"The team which will be able to answer the following question correctly shall win this encounter, so guys, no pressure!" said the chubby guy who was introduced to us as the quizmaster, then promptly laughed at his own joke.
"Buta (Baboy ka)." I muttered under my breath, glaring at him. It was the do or die question, and of course we were dead scared. Didn't he know that at that point SSA was ready to use nuclear kunais (if we ever had any) and stab anyone dead for a win? HFA probably felt the same. Of all the introductions in the world, why did he have to use reverse psychology? Why did he have to say 'No pressure'?
A few months later, on June 2007, I was horrified to learn that the man I called a 'pig' was none other than Joeven Rex Dizon, a UP Engineering student, Don Bosco Academy Valedictorian and most of all, UP Aguman's youngest president ever.
**********
I am a Pautakan Baby. For two years, I participated in what my school (St. Scholastica's Academy CSF) believed to be the most prestigious academic competition in Pampanga, UP Aguman's Pautakan. When I was first told that I was going to be among the Pautakan contestants, I immediately saw it as a heaven-sent competition. It knew it was where I would meet the academic wizards of the other schools and see who the best was. That contest was going to be my chance to bring honor to SSA. Most of all, it was the perfect excuse to skip all of school's misery.
See, my school regards that contest very highly. A weeks before Pautakan 2006, the academic team's schedule were already reduced to half day skeds, so we could have time to study for the competition. Of course, we were marked excused for the classes we missed. If the teacher was considerate, she would give us perfect scores in tests we missed, because 'they're representing the school'. We were comfortably accommodated in the fully air-conditioned library with special privileges and almost unlimited access to books, computers and the internet and other reference materials.
It didn't end there. Of course we studied, but half of the time… we didn't. I and my five other team mates frequently ended up swapping stories when we were supposed to swap information; read 'informative' entertainment materials when we were supposed to be reading textbooks and encyclopedias; visited our favorite websites when we were supposed to take online quizzes and slept when we were supposed to study.
Pautakan to me then was like the magic ticket to prestige, honor and fun.
**********
Yakushi Kabuto once said, "There is nothing today that is going to stay the same tomorrow."
He's right. The last three weeks of my application process, I've seen and read enough to convince me that my idea of Pautakan when I was in high school and now that I am in college cannot possibly stay the same.
Convincing factor #1: Kuya Gboi miserably begging each member to come up with 15 decent questions for Pautakan. Is that what every Educ Com head has to go through to come up with questions which contestants most of the time don't get right?
Convincing factor #2: Kuya Wex's article about Questions Night (ASLAG). You mean Mems actually have cram themselves in someone's house so they can make sure contestants have something to answer to?
Convincing factor #3: Ate Ferge saying that if thirty thousand were the budget allotted for Pautakan, twenty grand goes to trophies and medals. Aguman actually spends that much for Pautakan? (To think that there was a time in my life when I was ashamed of my 2 nd runner-up medal…)
Convincing factor #4: Educ Com's first workshop activity: How to be a paper boy/girl. They have a training for something we contestants often deem trivial?
The way I see it now, Pautakan is a magic ticket to sacrifice, effort and fun.
I realize where I went wrong about Pautakan during my high school days. I only appreciated what I was getting, I never even thought about what Aguman was giving. When contestants arrive there, all they have to do is wait for the contest to start. They just write answers on a piece of paper or press a buzzer and speak, and voila! A medal. They don't have to make questions, allocate funds, coordinate with people and fix technical stuff. After all this, mems don't get even the smallest medal. The only fun part gets to be being with your friends.
I made myself oblivious to how much difficulty mems went through so I could have a reason to skip classes and enjoy academic team life with my friends. Now that I'm seeing 'Pautakan The Making', I grow an appreciation for all I used to ignore, and a pride for all I used to be ashamed of. To me now, Pautakan is not just an event, a contest or an excuse – it is the fruit of dedicated labor and fervent passion, with friendship as the bonding consolation.
**********
My application did not only change my perspective of Pautakan – it also changed the way I saw Kuya Wex. Indeed, there was more to what the senses perceived about the chunky quizmaster who always said "No pressure!" in the most inappropriate times. My first conversation with him on a quite Wednesday afternoon at the tambayan during the early days of my application lead to nothing but admiration and respect for one of the most sensible and dedicated people I have ever met. Kuya Wex, my apologies for calling you a pig then. 'Buta' has been replaced with Sensei. I hope to learn a lot from you.
**********
My most embarrassing Pautakan experience:
"Manang, twenty na Haw-Haw po." I told the vendor while the losers pool contestants continued to lash at each other.
"Hi. Ikaw si Neicy, di ba?"
I looked up to see a tall guy with braces and glasses.
"Musta na?" he said, smiling weakly. His voice was somewhat sleepy.
I just stared at him, not knowing what to say. Who was he?
"Natatandaan mo ba ako? Ako yung kaibigan ni Lance. Nagkita na tayo noon." he said, searching for a trace of recognition in my blank face.
"Ha?...". I really couldn't remember if I knew him. I just stood there, unsure what to do. He stood in front of me, also looking unsure what to do.
Talk, I willed myself. You're embarrassing him, whoever he is. Talk!
"Um, kailangan ko nang balikan yung team mates ko." I finally said, rushing to SSA's place. I did not even want to see what his reaction was.
Moments later, I remembered my Haw-Haws. And his name. Roman.
'Sensya na no'n, Mike.
