Villarinelected Vergara is - Ateneo de Manila University

4loyolaschoolsbulletinwe build community we nurture hopeFeaturesHeroes among usbyRoy Tristan B. Agustinphotos courtesy of the Officeof Administrative ServicesLS maintenance personnel give their time to GKThis was supposed to be an interview.It was not easy inviting them tothe interview. In the conferenceroom of the Social Sciences building,they are fidgeting in the seats, clearlyuncomfortable sitting in the seats theyhave so often carried and re-arranged.Thirteen people are sitting down, twelvemen and one lady. They are all wearingthe blue shirts and jeans of the LoyolaSchools maintenance staff. They are alltanned from years working under thesun, their arms muscled and their handsrough. These same hands are now lost,some clenched, others rubbing togetherself-consciously. They aren’t used to bethe centers of attention. For nearly allof them, the idea of being interviewed isunheard of. They are being interviewedbecause they are volunteers for GawadKalinga, and have been for quite sometime now.These thirteen people are beinginterviewed because they are heroes.It would be so easy to extol theirheroics, to talk about them as if theywere extraordinary individuals, giftedwith divine grace. But that wouldcheapen them and their efforts. They areordinary folks, but they are folks whohave learned the peculiar joy that comeswith volunteering. And in their stories,one finds a common thread, that of joy.They stare at the recorder set in themiddle of the room like it was about toexplode. Finally, however, the storiesbegin, awkwardly at first. The questionswere never answered by one person,eventually, it would become too difficultto keep track of who would be answeredwhat.It was less of an interview and morejust talking, trading stories. Peoplewould reply individually to somequestions, in chorus to others. In theend, the interview failed, not becauseno one answered, but because there werejust too many stories, too many inputsbeing given. An interview would becumbersome and confusing, and it mayjust sully the story that these people told.Instead of giving a transcript, we will telltheir story.The Gawad Kalinga projects thatthey are being interviewed for are justpart of the story. For some of them,volunteerism is nothing new—they havebeen volunteering in various capacitiesfor some time. Richardo Gabito,for example, was already helping outwhen Ateneo began its formal disasterassistance efforts with the shelteringof Mt. Pinatubo refugees in 1992. Hesmiles shyly as he recounts an instancewhen he had to sing to the refugees, justto try to keep their hopes up in light ofeverything they had lost.For others, their experience involunteering, and in Gawad Kalinga,began with Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Itwas a call made by their supervisor, JunGranada, to assist in the constructionof a library. It was, for many, a newthing, many not having heard of GawadKalinga before. They were greeted by themembers enthusiastically. Alex Ferrerrelates his experience of being given theonly bedroom in a household of women,given a bed filled with teddy bears evenas they slept on the floor. The story istold with smiles, but this and the group’sother experiences were evidently morethan that, as one sees the emotionsclouding their eyes. For many of them,being given a bed as the owners slept onthe floor was humbling.The experience in Cabiao, however,was more than just humbling—it wastraumatic. The volunteers set to work,only to be set on by torrential rain. Therain was enough to cause their cement torun, making placing blocks one on top ofeach other impossible. Cenon Tapel hadhis foot impaled by a metal spike in theconstruction. Even then they struggled,at times simply standing still as theywere battered by the wind and rain. Theresidents called for them to stop, but theystubbornly refused, concerned that thecement they had already prepared wouldgo to waste. It was only when they werereassured that the cement would not bewasted that they relented, surrenderingto the weather. They would realize lateron that, in the confusion of the storm,they had built a house with no doorsand windows, which they needed torectify once more. The Cabiao projectwas completed in the time allotted,the volunteers refusing sleep just to getthings done.It was to be a start for them, the projectproving to be a baptism of fire. Fromthere, they would go on to other areas inNueva Ecija, Palawan, and Payatas. Theywould build houses and schools, often ina span of a few days. They would go backnot just because they were doing good,but because the good they did madethem feel good. The songs of thanksthat the children of the communitieswould bring even the toughest mento tears. Some of them needed to slowdown in the telling, their eyes mistingover, obviously remembering songs andvoices of thanks they will never forget.Others remember being locked in anembrace by grateful elders, overwhelmedwith gratitude. Their efforts wouldbring them into contact not only withvolunteers from around the country, butaround the world.They would have other experiences aswell. When Typhoon Ondoy hit, theyreplied to the call once more, this timeto clean and lend assistance. Here, thepeople they helped were not as gratefuland were, at times, openly hostile tothem. More often than not, it was simplya matter of proximity; there was no oneelse to get angry at. Their faces hardena bit, talking about Ondoy. The stormbrought out the worst in people, andthey tended to be at the receiving endof it. Some of them were also victims ofthe storm, and was placed in the uniquesituation of being both helper andbeneficiary.

6 loyolaschoolsbulletin we build community we nurture hopeBlue HarvestAteneo team wins Jade AwardinYoung Entrepreneur tiltThe Delta Eco Team composed ofWylie Emille Datu (bs Management2010) and Ma. Isobel Lacsamana (bsManagement Engineering 2010) baggedthe Jade Award at the hsbc YoungEntrepreneur Awards 2010 held in KualaLumpur, Malaysia on June 28, 2010.The Jade Award is equivalent to thirdplace with a cash award of hk$10,000.Bagging the Platinum Award(first place) were students from theCity University of Hong Kong whilestudents from the Institute of BusinessAdministration in Dhaka University,Bangladesh bagged the Diamond Award(second place). Team hk brought homea trophy and hk$100,000 while TeamBangladesh brought home hk$20,000.The three winning teams bestedmore than 1,000 teams from six Asiancountries in the regional leg of thebusiness plan competition. Each teamwas composed of two to three universitystudents.Other countries that competed wereBrunei, Malaysia, and Thailand. Nowin its 10 th year, the hsbc YoungEntrepreneur Awards is a regionalbusiness plan competition for postsecondarystudents from Hong Kongand countries in Asia to demonstratetheir creativity and business grasp.www.ateneo.eduAteneo team capturesJudokas bag3-peatcontinued from page 8now this is for your own personal glory.You should go for it,” he told them.Ateneo emerged as the best teamwith the best judokas. In the -81kgdivision, rookie Anjo Gumila threw hisopponent from dlsu in under threeminutes. Knowing that he had wonanother gold for his team, Gumila ranaround the mat with arms stretchedout like an Eagle spreading his wings.Gumila was crowned Rookie of theYear. Veteran Daniel Velasco took downhis ust opponent in the -66kg finals towin the gold. Velasco scored big pointsand was named Most Valuable Player.Meanwhile, Jamie Reyes, Char Custodioand Jackie Francisco each took home abronze medal for the women’s team. Thethree-peat champions have a total offour golds, three silvers, and one bronze.Asked about his strategy coming intothe season coach Sulit said, “I taughtthem how to fight well beyond Judo.”Microsoft Imagine Cupphoto from www.imaginecup.comtop prize in game designBy Implication team members Rodrick Tan, Levi Tan Ong, Wilhansen Li, and Philip Cheang celebrate their winThe team “By Implication” top prize with their game Wildfire, winning streak in the early 2000s,composed of Wilhansen Li (bscs’10, a 3d simulation in which situations when the competition was still namedbsma), Rodrick Tan (bsme’10), Philip such as rampant poverty, gender the “Microsoft .net Competition.”Dr.Cheang (bfa-id’10) and Levi Tan-Ong inequality, inadequate education and Luis Samenta coached a team with(Chemical Engineering, University of environmental degradation can be Sacha Chua, Gerome Punzalan andthe Philippines) took first place in theMicrosoft Imagine Cup World Finalsfor Game Design. The Imagine Cup isa yearly competition held by Microsoft,with five main segments: Softwareovercome by the heroic actions such asvolunteerism, social interaction, andnonviolent activism. Team memberssaid they were inspired by the strongspirit of volunteerism shown by FilipinosPaul Echevarria. The competition wasrenamed the Imagine Cup in 2003.Since then, we have made it to theWorld Finals four times (in 2004, 2008and 2009, all in the Software DesignDesign, Embedded Development, in the face of damage wrought by the category, and in 2010 in the GameGame Design, Digital Media, and itChallenge. This year, the world finalswere held in Warsaw, Poland.By Implication took the usd 25,000storms Ondoy and Pepeng which hit thePhilippines in 2009.The Ateneo has had a stellar historyat the Imagine Cup, beginning aDesign category, which we eventuallywon). By Implication was mentored byKenneth Yu.

3for3heRick Olivares,www.ateneo.eduPhotographsby Alyson Yap,www.fabilioh.comThere were 32 seconds left in the game with Ateneo on topby a slim 61-59 lead over feu in Game Two of the uaap Finalswhen Ryan Buenafe got hold of the basketball after a hand offfrom Nico Salva. In the past two years, the third year forwardhas been suppressing different emotions inside of him. Aftera promising freshman year, he was relegated to the bench.And although he was every bit as integral to the success ofthe Ateneo Blue Eagles, he chafed at his role. “I’m greedy,” hesaid to a few close friends. “But it’s never about the statistics.It was about playing time and being on the court with the ballin my hands in the clutch.” He wanted the responsibility oftaking the big shot. If the ball fell in then it was all good. Ifloyolaschoolsbulletinwe build community we nurture hopeA history lesson(Ateneo 65 vs. FEU 62)missed then he wouldn’t mind taking the flak. Itcomes with the territory.He immediately noticed that it was feuTamaraws rookie Carl Cruz in front of him. Cruzchecked in for JR Cawaling who Buenafe burnedbadly on many a post up earlier in the game. Exceptthe move backfired because Buenafe was out in theperimeter. The Blue Eagle quickly waved off histeammates away for an isolation play. Thinking hewas going to drive to the basket, Tamaraws center AlRamos positioned himself behind Cruz to protectagainst the drive.Only Buenafe wasn’t taking it to the rack.With the shot clock winding down to fiveseconds, Buenafe instead threw up a trey. “I wasreally going to take that three-point shot. Whenit left my hands, it felt good. I knew I was goingto make it,” said the third year forward who wasnamed Finals mvp.continued on page 7Judokas bag3-peatBy Franch Baja,www.goateneo.comPhotographs by Mikee Rodriguez,www.goateneo.comThree is the lucky number for Ateneochampions in uaap Season 73, as themen’s judo team won their third straightchampionship on October 10, 2010 atThe Arena in San Juan.The competition was out to get theBlue Judokas, forcing them to lag behindin day one of the tournament. “Thingsdon’t usually go the way you want themto. It was looking really dismal for us forquite a while,” said coach Ali Sulit.Ateneo, however, didn’t go downwithout a fight. Matthew Jao and JRReyes slugged it out in the +100kg finals.Jao’s win gave Ateneo its first gold; Reyesfinished with the silver. Andro Umaliwon the -100kg battle for third andadded a bronze to Ateneo’s medal tally.In day two of the competition,Ateneo decided to turn things around inthe eliminations as strong performancesfrom dlsu and ust threatened todethrone the defending champions.Coach Sulit reminded his team whatwas at stake, and what they needed to doto bag the three-peat, “I told them, ‘wecan still do it but you’ve gotta fight likeyou’ve never fought before. It was reallytough but these guys pulled through. Ibatalaga pag Atenista–malaki heart,” addedSulit.Ateneans dominated the finalsand won medals left and right to givethem a clear shot at the championship.Captain Jhonel Faelnar grappled KevinMovido for the gold in the -60kg finals.Faelnar described his team as a “band ofbrothers.” He said he never really likedgoing up against teammates but “at thatpoint, it was a sweet moment knowingthat win or lose, the points would go toAteneo.” Having two Ateneans assuredof a gold and a silver made coach Sulitproud. “You did your part for the team,continued on page 6Three is the luckynumber forAteneo championsin uaap Season 73,as the men’s judo teamwon theirthird straightchampionshipon October 10, 2010at The Arenain San Juan.