Gabi ng Dayuhan - Balanga City

I am Guevara. He is Fernandez.

I knew he’ll be there. Last night I had the privilege of attending the Phil-Ko Night. It was a night devoted to Philippine-Korean friendship as part of festivities that the City Government of Balanga holds for the City Fiesta in the entire month of April.

It’s a musical program scheduled on April 5, 2011, 7:00 pm.

I was quite in panic that at around 6:00 pm, it looks like the event has started. I still have to go home and change clothes for it. Straight from the office, I just passed by the venue to attend to other important matter.

Anyways, I was there to have the occasion documented as part of an office obligation. I am aware that the City Official in charge for the night will be City Councilor Val Joseph M. Fernandez, my classmate from grade school. He heads the Committee on Education.

I was hoping to hear him for the opening remarks but he was done when I arrived. I came late.

I was hoping to have photo opportunity with him as part of the documentation but I got shy.

I just shook hands with him and answer back “yes”, when he asked for confirmation that I no longer work in Pag-IBIG.

Well, he already asked that several times, every time we meet.

I’m not into politics. I would not go as far as campaigning for him. There would be no way that I will go out of my way to publicly show my support. I think I have to settle on telling people – at the mention of his name, that he was a classmate.

I did single vote for him on his first run.

On his second run, I only voted 3 candidates - my ninong, my kumpare and him.

These - I hope, are enough.

I am hoping to have this space for few anecdotes of him in the past. Those were around 20 years or so. I feel so old that I can’t remember one. He was pilyo. He’s always been kind to me when we were young. He would even be friendly to my sister when he met her as his student teacher in high school.

He would always greet me at any instance that we would meet. Kahit pwedeng hindi na.

Upon knowledge that he’s an ex-classmate, people would always ask if he’s intelligent. Of course, magkaklase kaya kami. He went to law school kaya.

Going back to the program, it’s nice that people get to watch Korean culture in terms of music and dance. Learning new things is always exciting (forget Koreanovela overload for a while). I commend the entertainment value that they shared; complemented by the contagious energy of the Korean audience. I just have to complain for the length of the production number.

There were about hundreds of Korean at the venue, performers and audience. I just wonder where they come from. Did they come right from Korea? Do they live in the Philippines and just assemble in Balanga? I don’t see that much Korean in the city. I am just too shy to ask for the answers from the Korean seating next to me.

I think they mentioned them in the program. I just did not hear. I came late. Then, I left early even when the program has not ended because I have to catch the last trip of the bus by 8:00 pm. I did not approach VJ anymore to say I’m leaving. Anyways, he’s too busy fulfilling his duty.

It’s such a problem for a long time. I get star struck to politicians, to local public officials and - worse, to a city councilor who was a seatmate (in alphabetically arranged class in grade school).

He is Fernandez. I am Guevara.

I run 5k.

10:00 AM February 5, 2011 - I had a sprain. I couldn’t walk straight towards an old fellow in the –now, empty and quietvenue. “Kuya, success(ful)!” served as my congratulatory message to the organizer of the run. “Nag-enjoy ba kayo?” was his only modest response.

The place – Plaza de Mayor Balanga, has huge difference fourto five hours ago. As early as 5:00 am enthusiasts started to give festive mood in the anticipation of the 2^nd Takbo Bataan para sa Kalikasan, Balanga City Run 2011.

Along with my officemates, we’re all anxious but excited for this new experience. We’re all first time runners. We’re on our usual sports attire – blue-satin (or jersey)-shirt with collar (remember English in high school: the arrangement of using more than one adjective), which we have worn countless times in different occasions. The difference today is the race bib on it, which I attached even the night before.

Naturally, number assignments on the race bib create big fuss. Everyone tries to rationalize numbers associated with us. I’m runner no. 20 this morning. I didn’t choose this one; it just happens that this is the birthdates of my wife and son. Anyways, there’s not much luck needed for today since we’re just running for fun and not competitively. I’m not into sports so there’s not much instances that I had numbers in competitions – except that I was no. 3 in cooking contest in elementary. Other than that, I can’t recall.

Some years ago, when at the prevalence of Marc Nelson, Christian Vasquez and other’s abs (six pack abs for that matter), I also had my ways to try to achieve it. Let’s say my voluminous collection of Men’s health Magazine is one valid proof. From that, one single article stuck to my mind. It was a feature article written by the editor-in-chief recounting a bike marathon. The narrative was excellent. For me, it is the pamantayan (standard). If at one point in my life I could write something as intense as that, it could be one great feat. That’s supposedly my objective at the moment

***

My first award!

Let make things clear. This fun run is the first activity that comes to realization since I asked a favor to my former choir master (and now premier event organizer - slash everything else) to involve our office in his relevant events. This would generate good merits on our branch’s performance. Part of it is for me to write a narrative report.

Weeks later, the organizers are too busy to furnish me official results and other pertinent data of the event. Who are the winners? What is the official count of participants? Which government agencies and private companies join the event? Even what I thought to be the last resort is of no avail. I search at internet - Facebook and the likes, only to realize that they (the organizers) are too busy to even update in their webpage the information I need.

Right towards my search, one phrase caught my attention “My first award”.

It is the title of the FB photo album of Michel Angelo, my nephew (one common clarification I always have to respond on few people: that nephew is male p

amangkin and niece is female pamangkin). That’s where you can find the pictures on his first experience in Takbo Bataan para sa Kalikasan. That was last year. He won the Youngest Runner Award. Aside from the overnight stay in a local hotel (which I can’t remember, has he availed of it or was it forfeited?) as prize, Gelo was able to gain confidence in himself and motivation to do better.

He ran 5K (kilometers) last year. This year, he ran 10k – no less. I ran 5k. Anyways, I still have to recover from my sprain and excruciating muscle pains. This is why I have to underline the above – I’m not into sports.

I’m not into sports. It’s just nice to have this new experience and hopes to have more of it in the future. I just have to start saving up for new running shoes to replace the one which retired moments after the run.

I’m not into sports; this is why my first award is from a cooking competition in grade school.

I’m not into sports; however I’ve gone to the regional level in Sports Writing in High School and Higher Education Schools Press Conference, winning 3^rd place in the latter. And, this is one reason why I find it hard to accept that I can’t come up with a good narrative of the race.

2nd Takbo Bataan para sa Kalikasan Balanga City Run 2011

(This is part of the documentation of the fun run our office joined in February. why did i have to post this? because i have another post related to this)

Organized as a cause oriented run, 2^nd Takbo Bataan para sa Kalikasan Balanga City Run 2011 proved to be a worthy and fun run for first time runners, NSO Bataan employees headed by OIC-PSO Marites A. Ramsey.

As early as 5:00 am of February 5, 2011, the Plaza de Mayor Balanga, City of Balanga started to fill up with enthusiasm upon the arrival of participants from different sectors.

This joint project of Bataan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (BACCI) and Greenpeace & Bayani Theatre Company, in partnership with City Government of Balanga, Provincial Government

of Bataan, Cong. Albert S. Garcia and Department of Environment and Natural Resources, likewise promotes healthy lifestyle awareness. Ms. Sheila Zabala of the City Health Office of Balanga imparted a short lecture on healthy diet and exercise. It then segues to warm up workouts led by Jeffrey Torrico, fitness buff and instructor.

The official count of 534-runners for 3K, 5K and 10k -combined, stood as proof that this event generated significant interest from different government and private companies such as PNP Bataan, DENR, Tomas Del Rosario College, and among others. Though this event encourages running as sport and lifestyle activity for people of Bataan, it is such an attraction to see participants from Kenya and other places outside the province.

The proceeds of this activity hope to fund

equally worthy projects that advocate care for the environme

nt. Aside from awarding of winners of the race, a clean

up activity served as conclusion of the event.