AB Pautakan Family: My Story

Family matters a lot and in this family, I am the matriarch. A solo parent for a long time now. But I am not complaining. In fact I am so privileged and so blessed to have been given this chance to become a part of the lives of these kids whom I love so much and who also love me in return.

It was 1997 when we were first tasked to become the adviser of the quiz team. Like real parents, we had to sacrifice and give up some little pleasures in order to be with the team for the training. We started from scratch - we were strangers, no experience on the task, no books, we just had each other, my co adviser and the kids as the members of the team. Fortunately, we had Peebert who was generous enough to finance most of our snacks after the training because we did not receive any budget then even for books. So what he did was to supply the team with those books that the team needed. I was the one who provided the "sermons" if the kids needed to be reminded about the time and the dedication. In other words, I was the disciplinarian int eh family. I was also their voice during those times when we needed to be heard for the protests.

Year after year we did those things, batch per batch, we struggled and fought to reach our goal. We felt that it was our duty to really look after the team and encourage them to work harder every year. Until it happened in 2002 when the boys took the trophy home. The first in the 5 peat winning streak. naks! The boys. Ricky was the team captain of the all-boys team at that time. And of course, my nognog son, Wilfred as the individual representative. And we owe this not only to ourselves, not only to the members of the team but to the alumni and faculty and honorary members who have tirelessly and patiently stayed and assisted the team during training by asking those sometimes out-of-this-world questions. :) I never thought that this particular year would be the start of so many things and events that would change my life and our lives in this family.

Peebert left the team after we won that year. He left with some issues and some businesses unresolved. He left the team a little broken and me as well. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing romantic between the two of us, though everybody thought, that I just I learned later, that we were a couple in their eyes. Hah! Cute. Thank you but no thanks. He is not my type alright but he was a good friend. We were the best of friends, I believed. Unfortunately, I lost him. The Pautakan season after that year became a very difficult year for the team and for me. The burden was heavy and there was no one to turn to. It was almost like there was nobody who could help me find solutions to the problems that the team had. But we still survived. We won again. And again. And again. And again. All because the alumni did not stop from returning home to us, to help me out. I am so blessed. The team is so blessed.

Yes, five straight years of tears and sweat and blood. Every year, there was an issue to be settled. What do you expect from a group of seven individual bodies with seven different frames of mind, seven different lives with different personalities, different interests and priorities, all intelligent, young, vibrant, aggressive, complicated yet simple, crazy, moody and idealistic. But I love them all.

There was a particular year or two when I wanted and repeatedly told the team that I had to leave them already. Many times I tried to detach myself away from this family/team. I skipped those years to become the official adviser but I was not able to totally keep myself away from the team. Thanks to Alfred and Arlene for taking care of the team and the other faculty coaches and advisers who had been a part of the family, whole or halfheartedly.

Last Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 was another meaningful season of Pautakan. It was a good game. It was day of triumph for us. We may not have taken the trophy home (2nd place team, 3rd for indv) but we were happy or should I say very happy and contented, with no tinge of bitterness because we fought and gave it our best shot. For me, it was also season to remind me who my real friends are. It gave me a chance to get my checklist and tick the boxes of the names of the people who really care about us my Pautakan family, and me as their friend.

Professionally speaking, my life in UST would have been less meaningful and less colorful without Pautakan in it. It was my life and my family outside home. And I will continue to embrace the role of a mother, who will always be ready to give you that warm welcoming embrace for every visit that you will give us here where home is. As an adviser, I can say that I really took the responsibility so seriously that I almost took it as priority rather than finish my graduate studies right away. But I can proudly say, that I do not have any regrets to be with my kids in this family. I cherish you all and I love you without asking anything in return.


(Ay meron pala, boypren na lang, para magkaroon na kayo ng ama! hahaha)