UST, SERENDIPITY AND ME: THE DAY I BECAME A THOMASIAN

A Tribute to My Beloved Alma Mater

Note: I started writing this piece last year hoping to be able to post it on my blogsite at the onset of UST’s 400th year anniversary celebrations. The year-long Quadricentennial festivities are now drawing to a close but I guess it is just as good a time as any to pay tribute to my beloved alma mater, and to my college, the College of Fine Arts and Design (formerly Architecture & Fine Arts), as well as to my batch (Advertising 1981) which celebrated its Pearl (30th) anniversary last year.

Exactly a year tomorrow – on January 28, 2011 – history unfolded as the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas formally ushered in its Quadricentennial (400th Anniversary) celebrations. On that most auspicious event I was – as probably all Thomasians were – overcome by much joy and great pride.

Today marks the end of the year-long Quadricentennial celebrations and I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic as I reminisce the day I became a Tomasino.

During my teen years I have always been fascinated by UST. Perhaps because it was the oldest university in this part of the world. Maybe, too, because it counts among its alumni national heroes and presidents. Perhaps because I knew it was one of the best schools in the country. Or maybe because my paternal grandfather – Dr. Teodulfo Luna Mendoza, Sr. – graduated from its medical school. Perhaps it’s all these and more.

So I really felt bad when I missed taking the UST entrance exams for the school year 1976-1977.

After graduation in high school from Don Bosco Mandaluyong I was still in that state of confusion as to what course to pursue and what school I should go to (having missed the chance of being a Thomasian). Although when I was in elementary school I dreamed of becoming a scientist or chemist I have always been inclined towards the arts. I always excelled in art subjects and would often have my works displayed by our teacher in front of the class. I also had a knack for writing. I remember our English teacher in second year high school making a sample of my essay about “Why am I afraid of the dark?”.

I also remember flipping through the pages of architectural magazines and even doing house designs and floor plans myself. For a while I thought I would be designing houses as a career. I took the Architecture exams at a state university and got into the so-called “floating group” which I think meant that I passed but I didn’t make it to the quota and that I would be taken in as a student if – and only if – anyone from those who made it to the required quota would back out, or for any reason would be disqualified.

Meanwhile, I was still confused. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to take up Architecture. Besides, I hated Math and I knew there was a lot of it in that course. With opening of the school year just several weeks away I started to cram. I thought I’d just take Commerce. I enrolled at the University of the East (UE) in Recto. I submitted all the requirements, picked my class schedules and paid the tuition.

However, when I got home I felt uneasy. I didn’t really like Commerce. I wanted Fine Arts. An aunt whose friend was an official at that state university I took the Architecture exams in suggested that rather than waiting in the “floating group” why don’t we talk to her friend and explore the possibility of being taken in at the College of Fine Arts. So her friend referred me to someone in the said college. I still had to take a special exam though, which was perfectly fine with me anyway. However, when my mother and I got there the person we were looking for was out. When we asked a group of students if we could just wait, one of them replied in a very arrogant tone “kayo bahala”. Now I’m the type of person who is easily turned off by rudeness and arrogance and that incident was enough for me to tell my mother “Nay, tara na, ayoko po dito.” As simple as that.

When we got home I was flipping through the pages of that day’s newspaper when I saw this ad about the UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA) still admitting enrollees for a two-year vocational course called Commercial Arts (sort of a crash course in Advertising). I thought that was what I’ve been waiting for. I thought it would be my passport to eventually being a full-fledged UST Fine Arts-Advertising student. I knew I could easily shift from the vocational Commercial Arts course to the real thing – Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

After a year I shifted to that much desired baccalaureate course. On my second year in Advertising my father went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and for that I will be forever grateful. For if he hadn’t I wouldn’t have been able to continue my studies at UST. I was very proud of being the son of an OFW.

As a student I was not the outgoing type. My daily routine was the boring home-school-home thing. I don’t remember cutting classes and I rarely went malling. Besides, the only mall at that time was Ali Mall in Quezon City. My idea then of unwinding was sitting on one of those concrete slabs by the football field. I would sit there for hours waiting for my next class or just before I go home. Home was in Mandaluyong, to and from where I would commute daily by mini bus plying the Divisoria-Antipolo/Tanay/Binangonan route. Those buses used to pass by Lacson (known then as Gov. Forbes).

My college years in UST wasn’t really significant as a whole. But there were a few things that somehow made it a bit exciting and memorable.

I remember seeing Lorna Tolentino (who was taking Interior Design in the same College) who often hanged out with friends in a car parked in front of our building (or was it the Education building?). I remember one of my two best friends, Herky, and I chasing Tetchie Agbayani (an Architecture student then) to her classroom just so we could take photos of her, to which she always obliged. Even then she was really pretty and looked exotic. How were we to know that much later she would become controversial for being the first Filipina to pose in Playboy? I wonder if Herky still have her photos. I don’t, unfortunately.

I also remember my other best friend, Rey, and I being wrongly accused of stealing things in a female CAFA student’s locker just because we were the last persons she saw standing beside her locker. I remember being stranded along with several other classmates in Silang, Cavite when our van bogged down on our way home after a beach outing in Batangas. We had to spend the night in a hut in the middle of a coconut farm where there was no electricity.

I remember a group project we had where we did a mural which for a few years was displayed at one of CAFA’s corridors. I remember being appointed Art Editor of Vision Magazine, the official organ of CAFA. What made it more meaningful was that I handled the publication’s issue commemorating CAFA’s golden anniversary.

I remember, too, writing our Dean asking to be reconsidered for the cum laude award (having incurred two 3.0s) which was turned down despite my having been a half-scholar for a few semesters and a Vision Art Editor. I wanted the award very badly, not so much for myself as it was for my parents (a wonderful payback gift it would have been).

I remember a lot of things. But there were some that I don’t, until classmates started telling their own stories during our class reunion on December 28, 2011 at Chocolate Lovers, that brown castle on P. Tuazon, Cubao that you’ve probably seen from the MRT. Chocolate Lovers, incidentally, is owned by our classmate Annie or Chef Annie as she was popularly known here before she and her family migrated to Canada (she used to have her own cooking show on TV, long before such shows became in vogue). Which brings me to what have become of us Fine Arts-Advertising Batch ’81.

Well, aside from artist-turned-chef Annie there’s a male classmate who I found out became a US Marine. Another applied as display artist in a chain of department stores (which now is a very famous chain of malls) right after graduation and is now its AVP for Visual Merchandising. And how about the classmate who now has his own design studio, a successful one at that. At least five others, as far as I know, went on to become professors/instructors at the College (with one becoming head of the Advertising Department and the other a successful painter following in the footsteps of our former professor and a truly great painter Mario Parial).

I can go on and on enumerating the successes achieved by our classmates. Or the, should I say, less successful careers of others. But then, how can success really be measured anyway? At the end of the day, there’s only one thing that really counts. The one thing that binds us all together. Being Thomasian.

I count myself very lucky for being part of a great educational institution, a part of history. Lucky for having as fellow alumni such illustrious names as Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo del Pilar, Manuel Quezon, Jose Laurel, Diosdado Macapagal, and countless others.

Serendipity – one of my favorite words – is defined by Webster as “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for”. Loosely interpreted it means “finding something that one didn’t really seek in the first place”. To me, however, serendipity means “a beautiful accident”. And that to me is how I would like to describe how I became part of UST. For indeed, while I originally sought to be a Thomasian, the circumstances leading to my having been accepted at UST – missing the entrance exams, coming across that newspaper ad after having enrolled already in another university, until eventually getting in – were nothing short of a beautiful accident.

After earning my degree Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Advertising on March 27, 1981 I took a rest for more than a month, after which I applied for a job at Jose Cojuangco & Sons Organizations in Makati. On June 17 I started to work as Staff Artist/Photographer in its Corporate Communications Department. Later I was told that more than sixty people applied for that position. It was narrowed down to twenty five and further shortlisted to seven, until they chose me. I’m proud of that, not because “magaling si Rhoel Mendoza” but because “magaling ang UST graduate”.

I have always carried that Thomasian pride and I have every reason to do so. When I started working for my third employer (my second in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) I was surprised when my Saudi boss told me that he knew about UST and that he knew it was one of the best in the Philippines.
As I was wrapping this up I came across a link to an article which was posted on Facebook. It was the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s (PDI) January 23, 2012 editorial entitled “Philippines 2050”. It says, among other things, that “the nation should take inspiration from UST. As a cradle of higher education in the Philippines, UST is also the oldest university in Asia: it’s in fact the alma mater of the founders of Asia’s first republic. The recent ruckus over its grant of a doctorate in law to Chief Justice Renato Corona has hardly ruffled the feathers of the Dominican institution. After all, it has gone through worse: it has survived global tsunamis and the vicissitudes of history, such as the British invasion and the Seven-Year War, the colonial regime change at the turn of the 20th century, and World War II when the Japanese turned the campus into a concentration camp.”
“Today, with some 5,000 graduates performing well in licensure exams, UST is, according to the Commission on Higher Education, the biggest producer of Filipino professionals. Moreover, in her study, Tan has concluded that graduates of UST perform much better in state exams than other schools charging higher fees.”
“The marvel is that UST has been doing all of this quietly.”
“Confidence comes with institution-building: UST has become a no-fuss colossus, unflappable and sometimes impenetrable, but a truly Filipino institution. While the nation is looking forward to 2050, UST is looking forward to its fifth centennial in 2111. Its confidence should inspire us.”
Need we say more?

Indeed I, we, have so many reasons to be proud of UST and of being Thomasian. I can rant on and rave about my beloved alma mater. Suffice it to say, however, that I am simply, proudly, Thomasian!

Maraming salamat po UST! Sulong sa ikalimang siglo!

‘WOW’ NOW NA!... Retain the Wow Philippines campaign!

The controversy on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) junking of “WOW Philippines” in favor of “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” as the country’s slogan for its tourism efforts only reinforced what many Filipinos have been thinking all along – that this administration is vindictive, inept, immature, amateurish and shallow and would go to any length – even to the extent of doing things to the detriment of our country – just to get back at or taunt the past administration.

In the Yahoo article “DOT: ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ only a concept”, DOT Secretary Alberto Lim said “WOW Philippines” was junked as it “has reportedly lost momentum after it was not used extensively by the Arroyo administration”. There they go again blaming the previous administration and hating everything that has to do with it. Can anything be more immature and shallow than that?


INEPT, VINDICTIVE

The previous DOT campaign – “WOW Philippines” – which, if I’m not mistaken, was former DOT Secretary Dick Gordon’s brainchild was an excellent concept. It was simple yet very catchy, easy to recall and, best of all, it captured what the Philippines is – a tourist destination so awesome that foreign tourists would most likely be moved to say “wow!” And “wow” is a very popular and universal expression of amazement and wonder generally understood by most.

So why junk it instead of revitalizing the campaign? Either Sec. Lim is not fit for the job as evidenced by his lack of advertising know-how which is very important in selling the Philippines, or – as others in the Pnoy administration is wont to do – simply wants to discard any traces of the Arroyo administration.


AMATEURISH, IMMATURE

After receiving flak from the people, Sec. Lim backtracked and said that ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ was only a concept and it was not yet final. Who was he kidding? On Bandila on November 18 it was reported that the department spent more than one million pesos for research relative to the change in slogan and Campaigns & Grey was even tasked to create the new logo. The new slogan was reportedly presented to government stakeholders and the media. Yun ba sasabihin niyang concept pa lang?

This reminds me of the first boo-boo committed by this administration on the first full working day of the Aquino administration – the issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 1 that declared vacant the positions of all non-career appointees of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Palace officials took it back and reissued the order. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda then refused to say that it had been taken back and that what had happened was a “blooper” and instead insisted that it was just a “fine-tuning of the language of the order.”

This and the DOT campaign controversy, to me, reflect this administration’s penchant to disown responsibility for its actions and coming up with lame excuses and alibis.
Going back to ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’, the slogan is reportedly the same as the name of a porn website, Sec. Lim said they didn’t know about it “kasi wala naman kaming alam sa mga porn websites na ‘yan”. Hello? Wasn’t it just reported that the DOT spent more than a million pesos in research? That much and the agency that did the research (which I suppose is also Campaigns & Grey) overlooked that simple detail? What a waste of taxpayers’ money then.

Further, tourism officials are said to have come up with "Kay Ganda" because it was the best adjective to describe how beautiful the Philippines is. Why couldn’t they be more creative?

Sec. Lim admitted that using the Filipino language is risky especially at a time when most countries are using the English language to make ideas easier to understand. Ganun naman pala, then why do it in the first place? He added that “it is risky but I'd rather take the risk if we want to get ahead. We need an edge dahil maliit lang ang budget natin compared to other countries like Thailand and Malaysia." I couldn’t understand what budget has got to do with coming up with a much better slogan.

Regarding the logo, Sec. Lim again disputed claims that DOT’s "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" typeface and logo were lifted from a tourism logo of Poland despite the very obvious imitation. One need not be intelligent to see that the former was patterned after Poland’s. It may not have been plagiarization in the strict sense of the word but still it smacks of inability to create an original work.


'PILIPINAS KAY GANDA' SCRAPPED

As of this writing – November 20, 2010, 10:24 pm – Pres. Aquino has scrapped the tourism slogan. Dapat lang!

The DOT should just continue with “WOW Philippines” or if it really wants a new one why not conduct a nationwide slogan and logo design contest. I’m sure there are many talented, imaginative and creative Filipinos out there who are capable of coming up with excellent and original works – something which cannot be said of whoever came up with the slogan “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” and its logo nor of the DOT honchos responsible for approving them.

My Unread Eulogy for Tatay

Photos above (from top): Tatay from baby to lolo, Tatay with his nanay (Lola Munding), Tatay carrying me, Tatay and I at a children's party, Tatay & I in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tatay's early years as an OFW in Riyadh.

Today - August 20, 2010 - is our beloved Tatay's 8th death anniversary. I remember that night very well. I was out since afternoon and for the first time, for reasons I didn't know what, I turned off my celfone (I never do that even inside the cinema). When I came home late that night I was met by my sister Leah who broke the news that Nanay, my other sister Nanette, my brother-in-law Josel and my brother Ramil rushed Tatay to the Polymedic Hospital (Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center) after Tatay asked them to due to something he felt wasn't right.

I immediately rushed to the hospital myself and when I reached the emergency section Tatay was already in very bad shape. They were already doing resuscitation efforts to revive him. Sadly, after several minutes, his heart finally stopped beating.

It was the first death in our very simple but happy family. To say that we were all devastated has got to be an understatement.

Below is the eulogy I wrote for Tatay and which I was supposed to deliver during mass on the night before his burial. Overcome by emotions, though, I wasn't able to do so. When our aunts and uncle (Tatay's sisters & brother) flew back to the US after the interrment I gave each of them a copy of the eulogy. I learned later that they read it during their flight and it really made them cry.

I'm posting it here in observance of our dear Tatay's 8th death anniversary. How time flies so quickly indeed. May God bless your soul 'Tay. We love you very much and miss you just as much.


UNREAD EULOGY OF A SON TO HIS FATHER
Ang huling paalam kay Tatay by Rhoel Raymundo Mendoza

People who know me well know that I love to read and write. People who know me best know that I took after Tatay as far as that is concerned. Kahit ang mga kapatid kong sina Leah, Nanette at Ramil, one way or the other, ay namana ang hilig na ‘yon ng Tatay either sa pagbabasa o pagsulat, or both. But I’m not here to talk about us. I’m here to talk about a simple, quiet, unassuming, but nevertheless sensitive and warm individual – the man most people call Rusty, siblings call Tiko, nephews and nieces call Tiyo Rusty, we – his children – lovingly call Tatay, and Nanay endearingly calls “D”.

Marami na po akong naisulat – mga essays, letters, dissertations, but never did I imagine myself writing a eulogy for Tatay, for I have always thought that Tatay – and Nanay for that matter – would outlive me, morbid as that thought may have been. Anyway, obviously I’m still here and Tatay is, sadly, gone. What I feared most I now have to do. Ito na po marahil ang pinakamahirap at pinakamasakit na pagsusulat na ginawa ko. However, masakit man sa kalooban kong isulat ito at basahin ay natutuwa na rin ako dahil sa pamamagitan nito ay maibabahagi ko sa inyo ang ilang mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa taong kalahati ng pinagkakautangan naming magkakapatid ng buhay.

Tatay is someone to whom roots is very important. Mahalaga sa kanya ang kanyang pinagmulan. Kaya nga there were times when he would poignantly recall his childhood days in Pandacan or his teenage years in Mandaluyong, particularly hereabouts, dito sa immediate vicinity ng San Felipe Neri, dito sa puso ng Mandaluyong which is more popularly referred to as Poblacion or Bayan. And speaking of heart, this is where Tatay’s heart is. He loved this place just as we, his family, do. Even when we moved to Barangay Mauway, doon sa may Shaw Boulevard malapit sa Crossing, lagi pa ring binibisita ng Tatay ang bayan. Dahil nandito ang mga lugar na nakawilihan niya, mga taong pamilyar sa kanya, mga kaibigang dito niya nakilala, at siyempre pa dahil dito sila nagkakilala at nagkaligawan ng Nanay. Ngayon mas nauunawaan niyo na kung bakit narito ang puso ng Tatay. That’s why when the time came for us to decide kung saan ibuburol ang Tatay, hindi na kami nagdalawang-isip. It had to be here. Alam naming ito ang makapagpapasaya sa Tatay – ang malapit sa pook at mga taong naging malaki at mahalagang bahagi ng kanyang buhay.

‘Tay, you are home.

What else will we remember Tatay for? Marami. Tulad ng hilig niya sa atis. Ang paborito niyang 4711 cologne na lagi niyang ibinibilin tuwing pabakasyon ako noon mula sa Saudi. Ang lagi niyang ibinibilin sa mga kapatid niya sa States na Just for Men – pang-itim ng bigote. Ang hilig niya sa panonood ng basketball at tennis. Ang pagtaya-taya niya sa lotto – naniniwala siya na ang umaayaw ay di nagwawagi. That is exactly what he said two days before he left us. Meron pa ngang nakitang lotto ticket ang Nanay sa wallet niya. Hanggang sa huling sandali, lotto aficionado talaga ang Tatay. We will remember him also for his fondness in solving Philippine Star’s crossword puzzle or any crossword puzzle na makita niya. Also his favorite expression “que barbaridad”, at ang paborito niyang sisig ng Lapid’s. Simple lang ang Tatay but when the situation calls for it, posturyoso siya, hanep sa porma so to speak, at very neat manamit.

But one thing that we, his family in particular, will never forget about him is his unique way of showing his love and affection for us. Tatay is not the demonstrative type of father. Kaya naman what he couldn’t show through physical gestures he does by other means – like cooking for us. How could Leah, for example, forget Tatay’s mouth-watering baked lapu-lapu with olive oil and mayonnaise? How could Nanette forget his strange concoctions, like shredded talong na nilamas sa asin at pinatakan ng Kikkoman, maalat pero masarap. Japanese salad daw ito. Or how could Ramil forget Tatay’s pancit or ginisang salmon? At pa’no ding malilimutan ng Nanay ang karneng giniling na nilalagyan ng Tatay ng spices na hindi malaman ng Nanay kung anu-ano? Ako, I remember he introduced us to the delicious world of cold cuts from Swiss Inn nung mga bata pa kami. Malaki talaga ang papel ng pagkain sa pamilya namin. Minsan nga naiisip ko, food is probably what really binds our family together. Nung nagsa-Saudi pa ang Tatay, every time he was home for vacation he would always treat us to a new restaurant, yung medyo mamahaling klase. Sabi niya kasi ayaw niyang lumaki kaming tanga sa magaganda’t sosyal na kainan. Buti na lang di kami naadik sa mga restaurants na ‘yon.

Cooking for us as his expression of love? Why not? We will definitely miss the scent of garlic fried rice as Tatay prepared breakfast for us on some mornings. We will always be reminded of him whenever we smell the aroma of brewed coffee which he loved so much. We will miss his odd but delicious recipes. We will miss him, period!

Exactly two weeks before his death, I joined the popular game show, Game Ka Na Ba? Si Tatay ang isinama ko sa taping. Ang nakakatawa, mas excited pa siya kaysa sa akin. On the day of the taping, mas maaga pa siyang nagbihis at panay ang pag-remind sa akin na baka ma-late kami. Dressed to kill pa siya non. How was I to know na ‘yon na pala ang huling pagkakataong magkakasama kaming dalawa sa paglabas? Ang daya mo ‘Tay, ‘di ba usapan natin sasali uli ako? Pa’no na ‘yan, sino na sasama sa akin para magbigay ng moral support? Sino papalakpak sa akin? At saka ‘di ba usapan natin hindi ako titigil hangga’t hindi ko nakukuha ang US trip showcase para sa inyo ng Nanay? Pa’no na ngayon ‘yan, you took a trip elsewhere? Anyway, I’m sure kung tatanungin ka ni Kris Aquino ng game ka na ba, ang isasagot mo ay game na! For that is definitely the mood that you are in right now – game na game na… to come face to face with your Creator. Diyan ‘Tay, siguradong ikaw ang win.

Isang bagay na hindi ko malilimutan sa Tatay ay ang pagiging tahimik niyang tao. Hindi ko malilimutan, kasi in that aspect we two are very much alike. People who don’t know him would think na suplado siya or cold or unaffected or insensitive. Pero sa labas lang ‘yon. Inside, Tatay is a warm person, you just really have to know him.

I am very proud of my Tatay. I’m proud of the fact that that he was able to give us a comfortable life. Hindi kami mayaman, maginhawa lang. I’m proud of the fact that he was once an OFW or overseas Filipino worker who sacrificed so much just for the sake of his family. I’m proud of the fact that, according to most people, I look like him, even sound like him, laugh like him, chuckle like him. At least ‘Tay hindi mo maipagkakailang anak mo ako. I’m proud of the fact that I’m his son. We’re proud of the fact that we are his children. But best of all, we are very proud of the fact that Rustico Margarito Castaneda Mendoza is our Tatay… our beloved Tatay.

‘Tay, we would like to think that we have been very good sons and daughters to you. As for myself, I think I have been a very good son, not perfect, just good. But the good son that I have been, I was remiss on one thing. And tonight I would like to make up for it with our family and all our relatives and friends as witnesses. Alam ko ‘Tay na naiparamdam ko naman kung gaano kita kamahal pero siyempre mas masarap yung naririnig. Kahit wala ka na, alam kong naririnig mo ‘ko ngayon and it’s not yet too late. Kaya ‘Tay, sorry… it has taken me quite a while to say… I love you very very much Tatay.

Mahal na mahal ka naming lahat and we will miss you. Hindi lamang kaming pamilya mo, kundi pati na sina Tita Citang, Tita Menie, Tita Ce, Tita Ely, Tita Del at Tito Roger at ang mga mahal mong pamangkin at apo. We love you very very much ‘Tay, alam naming maligaya ka sa kinaroroonan mo ngayon.

Huwag kang mag-alala, hindi ko pababayaan ang Nanay, sina Leah, Nanette, Ramil, Josel at Sam. Pero ‘Tay, tulungan mo po ako. Give me the strength to see our family through.

Rest well, Tatay, magpahinga na po kayo. Good night. God bless. We love you.

Whenever a person is to "leave this earth" there certainly is a premonition that at the time it happens we dismiss it as just one of those things, only to realize later that it was a sign that someone will soon "depart". Just before Tatay passed away, for reasons only he knew what, he tore off the August page of our calendar. This we learned much later.

An Open Letter to the Cojuangco-Aquino Siblings

To President Noynoy Aquino, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris,

Congratulations!

Before anything else, I would like you to know – for whatever it’s worth – that our family has always been pro-Ninoy/Cory. My late father was among those who participated in the events that led to the People Power Revolution of 1986. On the other hand, I – as an OFW in Riyadh at that time – followed the news with great interest until your mother was installed as the 11th Philippine president.

When The Philippine Star held a “Ninoy Aquino Essay-Writing Contest” in August 1993 in commemoration of your father’s 10th death anniversary my entry was selected as one of the fifteen finalists. My essay about Ninoy must have been impassioned enough to catch the judges’ attention.

When your mother died I was among the thousands who braved the rains during her funeral procession.
I don’t know if President Noynoy remembers it but I was there right outside the van that you were all riding in (as it traversed the length of Roxas Boulevard) brandishing right in front of him your mom’s autographed picture and another showing her handing me the 1990 POEA Bagong Bayani award. For the complete set of photos I took, please visit this site - http://absolutescorpio.multiply.com/photos/album/203/Paalam_President_Cory_Album_1_of_2#

I would like to be honest with you President Aquino, I did not vote for you. Yes I believe you may have been the only one who possessed moral ascendancy over all the other presidentiables, but pardon me, no I don’t believe that was enough to make you a very good president. I would be happy, however, if time will prove me wrong.

Perhaps it would interest you to know that I had a certain connection to your family, at least the Cojuangco side of it. You see, right after graduation from college in 1981 I found employment in your family corporation, Jose Cojuangco & Sons Organizations (JCSO), as Staff Artist & Photographer of the Quedan newsletter, under the company’s Corporate Communications Department. Our boss was your Ate Marisse (Reyes then) who was one of the country’s excellent bowlers at that time.

I was very fortunate enough to work in her department because my job afforded me the opportunity to rub elbows, so to speak, with members of the Cojuangco clan. I remember meeting your uncles Pete and Peping as well as your aunts Josephine, Tere and Passy. Among them it was your Aunt Josephine whom I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of meeting up-close more often, she being my boss’ mother. One incident that I will never forget was during the 1981 company Christmas party at the Cojuangcos’ Forbes Park residence (if my memory serves me right). When it was time to go home, your Aunt Josephine who was with your Ate Marisse in their car offered to give me a ride. I was very thankful because I thought at least I’d get a lift up to EDSA where I can take the bus to Crossing (we live near Shaw Boulevard). But your Aunt Josephine instructed the driver to drop me right at our house. It was indeed very gracious of her to do that considering her status in society.

Your Aunt Tingting was also one of those whom I had the chance to meet up-close several times, mostly when I would cover events at Central Azucarera de Tarlac like visits by family members during special occasions. She was a photographer’s delight, always stylish and simply beautiful. After all, she was once named by Harper’s as one of the world’s most beautiful women. And my, am I lucky for having photographed her many times. One time I was even asked to go to their house to take pictures of her portrait.

And speaking of portraits, I was likewise asked once to go to your Uncle Danding’s UCPB office to take pictures of your Aunt Gretchen’s portrait.

I also had the pleasure of meeting your cousins. I still have with me photos I took of them when they were very young, taken mostly during company parties. I remember very well your cousins Liaa (who, if I remember right, at that time was a Pre-Med freshman at UST and was a pretty and very refined young lady) and her sisters Pin, Mikee, Mai and China (who was a very cute toddler then). I likewise remember your Teopaco cousins, the one I remember most is Rina.

Among your cousins that I somehow had interaction with were Joel Lopa (who would assist us during Quedan staff’s monthly visits to Hacienda Luisita; my colleagues did interviews for the newsletter while I took photos); Rocky Lopa and Gina Lopa. I also got to meet Whitey and LA (God bless his soul). My only regret then was not having met the Cory branch of the family as you were already in the USA then. I did hear a lot of stories about your family though.

As Quedan’s Staff Artist & Photographer my name was in each issue’s staffbox and little did I know that your family to which copies of Quedan were sent regularly paid attention to it, or at least Ballsy did. You see, during one of my annual vacations from Saudi Arabia (where I worked after my Cojuangco job) I returned to the JCSO Building for a visit. That was after your dad’s assassination. An exhibit about him was being held at the building’s ground floor. Anita de Guzman, a former office colleague, guided me through the exhibit and when we were about to leave we met you, Ballsy, and Anita introduced me to you by saying “Ma’am siya po yung dating Staff Artist at Photographer ng Quedan” to which you replied “Ah siya ba si Rhoel?” That certainly took me by surprise as I didn’t expect you to know the Quedan artist by name. Again it was something that may seem trivial but to me it meant so much.

By the way, perhaps I should also add that Pinky was my brother-in-law’s colleague at Hewlett-Packard. I have always wanted to write you, Pinky, if only to convey through you a message to Kris whom I have met up-close in the six times that I have joined Game Ka Na Ba as contestant. But more on that later. Further, one of my cousins was President Noynoy’s batchmate in Ateneo.

My brief (16-month) stint at JCSO was quite an enjoyable and rewarding experience if only for the fact that I was given the opportunity to work for one of the country’s most prominent families, not to mention that it was my first job. If only I had met your family, then it would have been a much more memorable experience.

When your mom assumed the presidency, I learned that my former boss – your Ate Marisse – became the head of her Correspondence Office and that she brought her staff also to work in Malacanang. Sometimes I wondered, what if I had stayed on at JCSO? Perhaps I would have been one of your mom’s official photographers. That would have definitely been the greatest experience of my life. But obviously God had other plans for me.

In December 1990 I finally had the great honor of meeting and even shaking hands with your mother when she awarded me the POEA Bagong Bayani citation. I was actually tempted to whisper to her that I once worked for JCSO but I thought it would be inappropriate. The photograph of her shaking hands with me is one of my most treasured possessions.

Now that President Noynoy has been sworn into office, I would like to – not give unsolicited advice as I may not be in a position to do so – but simply share some words that I hope the President and you his sisters (especially Kris) would take to heart.

Mr. President, I pray to God that may you lead this country on the right path and bring it back to greatness and to its rightful place in the community of nations. But in order to do that you need to be just, not vindictive and strong-willed but kind.

It is quite disconcerting that right after your proclamation there have been signs that you have this tendency to become arrogant, vindictive, immature and negative. In order for this country to move on, get rid of such self-destructive traits.

Mr. President, I also hope and pray that you put individuals in your cabinet on basis of capability, credibility and competence, and not fire officials – especially if they’re fit for the job – just because they are identified with the Arroyo administration. Avoid creating another Kamag-anak Inc. Also, avoid giving positions to people only because they gave substantial support to your campaign. Be careful of “friends” who give advice. Be wary too of people “around” you, they could be the ones to bring you down.

As to Ballsy, Pinky and Viel, I have always admired you for being low profile and soft spoken, just as your cousins (at least those that I’ve come in very close contact with) are. In you I see humility, kind-heartedness, tranquility of spirit, strength of character. President Noynoy will do well to heed your advice which I know will always take the Filipino people into consideration, first and foremost.

Now a few words for Kris. I admire you for your intelligence, sophistication, eloquence and smartness, but I don’t appreciate your tactlessness, arrogance and your constant need of attention. I would like to see you temper frankness with sensitivity to other people’s feelings. By all means speak your heart out as you often do, but please spare us the details of your personal life, we’ve had enough of it.

Lastly, it’s good to see you doing charity work. I just hope you’re doing it with sincerity and genuine concern and not just for show nor just to put your brother in a good light. I say this because of one incident that somehow changed my impression of you.

You see, I was a contestant in Game Ka Na Ba six times. During one instance – on August 15, 2003 to be exact – I gave you a bracelet that I myself painstakingly made (I used to design, make and sell fashion accessories). I did it because I saw how much you loved accessorizing. When one of your staff handed it to you, with me just about three feet away, you reacted in a rather sarcastic way and asked in a condescending manner “bakit?” I was embarrassed to say the least. Pero dedma lang. That was not the worst part of it though.

Before I had the chance to give the bracelet to you, my mother (who was around 72 years old at that time) and I stood for about twenty minutes while awaiting the chance to be accommodated by you as you were being made up. You saw us and even gave us a scrutinizing look. Aside from us, there were only your make-up artist Bambi, someone who I learned later was the show’s producer, and one PA. I was hoping you would, or at least ask your staff to, offer my mother to sit but you didn’t. Bambi noticed it but only managed to give us a compassionate smile.

You struck me at first to be very respectful of old people, of mothers most especially, but your seeming lack of concern during that incident made me think that what you project to be on TV is way too different from what you really are up-close in person. I hope that old Kris has changed for the better. My point here is, now that you are into charity work I hope there really is sincerity in your heart as you undertake such noble tasks.

And please, Kris, for the President’s sake, don’t meddle – as you are wont to do – in his affairs, political or otherwise.

So to you the Aquino-Cojuangco siblings, may God continue to bless you and shower you with his blessings. May you continue to uphold the principles by which Ninoy and Cory, your parents, lived.

And to you, President Aquino, may Divine Providence be as kind to you as it was to your mother. May your term be indeed the start of a new Philippines.

Like I said, I did not vote for you. But I want to see you succeed.

Rhoel Raymundo Mendoza
Former Staff Artist & Photographer
Corporate Communications Dept.
Jose Cojuancgo & Sons Organizations (JCSO)

Sexual predators and frauds disguised as talent agents

Sometime in March or April 2010 one of my male talents (let’s call him Ken) who seldom go online asked me to check a certain girl on Facebook as he wanted to know what she looked like. I did. I told him the girl looked okay but that she didn’t seem like she’s the Maria Clara type, if you get my drift. The girl was a certain Ria Crystelle.

I learned later from Ken that a certain agent by the name of Vien (allegedly from Elite Modeling Agency) texted him offering an underwear modeling gig in Singapore which entailed a hefty talent fee. He also confessed that this Vien connected him to that girl Ria through texting.

I told Ken that, first, the Singapore gig could be a sham. It just sounded too good to be true. And we know that anything which sounds to good to be true is most likely not true. Besides, in my almost three years in the talent handling business I’ve never met nor heard any agent by the name of Vien. I asked my agent-friends and even they don’t know that Vien or Viel. And neither have I come across any Elite Modeling Agency (there is one, however, in the US & Canada - the Elite Model Management, not here). So I advised Ken to forget about it and to stop entertaining that Ria’s calls as it could just be the agent’s ploy to get him into bed and that he could end up being the victim of a sex scandal. He heeded my advice. Besides, that Ria started asking for load.

Then another male talent of mine, Zeth, confided to me that one time at Trinoma he was approached by a girl (who later turned out to be that Ria) and befriended him. Later, that Vien appeared and tried to convince him to be one of his talents. Zeth told him he already has a manager. After that encounter, that Ria kept on calling him. Ria, according to Zeth, sounded wild and that their conversations weren’t anything about modeling at all. Zeth and Ken compared notes and we all agreed that that Vien and that Ria were really in connivance and that they’re nothing but scammers who are out to victimize male models. Zeth confirmed to me that the Ria he met in Trinoma was the same Ria in Facebook. (Which means Ria is a genuine girl but that Vien sometimes pretends to be her; one thing is clear, that Ria is in cahoots with him).

Then much later I also learned that a third male talent of mine, Olan, likewise almost fell prey to that f____ing tandem’s ploy. Olan and a friend-model of his watched a show in the Philippine Fashion Week. That Vien approached his friend and got his number under the pretext that he had a project abroad. To make the long story short, the same modus operandi was employed, that Ria was introduced to his friend and became his textmate. Eventually that Vien, having gotten Olan’s number through that Ria, called him and offered to manage him. No dice, however, because all my models know how to say “may manager na po ako.”

In The Philippine Star’s June 17 issue I read about a “Man arrested for swindling, molesting 4 would-be models”. It’s that Vien, who it turned out was using several aliases among which were Ria Crystelline Lopez, Viel Santillan and Vien Perez. His real name is Kervin Asuncion Lao. Read the news item at http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=584980&publicationSubCategoryId=65

With due respect to the victims, I couldn’t understand how they could be convinced to shoulder the airfare for the supposed lingerie fashion show in Cebu. Having learned that one of the victims (let’s call him Jet) was in my FB contacts, I asked him. He said that two fellow models (who were also victimized) earlier told him that the project was legit and that sometimes there are indeed out-of-town projects wherein the talents have to shoulder their transportation and other expenses. I said “wrong!” Out-of-town projects’ producers should shoulder all expenses.

And how on earth, I asked Olan, were two of them persuaded to check in to a motel (with suspect Lao) where they were allegedly molested? Were the victims so desperate to be included in that fashion show that they had to give sexual favors to that unscrupulous agent which, in the first place, has the looks that you wouldn’t trust (in other words, sa itsura pa lang e hindi mo na pagkakatiwalaan)?
It is very clear that that Vien is not a talent agent. He’s nothing but a sexual predator, swindler and scammer who should go back to jail… and with that Ria.

This is one reason why models should have managers or at least handlers. Newcomers, especially, are prone to abuses since they are not yet knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the industry. They need someone to give them advice and to brief them of what to expect. But then again, models should also be careful in choosing agents because not all of them have their (the models’) best interests at heart. In fact, some agents are only out to take advantage of their models or merely make them milking cows without any regard to their models’ well-being.

On hindsight, I was right all this time. I remember when my talent Ken first told me about that Vien I asked him if he told that Vien that he already had a manager, my talent said yes, but that he (that Vien) still kept on texting him. I was pissed off so I asked for that Vien’s number from Ken. Sensing my confrontational mood Ken said “huwag na lang tito, baka hindi tayo bigyan ng projects”. To which I exclaimed “huwag kang maniwala sa p___ng i__ng yan dahil sigurado akong manloloko yan, at kung totoo man ang mga sinasabi niya, siya lang ba makakapagbigay ng projects?”

Ken thought I was just being unreasonably overprotective of him. Now he is super thankful that I prevented him from entertaining calls and texts from that Vien and that Ria.

Another lesson for male models: never give hints to gay agents (especially those who have many female models under them) that you have an insatiable appetite for girls, because it’s like an open invitation for such agents to bait you with their female models just to be able to get inside your pants, it’s like telling them “hey I will do anything if you could give me one of your girls.” And that’s exactly that deceitful Vien-Ria tandem’s modus operandi, apart from the swindling angle. I hate to say it, but you had it coming. Anyway, lessons learned.

My suggestion to the victims: make sure that Vien goes to jail again and make sure also that that Ria goes down with him. Seek the help of media or – overboard as it may sound at first – the Senate even. Who knows, this could even jump-start a full-scale investigation into the seamy side of the glamorous business that is modeling (remember the Jojo Veloso controversy which somehow changed people’s impression of and attitude towards talent agents?). For indeed there is a lot of dirty stuff going on inside, even in supposedly prestigious fashion events, involving supposedly famous and “respectable” personalities in the industry.

Perhaps it’s time I published that long overdue handbook for aspiring models and showbiz wannabes, if only to educate would-be models and in the process avoid – among other things – incidents like the above. Perhaps it’s also time that all talent agents be registered with a certain government department or agency where models and talents can check the legitimacy of talent agents.

In conclusion, who knows, something good may yet come out of this ugly episode which has only contributed to the oftentimes unpleasant image of talent agents.

POTENTIALLY PRESTIGIOUS MALE PAGEANT OFF TO A VERY BAD START

(Note: for the purpose of not brazenly naming the pageant and the people involved, some of whom I know personally, I am identifying them with aliases instead.)

Fresh from an unpleasant experience last March entering one of my talents in a very hastily organized male pageant whose judging procedure seemed anomalous, I was incensed at the same hastiness with which this other more recent male pageant (MP) was conducted. But more than that I was greatly disappointed at the outcome of the competition, not necessarily because the eventual titleholder didn’t deserve to win – honestly, I think he was somewhat, I repeat somewhat, deserving but not of the major title – but because of the manner by which the selection of winners was made and also because of certain things that happened “behind” prior to the finals which made the whole thing suspicious.

In writing this I do not wish to cast aspersions on the producing entity (PE) which I have respect for more than I do the “other” pageant organizer, nor on the organizing foundation (OF). And in fairness to the person who was tasked to organize the pageant – let’s refer to him as MO (as in Mr. Organizer) – he did his best to come up with a male pageant and even he was clueless as to why things turned out the way they did.

What could have been an honest to goodness and supposedly prestigious-male-pageant-in-the-making turned out to be what seemed to me like another anomalous competition. Here’s my personal account of what I believe made the results of this competition suspicious based on my own observation and those of the candidates themselves. I hope PE and OF will take this in the spirit in which it is being given – constructive criticism – so that the same could be avoided next time. That is if they get to read this, I’m sure they would know that it is they I am referring to.

During the final screening for MP four applicants caught my attention (one backed out on the day of the finals, while two of them eventually ended up in the final five). One, because they all wore uniform black t-shirts which made me conclude that they were probably from one agent. Besides, they were always huddled together. And two, because I knew one of them, let’s call him C10. In fact, when I – along with another agent – was contacted by MO (who incidentally was one of the five candidates who were unceremoniously disqualified in the other male pageant) inviting us to bring in talents to the pre-screening, C10 (a freelance model) was one of those I texted first (aside, of course, from my exclusive talent C4 who eventually also made it as an official MP candidate).

I have known C10 for quite a while – but not in a personal capacity – and although I thought he lacked the personality I knew he’d somehow make a worthy MP candidate, if only for his looks, height and body which, although not that outstanding, could possibly land him a slot in the final five. When I texted him inviting him to attend the first MP screening he said “sorry tito hindi ako puwede” which I understood because I knew he had an “Earth Hour” event at MOA that day. But when I texted him again for the second screening I didn’t get any reply. So I thought he wasn’t really interested.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I saw him during the final screening of MP. Somewhat incensed at seeing him there, I couldn’t help approaching him and asking “di ba ako nagtext sa ‘yo tungkol dito?” To which he replied “tito may nag-inform na po sa akin bago pa kayo nagtext”. I told him that wasn’t true. It was only me and another agent that MO informed about the first screening as he didn’t want it to turn out “magulo”. Besides, the first time I texted him he didn’t mention that someone else had already informed him about it (remember he just said “sorry tito hindi ako puwede”), in which case it would have been perfectly alright with me. After asking who brought him there – he mentioned a certain Melanie (if I remember correctly) of a certain agency (which I haven’t heard about in the few years that I’ve been in the talent handling business) – I dropped the subject. If he really wanted to be handled by another agent for MP, then so be it. It’s a free country after all. But lying to me was a totally different story. I just hate liars.

During the course of the pageant I noticed that his group was somewhat getting favorable treatment. During one of the scheduled briefings, three of them arrived very late but were not even reprimanded.

Then when some of the candidates were asked to act as escorts at the evening gown competition of the female edition (FE) of the contest, the group was conspicuously absent. It was as if someone had tipped them off that it was going to be a “disastrous” evening for the escorts (more on this later).

And during the rehearsal a day before the finals, I was somewhat taken aback when the director asked “sino yung apat na maagang aalis?” I thought, why allow some of the candidates to leave early when rehearsal was very crucial. Why ask that, right in front of all the other candidates? That, to me, was a very shameless act that only showed how favored those four guys were. I learned later that the quartet did a photoshoot somewhere in Quezon City. Now as a pageant organizer myself – I was part of the group that co-produced Bodyshots 2001 with the FDAP; and I conceptualized and organized the Kouros Male Model Search (2004-2006), Natatanging Ginoo’t Binibini ng Overseas Filipinos (2006) and the search for The Most Promising Filipino Model (2008) – something like this was totally unacceptable especially on rehearsal day. Either the candidates in question forego whatever gig they had to go to or opt out of the pageant earlier on if they foresaw a conflict in schedule. In this case, it was just a photoshoot which could have easily been rescheduled in favor of – in the viewpoint of a pageant organizer – the more important rehearsal. What made it worse was when the rest of the candidates who continued rehearsing way until evening (without dinner being provided at that) was told that they had to wait for the return of the quartet so that they could do a final run-through (they came back from the photoshoot at past 8 pm). I don’t know about you but that to me was utterly inappropriate, unfair and unprofessional. After the pageant I learned from the candidates themselves that the said photoshoot was for two of the sponsors of the pageant, a shoe company (SC) and a fashion designer (FD). Was it ethical for the two sponsors to get only those four candidates for a private photoshoot even before a set of winners has been proclaimed? Whether it was for either or both of the two sponsors’ use is immaterial. It smacked of favoritism and impropriety.

April 22, 2010. Pageant day. I was told by MO himself that FD (yes, the same sponsor involved in the photoshoot) who was an outfit sponsor for two segments of the pageant created a scandal at the H2O Hotel, even shouting invectives at MO and behaving in a manner that would have put palengkeras to shame. A female PE/OF official even witnessed the skirmish. What could have escalated into a much uglier scenario was prevented when a former FE winner intervened. The reason apparently for FD’s fit and rude behavior was that he wanted a big make-up room. This despite MO having already provided him and his staff a room at the hotel. FD even threatened to pull out his outfits. Talk about attitude and unprofessionalism. (Unknown to the people who were already there at the venue that time, the pageant was almost cancelled. PE/OF officials only prevailed upon MO to go on.) For the life of me, in the first place I couldn’t see why FD who was merely sponsoring a segment should demand for a make-up room and why it seemed like he had a big say in the competition, like he was untouchable. Which leads me to why I thought this competition was a big farce.

We found out that FD was the one who fielded the four candidates that I felt were being given preferential treatment. Apparently, they were entered under the pretense of being talents of the Melanie that C10 mentioned to me. The truth, it turned out, was that they were actually sent in by FD. So probably the reason why C10 didn’t want me to enter him in the pageant was because he had a much better-placed “handler”. I then sensed that something irregular was going to happen. It seemed I was right.

C10 and another one in the quartet, C11, made it to the final 5. And that’s what infuriates me. Not that they didn’t deserve it per se. What was not ok were the factors that surrounded their winning. Like, both of them won special awards. Again, nothing wrong with that per se. The thing was, C10 won one award which was judged by – hold your breath – FD himself. As to C11’s Mr. Talent award, it was quite obvious that C7 instead should have won it hands down. Sorry C11, you’re cute and even cuter in your dance number even though there were a few awkward moves, but that was all there is to your talent – pa-cute. Everyone thought C7 – with his bartending skills – should have taken the Mr. Talent award. C10, on the other hand, won many of the special awards (some of which, in my personal opinion, were undeserved).

To sum it up, judging – if indeed the judges (which numbered almost twenty if I’m not mistaken) did have the final say – was clearly anomalous. But taking into consideration all my observations as articulated here, one need not be a genius to conclude that there were indeed irregularities which were blatantly committed.
On hindsight, by the way, I remember MO telling me (the first time he called me regarding the pageant) that the MP was to be a “Fun for a Cause” project of the OF. Had I known that the MP would be literally that – just for fun which, by all indications, it merely was, I and my talent wouldn’t have wasted our time, effort and money (incurred by transportation costs since the venue was so out-of-the-way) joining it.

Incidentally, also during his first call to me I was asked by MO if I knew anyone who could direct the MP finals. I said yes and referred my fashion director friend, a veteran in fashion shows, pageants and special events. However, when I got back to him he told me that PE (or was it OF) had already engaged the services of another director (let’s refer to him as DIR) who turned out to be, I heard, the manager of the winner of the other supposedly prestigious male pageant. When I learned about this I expressed to MO my apprehensions, but he assured me that nothing like the other pageant’s improprieties would happen and that DIR will have nothing to do with the judging. Oh well, it seemed he did. (A few days after the pageant I received an anonymous text message saying, among other things, that the judges were useless because it was FD and DIR’s group’s decision that prevailed).

PE and OF wasted the opportunity to start a potentially prestigious and relevant male pageant. With due respect, allow me to suggest a few things for next year’s edition of the pageant:

1. This I intimated to a PE/OF official when I saw her outside on my way out of the venue: NEVER allow any of your sponsors to field in their own candidates. It would have been alright had the sponsor in question not intervened in the selection process nor peddled influence on another sponsor. I say this because, remember the photoshoot I mentioned earlier? The other sponsor involved also gave out a special award and C10, one of the guys in the shoot, won the award. FD’s talents who won awards and placed in the top five may have – again, may have – deserved it, but the manner by which they won definitely left a very very very bad taste in the mouth.

2. Give due importance to the pageant. No, of course not the same level as that accorded FE (the male of the species, after all, are never given as much importance in this kind of stuff), but for God’s sake don’t make the male edition merely a recruiting ground for escorts to FE candidates. The poor young lads didn’t spend money and exert effort attending the activities just to end up acting as escorts. If you merely wanted to save on Talent Fee (TF) costs you could have gotten others outside MP who would be willing to escort for free.

3. Speaking of which, during the FE evening gown competition the ten candidates who were assigned to do the escorting were not fed on time. They were brought to the venue at around 3 p.m. for rehearsal and were not even offered merienda. At around 8:30 p.m., before the actual competition started, one of the candidates (not my talent) texted that they haven’t been given dinner. Not even water. It was only after I called MO who followed it up with the people in-charge at the venue were they told that packed dinner was on its way. An ordeal it was. And to think that the escorting job didn’t have any talent fee (TF) attached to it. And by the way, I don’t know how accurate this is but I was told that the guys were not even properly introduced as MP candidates, which really made them look like mere escorts. Or probably all ten of them just didn’t hear it.

4. Ensure that there is a fair amount of publicity and media exposure for the candidates. After all, that’s one of the things those young men expected when they joined. As it was, there wasn’t even one single press or at least photo release about the pageant. Taking pity on the candidates, a day before the finals night I took it upon myself to bring my own camera and photograph each of them (one headshot & one medium shot each) during a break in their rehearsal, and post them in my own multiply accounts. At least it could be said that some pre-finals photos of the pageant did appear in the net.

5. I gathered after the pageant that people in the audience and even the candidates themselves noticed that during the announcement of the winners, someone from the director’s group was merely writing the results on a piece of paper before being handed to the host. This is another big no-no because it makes the judging and announcement procedures appear very dubious.

And oh, one more thing, FD’s three candidates were all properly made up and dressed up during the opening production number. This despite specific instruction for each candidate to wear something that would represent what they see themselves to be ten years from now. While all the others wore chef’s uniform, athletic gear, soldier’s fatigue, etc., the three wore beautiful eye-catching stylized Barongs created by no less than FD himself. He certainly made sure that the three got that much needed attention and, may I add, undue advantage over the other candidates.

And if the other candidates themselves are to be believed, FD’s talents got special attention even backstage. C10, for example, was said to have FD’s or was it DIR’s staff swarming all over him to do retouches after every appearance on stage.

Lastly, recently I met one of the judges accidentally and we got to talk about the pageant. I found out that my talent C4 was supposed to have been given one of the more substantial special awards but since the award’s sponsor saw the trend – which was C10 getting most of the awards – the sponsor decided to give the award to the latter instead. Now if that doesn’t seem unfair, I don’t know what is.

Enough said. You be the judge.

The organizers – PE and OF – wasted a perfect opportunity to create a good impression for the male pageant that they plan to make an annual event. They should have devoted time and effort to the pageant’s first edition. More than that, they should have ensured clean results. On the contrary, they have given the potentially prestigious and relevant pageant a very bad impression image. It was a total waste of time, effort, money and attention.

God please give us the president who will lead this nation to greatness

may 8, 2010. after tomorrow we decide the future of our nation. we may have differing votes but it all boils down to one thing - each of us wants what's best for our country. some say noynoy is the most fit to be president because he is morally upright, others say it's villar because he is a good businessman and, thus, can run the country well, still some say gibo should be it because he has no record of corruption, and many say it's erap because he is pro-masa. but only GOD knows what's really in their hearts. so i pray to HIM that may the one who has the sincerest good intentions for the philippines and the filipino people win. i remember an american colleague (when i was still working in riyadh) ask, the philippines is such a beautiful country and the filipinos are a wonderful people, but why is your country so fucked up? may GOD give us the leader who will start turning things around. the philippines deserves to regain its rightful place in the international community and i trust that GOD will give it back to us by making the right man win on monday. it's now or never. GOD help us!