12 AM – January 23, 2010

I've been having classes since yesterday, and I think I got the hang of the whole 25-minute-per-lesson since this afternoon. :) Thank you Lord. :) I actually can't wait to go to work again next Monday. ;P


Anyway...


This morning I'd like to talk about my favorite high school teachers.


Why, you ask?


Wala lang. Trip. Nah, just kidding. I tried visiting the websites of the three high schools I attended (yes, you read right), and saw an article about Ms. Troilita Capinpin (my AP II teacher, one of the greatest teachers in the country, but more on that later), so... I guess I just wanted to share to you guys my favorite teachers from 2000-2004.


10.) Mr. Isal Kulong (my Physics II teacher at Quesci; Einstein 4 --- SY 2003-2004)
--- love ko yang si Sir Kulong, para siyang TEDDY BEAR. HAHA. He would always chastise Aby, Istin and I to recite at class, in order for us to get the corresponding number of recitation "ticks". He would always talk in a very casual tone, so Physics II was a little less hard than it looks. I still have the very notebook I used for his subject. Maniwala ka't sa hindi, line of 7 ko ang Economics, pero Physics II hindi ;P (sa Quesci yun ha, sa PBHS... ai, anak ng bad trip, wag na nating pag-usapan si Ma'am, dahil nakakapagtaka lang talaga.. inaral ko na sa Physics I nung 3rd year yung mga lessons niya nung 4th year, tas ako pa lowest sa buong section???!!! eh ang dali-dali ng lesson niya!!! GRrrrrrr!!!!!)

Mrs. Dolores Binas (my English II teacher at Quesci; Fleming 2 --- SY 2001-2002)
--- si Mrs. Binas, na laging dumidikit ang lipstick sa front teeth. HAHA. Joke lang Ma'am. :) She taught us talaga ng extensive grammar lessons hanggang dumugo utak namin. :P I remember that we also did a project on Princess Mononoke, I just can't remember what the project was all about. She would also chastise me to read A Catcher In The Rye (na hanggang ngayon, nalilimutan ko pa ring bumili ng copy) kasi she knows I love to read; and to join the English Club as well. Kaso tinatamad ata kami nun, pati nasa Interact Club pati kami (na walang kwenta, kala namin todo socialization or soirees with other schools, wala naman nangyari!)

9.) Ms. Maria Teresa Mejia (my Physics I teacher at Quesci; Edison 3 --- SY 2002- 2003)
--- di naman sa addict ako sa Physics, pero love ko rin yan si Miss Mejia. Super perfect ang notebook ko sa kanya, kasi ilang beses ko rinewrite yung buong notebook dahil ayokong "umembang" ang grades ko sa Physics I. I learned a lot in Physics I, but most of the time tamad talaga ako pagdating sa computations, so I was very fortunate that my best friend Harriet was my seatmate that time, kaya kumukopya na lang ako. HAHA. Sagot niya all Math and Science subjects, ako sa History, English at iba pa. Parang halos wala naman ako maitulong sa kanya, super smart naman kasi si Harriet. ;p Anyway, bagets na bagets yang si Ma'am, pati she always talks about her lovelife. One time nagcutting ako, kasi wala akong assignment, nanghinayang ako right after. :( Tampo pa naman si Ma'am sa mga nagccutting. :(

8.) Mr. Edmund Sangel (my Filipino II teacher at Quesci; Fleming 2 - SY 2001-2002)
--- si Sir Sangel, ang tagapagtanggol ng mga accredited students of Fleming 2, dahil ultimong adviser namin eh masama ang loob sa amin. HAHA. We always had fun during his class, and he treated us equally: walang old o new students. He would have his very hearty laugh everytime something cracked up a joke. I think my Filipino II book (color blue yun eh) is still with me.

7.) Mrs. Katherine Bangalan - Arkaina (my THE: Journalism teacher at St. Joseph's College QC; I - St. Anastacia - SY 2000-2001)
--- although late ako madalas, kasi naman first subject siya, at by the time tapos na kami sermunan ni Miss Cachapero sa OSA, matatapos na rin ang class niya. HAHA. It was through her that I first developed my formal writing skills (anu ba naman kasi yung sa grade school, essay-essay lang?!) and it was very therapeutic and fun to write about everything under the sun. By the end of the school year, I tried out for the Hi-Jo Gazette (our official publication) and attended a three-day writing seminar. I ended up being chosen as the Managing Editor for HJG (which was sort of a big thing, considering that I was just an incoming sophomore), but I had to decline, because I passed the Accreditation Exam at Quesci. I cried about it for days. Sayang naman kasi

6.) Mrs. Herminia Montilla (my Araling Panlipunan I teacher at St. Joseph's College QC; I - St. Anastacia - SY 2000-2001)
--- I remember na maganda ang pagkakacover ko sa Phil History book ko, yung tipong super sikip ng plastic cover. :) I always made it a point to listen and remember important details. Sa kanya ako natutong magreport without being super nervous (kay Teacher Liza naman kasi nung Grade 3, nakakatakot talaga), and I also remember helping Chiara with her report, kasi she came from Italy a few years back, and she doesn't know much about Phil History. Anyway, she went back to Italy before the SY ended. Ummm, back to Mrs. Montilla... I remember that she asked us to make a poem about anything regarding Phil History, and I wrote something about a piece of cloth sold by a poor man during the Acapulco Trade. I passed the poem with bits of cloth glued to it, and Mrs. Montilla liked it so much that she asked me if she could display it for the PAASCU Accreditation the following week.

5.) Mr. Noel Diaz (my Chemistry I teacher and homeroom adviser at Quesci; Edison 3 - SY 2002-2003)
--- super love ng section namin yang si Sir Diaz, and love din niya kaming lahat, lalo na si Miggy Perez. HAHA. Seriously though, super bait niya, pati itinuro niya sa amin ang importance of working hard to achieve your dreams. He would always remind us that mas kaya namin magsumikap, kasi wala masyadong hadlang (yuck, tagalog) sa mga minimithi namin, eh samantalang siya, talagang dumaan sa sobrang hirap para lang makapagtapos at mapaaral ang kanyang mga kapatid (okay, nosebleed na. Ephedrine nga!) Anyway, he would also give us tips on our research papers, kasi he's one of the judges (biased!! HAHA. joke lang)

4.) Monsieur Arnel Canaveral (my English 3 and 4 teacher at Quesci; Edison 3 - Einstein 4 -- SYs 2002-2003; 2003-2004)
--- oh yes, Mr. Canaveral. Wag na wag mong lolokohin yan nang parang si King Neptune sa Spongebob Squarepants, kung ayaw mong ratratin ka ng mura niyan in three distinct languages --- English, Tagalog and French. Pati Bisaya pa ata. HAHA. Pero kahit Mr. Clean ang get-up ni Sir (fitted white shirt, maong mustache and... thinning hairline, to say the least), he is one of the best teachers in Quesci. Siya dapat ang Head ng English Department eh. Sobrang smart and mabait, wag mo lang talaga sirain ang araw niya. He is the reason why I adored Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of The Shrew, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Canterbury Tales, The Woman With Two Navels, The Freudian Cinderella and A Streetcar Named Desire. He is also the reason why I hated Beowulf --- aba naman kasi, wala akong maintindihan! Buti pa si Shakespeare naiintindihan ko!

3.) Ms Annabel Chan-Bello (my THE - Journalism teacher and School Paper Adviser of The Hillside Chronicle and Ang Sikat at Ponciano Bernardo High School ; IV - Bonifacio --- SY 2003-2004)
--- si Ma'am Bello. Parang campaign manager ko si Ma'am, to the point na kung kakandidato ako na Kapitana ng barangay, eh ikakampanya niya ko sa buong Kaunlaran at kahit dun pa sa San Martin at Bagong Lipunan ng Crame areas. Ganyan si Ma'am Bello magmahal ng student. :) Ewan ko ba, minata na ko niyan ever since, kasi rinecommend ako ni Sir Rex sa kanya dahil lumipat nga ako sa school (friends kasi sila) So first week ko pa lang in school, sandamakmak na editorials, literary pieces, science at sports news ang pinagagawa niya sa akin. So when I managed to finish them on time, she just said "Okay Anya, ikaw na EIC. Lahat kasi sila mga tamad gumawa at mag-edit ng articles". So naging bonggang issue naman siya sa Ponching, kasi transferee ako and all, at may manok talaga sila for EIC (secret na lang kung sino yun!) Super pinagtanggol ako ni Ma'am Bello, ultimo pati kay Medrings, na adviser namin. HAY. Ma'am Bello taught me to push myself to the limit. Kahit hindi kaya, kakayanin dapat; at pag nagkamali, okay lang, subukan mo lang ulit. It even came to the point that I stayed in school for almost 24 hours, without sleep and a fresh change of clothes, just to edit articles and write more if necessary. I learned to write news articles, even if I hated NEWS WRITING. Thank God na nakapanalo naman kami ng awards for Hillside at Sikat that time. It was also because of Ma'am Bello that I became close friends with our principal, Sir Oliveros; and that I received the Editor of the Year Award and the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Award for Campus Journalism during our HS graduation. I even became the guest Feature Editor for the Boy Scouts of the Phils. QC Chapter Magazine because of her. Marami talaga akong utang kay Ma'am Bello. The last time I saw her was almost three years ago, I brought Amram with me to PBHS, and she asked me to give a lecture on Feature Writing (my forte) to the juniors (which, incidentally, was Mimi's class). Then the next thing I knew, she already went to Maryland, USA, because she just finished her MA in SpEd at UP Diliman, and she was tired of all the things that come with being a public school teacher. Ang bruhang lola mo, hindi nagparamdam kahit kanino, and apparently nobody knows how to contact her, because she doesn't answer emails anymore.

But I do remember this conversation that took place in the school grounds almost six years ago:
MB: "Anya, paano ba yan, ggraduate ka na? Sino na ang magpapatuloy ng legacy mo na kauna-unahan in the history of Ponciano Bernardo High School na EIC ng 2 school papers? May kapatid ka ba?"
Me: "Ay naku Ma'am, si Mimi? Mg-Grade 6 pa lang po yun. Hindi mahilig magsulat yon, mas gusto niya magdrawing!"
MB: "Eh di editorial cartoonist! Haha. Sige na Anya, papasukin mo sa Journ yan, magiging EIC din yan like her ate"
Me: "Eh bahala na po... hehe"

Years later, my sister became the second person in PBHS history to be the EIC of both Hillside and Sikat, under the tutelage of Mr. Charlie Dauag (kaya walang bias ah, wala na si Ma'am Bello sa Ponching that time)

2.) Mr. Rex Arcadio San Diego II (my Journalism elective teacher at Quesci; Edison 3 - Einstein 4-- SYs 2002-2003; 2003-2004)
--- kay Sir Rex na-test ang writing powers ko, kasi medyo mababaw pa yung mga gawa ko during my days at St. Jo, so... talagang nosebleed ang naganap sa napakainit na staff room ng Electron,. Nung Division Press Con nung 3rd Year, wala ako napanalong event. Sabi niya, "Okay lang yan, di nasusukat ang galing ng pagsulat sa pagkapanalo ng award". He made sure that we train hard, just as hard as the varsity players train in the covered court. Sabi ni Sir, yung writing style ko daw is something that readers could easily relate to, kasi sapul na sapul yung mga pinagsasabi ko with Scientian reality, pero I say it daw in a funny way na hindi preachy. So ayun... tiwala naman ako sa mga sinasabi niya, kasi BSE English grad siya from PNU, and naging EIC siya ng The Torch during his college days. When I got into trouble during my senior year, di niya ko hinusgahan, like the other teachers sadly did. He just said, "Mali ka lang nang napiling kaibigan. Next time maging mapagmatyag ka na. Dont worry, dun sa school na papasukan mo, irerecommend kita. Sayang, gagawin pa naman kitang isa sa mga yearbook editors." I cried that night, kasi dream ko talaga magwrite for the yearbook (meron sana sa Ponching, naunsyami nga lang) tas dahil sa kagagahan ko, nawala lahat yun. Pero I got something better in return naman, di ba?

A month after I transferred, I visited Quesci one last time as a high school student, but of a different school. I gave Dr. Cavo a letter, refusing to go back to Quesci (isang bonggang sumasagot sa matanda na English letter yon noh!), then went to see my friends (who gave me a huge packet of letters they wrote me). The last thing I did was pass by the Electron staffroom, said bye to Sir Rex, then gave him a piece that I wrote entitled "My Blue Checkered Bow", which was about how I squandered my privilege of wearing the bow, how I regret my actions, and how angry I was at the institution who misjudged and treated us like mere criminals. He smiled and said, "Maganda. Sayang. Nakakaasar ka kasi eh!"

Kaya when I won 2nd Place in the College Division of The National Essay Writing Contest at YouthPower 2005, I dedicated it to Sir Rex (and Ma'am Bello as well). :)

1.) Ms. Troilita Capinpin (my Araling Panlipunan II teacher at Quesci; Fleming 2 - SY 2001-2002)
--- THE LEGENDARY Ms. Capinpin, with her short but shiny white hair. Siya lang ang bukod tanging makakapagpakabisa sa students ng Asian Geography and History, without a book or notes. All we used are all old photocopied typewritten notes and an old world map na pinopost niya sa blackboard. All Scientian graduates from the 80's up to present, she still has the title of "Favorite Scientian Teacher" by the students. Naabutan nga siyang maging AP teacher ni Sir Rex nung high school siya eh (actually pati si Sir Lorenzo naabutan raw niya na Trigo teacher)! Anyway, even my mom loves Miss Capinpin as much as the normal Scientian does. Inggit nga siya kasi sana raw naging teacher niya si Ma'am. :) Up to now, I still remember some of the lessons in Asian History. I also remember her talking in a slow, strained but loving voice during her classes, and super minsan lang siya magalit. Yung mga students, ni-lolove team silang dalawa ni Sir Madriaga, the CAT Commandant. HAHA. :) Basta, all I can say is, she should've won a National Award for History or Professional Education or something. Pwede ring National Artist. HAHA. :)


So... the clock in my PC reads 2AM. Ambilis ng oras, as I was trying to remember details of my high school experiences. :P The effect of the coffee I had at work starts to wear off, so I guess I'll have to tuck in for now.


PS > Kaya Taglish, kasi na-realize ko na hindi porket Teacher Yanna na ako na nagtuturo ng Basic English, eh wala na akong karapatan magTagalog pag gusto ko. HAHA. :) Sabi ni Mommy, wag ko raw kalimutan magTagalog, kasi nga minasteral ko na ang Filipino II nung college, dahil 4x ko dinrop yung subject. ;p

PPS > I super love my job, and the Nescafe vending machine as well. :)


XOXO :))