Team Army was outraced by the PDBF Timekeeper

When our team lost to Buhi during the recent Dragon Boat race in Zambales, we were not really devastated. We readily accepted the fact that we were not invincible at all.

Our defeat served as a grim reminder that we need to identify the gaps and fill them. 

"We must dedicate more time developing our team strength as well as our paddling skills. Let us throw away the spirit of complacency".

In the past days prior to the Bohol event, my soldiers spent more time paddling at the murky waters of Manila Bay. Also, they ran more distances, swam more laps and did land training more often.

They were doing 2,500m in the practices many times to build their stamina and spirit. No retreat, no surrender!

I occasionally joined them to observe their performance and also to get rid of my extra fats. It is probably the best way to impose self-punishment for eating too much! 

A week before the Bohol race I knew that they were up and ready. They were very hungry for victory. 

We are all aware that aside from Team Buhi, we are also facing another formidable foe, the Team Navy which had prepared for the race in the past two months. 

Team Navy is indeed an intimidating adversary. They have at least 9 paddlers who are members of the National Team under the banner of the Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation. Yes, nine strong paddlers against 8 'international veterans' from our team.

What about Team Buhi? We do not underestimate these fishermen who came all the way from Bicol. Paddling is their way of life. Their light weight is an asset too. 

Though their paddling skills are not at par with our athletes, they had proven that they can beat both the Army and the Navy during the past races.

The 'warm-up' race

When we landed in the historic province of Bohol on April 29, we were ready to invade the bailiwick of Dagohoy and Tamblot. 

I can see faces of determination among my soldiers. They all wanted to show that indeed, we were the best Dragon Boat crew in this part of the world. 

Sgt Usman Anterola, as usual, exercised his leadership by motivating the team. "Focus palagi at wag matakot. Sumabay palagi sa unahan at huwag kaligtaan ang basics ng pagsagwan!"

Our 'warm-up' race was the 2,000m Standard Boat Open Event. 

Only 6 teams participated in the Open event namely: Army, Navy, Buhi, Maharlika Drakon, Onslaught.

During the Team Manager's meeting, the PDBF laid down the basic rules:

   a. There will be buoys every 500m distance;

  b.  The boat must not 'touch' the buoys (6 meter clearance);

  c.  Overtaking rules;

  d.  There will be only two heats where three teams will race. The succeeding teams will be released 15 secs after the other.

  e. The team with the best recorded time wins.

The 'amazing race'

In the first heat, the Army was facing the Maharlika Drakons and the Navy. It was our team's face-to-face encounter with our Navy brothers after the split of the Dragon Boat teams (and the formation of another Dragon Boat organization known as the Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation). 

We have heard so many claims about 'which is the stronger and the better Dragon Boat team' in the Philippines. It could not be proven using the usual battle of words. It has to be settled in the race site. Magkaalaman na.

I have a short reminder to my soldiers. "We will only race once in this event. Let's give our best and prove our worth.  And......... Beat Navy!".

When they had settled in the boat for the 2,000m event, I saw warrior faces. Uhaw uli sa panalo.

At the starting line, the Maharlika Drakons was released first. Team Army followed after 15 seconds, to be chased by the Navy which was released after another 15 seconds. 

By our effective 'u-turns' the Army closed the gap with the Maharlia Drakons in the first 500m and was able to overtake it after the 1,000 mark. 

The Navy was trailing the Army but could not catch up. Our paddlers were too fast in the last kick that they reached the finish line way ahead of the mighty sailors. 

According to the PDBF time keeper, our time results are as follows:

Army- 09:33:11 (nine minutes, 33 seconds and 11 milliseconds)

Navy-09:48.81 (nine minutes, 48 seconds and 81 milliseconds)

Maharlika-11:03.63 (eleven minutes, 03 seconds and 63 milliseconds)

In the second heat, the first to be released was the Onslaught Dragons, followed by Triton and Lake Buhi. 

Triton gave Team Buhi a good fight by giving all their best to outrace their fast-paced paddlers from Bicol.

Team Buhi had problems in the 'u-turns', they usually slow down with some paddlers stopping. They also could not imitate the Army's quick turns, avoiding the buoys with only a few meters of clearance. 

It was only after the 3rd buoy that the Team Buhi was able to overtake Triton team. Still finishing strong, they cleared the finish line way behind Onslaught (about 50-75 meters), the first team to be released. 

The official time record is:

Team Buhi -9:13.48 (nine minutes, 13 seconds, 48 milli seconds)

Onslaught- 10:03.07 (ten minutes, 03 seconds, 07 milliseconds)

Triton---    10:08.89 (ten minutes, 08seconds, 89 milliseconds)

And it follows that the 2,000 meter ranking is as follows.

Champion--Team Buhi (ahead of Team Army by 20 seconds)

1st Runner up--Team Army

2nd Runner up- Team Navy

'Believe it or not?'

I know that in any sport, there are sour-grapers. But, there are valid reasons for complaining. What about the guys who resent (and complain) when they feel that they are robbed of victory? 

The Army feels this way. I am sorry. You know why? There are some questionable parts of the results. 

Well, we recorded our own time just like any other team whose Boat Captain is a veteran in races. Our time was way below the time record of Mister and Miss Time Keeper!

Also, it is not statistically probable. Let me explain it to you. 

Team Buhi was released last in the 2nd heat right? Yes, the last. It means they started to paddle 30 seconds after Onslaught. Hmmmmmm. 

See the results? (Team Buhi--9:13.48 as against Onslaught's 10:03.07). What does it mean?  It means Team Buhi finished the 2,000m race 50 seconds ahead of Onslaught! Believe it or not?  

Using simple arithmetic, it is not believable. (Tell that to Ripley's)

Let me explain why.

Onslaught was released 30 seconds ahead of Team Buhi which was not able to at least catch up with the former. 

Let's say, Team Buhi finished 10:33.07 or 30 seconds behind Onslaught (raw time), then you need to deduct 30 secs right? Dapat same time sila sa final record.

What about if Team Buhi finished say 60 seconds after Onslaught? Hmmmm. Do the math. How do you come up with that result showing that they were ahead of Onslaught by 50 seconds? Kung nagkasabay nga ang Team Onslaught at Team Lake Buhi na dumating sa finish line, dapat ay 30 seconds lang ang lamang ng Lake Buhi. Eh, di naabutan ng Buhi ang Onslaught kaya maliwanag na 'Dagdag-bawas!'.

Well, let me share also that Team Buhi beat the Army in the 1st leg of 2013 Regatta and the Zambales race only by milliseconds or split seconds. I want to emphasize that we could not accept that we are behind them by 20 seconds or about 6 boats away!

Well, here is another puzzle. (If you want to share the confusion that I have in mind). 

Let's take a look at the result of the 2,000m Standard Mixed Events. For newbies, when we say 'Mixed' it means it is a mix of both male and female paddlers (12 males, 8 males).

Here is the official time of the Mixed Event:

Team Buhi - 9:33.14 seconds

Team Coast Guard--9:36.46 

Wow, man that's amazing! So, it means that Team Army has almost the same time record with the Mixed Event! I asked Usman if he included some high school students during the race and the answer was a big 'No!'.

Paano ginawa yong time scoring? Hula-hula?

Any protest?

I had been to international competitions and I am aware that there are provisions for protests in cases like this where there is a big question on officiating.

I tried to raise the issue to the PDBF but met with following answers:

"Oh, you're late in your protest." 

Well, what is the reference time? The announcement was that the race results must be posted near the entrance. It was posted on a tarp that was installed in a fence about 30 meters away. 

I reviewed the IDBF rules. I could not see any reference to 'late protest'. I raised the issue some 30-minutes after the announcement that the results were posted.

Then, I was told to explain the nature of my complaint. 

"There is a problem with your time keeper," I said, as I showed her the simple computations above. 

"Ahhhh, sorry but some of the teams were actually released like 23 seconds after the other."

"Ahhh, actually regardless of the time gap, we are using individual clocks anyway". Hmmmmm.

Seeing our original time as 9:48.11, I asked:  "But why was our original time 9:48:11 and deducted 15 secs?" 

I got no clear answers. I saw people refusing to admit that there was a problem.

Eh paano na yong rules na pinag-usapan? If we are officiating a 400m-dash, can we tell our runners that the rules were changed while they were racing? Nah.

That is not acceptable because any sane player wants to follow the rules and will complain if the rules are not equally applied. That is a no brainer.

I wanted to raise the issue because I want to help solve problems. If I am met with a wall of defense, a flurry of counter-punches of evasion tactics, then the problem with the time keeper will happen again. 

I would not allow my team to compete in that same race format where only the time keeper has the final say who wins the game. That is not fair to my team especially in this age of GPS watches where you can record the time, distance and speed of the boat. 

Our protest was non-sense. I did not pursue it because the end is not in sight. I wanted to finish the rest of the races.

Conclusion

I don't blame Team Buhi for the results. They did their best. I admire this team who traveled at least 500kms to Manila every time there is a race in Manila Bay. Pinaghirapan nilang puntahan ang Bohol. 

Eh.....paano naman kami? We just wanted a fair game. Pinaghirapan din naming mag-ensayo. 

Well, Pacman got the Draw decision during his first fight with Marquez in 2004. It was because of an error by one judge. It was admitted. 

Pacman also lost to Bradley because of 'horrible' judging as if 'they were blind' according to world-renown boxing promoter Bob Arum. When it was re-scored, Pacman  was declared as the winner but the Championship Belt was not taken back from Bradley. 

We don't want to grab that Championship Trophy from Team Buhi. It's theirs. 

They are not blamed for this mistake.

Because there was no admission about the grave error that probably cost us the trophy, I told my team to 'consolidate and reorganize as what we do in the Rangers. 

"We should not become desperate with this result. We will show them which is the fastest boat crew in the Philippines by ruling the next events."

We accepted that in the 2,000m event,  it was only the Time Keeper who outraced us, not Team Buhi. 

Para makabawi: "Pausukan ng tubig ang kalaban!"

Twelve people dead in Lanao del Norte ambush

I was scanning the text messages on my phone at around 6:00am today when I discovered the most startling event: Gunmen ambushed Lanao del Norte town mayor's convoy, 12 dead.

Again, some people in Mindanao are killing each other for an elective post. Patayan para sa pwesto ng Lingkod Bayan na kapiranggot lang naman ang sweldo.

"No change," I said.  In the military, we refer to events like this as 'parang Morning Report', referring to the daily report reflecting the accounting of troops where we sometimes reflect as 'No Change'. 

Mayor Abdulmalik Manamparan of Nunungan town was among those 8 people who were injured in the ambush of his convoy of supporters in the vicinity of Malaig village at around 6:30pm on Thursday (April 25). 

Twelve of his supporters were killed in the deadly ambush perpetrated by unspecified number of gunmen.  Say again? Twelve. Dose. Labindalawa.  

Twelve lives lost in a senseless grappling for an elective post which is best described as "Public office is a public trust". 

You might want to ask the most intriguing question: Is it directly related to the hotly-contested post of the town mayor?  Like you, I can only make speculations from my air-conditioned office. Just make a wild guess. ERVI or not?

Well, who could forget the infamous Ampatuan massacre, the bloodiest election-related violent incident in Philippine history? Fifty-eight people were mercilessly murdered in that incident. Say again? Yes, 58.  It is almost the same as the size of two platoons of infantry soldiers.

In the past days we accounted  several victims of atrocities that can be associated to poll violence including the recent  ambush on Gingoog City Mayor Ruth Guingona's vehicle convoy by the NPA bandits that claimed the lives of two people.

The recent incident shows that the 'peace covenants' signed by rivals who are vying for elective positions  a few months ago, are not enough to prevent bloodshed. Obvious naman na ang iba sa mga pumipirma dito ay pang-photo ops lang. If they are serious, they must also turn-over all un-registered firearms of their supporters to the local police. 

 Illegal guns and armed groups

To eradicate violent crimes, every Filipino must say 'no' to illegally acquired guns which go to the hands of the criminals. Obviously, these criminals do not use registered firearms in carrying out violent attacks, tama po ba? 

Supposedly, only law-abiding citizens must  be allowed to own guns. Look around, why are there guns in the hands of criminals?  

The blame game might be endless,  and 'finger-pointing' is quite normal. Sabi ng iba, "Kasalanan ng militar at ng pulis".  Teka, san nakaturo yong ibang mga daliri kapag mag-finger pointing? 

When we say 'law-abiding citizens', we do not include criminal groups like such as the New People's Army, Abu Sayyaf and gun-for-hire elements operating as 'Private Armed Groups' (PAGs). Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan?

Yes, there were cases where licensed firearms were seized from these criminals but  most of these were stolen from licensed gun owners. Also, some were recovered from attacks against government forces.

Then, we also need to fully cooperate with our state forces (police and the military) to flush out or neutralize the armed criminals in our communities. We can do this by reporting the presence of  armed men in certain locations. 

By providing your police with reliable information, these armed thugs have nowhere to hide. Gradually, they will be trapped in the well-coordinated actions during law enforcement operations. Mamamatay sa engkwentro  ang lumalaban sa pulis at militar.

Solution? No finger-pointing. Please do your part and we will also do our part.  Pagtulungan nating sugpuin ang kriminalidad. 

Let us not tolerate anyone who are possessing unlicensed firearms. Let us not condone the presence of armed thugs in our communities like the New People's Army and any political armed groups.

Our law enforcers need our help in curbing violent crimes. We must report these armed criminals to them.  Isang text message lang yan kay Sir Chief na nasa presinto, o kaya kay Sarge sa military camp na sumusuporta sa ating kapulisan.

Kapag magkaisa, kaya natin ito!

NPA bandit killed, 6 firearms seized in Comval clash

NABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley Province---Army soldiers killed an NPA bandit and hurt many others after a clash with an armed band of NPA kidnappers in Katipunan village here at around 9:00 am today (Thursday).

A platoon of soldiers from the 66th Infantry Battalion led by Lt Gammad was conducting pursuit operations against the NPA bandits when they chanced upon at least 30 heavily-armed bandits, triggering an intense exchange of fires.

Incurring casualties, the bandits fled in disarray carrying some dead and wounded comrades but leaving behind one of the fatalities. 

Nobody among the soldiers was harmed in the 30-minute running gunbattle with the bandits. 

The soldiers seized 6 high-powered firearms including five (5) M16A1 Rifles and an M14 Rifle from the bandits. 

"Meron pang mas maraming patay sa kanila na nakita nilang buhat-buhat habang tumakbo papunta sa gubat. Maraming tulo ng dugo ang nagkalat sa kanilang escape route," one of the soldier who was involved in the clash, said. 

The Army has mounted search and rescue operation after one soldier was abducted by bandits while buying food provisions in Maco town of the same province 2 days ago. 

More and more people have denounced the NPA bandits for the senseless attacks on unarmed members of the Philippine security forces.

Dalawang klaseng lider: Si Kupal at si Idol

Sa kahit saang organisasyon, ang hinahanap natin ay magaling na leader: Sya ay dapat karespe-respeto, modelo ng kagalingan at katinuan. Ika nga sa militar, 'epitome of an officer and a gentleman'. 

Ayaw natin ang pinunong magaling lamang sa salita, na tila ay kayang mag-dadakdak ng oras-oras sa wikang  Tagalog at English, para bolahin ang mga tauhan. 

Hinahanap natin yong natatapatan ng gawa ang mga salita. Ika nga ay 'walk the talk'. 

Meron akong ipakilalang kategorya ng leaders. Ang isa ay si Kupal  at ang isa ay si Idol.  Parehas ang kanilang ranggo at pinagtapusang training institution.

Dahil parehas ang kanilang ranggo, sila ay parehas na me pagkakataong ma-designate bilang pinuno ng isang yunit. 

Kahit parehas ang napag-daanang pre-entry training, nagkakaiba ang resulta ng kanilang istilo sa pamumuno ng yunit. Kasama sa dahilan ng pagkakaiba ay ang attitude, exposure at ang values na pinanghahawakan.

Pagkaupo ng yunit, si Kupal ay naghahanap na ng mga biyaya o kapritso na matatamasa sa kanyang posisyon. Sinisigurado nyang mabusog nya ang kanyang sarili sa mga self-declared 'privileges' na makakapagpasaya sa kanya. 

Samantala, si Idol ay nag-iisip agad paano maiangat ang kaalaman at kagalingan ng kanyang mga tauhan. Tinitingnan at kinakalinga niya ang morale at welfare ng mga kinasasakupan na syang pinakaimportanteng assets ng kanyang yunit. 

Si Kupal ay gustong ituring na Hari o Big Boss na tila ay isang Pharaoh ng Egypt kung makapag-mando ng kanyang mga alipin. Para sya ay susundin, takot ang pinapairal sa lahat ng panahon. 

Si Idol ay tinitimbang ang mission accomplishment at welfare of men. Habang sinisigurado na tagumpay ang mga nakatalagang misyon, hindi nya isinasantabi ang kapakanan ng mga tauhan kasama na ang pagpapairal ng disiplina at magandang samahan sa kanyang yunit. 

Si Kupal ay sobrang bilib sa sarili at naniniwalang sya lang ang tama. Hindi sya nakikinig ng suhestiyon kaya ang kanyang salita ay batas na ipinaiiral. 

Si Idol ay pinapakinggan ang boses ng bawat isang tauhan at kinikilala ang kagalingan ng mga kasamahan. Pinupunuan nya ang kahinaan ng ibang nagkukulang sa kaalaman. 

Si Kupal ay magaling lang mag-utos ngunit hindi nya naman ito ginagawa. Sya yong nagsasabing, "Gawin mo ito, gawin mo yon!"

Si Idol ay iniuutos kalimitan ang mga bagay na ginagawa rin nya. Sya yong maririnig na nagsasabing,"Gawin natin ito, sundan mo ginagawa ko."

Si Kupal, minsan ay tila isang pulitikong gustong maihalal sa pwesto dahil sa kanyang todo-bigay na pagpapasaya sa lahat ng tauhan. Gusto nyang sya ay 'sikat' o popular dahil mapagbigay sya sa lahat ng kapritso ng mga tauhan.

Si Idol ay sinisiguradong pantay ang pagtingin sa lahat, at pinapasunod ang mga tauhan sa tamang daan. Nagbibigay sya ng desisyon na ang gabay ay ang regulasyon at polisiya ng institusyon na kinabibilangan. 

Si Kupal ay malimit nagpapa-pogi sa paningin ng kanyang boss. Magaling magpa-impress at kalimitan ay 'yes man' sa lahat ng sinasabi ng kanyang bossing kahit windang na ito.

Si Idol ay pursigidong gumawa lamang ng tama kahit punain man ito o hindi ng kanyang nakakataas. Mas marami syang nagagawa kaysa kanyang pag-ngangawa.

Si Kupal ay ayaw humarap ng problema. Minsan ay ayaw amining merong problema at kalimitan ay 'inaaway' ang problema.

Si Idol ay isang problem-solver. Nakikinig sya sa mga opinyon ng kasamahan at ginagawa nya itong katuwang para masolusyonan ang mga gusot at problemang balakid sa kanilang lahat.

Si Kupal ay inaapakan ang iba para umangat at gumagamit ng padrino para makalamang sa iba.

Si Idol ay sinisiguradong me tatak ng kagalingan ang mga gawain at ginagamit ang teammanship para maisulong ang pag-angat ng kanyang yunit at maging ang pagpalaganap ng kagalingan sa lahat ng kanyang mga kasamahan. 

Anyway, parehas silang dalawang mga Role Model. 

Si Kupal ang modelo ng taong dapat tulungang magbago sa kanyang masasamang kaugalian. Sya rin ang modelo ng  taong hindi gagayahin.

Si Idol ang dapat nating tutularan at paramihin sa organisasyon. 

Manalamin at magmumuni-muni tayo, sa aling kategorya tayo napabilang? 

Kay Kupal? 

O, kay Idol?

Gunmen kill Gingoog mayor's escorts

GINGOOG CITY-Heavily armed men stopped the vehicle carrying Gingoog City Mayor Ruth Guingona while returning home from an event in Bgy Alagatan at around 10:45pm on Saturday (April 20).

A police official said that the incident happened in Binakalan village here. He said that the city official and her companions were brought to an unknown place against their will. 

Initial reports indicated that the gunmen shot and killed her bodyguard and escort. There were no reports whether the lady mayor was also hurt in the incident.

At around 6:45am, Guingona was brought by concerned residents to Gingoog Sanitarium Hospital. 

The local police and the military authorities in the area are now conducting investigation to determine the motive and identities of the perpetrators. 

It can be recalled that one member of the Army unit based here was hurt in a clash with NPA bandits who were extorting money from the people in the outskirts of the city.

Syrian rebels disarm Filipino peacekeeper in Golan Heights

The UN marked vehicle carrying Philippine peacekeepers was blocked by heavily armed men in the Golan Heights early afternoon on Friday, April 19, 2013. 

The peacekeepers said that the four suspects pointed their weapon at the vehicle, forcing them to disembark  at around 1:30 pm. 

"They forcibly took one of the M4 carbine rifle that was carried by one of our companions," said one peacekeeper who refused to be identified. 

The soldiers were released unharmed after the firearm was taken away from them. They have safely returned to their headquarters after the incident.

The suspects were believed to be members of the anti-government forces that are fighting the Syrian government.

A battalion of Filipino peacekeepers was deployed to keep the peace in the Golan Heights which separate the areas controlled by Israel and Syria.

Army soldiers kill 2 NPA bandits in Camsur clash

IRIGA CITY-- Two New People's Army bandits were shot and killed while engaging a team of soldiers who were securing a village here early afternoon today, a military report said.

Corporal Darius Delos Santos and 8 of his men were conducting security patrol in Antipolo village when they encountered at least 10 heavily armed rebels at around 2:40pm. 

The heavy exchange of fires lasted for about 5 minutes before the bandits fled with their casualties to various directions.

While scouring the encounter site, Delos Santos and his men discovered two dead bandits who were left behind by their comrades. The soldiers confiscated two high-powered firearms from the dead bandits. 

No one was hurt among the soldiers who were deployed to thwart violent attacks by bandits who were trying to extort money from the local residents. 

Another team of soldiers was sent to track down the remnants of the bandit group, following the blood traces they left behind along their escape route.

The 42nd Infantry Battalion, the unit where the soldiers belong, have continuously received reports from concerned civilians about the presence of armed extortionists in their communities. 

Army soldier murdered by bandits in front of his son

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur- Suspected NPA bandits murdered an Army soldier who was having lunch with his son inside his home in Magsaysay village here at around 12:30pm on April 17. 

Corporal Bonifacio Piedad, 46, of the 29th Infantry Battalion was on a short leave to spend time with his family when the incident happened, police reports said.

Armed with M16 Assault Rifles, the suspects barged into the home of Piedad and shot the helpless victim in front of his 15-year old son. 

On the same day, the bandits also released 4 unarmed off-duty militiamen whom they abducted in San Luis town.

San Luis town Mayor Ronald Corvera led the negotiations that resulted to the release of the victims at around 8:30am in Mahayahay village of the said town.

Gradually decimated by armed encounters with government troops, NPA bandits have resorted to robbery and murder of unarmed members of the government security forces.

Dressing Formation: My 1st day as a PMA plebe

Ang aking unang araw bilang isang plebo ay isa sa milestones ng aking military career na hindi ko makakalimutan.

Malamig ang ihip ng hangin noong ika-1 ng Abril 1990 ngunit napakainit ng aking katawan dahil sa matinding pagod na dulot ng aming reception ceremony.

Tila matatapang ang lahat ng mga kadete na nakatalaga sa aking grupo.  Nandidilat ang mga mata at panay pasigaw sa pagbibigay ng kadami-daming instructions.

"Simula ngayon, kayo ay tatawaging Plebo!"

"Bawal kayong mag-Tagalog kundi English sa lahat ng panahon na makipag-usap sa mga seniors."

Sa sobrang 'war schock' ay panay "Yes seeerrr!" na sigaw ang aming isinasagot. Lumalabas ang ugat sa aming leeg at galing sa ilalim ng dibdib ang pagpalabas ng boses para mas malakas.

Ang aking grupo ay tinatawag na squad at binubuo ng 6 na plebo, isang Yearling (2nd year cadet) at isang Squad Leader.

Nagmartsa kami patungo sa aming barracks area na kung tatawagin ay New Cadet Battalion (NCBn) para maghanda para sa aming pinakaunang hapunan na kung tawagin sa cadet lingo ay 'mess'.

Napakaraming bawal ang itinuro sa amin. Kapag nasa formation area o kaya ay mag-martsa ay bawal ang makipag-usap sa kapwa kadete. No rolling of eyeballs. No moving in ranks.

Mahigpit ang bilin ng aming SL (squad leader) na parang naghahayag ng Code of Kalantiaw. Nakakatakot ang kanyang babala.

"Bawal sa inyo ang mag-connive. Pag me mahuli kami, lips to lips ang abutin nyo!"

Pagdating sa aming kwarto, nakita ko na magkakasama kaming lahat doon at magkatabi ang aming double-deck na higaan na kung tawagin ay 'bunks'.

Meron kaming tig-iisang duffel bag na puno ng mga uniporme at mga accessories. Me maraming underwear, handkerchiefs, shirts, sweatshirts, jogging pants at marami pang iba.

Ang pinakauna naming uniporme ay olive drab na kung tatawagin ay Drill B uniform, ka-partner ito ng combat boots na tila ay nag-aantay na aming suotin.

"Iyan ang inyong mga gamit bilang kadete. Alagaan ang inyong gamit at huwag kayong magkalat. Sa lahat ng panahon ay maayos ang pagkatupi ng kagamitan at malinis ang inyong kwarto," sabi ni SL.

Kanya-kanya na kaming kuha ng aming uniporme nang kami ay binigyan ng kautusan na kumuha ng mga damit na kailangan para sa next duty, ang 'Evening Mess'.

"Gentlemen, lahat ng duties natin ay inoorasan. Hindi pwede ang pabagal-bagal at pabakla-bakla kumilos," ang bilin ni SL na matalim ang paningin lagi sa amin.

"Ngayon, gusto kong suotin nyong lahat ang inyong bath attire sa loob ng 10 counts!"

"One!.......two!.....three..."

Kanya-kanya na kaming hubad ng aming damit sibilyan at kandarapang isuot ang bathrobe at tuwalya.

Napatawa si SL dahil sa kanya-kanya naming porma. Paano ba naman kasi, pati pagtali ng bathrobe, pagdala ng tuwalya at sipilyo at kailangang nasa tama ayon sa kautusan.

"Ang tuwalya ay naka-fold ng kalahati at nakaipit sa kaliwang braso. Bitbitin ang sipilyo at sabon sa kanang kamay!"

Ganon na lang ang kalituhan namin kasi lahat pala ng gagawin ay merong 'rules'.

Sinunod namin ito lahat at parati ay pasigaw ang sagot na "Yessssssssssss  seeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!"

"Plebos, we have 20 mins remaining before our first evening mess formation. Gusto ko makaligo kayo sa loob ng 10 counts!"

Nalalabuan ako sa mga sinabi nya. Paano ka nga naman makaligo sa loob ng sampung bilang?

Parang natulala ako sa pag-iisip nang narinig ko uli ang boses ni SL.

"In 10 counts, nakaligo na kayo! 10!......9!....8!"

Kandarapa kami lahat. Nang naisabit ko ang aking tuwalya at bathrobe, gumawa na ako ng diskarte.

Sa kaliwang kamay ay ang tabo na nagbubuhos ng tubig. Sa kanang kamay ay gamit sa pag-toothbrush. Sinigurado kong mabasa buong katawan at makapag-sipilyo na rin.

Umaalingawngaw ang boses ni SL sa harap ng aming kwarto. "7!.....6!....5!.." 

Nasa numerong 4 pa lang, naisuot ko na ang bathrobe sabay karipas ng takbo pabalik sa harap ng nakangising si SL.

"Tsuuuunnnnn!" Ewan ko ano yong command nya. Busy ako sa pag-aayos ng aking bathrobe habang humihingal pa.

Ang ibig sabihin pala don ay "Attention!". Shortcut pala yon! Malay ko ba don?

Sorry na lang sa mga nahuli kong mistah. Meron na agad kaparusahan sa kanila.

Ganon pala ang tinatawag na 'dressing formation' sa militar. Nakakainis ngunit nakakapawis.

PNPA screens new cadet applicants

After undergoing a series of activities that tested both the brawns and wit of several young men and women, the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) has come up with a short list of those who will make it to the next round of the current selection process for PNPA Class 2017.

The PNPA has already posted the official list of qualified applicants to undergo the said phase of the screening process on its website http://pnpa.edu.ph.

Those included in the list will undergo physical, medical, and dental examination to see if they are perfectly fit to take on the challenging training that awaits them.

The said PNPA Class 2017 applicants who are qualified for the third phase of screening are advised to secure the requirements mentioned on the said website and are also advised to abide by the prescribed dress code.

Those who will make it will undergo a final interview wherein they will be given a chance to prove themselves worthy of being selected among the numerous applicants who desire to belong in the PNPA Class 2017.

Note: Official Press Release from PIO, PNP

Military Report 4/15/2013

14 0600H April 2013

QUEZON CITY- At least 50 young school children participated in the sports and fun activities called the Olympeace which were held in Camp Aguinaldo of this city.

As part of the event, the children conducted a 'Walk for Peace' holding placards bearing peace messages starting from the historic People Power Monument at around 6:30am.

A simple opening ceremony was held at the AFP Grandstand at around 8:30am with Brig Gen Rolando G Jungco, the Commander of Civil Relations Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRSAFP) as guest speaker representing AFP Chief of Staff Gen Emmanuel T Bautista.

The day-long sports activities followed at the parade ground. Among the games enjoyed by the children include centipede race and kiddie obstacle course.

The activity was a joint undertaking by the Asia America Initiative, JCI-Manila and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

The main purpose of the event is to increase awareness of the children and the general public as a whole about the importance of peace in our land.

14 0920H April 2013

SURIGAO DEL SUR-A group of NPA bandits attacked a small CAFGU detachment located in Bgy Sta Juana, Tagbina town of this province at around 9:20am on Sunday. 

A militiaman was wounded  while 4 others were abducted by the bandits including a civilian resident who happened to be in the scene. 

The wounded militiaman was treated in a local hospital and was reported as in 'safe condition' by attending physicians. 

Pursuit operations are underway to hunt down the notorious criminals who were responsible for the recent attack. 

Rising from the rubbles of defeat: Another Dragon Boat story

I was watching my favorite TV show yesterday (Saturday) when Ram Llano, one of my paddlers in the Army Dragon Boat team, rang me to deliver the startling news of the day.

"Sir, we lost to Lake Buhi Dragon Boat Team by split second!"

It was like a 220-volt electric shock that jolted me from my office chair. As they say, 'reality bites'. I became sad but tried not to show it.

Ramie said that Usman Anterola, the boat captain, and Sgt Bagni were still down with flu but attempted to join the heats. Usman ended up vomiting and physically drained, failing to join the finals.

I was 'remote-controlling' them because my conflicting schedules hindered me to join them in Zambales race.Though I was saddened by the news, I gave the team my morale support.

"Good luck to the second and last event. Just try your best!"

Then at around 3:45pm today (April 14), I received the final blow: "Sir, we lost the final race!"

Actually, it was the third time  that we lost to Lake Buhi, a team composed of fishermen from Camarines Sur. 

They had beaten us for the first time during the 1st National Dragon Boat Regatta in Manila Bay last month.

The first defeat in historic Manila Bay was a wake-upper. The next two defeats were like nightmares. We must really learn from them.

The winning team

The Philippine Army Dragon Boat team is  known to be the perennial winners in the past years. Now, you might ask, "Why are you losing?"

I have to brag that our team is not used to losing. We have dominated the local sport since 2010, capturing every Championship Trophy in various races. 

As the public affairs officer of the 9th Infantry Division in Bicol, I watched their awesome display of strength and determination during the Camsur International Dragon Boat Festival in September 2010. 

They displayed the same physical prowess and team work during another international race in Boracay.

Our players were highly confident especially that we have in our roster 7 World Champion paddlers of the Pinoy Dragon Warriors. 

The team is also led by non-commissioned officers who set the best examples in terms of professionalism, military discipline and love for the Dragon Boat sport.

Usman, the Boat Captain, is a veteran paddler since 2003 and  the man behind the team. He is not just an ordinary paddler but a leader.

Since I rarely see the team due to my office responsibilities, he normally takes charge of everything especially the daily training activities. In steering the team, he is ably supported by other NCOs like Romy Dionio and Ronald Tan.

But then, our players are not only paddlers. They are like any other soldiers who have duties and responsibilities when they are back in the office.

They perform tasks such as guard duties, escorting supplies, writing reports and cleaning the sports facilities of the Army Wellness Center. 

In most cases, their duties are during night time because our training normally starts at 5:00am. 

It is not easy to train for hours if you lack sleep the night before. Valid alibi? Yes.

Anyway, we removed this 'alibi' by negotiating with the unit to settle the guard duty schedule. 

Again, why are we losing? Hmmmm. We can present so many excuses that you might consider as mere alibis.

Two of our paddlers were down with flu including Usman. As you know, dragon boat racing is not an individual sport and I can truly say that 'Every soldier counts'.

Determined to win, he paddled in the elimination races despite his illness. Like any human being, he has limitations that are beyond his control regardless of his positive mental attitude.

The team lost its leader like a phalanx of Macedonian warriors sans the presence of the mighty Alexander the Great. We lost by a fraction of a second (It was still a stinging loss no matter what).

Well, I don't want to present alibis. As the leading officer of the group, I want to identify the problems and find the solutions.

I am aware that we need to recruit young blood who can be trained to become the next generation of champions. We need to expand the pool of players to select the best ones during the races. 

Since we just have enough number of players, we could not select the most motivated, the best disciplined athletes.

 Since the team was constantly winning anyway, some of them were inflicted with 'complacency' virus.  

Enjoying the accolades during the past wins, some would like to think that smoking, gaining weight, failing to cope up with the set standards, and staying up late are all okay.

 

We have to accept that there is something wrong and we have to make corrections.

As Napoleon Hill said, “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” 

I need to remind them that there are responsibilities that come with playing competitive sports like Dragon Boat, especially  for those who dream to compete a notch higher.

We need to act with dignity and class even in a time of adversity. We will learn more about every person who are in our boat during this painful defeat.

Also,  I need to remind them not to underestimate our adversaries. Lake Buhi for example has everything to gain in these races. They are the most determined and perhaps, the most motivated among the teams around. 

In one of our usual After Action Review (AAR), I commented: "Sino ba naman ang magpagod na magbyahe ng 10 hrs papuntang Maynila para magpatalo lang?" 

Just like in war, soldiers must really know their enemy in order to win. (Thank you Sun Tzu for telling us)

Together, we will rise again and show what the Army is all about: A team of winners!

.

Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour

Though I haven't personally visited this place in the past, I was among the proud Filipinos who voted  for the 8-km long Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) as among the  Natural Wonders of the World a few years ago.

Some netizens have  claimed it as the world's longest underground river but it is disputed by explorers from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico City and also by the proud people of Slovenia.

Due to the recent cave explorations which discovered new and longer subterranean rivers, it would be safe to brag that the PPUR as the longest navigable underground river in the world.

Other countries may have the longest subterranean rivers but theirs could not be accessed easily by man. They could not be visited by 'lazy' explorers like most of us.


My PPUR trip

The hotel staff of Palawan Palm Suites  arranged the trip for us at least two months before our arrival. We were advised to book earlier because of the influx of tourists during summer. 

We were picked by this tourist van from our hotel at around 7:30am. There were 8 other guests who joined us in our trip. For those who opt to ride the motorcycle, you can rent it at a lower price of P600-P700 for the whole day. Lowell, a licensed tricycle driver is one of the best drivers in town (09264365245).

Our guide, Ms Maritess was good at story telling with different topics ranging from names of villages, mountains and several local folk tales. This is my short video of the beautiful scenery that can be found along the way.

I didn't notice the 1.5-hr travel time that took us to a tiny village of Sabang where the wharf is located. This is the short video report that I made while awaiting to board the motorized boat.

It is indeed true that people are queuing up to see this natural wonder. We waited another two hours for our turn to get a boat that would ferry us to the cave entrance some 30 minutes away from the wharf. Included in our tour package was a free buffet lunch at this seaside restaurant about 200 meters away from the wharf.

When it was our turn to go, I and my son were very excited. This photo was taken at the Sabang wharf while we were about to board the motorized boat that would bring us to our final destination.

Arriving at the cave entrance, there was another queue for the turn to ride the paddle boat towards the 1.5 km ride inside the cave.

The boat can accommodate 8-10 people plus the boatman who also serves as tour guide. I was reminded of my Dragon Boat Team paddlers who could become the best boatmen here.

I doubled as the lightman because I was seated upfront where the flood lamp was located.

As we were engulfed in the darkness, our vision was limited to the illumination provided by the flood lamp. I heard the distinctive sounds of the balinsasayaw flying towards different directions, disappearing in the darkness ahead of us.

Roger, our guide is also a stand-up comic. He can make fun of everything, throwing us to boisterous laughter all the time.

The rock formations that were carved by water have created images that are recognizable as fruits, religious icons and animals.

The tour guide has also memorized every section of the 1.5 km stretch of the subterranean river. Along the way you can find the  so-called 'Cathedral', Last Supper, Vegetable section, etc.

It took us around 45 minutes of tour, ending in the same entrance where we came in. The navigable stretch spans 8.2 kms but the tour management has only allowed entry up to the 1.5 km mark.


This is the image that I saw while approaching the cave entrance after finishing our memorable trip.

It was a very memorable travel that must be tried by every Filipino.