Friday, May 30, 2003
BAGYO, BROWNOUT, AND A BEACH
The Damage Report - Summer Break - Ending Week #43/2
Background Music: "Get Busy" by Sean Paul
NOTE: This is a weekly blog entry that summarizes a series of events of a finished week in and around La Salle.
"... to outwit, outlast, and outplay the disasters and delegations..."
EIGHT of us from the Heraldo Filipino together with our Adviser and her husband met at La Salle Gate 3 last Sunday early morning. We would be the only delegates from DLSU-D in representing the Heraldo Filipino (Official Student Publication of DLSU-D) in the College Editors Guild of The Philippines (CEGP) 63rd Student Press Convention twelve hours up north in Ilocus Sur.
Maycee (News section, classmate), Eric (Feature section, classmate), Paul (incoming Sports Editor), Joanna (Literary section), Kuya JD (Copy Desk Editor entering 2nd Term), Ate Joyce (incoming Managing Editor), Ate Chiqui (Editor-in-Chief entering 2nd Term) and myself were the ones from DLSU-D.
We first took a big van from Gate 3 of La Salle and we picked up Ate Joyce, Maam Koli and her husband, and then we ate at the Jollybee in Bacoor on the Highway. Afterwards we went into Manila and the weather started to get cloudy as we arrived at the Partas Bus Line terminal.
Ate Joyce as incoming Managing Editor was in-charge of paying and in moments we boarded a Partas Bus for Laoag in Ilocus Norte. It started to rain just then. The bus wasn't filled completely so we were spacious in the back. The windows were large and the air conditioning was cold. We left the terminal and the bus headed north towards the North Luzon Expressway. Before leaving the area, I received a txt message from my brother. My dad surprised everyone by sneaking up and coming home just at that moment. After eleven months, he's finally back! But I wouldn't see him until Friday.
I felt good that he was now back and he could take care of my mom and brother while I would be way up north. That feeling of security hit me and it enhanced my enjoyment of this trip.
The rains didn't stop and we headed up north on the highway. Flashbacks of my first time on this highway earlier this summer when it was hot and very sunny. I was with Joel and the guys on our trip to Baguio. Now, it was raining. My seatmate would be my own classmate Eric.
The journey to Ilocus Sur would be calculated to be exactly 12 hours. We had a pit stop in Pampanga and then another one in northern Pangasinan where they sell these very tasty hot dogs on a stick. We passed by La Union and the split in the road that heads for Baguio City. After passing that split in the road, I was now in unknown territory. My eyes wide open looking at the signs as they passed quickly on the sides.
I didn't sleep on the trip to Ilocus Sur. Although I did close my eyes in the evening hours as we passed by La Union and southern Ilocus Sur, my ears were still active in hearing the sounds around me. Town after town passed by... fields... mountains... eventually bridges and wide rivers. Except, when we were near Vigan it was already dark and the lights inside the cabin of the bus were bright so the outside was just blurry.
We had one last pit stop where the driver ate their dinner. It was in some place in southern Ilocus Sur. A canteen on the side of the road meant for buses since they have large dirt parking spaces. I would call this place as "Barangay Bio" because that's what it said. "Bgy. Bio". Bio as in Biology? Or Bee-yoh in Ilocano?
We were still nearly two hours away from our destination from our last pit stop where we had dinner. We drove into Vigan City late at night and our bus stopped there to let passengers out. We didn't get off since we still had to ride the bus to get to Teppeng Cove Resort further up north in some town named Sinait (See-nah-it) on the border of Ilocus Norte I believe.
Arriving in Sinait
Sunday late-night
Another 45 minutes and finally we got off the bus. Two other college guys that I didn't know got off with us. It appears Kuya JD knew them. They come from some other college in the NCR.
We crossed the street and it was complete darkness. Holding our heavy bags we walked down the dirt path and it started to rain a bit. Ate Joyce called someone in Teppeng Cove, perhaps a CEGP officer there, and in moments a vehicle rolled up to pick everyone up. We had to do it in two sets since there were twelve of us.
We entered the resort and well, my expectations were sort of disappointed. I wasn't thinking this place would be 5 Star, but I thought it would be similar to that of Island Cove in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite or something that looks more alive. It was still dark so we'd have to see the place in the morning.
The Session Hall was there and we registered. Then we claimed our ticket stubs and the biggest shocker came when I found out we wearn't going to have our own rooms. The whole place was crowded with delegates. Actually, it's not the amount of delegates... it was the accomodations. Eric and I rated the accomodations here to 1/5. I was pissed off but I didn't know at who. The resort? The CEGP? Our being late? (the whole thing began informally at 7pm that night with several film showings).
Anyways, there's this club house which looks great. However, we would be sleeping on this "attic" place in a cabin with so many foam beds and these other male delegates. The girls are in the cabins while the guys are all in one area. Imagine travelling by bus for 12 hours and arriving to have no pillow or blanket in front of you. No bed of your own. And you have no idea where the CR is or the light, or the electric fan, or the lamp. Nadda.
It was awkward honestly speaking. You're there with a quiet classmate (Eric) and two editors that are older than you (Kuya JD, and Paul). If not in that situation, you would voice out and take action and go to all lengths to secure a room or a bed or at least make certain arrangements. But since the feeling was "the power is not in your hands... it's in the hands of the CEGP and the HF delegation and Maam Koli..." I just walked around following everyone else.
The girls (Maycee, Joanna, Ate Chiqui and Ate Joyce) got a room. These rooms had air condition, but you have to pay P600 just for one night of air conditioning! That is insane!
We did manage to sleep with the girls. I know it sounds all wrong, but their room had just them in it and it's capacity was four. Although if we squeeze in and since we all know each other, we can get all eight of us in there. The four of us guys slept on the cushions on the flooring while the four girls up on the bed. We switched the light off. One tiring journey.
Gising NA!!!
Monday morning
I'm sorry to say, but those were perhaps the most annoying and most irritating words I heard during the past few week. Rowy, from ADMU I think, who knows Kuya JD, barges into the room to wake us all up. Like some kind of annoying drill at a Military camp.
So we get up and one by one take a hot shower inside the bathroom in the room. We make our way to the Session Hall and for the first time we join the other delegates. They come from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Delegates coming from NCR included UP-Manila and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) as well as St. Scholastica. DLSU-M wasn't present, so we were the only delegates coming from a La Salle University. There was this one guy though coming from a La Salle certified place, but that's somewhere in the province.
It was great seeing these different delegates coming from all over the place. Sometimes you just gotta stop and absorb it all. It was also the first time I met people speaking a different dialect. The Opening Prayer was done in three to four different dialects. The Ilocano dialect was the most different. In fact, it sounded cute cause it was like the tagalog language shuffled and spoken really really fast.
It was a mix of all three sexes. The CEGP President, Ms. Ronalyn Oleas, led one of the opening speeches. The mood shifted though when a number of invited speakers like the Mayor of that town, the Governor of Ilocus Sur (was it?), etc. wearn't able to arrive. At that time, it was frustrating. But later on, we figured it's because of the isolated location of Teppeng Cove. It's about a kilometer from the main road and the main road was probably in the middle of the rural roads in the area where few cars and big buses passed by time to time.
We all couldn't stay in the room because a few girls coming from way down south in Mindanao arrived. Maam Koli, our adviser, and her husband decided to sleep elsewhere. They moved onwards to Laoag I think up north. They gave their small room to the four of us guys. It was finally a relief. We had our own CR (no water heater though) and mirrors were important. This room was underneath the "Men's refugee attic" in the giant cabin.
We had signed up for classes in the five seminars. We had the freedom to choose from a certain list of classes under each seminar. I came out with Feature writing (1st Seminar), Health concerns (2nd Seminar), Essay writing (3rd Seminar), Human Rights (4th Seminar), and Layouting (5th Seminar).
The first and second seminars took place on the first day.
The Damage Report - Summer Break - Ending Week #43/2
Background Music: "Get Busy" by Sean Paul
NOTE: This is a weekly blog entry that summarizes a series of events of a finished week in and around La Salle.
"... to outwit, outlast, and outplay the disasters and delegations..."
EIGHT of us from the Heraldo Filipino together with our Adviser and her husband met at La Salle Gate 3 last Sunday early morning. We would be the only delegates from DLSU-D in representing the Heraldo Filipino (Official Student Publication of DLSU-D) in the College Editors Guild of The Philippines (CEGP) 63rd Student Press Convention twelve hours up north in Ilocus Sur.
Maycee (News section, classmate), Eric (Feature section, classmate), Paul (incoming Sports Editor), Joanna (Literary section), Kuya JD (Copy Desk Editor entering 2nd Term), Ate Joyce (incoming Managing Editor), Ate Chiqui (Editor-in-Chief entering 2nd Term) and myself were the ones from DLSU-D.
We first took a big van from Gate 3 of La Salle and we picked up Ate Joyce, Maam Koli and her husband, and then we ate at the Jollybee in Bacoor on the Highway. Afterwards we went into Manila and the weather started to get cloudy as we arrived at the Partas Bus Line terminal.
Ate Joyce as incoming Managing Editor was in-charge of paying and in moments we boarded a Partas Bus for Laoag in Ilocus Norte. It started to rain just then. The bus wasn't filled completely so we were spacious in the back. The windows were large and the air conditioning was cold. We left the terminal and the bus headed north towards the North Luzon Expressway. Before leaving the area, I received a txt message from my brother. My dad surprised everyone by sneaking up and coming home just at that moment. After eleven months, he's finally back! But I wouldn't see him until Friday.
I felt good that he was now back and he could take care of my mom and brother while I would be way up north. That feeling of security hit me and it enhanced my enjoyment of this trip.
The rains didn't stop and we headed up north on the highway. Flashbacks of my first time on this highway earlier this summer when it was hot and very sunny. I was with Joel and the guys on our trip to Baguio. Now, it was raining. My seatmate would be my own classmate Eric.
The journey to Ilocus Sur would be calculated to be exactly 12 hours. We had a pit stop in Pampanga and then another one in northern Pangasinan where they sell these very tasty hot dogs on a stick. We passed by La Union and the split in the road that heads for Baguio City. After passing that split in the road, I was now in unknown territory. My eyes wide open looking at the signs as they passed quickly on the sides.
I didn't sleep on the trip to Ilocus Sur. Although I did close my eyes in the evening hours as we passed by La Union and southern Ilocus Sur, my ears were still active in hearing the sounds around me. Town after town passed by... fields... mountains... eventually bridges and wide rivers. Except, when we were near Vigan it was already dark and the lights inside the cabin of the bus were bright so the outside was just blurry.
We had one last pit stop where the driver ate their dinner. It was in some place in southern Ilocus Sur. A canteen on the side of the road meant for buses since they have large dirt parking spaces. I would call this place as "Barangay Bio" because that's what it said. "Bgy. Bio". Bio as in Biology? Or Bee-yoh in Ilocano?
We were still nearly two hours away from our destination from our last pit stop where we had dinner. We drove into Vigan City late at night and our bus stopped there to let passengers out. We didn't get off since we still had to ride the bus to get to Teppeng Cove Resort further up north in some town named Sinait (See-nah-it) on the border of Ilocus Norte I believe.
Arriving in Sinait
Sunday late-night
Another 45 minutes and finally we got off the bus. Two other college guys that I didn't know got off with us. It appears Kuya JD knew them. They come from some other college in the NCR.
We crossed the street and it was complete darkness. Holding our heavy bags we walked down the dirt path and it started to rain a bit. Ate Joyce called someone in Teppeng Cove, perhaps a CEGP officer there, and in moments a vehicle rolled up to pick everyone up. We had to do it in two sets since there were twelve of us.
We entered the resort and well, my expectations were sort of disappointed. I wasn't thinking this place would be 5 Star, but I thought it would be similar to that of Island Cove in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite or something that looks more alive. It was still dark so we'd have to see the place in the morning.
The Session Hall was there and we registered. Then we claimed our ticket stubs and the biggest shocker came when I found out we wearn't going to have our own rooms. The whole place was crowded with delegates. Actually, it's not the amount of delegates... it was the accomodations. Eric and I rated the accomodations here to 1/5. I was pissed off but I didn't know at who. The resort? The CEGP? Our being late? (the whole thing began informally at 7pm that night with several film showings).
Anyways, there's this club house which looks great. However, we would be sleeping on this "attic" place in a cabin with so many foam beds and these other male delegates. The girls are in the cabins while the guys are all in one area. Imagine travelling by bus for 12 hours and arriving to have no pillow or blanket in front of you. No bed of your own. And you have no idea where the CR is or the light, or the electric fan, or the lamp. Nadda.
It was awkward honestly speaking. You're there with a quiet classmate (Eric) and two editors that are older than you (Kuya JD, and Paul). If not in that situation, you would voice out and take action and go to all lengths to secure a room or a bed or at least make certain arrangements. But since the feeling was "the power is not in your hands... it's in the hands of the CEGP and the HF delegation and Maam Koli..." I just walked around following everyone else.
The girls (Maycee, Joanna, Ate Chiqui and Ate Joyce) got a room. These rooms had air condition, but you have to pay P600 just for one night of air conditioning! That is insane!
We did manage to sleep with the girls. I know it sounds all wrong, but their room had just them in it and it's capacity was four. Although if we squeeze in and since we all know each other, we can get all eight of us in there. The four of us guys slept on the cushions on the flooring while the four girls up on the bed. We switched the light off. One tiring journey.
Gising NA!!!
Monday morning
I'm sorry to say, but those were perhaps the most annoying and most irritating words I heard during the past few week. Rowy, from ADMU I think, who knows Kuya JD, barges into the room to wake us all up. Like some kind of annoying drill at a Military camp.
So we get up and one by one take a hot shower inside the bathroom in the room. We make our way to the Session Hall and for the first time we join the other delegates. They come from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Delegates coming from NCR included UP-Manila and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) as well as St. Scholastica. DLSU-M wasn't present, so we were the only delegates coming from a La Salle University. There was this one guy though coming from a La Salle certified place, but that's somewhere in the province.
It was great seeing these different delegates coming from all over the place. Sometimes you just gotta stop and absorb it all. It was also the first time I met people speaking a different dialect. The Opening Prayer was done in three to four different dialects. The Ilocano dialect was the most different. In fact, it sounded cute cause it was like the tagalog language shuffled and spoken really really fast.
It was a mix of all three sexes. The CEGP President, Ms. Ronalyn Oleas, led one of the opening speeches. The mood shifted though when a number of invited speakers like the Mayor of that town, the Governor of Ilocus Sur (was it?), etc. wearn't able to arrive. At that time, it was frustrating. But later on, we figured it's because of the isolated location of Teppeng Cove. It's about a kilometer from the main road and the main road was probably in the middle of the rural roads in the area where few cars and big buses passed by time to time.
We all couldn't stay in the room because a few girls coming from way down south in Mindanao arrived. Maam Koli, our adviser, and her husband decided to sleep elsewhere. They moved onwards to Laoag I think up north. They gave their small room to the four of us guys. It was finally a relief. We had our own CR (no water heater though) and mirrors were important. This room was underneath the "Men's refugee attic" in the giant cabin.
We had signed up for classes in the five seminars. We had the freedom to choose from a certain list of classes under each seminar. I came out with Feature writing (1st Seminar), Health concerns (2nd Seminar), Essay writing (3rd Seminar), Human Rights (4th Seminar), and Layouting (5th Seminar).
The first and second seminars took place on the first day.
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