Aleck Therese Del Viega
Today is the day, abala kaming lahat para sa selebrasyon namin ng buwan ng wika. Hindi kami magkanda-ugaga sa pagcheck kong ayos na ba ang lahat. Maaga kaming pumasok ngayon para siguraduhing okay na ang lahat. Kahit maaga pa, pinagpapawisan na ako sa pagtatatakbo ko paroo't-parito.
"Ma'am Aleck okay na ba ang stage? Yung decoration maayos pa ba?" Tanong ng principal namin.
"Yes po sir"
"Okay sige, you can change your clothes na" saad nito. Pinasadahan ko muna ito ng tingin at nakitang naka barong na ito.
"Okay po sir" sagot ko dito at tumungo na sa table ko, kinuha ko ang paper bag na naglalaman ng susuotin ko at nagpunta nang comfort room, dito lang din sa loob ng faculty room.
I am wearing a one-shoulder purple modern filipiñiana gown that I rented in a boutique somewhere in Tacloban City. Itinali ko lang ang buhok ko pero nakaladlad lang ang mga baby hair ko. Magpakakamalang bangs pero baby hair lang talaga. I put some light make up and a red lipstick then nung nakita kong maayos na ang itsura ko, lumabas na ko ng c.r.
"Oh my Gosh ma'am Aleck! Ang ganda-ganda mo!" Nagulat ako sa sigaw ni Ma'am Bea sakin habang papalapit. Nakita ko namang napatingin sakin ang iba pang naroon kaya nahiya ako sa suot ko.
"Hay naku Aleck, hanggang ngayon ba mahihiya ka pa? Ilang beses na kitang nakita na nakagown pero ganun pa rin, ang ganda-ganda mo." Sabi ni ma'am kaceey na papalapit din sa akin.
"Ewan ko sa inyo" sabi ko at naglakad na papunta sa table ko at inilapag yung bag. Umupo naman ako sa upuan ko para maisuot ang heels ko.
"Let's go everyone, it's almost time, andun na si principal at ang guest speaker natin" yaya ni sir Carl saka naunang maglakad papalabas. Sinundan naman agad ito ng iba pang teacher.
"Tara na Aleck, sabay tayo" yaya ni Bea pero umiling ako.
"Mauna ka na, emcee ka so dapat hindi ka mahuli, go!" Taboy ko dito habang ikinakabit ang heels ko. Inirapan naman niya ako saka tumalikod. Natawa lang ako sa tinuran niya. Yung babaeng iyon talaga, ayaw na ayaw maging emcee pero wala siyang magagawa palaging siya ang pinipili ng principal.
Nang maikabit ko na ng maayos ang heels ko, tumayo na ako at tinignan ang sarili sa salamin sa may gilid ng cubicle ko. Huminga ako ng malalim at napagpasiyahan nang lumabas ng faculty room.
Naglakad ako hanggang makarating ako sa open court ng school namin. Bumungad sakin ang maraming tao na tutok na tutok sa intermission number na pinapalabas.
Agad akong binati ng mga nadadaanan kong estudyante at ginagantihan ko naman iyon ng ngiti.
Napatigil ako nang makarating ako sa baba ng stage kung saan nakahilera ang mga upuan at inilibot ko ang aking paningin para maghanap ng mauupan but it turns out, sa gitna lang ang meron, katabi ng pamilyar na pigura na parang pukos sa pinapanood.
I don't have a choice but to sit there-beside Captain Matt Taylor. Hindi ko siya tinapunan ng tingin at itinuon ko na lang ang pansin sa stage.
I tried to concentrate but I felt his gaze towards me at naiilang ako ng sobra dahil dun.
"Ang ganda ni Ma'am Aleck"
"Guys, tignan niyo, kahit likod lang ang kita parang bagay sila ng guest speaker natin"
"Sinabi mo pa! Ang gwapo ni kuya, nakita ko kanina!"
"Blue eyes pa!"
"Talaga? OMG! Gusto ko siyang makita"
Naririnig ko ang mga bulungan sa likod namin at nakadagdag lang yun sa tensyon na nararamdaman ko dahil sa taong nasa tabi ko.
After the presentation agad umakyat ang emcee which is Ma'am.
"Thank you for that wonderful presentation grade 9 Daffodil. For our next activity, we'll be having our debate competition. Participants from the selected students of all the grade level, proceed now to your groups and we'll give you ten minutes to prepare. You may start your 10 minutes now by brainstorming thank you!"
"Our theme is patriotism o pagkamakabayan. The debate will answer the question 'Does sacrificing one's life proves the love to the country?'"
"Let me discuss to you the mechanics. The activity will be judge according to the following criteria, 50 percent mastery of the topic, 20 percent relevance to the topic, 20 percent delivery or the way it was addressed and 10 percent cleanliness for a total of 100 percent. Note, you can use both filipino and english language"
I was silently listening to what Bea are saying when the person beside me leaned and whispered something.
"It's nice to see you again Aleck" bulong niya sa maliit na boses na alam kong ako lang ang makakarinig. Nagulat ako sa ginawa pero hindi ko iyon pinahalata.
"You too Matt" tipid na sagot ko dito ng pabulong.
"Times up participants! Before we start our debate, let me first introduce to you our judges. First judge is none other than our dear principal, Mr. Arnold Gonzaga" nang tinawag ni Bea ang principal namin, agad itong tumayo at nagpalakpakan naman ang mga estudyante.
"Students I know this is what you've been waiting for and I also, is one of you! Let's welcome our second judge, from the 8th infantry division, 31st infantry battalion Captain Matt Maverick Taylor. Let's give him a round of applause!" Everyone shouted as Bea introduced Matt. Tumayo agad ito mula sa pagkakaupo at binati ang mga estudyante. Nakita ko siyang ngumiti pero tipid lamang iyon at agad-agad na umupo sa tabi.
Puro tilian ang maririnig sa buong venue at hindi makasingit si Bea dahil ang lalakas ng boses ng mga estudyante. Ilang sandali pa ay humupa na ang ingay at nagsalita na ulit si Bea.
"Our third judge is not in the program. It's a surprise and that person will surely be surprised" saad ni Bea na nag-ani ng tawanan mula sa mga estudyante at iba pang guro. Ako naman ay ngumiti lang ng tipid at humalikipkip.
"Our third judge is our very own teacher Aleck Therese Del Viega!" Napaupo ako ng matuwid ng marinig ang buo kong pangalan. Agad akong tumingin kay Bea at binigyan siya ng makahulugang tingin pero nginitian niya lamang ako. I heard all the students cheering and shouting my name. Agad akong napatingin sa katabi ko at nakita ko naman itong tumango its as if he's cheering me.
Wala akong nagawa kundi tumayo at ngumiti sa mga estudyante bilang pagpapakilala. Everyone were smiling as I roam my eyes to the whole venue.
Agad akong umupo at ipinagpatuloy na ni Bea ang programa.
"Participants, you will be given 1 minute each to prove your point. We'll be doing it alternately, positive side will start first followed by the negative and so on. Participants, your timer starts now"
"Does sacrificing one's life proves the love to the country? Yes. Kaakibat ng isang bansa ang isang buhay. Kagaya ng ginawa ng ating mga ninuno, ng ating mga bayani na siyang nagbuwis ng buhay para sa ating bansa. Para makamit natin ang kalayaan."
"Negative side, yout timer starts now" Bea
"No, hindi sa pagsasakripisyo ng buhay nababase ang pagmamahal sa bayan. You can prove your love to the country by just giving honor and bringing the name of our country to the world competition. It doesn't mean that you love your country, you'll need to sacrifice your life."
"Positive side, your turn" saad ni bea.
"Sacrificing life is an honorable way to prove the love to the country, it is more than just a sacrifice. If battling in a war to attain freedom and means of sacrificing someone's life then so be it. Karangalan ang mamatay sa bayan."
"Negative side, you're in"
"If that's the case, then what about those who compete to the international competitions? So you are telling us that they doesn't love our country? Have you forgotten, dinadala nila ang watawat natin, kaakibat ng pangalan nila ay ang pangalan ng bansa natin. Isn't it a way of showing love to the country? To our dear Philippines? Hindi ba iyon karangalan?"
Nagpatuloy ang debate sa magkabilang panig at lahat ng kani-kanilang sinasabi ay may punto. Mataman lang akong nakikinig sakanila. Everyone is doing well making their point towards the topic. That question is kinda complicated but so interesting.
"Okay everyone, times up. You made and explained your point well. Thank you and we'll announce later the winner. Congratulations!" Saad ni Bea sa pagtatapos ng debate. Agad naman kaming tumayong lahat at nagpalakpakan sa mga estudyanteng sumali sa nasabing aktibidad. I enjoyed it so much.
"Before we proceed to the next activity, let's hear first a word from our guest speaker. Let's give a round of applause to Captain Matt Maverick Taylor" Everyone clapped their hands as Matt walk his way to the stage.
"Good morning everyone" panimulang bati niya at naramdaman ko na lang ang lakas ng tilian ng mga estudyante sa likod ko.
"Ang gwapo!"
"Ang ganda ng boses, buong-buo"
"Oh my gosh! Blue eyes!"
"I know you already know my name but I will introduce myself again. I am Matt Maverick Taylor, as you would noticed I have a blue eyes and yes am a filipino-american citizen. I was born in San Francisco and spent there my childhood years then later on, I decided to be here in the Philippines for good. I applied dual citizenship to become a filipino citizen." Nang magsalita ulit siya, natahimik na ang lahat. Even me, I became interested to what he would say.
"Maybe you are wondering why I chose to enter the Philippine Military instead of US. I didn't really know the reason why I chose it but then, as time goes by, I have realized my purpose and that I am called to serve this country. I was born to protect my countrymen-my fellow filipino people." natahimik ako sa sinabi niya.
That hit me just now, I realized that I am called for this profession. I was born to teach children and give them the knowledge they need to gain and learned. I am called to educate them. Everything has really its purpose.
"In my 9 years in the service, I have seen all the cruelty that the world has. That's the reason why I've came up with a goal of cleaning our country and make it a better one by removing all the scourges that cause a lot of misdeeds and crimes in our country even if it means of putting my life at stake"
"The topic of the debate awhile ago is great. You have proved all your point but, I want you to know that there's a lot of means in showing love to our country. Teaching you students are already a way of showing love to the country just like how police captured criminals, doctor healed those wounded, engineers building infrastructure and many more."
"And, I myself chose to be in military to show my love for our country. I am showing my love by protecting my countrymen even if it means of sacrificing my own life."
"Students, we are living in this world full of cruelty,crimes, hypocrisy and evilness but always remember that whatever the situation and circumstances may come always choose to do the right thing even it it cause your life.Don't ask anything in return in everything that you will do. Let God reward you the things he think will fit for every good things you did. You students, as the future of our country, make sure to always choose what is right and just." He said with finality in his voice.
Everything went silent, amazed and speechless. Walang masabi sa mga salitang binitawan ng sundalong nasa unahan namin not until I saw our principal stand from his seat and give an honorable clap na agad ding sinundan ng ibang guro at estudyante hanggang sa napuno ng palakpakan ang buong lugar.