the antidote to those malpractices that I hated. The pursuit of excellence in this changing PMA environment, I believe, is not about programs being implemented by the Command, it is about how to change the existing culture of cadets. The cadets may adapt to the programs being implemented and eventually they will figure out ways on how to tamper with these programs for their advantage, but the way I see it the cadet culture should deviate from this present culture. The new culture should be a culture where a cadet refuses to subject his or her subordinates to the corruption that he has been exposed to. A culture where “snappity” is not based on comparison as to how the previous classes went through cadetship, more particularly plebehood, but based on the how each cadet is trying his best to live up to the ideals of the academy and the expectations of the Filipino people. As a line in Desiderata say:”Do not compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter.” Yes, some cadets are bitter, not for some valid reason but because they chose to be bitter. They’d rather see their underclassmen undergo the same corruption that they were subjected to rather than work towards the elimination of these practices. They are so bitter that they fail to see beyond the malpractice and realize that something must be done to stop this. They are bitter because they do not realize that it is only through their acts of change, being part of the prevailing culture, will this situation be stopped. Little acts, yes, little acts.

This is the sad reality of the present generation of cadets. I do not wish to put the Corps in bad light, but then this is reality and as men of courage, it is an act of courage accept this and make the necessary corrections. The pursuit of excellence of this noble institution is anchored in the kind of attitude that the cadets will exercise in response to the changes being implemented by the administration. It is true that some of the changes that were implemented are drastic yet, it is also the role of any soldier to accept these changes even if they do not necessarily agree with it. Any responsible soldier will accept that no one is fit to command unless he or she has learned to obey. It is in this context that I base my opinion that the cadets play the major role in PMA’s pursuit for excellence. They work hand in hand with the command in doing what is necessary to eliminate the Academy of the prevailing bad culture and at the same time it is also because of them that this bad culture should be eradicated.

All in all, above everything, it is the role of the cadets that should be the top priority in the Academy’s pursuit to excellence. It is only through the effort of each and every member of the cadet corps that PMA will be successful in truly being excellent. As each cadet realizes that the status quo should be broken, each cadet should make the initiative to do what he or she think is right and start planting the seeds for excellence. It is only when one starts doing something that something actually happens. One little effort may not show much effect immediately but sooner or later it will show something. Our stay as cadets here may not be long enough to see the effects of these little efforts but then we do not have a choice, its either we move forward or remain stagnant and prepare for doom. At the end of the day all we can really do is to live up to the highest level of excellence in every aspect of cadetship.

“I am a member of the Cadet Corps. I live on taxes of my countrymen; I do everything to prepare myself in protecting the Filipino people and when the time comes, I am expected to put my life on the line for the good of my country.”

And if I may add:

“Because I am a member of the Corps and because the country is relying on what I can do in making sure that they enjoy all the benefits of our democracy, I should also pursue the highest level of excellence in everything that I do, identifying what should be retained in the current system and taking part in being a catalyst to what lies ahead in the bright future of my beloved Alma Mater and my country in general”

“…Give us that honest purpose in life which seeks fair deal with everyone and shuns all forms of hypocrisy that will enkindle our fighting faith and smother all seeds of cowardice and fear in our hearts; the loyalty to our principles that places all issues above personal considerations and shuns compromise with vice and injustice…”

-- The Cadet’s Prayer --

Open Call

***

(Note: Since my writing career has ended, I decided to publish some of the articles that I have written in the past years. I will do this as I try to write some more this time for this blog. I intend to do to in this blog what I should be doing in the Corps Magazine if I was not booted out. For the meantime, I am posting some of the articles that I wrote before for the benefit of those who were not able to get copies of the Corps Magazine. I will put this under the label articles for better searching. I will also write some brief background on the articles that will be posted here. Here's the first:

This was published in the 2005 Academic Issue. Technically, this is the first short story that I wrote and is dedicated to someone I met during my first break as a cadet in March 2005. After being mesmerized by her on our initial meeting, I tried getting in touch but to no avail the distance can not be bridged that easily. This was the fulfillment of my promise to her to write something for her and also a way to release my obvious frustration about not being able to receive text messages from people you wish to text. Enjoy!!!)
***

“Message sent.”

The words lingered on my head as I watch those words appear on my cellphone screen with the backlight slowly dimming until finally it faded. My mind was filled with so many things when the message that I just sent came back into view.

“I have 30 minutes to use my cellphone, i-text nyo naman ako.”

The nyo word was actually a disguise to imply that I sent this message to others and I was just simply bored and that a text from somebody was very welcome. In reality, though, I just sent the message to a single person. For some reason, I feel that it was kind of weird that I wanted to start a conversation through text messaging with her. I kind of wanted it to look as if I was not that desperate to receive a text message from her. The whole study period, I have been thinking of how exactly I will begin something that would merit at least one message from her, or perhaps something that would begin a series of text messages that would at least show that we’re kind of—friends. I was suddenly grasping for ideas on how exactly I will get this lady’s attention. The idleness of my cellphone was not a good indicator. As time slips away I could imagine from the distant, somewhere in Quezon City, that she was actually ignoring me or maybe not. Maybe she is irritated by my obvious lack of attention or maybe she was simply tired or perhaps the more obvious reason, she had no call card balance. But why is it that although I am fully aware of the countless possibilities, I continue to be haunted by the most horrific reason one could come up, that she is ignoring me; pity me.

***

I was singing along with the radio. Although the volume was low, I heard the song clearly, it was my favorite, “Love moves in mysterious ways.” I realized then I had been seated at my desk for the past hour and had done nothing. After I had my dinner, I quickly retreated to my room for no apparent reason. I was simply tired. I thought surviving the day was a feat in itself. But then nothing much has really happened except for the endless “bonding” that I had with my friends. I just recently graduated my pre-law course and although I will begin law school in a few months, I am enjoying this break from school even if it will soon come to an end. So this is how life is when you have nothing else to do. A few months back, I was thinking of this elaborate plan on what I will do the moment I graduate. I thought all the while that I will be able to do everything that I have conceived in my head only to realize that after a while, I have done everything that I thought of doing. I glanced at my watch, it was 9:32. I realized then that I had practically done nothing for the past hour. But then, I have all the time in the world. The fact that I had done nothing for the past hour brought the feeling of contentment. I was contented simply because I know I was free. I was free from a schedule that would dictate when I will wake-up, when I will go on gimmicks. Now, I can sit on my desk for one hour and do nothing. It is indeed a good feeling.

***

My roommate entered the room and he was holding his cellphone. With a smile on his face, I knew right then what was going on. He had just received a text message from one of his girlfriends who was from Leyte. The smile signaled that something just came up. Maybe it was some sweet text message, a quote or something that just triggered this look that I see him in. I have always told him to stop fooling around but then he would always answer me that it was love he felt for all of them, that’s what he said. Well, what can I do, the fact remains that although I do not agree with his affairs, I was simply some nobody waiting for a reply from somebody who, for all I know, does not give a damn about my existence. If you look at it his way, I was some hopeless romantic trying to woo some girl some place far away, who possibly thinks of me as some mere acquaintance and he was the man, the heartthrob. There are times though that I kind of like the feeling that he gets from his escapades but when conscience sets in, I simply ignore the feeling. I always reasoned out that it is because of his antics that hopeless romantics like me are not able to get the good girls. I wonder how it seems too easy for him when in fact he just plays around while I’m still waiting for luck to strike. I just might get lucky and right at this very moment I hope the text message I have been waiting is that luck.

***

I heard the faint knock of our maid. When I opened the door, she just gave me my phone.

“Ate, may message ka.”
“Salamat po, Manang.”

There are two messages. One from a friend I met earlier. She was just asking if I was already home and also to thank me for our little girl talk. The other was from someone that I met a few weeks back. He was a friend of a friend that eventually found his way inside my circle of friends. There was nothing special really about this guy except that he studied at the premier military institution in the country; he is a cadet in the Philippine Military Academy.

“I have 30 minutes to use my cellphone, i-text nyo naman ako.”

As I read those words, I was confused. The truth of the matter is—I do not know him. Perhaps he thinks that some desperate text message like this will start something that would perhaps make me one of his textmates. Cadets are simply like that, at least that’s what I heard. A friend once told me that they have these text friends from all over. Some of these “friends” they actually court and eventually become one of their girlfriends then the cycle goes on. My father was once also a cadet but I never saw him to be that of a playboy. But then what do I really know about them. Even if my father is a general, I know very little about the military. In fact some people will be surprised that I was actually the general’s daughter. It really is nothing to me that my father has stars on his shoulders. I have nothing to do with him rising to that rank, and I did not have a choice being his daughter. But then although I think of it this way, this part of me seems to intimidate people. I remember how a sense of greatness is attached when the topic of me being the daughter of so and so is discussed. For some people it seems that I am this princess. With boys, this becomes part of who I am. It appears to people that I have this high standard with men, sometimes this becomes the reason why they simply do not try hard enough to woo me. But then again, I deserve someone great, there’s no rush anyway, I still have to go to school. Well, maybe this one is another one of those trying to get my attention.

***

The sound of my phone was music to my ears only to realize that the text message was not from her. The message was an advertisement about the latest promo on a certain movie, as if I can watch that movie. There was still no reply from her and I’m beginning to think that this might not be my luck day. I really think that what I am expecting as of this point is not too much of a request. I mean, a simple reply is not hard to do. Being in this place, I will just be happy knowing that at least she bothered. In reality though, I want something more than that. I want to go on a date with her. Maybe we’ll talk about things, maybe about the book I gave her when I attended her graduation party a few weeks back when I was on break. Maybe after that date, I will really get to know her and that I may find something that would further advance my interest on her. Maybe we can go to a cool restaurant I saw way back. I told myself then that I will bring a special lady there. I completely forgot about that restaurant until just recently when I was daydreaming about a perfect date with her. Maybe when I come back, I’ll send her letters, I mean real letters. Not those that is so impersonal that when the computer goes down, your letter also goes down. I imagine something like letters that I carefully compose during study period using the stationeries that are issued to us, just like how my father did when he was a cadet or maybe just like how her father did when he was a cadet. I’m not in love though. Even if just thinking of her tickles me from the inside and even if every night I pray very hard that God will give her to me. I still maintain that I’m not in love. How could I be in love when I do not really know her? Well, I may fall in love with her and that is why although desperate text message is not getting any good result, I’m still hoping that she’ll just notice me and be more than just an acquaintance, maybe share some insights or maybe share other things or maybe fall in love. Ah, will that ever happen.

***

“What is this guy trying to do?” I muttered to myself. He certainly is trying to get my attention, but why? Well the answer is really that obvious. A few days ago, when he went home to attend the wedding of his brother, he asked me to go out with him. After some thought, I realized I was not ready for something like that. I only met him twice and I was not to go out with somebody I barely know. He seems harmless though, and the fact that I am my father’s daughter perhaps gives me that little assurance that he has no bad intention. I declined his offer but told him to join me with some of my friends. I thought that was safer at least there will be other people around and I wouldn’t be feeling uneasy around him. Nothing happened much really except that we had some coffee and we basically did not talk much and then I had to go home while they continued in some videoke bar until morning.

“Sori, I can’t text you right now, I’m kind of busy.”

I gave it one last look and then sent the message.

***

The hallway was noisy. Everyone was walking towards the cellphone rack. Taps was about to sound and that meant that we had to surrender our phones. In a few minutes it will be considered Close call, it is the time when we are not allowed to use our phones anymore. I rose from my seat and walked towards the door when the bugle started to play the familiar tune of Taps. I just walked out of the door when the phone sounded. It was from her. As I was rushing to the rack and tried to read the message, my battery drained and the phone shut down. There was no time to charge now I’ll just read that message tomorrow. I hope it’s something I like.

Open call has ended with me still wondering what is it that I had to do to get her attention. The sad thing about PMA is that we simply do not have the time to meet people that we like. As for me, she was simply far away. No matter how good my intention is, she can’t possibly know it. I think no one can blame us if we cherish the little time we have for text messaging during open call it is the only way we can at least reveal ourselves to people. With me now, it’s the only way I can reveal myself to her. When most networks offered unlimited text and calls to their subscribers it became an instant craze to the cadets, that explains how lonely can it be. When loneliness set in even the simplest text message can bring a smile to a cadet’s face. As for me, I hope there will come a time that I will take advantage of those offers and I hope it’s because of her. Romantics like me can sometimes really be hopeless, why? There is no intricate explanation to that, within the walls of Fort del Pilar, when people are simply fascinated by our uniforms and the way we entertain them during parades and reviews, we hope people will pay attention beyond that fascination, even if only through desperate text messages.

I changed to my sleeping uniform, and then went to the computer to type the long delayed story that I was to submit to the Corps Magazine. Perhaps I could write something about text messages, about admiration or maybe falling in love. That’s an idea. I gazed at the blank screen then typed the first words:

“Message sent.”

Love on Valentine's Day

When February started, I received a text message with the following content:

"Dahil February na, magmamahal na ako -- Globe Unlimitxt"

Then just this morning, I had two messages, all of which were greeting me with Happy Heart's Day. Finally, my instructor in my first period class just had to greet everyone Happy Valentine's Day. I wonder how to go about these things.

I do not know if this is true in all places but there seems to be this unofficial tradition about Valentine's Day. Not that its a bad thing but just observing the things that are happening around at this time of the year, you begin to ask yourself if people really do things like how they do it on Valentine's day or is it just because of the season that suddenly settles inself inside the psyche of the people? Let us examine this phenomenon.

One may not have realized but in occassions like this most people will go out of their way to think about all the romance they can muster inside their system. Its like an inevitable feeling that convinces everyone that this is how things should be at this time of the year. It is interesting that at some point in a year in everyone's life, they actually make an effort to really love. The sad thing though is that after all the romance has faded away, the month changes, it is so easy to forget about love and just be reminded about it when February comes back again and everything is red.

In a conversation with my sister about a week ago, I was telling her about love being a state of a person and not some feeling. I told her that it is really not about the other person that we choose to love but its about the person that we become out of the love that we give. In my experience as a person who has always tried his best to give out love to the people I care about, I have learned that no matter how things will be we never lost in love, instead we find out things that we do not know existed. These things allow as to go on loving without really thinking of the outcome of the things that we do. I say that it is a state of a person for the primary reaso0n that it begins with a decision to just do it, letting go of ourselves and then allowing them to experience a part of us. There is no expectation of something in return, there is just this wonderful feeling that loving is enough and the assurance of a promise from God who created love itself. The wonder of love is not on its feeling but in its ability to understand and sustain things despite of everything that happens that in some way contrary to our common conception of how things should be. In the end it is about deciding to do it not because our calendar says its February 14, or that there is something that we can get out of it but for the simple reason that not to do it is a betrayal of the kind of person we were created in the first place.

I wonder if amidst all the romance that is around us at this time of the year, we have really made that effort to just love even when things do not seem appropriate for such feeling. It is the hardest thing to do yet the most noble. I do not know how to put this but having been through life and experiencing love from all types of people, I learned that love never leaves us. It always leaves a trail that always reveals to us the beauty and wonder of everything that is in this world.

So I stick to this definition in the Bible claiming the promise in the last sentence:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails"

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

The Character that is Bobo

Note: This is article is a result of a research that almost cost me my cadetship. I am not able to publish it someplace else because of the trouble that I had to go through but then again its a pity in people can not read this so here it is)

Each issue of the Corps Magazine is a reflection of the culture that has been shaped by the kind of training that the cadets have gone through. The opinions are more often related to leadership, excellence and other related topics that are usually the kind of ideas that they are injected in everything that they are doing inside the academy. The feature stories are results of the cadet’s ability to tell stories about their seemingly strange life and coupling it with the kind of entertaining flavor that does not only enliven the tale but also aims to put out the notion of cadets being rigid and automatons. This is also true with the literary page. More often, readers comment that the stories of cadets are usually those of lost love and longing. The reason for that is because these are the emotions that the cadets experience being far from their loved ones and enduring the hardships of training. And of course, at the end of each issue comes the endeared cadet character that has stood the test of time – Uncle Bobo.

The Legend that was BOBO

When the first cadet publication (then known as the Kaydet Gossiper) was launched in June 1937, it was a mere mimeographed publication intended to be published weekly among the Corps of Cadets. It became a hit among the cadets that soon even its name was a matter of consensus among the still small cadet corps, thus by popular vote the official cadet publication was renamed The Corps, the name that it still carries to this date.
When World War 2 broke out and the Academy was closed down, those in the publication joined the war halting the existence of the magazine. When PMA reopened in 1947, the Corps Magazine was also resurrected and soon after Uncle Bobo was introduced. He was to become the cadet character that is not only to identify with the magazine but also to all the cadets who have been at one time his classmates.

Through the years, he has evolved into someone who is not only a character but has somewhat became “everybody’s uncle.” Perhaps there is no other character that is easily identified with PMA and its cadets more than Uncle Bobo. In later years, with the acceptance of women into the Academy, he was given a female counterpart through Tita Anita, who basically carries the same features as that of the original Uncle Bobo.

What does Uncle Bobo Represent?

Ironically the character was intended not to be representative of PMA. As one cavalier would put it “Uncle Bobo was a satire of cadet life and someone we used so we can laugh at ourselves, at our systems, at our regimented lives. He was something we all wanted to become if we weren't so bounded by rules and regulations and all that stuff. He was NOT meant to be a symbol of what a cadet should be. Look, anyone who thinks that Uncle Bobo is representative of what a cadet should be is taking himself and Uncle Bobo too seriously.” This is especially evident with the name Bobo which literally means in Filipino as dumb. Cadets can not be dumb for in fact cadets are expected to be the cream of the crop among the Filipino youth.
Maybe it’s because of the Filipino culture, but nonetheless it is actually the satirical nature of the character that has gained his popularity among the magazine’s audience. He has a belly that is non existent to majority of the cadets. He has always managed to remain a cadet despite of having gone through all the “near-dismissal” experience possible and later on he attributes this to the fact that all the generals out there were at one time his classmates. He wears the chevron of a Supply Sergeant which is in fact one of the lesser ranking positions in the Corps among the graduating cadets.

Generally, one would expect that a cadet like that of Uncle Bobo will never be able to remain in PMA for he is a symbol of mediocrity, but then as all cavaliers and cadets will eventually agree, he is the epitome of what a cadet should not be. It is not really that too hard to understand because Filipinos are, as a people; have been known to find laughter even at very unlikely circumstances.

Other characters

In the United States Military Academy, the institution which PMA is based on, their official mascot is the mule. According to a fact sheet regarding what WestPoint calls as the Army Mule, “the choice of the mule as a mascot reflects the long-standing usefulness of this animal in military operations – hauling guns, supplies and ammunition. Strong, hearty and persevering, the mule is an appropriate symbol for the Corps of Cadets.” Unlike in PMA, their mascot is usually their character that represents them mostly during sporting events coming from an American culture that is very much competitive. Their mule was a response to the United States Naval Academy’s goat, which is the other half of the long standing Navy-Army service academies’ rivalry.

The Korean Military Academy, on the other hand, has Muraky. He is the embodiment of their motto which is Wisdom, Integrity and Courage. Not much can be researched about their character owing to the limited information on this character but just the same theirs symbolize a character that is closely identified with their institution.

Here in the Philippines, PMA’s counterpart in the Philippine National Police Academy has Cadet Abutalams who, similarly, is also immortalized inside the pages of their official cadet publication, Kalasag. The name Abutalams is derived from the term “malatuba” which in local slang is an epitome of being shabby. The character appears in the form of comic strips where he finds himself in humorous situations during his training in the Police Academy. Like Uncle Bobo, Cadet Abutalams tries to find humor amidst the regimented cadet training which includes getting away with his laxities.

In the University of the Philippines, student’s call themselves as Isko (or Iska for the females) to mean that they are “Iskolar ng Bayan.” The term is more of a label the same as that of Atenista for those who went to Ateneo. But unlike that of Ateneo, Isko has been given a character for the term is considered to be more an entity rather than just a name to call students of UP collectively. In a play aptly entitled Isko’t Iska presented in UP – Los Baños, Isko is portrayed as a UP student who has to deal with the daily pressures of UP life. In a deeper analysis, owing to the extent of freedom that those in UP are allowed, Isko is the embodiment of the hardships and many challenges of student life in an academic community that has so much variety and spice. Isko deals with all of this and tries his best to do what he is supposed to do as a student – to study that is.

Of course, who could forget Uncle Sam and Juan dela Cruz, the characters closely identified as American and Filipino respectively. Much has been written about the origin and nature of these characters but just the same they embody a feature that is unique to the people they represent. For Uncle Sam he is portrayed as someone with authority perhaps owing to the authority figure of the United States. For our beloved Juan dela Cruz, he is often found wearing the traditional salakot and is more of a common man just as how most Filipinos portray themselves.

There are still other characters that can not be accommodated in this write up but generally it is obvious that their symbolism is representative of the kind of culture of the group that they represent. In the case of the Americans, their character was reflective of a representation of their competitive spirit and their aggressiveness. It was a result of the need to create something that could symbolize the kind of people they wish to be portrayed. The Koreans have theirs to symbolize the virtues that they value. Finally for the Filipinos, theirs is a portrayal of simple people who are faced with the many challenges of their existence.

To put it simply, the Filipinos as an observation, including that of Uncle Bobo, uses symbolisms as an outlet of their fun loving nature even in serious circumstances and not really that of role models that they wish to be like. Uncle Bobo symbolizes the daily struggle of every cadet to survive cadetship despite of “deficiencies” that may come in all forms and yet come out a winner.

The Real score

In all these comparisons and existing realities there is something that perhaps redeems the Filipinos in their choice of symbols that they attach to themselves. If one will just try to analyze the characters that the Filipinos come up with, there is something that is evident in all of them. Despite the obvious deficiencies of this character, they embody something that the Filipinos can be proud of – that is the enduring attitude and perseverance that is not only evident in their character but also in the portrayal that they receive.

In Uncle Bobo’s corner, he gives advices to letter senders that are, although filled with humorous remarks, but in reality are witty solutions to simple problems. If there is one thing that redeems Uncle Bobo despite of all his “deficiencies”, it is the wisdom that he evokes when he responds to the letters he receives. Also, Uncle Bobo has become everybody’s uncle not because of his looks or his laxities but because he embodies the typical PMA cadet who despite of the rigors of cadet training, is still able to laugh at it and at the same time go on with the training and endure some more. In this regard, as in the other Filipino characters mentioned, the Filipino character stands out, enduring all possible hardship and conquering it at the same time, and perhaps the most important of all, laughing while at it.

In conclusion

The sum of all the ideas presented lies on the question of what is truly in the heart of a Filipino. Is it in the portrayal of being an excellent person that has all the perfect qualities one can think of or is it in the ability to rise above the difficulties of reality and be a winner?

Most people would say that Filipinos always love the underdog. Darna is loved despite being Narda who can not walk normally. We love it when a young man from humble beginnings eventually wins the WBC International Super Featherweight Championship in the person of Manny Pacquiao. And we hope as we watch Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz in ABS-CBN’s Maging Sino Ka Man that eventually John Lloyd’s character as Ely will rise above the difficulty of loving a rich Bea Alonzo who portrays Jacky.

Uncle Bobo is in the same light. Although the Philippine Military Academy envisions of becoming the country’s best leadership school by year 2015, it can not undermine the reality that the Academy is a microcosm of the Philippine society and is reflective of the kind of culture that it represents. Inside the hearts of every “snappy” cadet is that desire to just be free and be able to commit the laxity that only Uncle Bobo can get away with. The reality is that there is this serious contradiction between trying to live up to the standards required by the Academy and the whims and wants of every PMA cadet. This goes out in the kind of characters that they idolize that in the end allow the cadets to be in touch with the person that they are allowing them to go on with the rigors of cadet training.

So, at the end of each issue of the Corps Magazine sums up the totality of every PMA cadet that brings up the real person in each of them. Uncle Bobo embodies their desire to just be free and be away from all the pressures that they are constantly subjected to. It is not to say they wish to dwell in these desires but rather, it is the acceptance that they have such yearning. The point is that in the end, what will stand out is their willingness to let go of it and do what they are supposed to do, following their mandate and be the best leaders this country can ever know.

Uncle Bobo tickles the heart of people because it embodies the reality of everyone who is caught between one must do and what one wants to do. But what is the most important thing is that at the end of the day, the Filipino character will stand out enduring all possible obstacles and being triumphant in his endeavors. That is what the true Filipino Character is even inside the head of a character like BOBO.

(Special thanks to the comments from the Plebes and Cavaliers Yahoo Groups, cadets from the Philippine National Police Academy and other well meaning friends for the information that they provided. Of course, to the bright idea of one snappy senior officer)