My hometown is fast approaching its new status as the newest city of the country. I know, this year, when the Senate resume its session after the holy week break, the "Cabuyao Cityhood Bill" will be enacted into law. And we will no longer be the "Richest Municipality of the Philippines" but will soon be a booming city and will become one of the richest city in the Philippines for 2020. I believe that it is POSSIBLE to happen.
Cabuyao's vision for cityhood is not only to be a popular place, because here in our country if the name of a place has the word "City" in it, it is popular, because it is a city. Or when someone says he lives from a 'city' he thinks that he's 'sosyal' because he lives in the city, right? But let me tell you some popular places like Pagudpud, Subic, Pagsanjan, Lucban they are not cities but they're popular. In the contrary, let me also tell you some cities but are not so popular like Tabuk, Silay, Tanjay, Tagum, Bislig, they are all cities, but I believe some of you will know for the first time that they are existing cities pala. Anyway, I don't think Cabuyao will not need to push anything to boost its popularity. It is already popular for being the fastest growing municipality in Laguna, it homes thousands of companies and factories all are multi-nationals. One of the largest beer breweries in Asia is located in Cabuyao, the Asia Brewery, which is also the manufacturer of the bottled water that all the senators drink in their everyday session. Nestlé Philippines factory, Procter and Gamble Philippines, Wyeth, Tanduay, San Miguel, and so many to enumerate.
I'm not bragging if I tell you that Cabuyao is already popular in television. The Cabuyao Massacre, the Cabuyao Bank Robbery, the fire in Tanduay warehouse, even in last national election, Cabuyao is always in T.V. because PCOS machines were produced here. Let's go to the positive ones, like notable personalities who were born and grew here, they are the international singer Charice Pempengco, child star Sabrinna Man, Tutti Caringal of 6cycle Mind, even the Marcoses had resided here decades ago. Cabuyao were also featured in some variety shows like Eat Bulaga and its rival Showtime. The segment "Juan for all, All for Juan" had visited Cabuyao twice, in Brgy. Butong and in Brgy. Pittland in which Rowena Andia, PNV (Pambato ng Videoke) of Brgy. Butong became one of the PNV Singers of Eat Bulaga. In showtime, Cabuyao was featured, because one of the group performers, "The New Generation", is from Cabuyao, and it was televised live in front of the Municipal Hall.
I know that Cabuyao in the next coming months will become a city, and in the next coming years will become more popular, effortlessly. That is POSSIBLE!
But I have one thing in my mind which is IMPOSSIBLE of all. You know what? Let me tell you. My real point here, is not to enumerate all unpopular cities, not to cite all the factories and companies that Cabuyao has, not to praise Charice Pempengco, but to fight for the right of CABUYEÑOS.
I can say that I am one of those who prayed for KC and RONNIE to win for the Finals of PINOY HENYO of Eat Bulaga. I may not be graduated from CABUYAO NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL which they represented, but I am a Cabuyeño, just like them, who wish, pray and hope for the victory not only of the two of them, but for the victory of the School and its students. I followed all they're fight from the start, continued to the Semi-Finals, until they became qualified for the Grand Finals. I can really see to KC and Ronnie that they have the potential to win, they had the tactics to play, they both have techniques to guess words easily and in the shortest time, and I couldn't see to them that they were fighting for money or thousand pesos, they were fighting with a determination to help their Alma Mater. Guessing the word "cotton buds" in 15 seconds, I don't wonder why they made it to the Grand Finals.
After the Semi-Finals, while I'm on work at McDonald's Cabuyao, I approached one customer, MR. BARUNDIA, former teacher of Cabuyao National Highscool and one of the supporters of KC and Ronnie on their every fight in the broadway stadium, I congratulated him for KC and Ronnie, I sent him a good luck for the two to win at the Grand Finals. He told me that he is confident that the two will win. "They are determined. KC and Ronnie knows how to play the game wisely. They both pray to win for school. It's for the school." he added. "I'm so proud of them, they deserved it." I know that he is really hopeful for them, everytime the two wins, he jumps, cheers, claps, "Para [akong] kaming mga nakawala sa corral." he said when I told him that I saw in the television how supportive he is.
And on the Grand Finals, only six contenders left to compete for the Grand Finals. One is the Cabuyao National Highschool, they introduced themselves wearing they're old school uniform. I can see to KC and Ronnie that they don't feel any nervous, they were confident and it seemed that they were relaxed, because they don't want to be affected by their nervousness while on the game. But I tell you, I am the one who was really really nervous, though I wasn't the player, I'm perspiring and my hands were shaking though I wasn't on the game. Maybe because there's truly a part of me that will rejoice if they win.
The mechanics were changed, the game was twisted, the players will guess three words for three minutes. The player to guess words with shortest time will win. There were Technical Judges to judge the game fairly. And they were competing for P300,000.00 and a half a million pesos for school. All the players stayed at an isolated room, observed by T.V. Host Allan K. not to hear anything because they will guess the same set of words.
The first players guessed only one word (PERA) at 1 minute and 5 seconds of 3-minute allotted time. The second players guessed nothing in 3 minutes as well as the third players. After a long break, and now, it's KC and Ronnie's turn, my heart started beating faster, they were third to the last players. After their time started, Ronnie didn't guess the first word ("LAMPIN", a difficult word), but KC guessed the second word (PUSO NG SAGING) at a shortest time, faster than the first players. They continued but they find it hard guessing difficult words like "PUSTISO", "PINIPIG", "PERA", "OKOY". But KC was really trying her best to find the category of the word and to utter examples just to guess the word, and at 2 minutes and 29 seconds, she guessed another word (PERAS), and before they guess the last word which is "TORTANG TALONG" the timer stopped. KC and Ronnie guessed only two words, beating the first players who only guessed one word, and they were now the contenders. I can't help myself to shout, it's wonderful, they already had a big chance to win, my heart was cheering. And I asked the Lord, two sets of players to go, I know that the next two players will not beat them, Lord, let them win.
The fifth players, second to the last, only guessed one word (also the word "PERA") in a longer time. So, KC and Ronnie were still the contenders. Oh my God! One set of players to go. It's a matter of victory, it's a big and close fight between CABUYAO NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL and PANGHULO NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL (the last players). It's a matter of 3 minutes, after 3 minutes, if PANGHULO players would not guess any word, or even guessed only one word, the CABUYAO will win. A three-minute that would change so many lives. It is possible. Possible.
When the timer started, the last players started guessing words, they were not so nervous as it seemed. I believed that it would also be difficult for them to guess the first word, because it was really difficult to guess, the previous players didn't guess it. But the player from the left, guessing like saying words like "BAGAY? LOOB NG BAHAY? SALA, KUSINA,PANLIGO? TOILETRIES? TELA, LAMPIN!" What? she guessed the word "LAMPIN" in eleven seconds? For others, it was amazing, but for me, it was impossible. After asking the word "TELA", you would probably cite examples or kinds of "TELA" like "SATIN", "COTTONY", "FABRIC" she didn't even said the word "KATSA" (which lampin was made). But she directly said "LAMPIN" after the word "TELA". If our mindset was we were guessing a thing, we will think of things that we usually see inside our house, things that we usually have, use, hold, carry, we will not easily think of "LAMPIN" it will be possible if you will ask if that thing is used by a baby. And if you ask if it is a kind of "TELA" the things that will come in our head will be kinds of cloth, the things that we wear which is made of tela not lampin kaagad? The flow of guessing and the citing of words has no link, that is only my OWN opinion. If she will tell me that LAMPIN was the first TELA that came in her mind, that will be the time that I will believe that it is really amazing, only IF, IF it is true. But it is really IMPOSSIBLE.
After guessing the first word at only eleven seconds. I know that my bet still had a big chance to win. It was just their first guess. I really had a big word. I believed they will no longer guess any word. For the second word, the guy on the right was guessing, PUSO NG SAGING is a difficult one, he easily guessed "SAGING" for the fruit is the category, he said "SAGING? LATUNDAN? SAGING CON HIELO? BANANA?" hearing those guesses, I put my head down, my God I'm losing hope. He almost hit the word, because he guessed the word SAGING easily (I wonder why), then he said "PASS!" There's still hope, I kept my eyes on the timer on screen. For the next word, the suspicious girl on the left's turn to guess again. She asked "LOOB NG BAHAY, SINUSUOT, CLOTHE, MATA, MUKHA, NGIPEN, PUSTISO!" she guessed the word again? And now I'm hopeless, she already guessed their second word, they're already the winners. I'm now so down. All of my hopes were gone. But they continued the game. For the third word, the boy at the right also guessed the word PINIPIG, in just a matter of seconds after. All I heared was "MERYENDA? CAKE? CANDY? HALO-HALO? LECHE FLAN, PINIPIG?" for them, the whole game was so easy. Were they amazing? They guessed those difficult words uncategorically? Were they amazing? It seemed that they were guessing words that they already know. They guessed words direct to the point. Was it amazing? THAT IS SO IMPOSSIBLE!
I'm not saying this, because my bet didn't win. I'm not protesting, because KC and Ronnie lose the game. It just happened that I observed things that is far to believe by my OWN thinking. It was not a good game FOR ME, the champions didn't give KC and Ronnie a good game. I don't tolerate things that is hard to believe. Don't blame me for saying these things, we all have our own right to speak, to share our opinions, we all have freedom of speech. It just happened that the game, most especially the last part, was hard to believe.
After the game, the two players were confused as if they were acting like they still didn't know that they were the winners. The two players seemed they wanna cry, but no tears had fallen. All of their supporters went down, cheering, congratulating them, even the School Principal already had the microphone to give her message as if everybody knows that they will win. FOR ME, it seemed like it was scripted. I don't know why I thought of that thing, it was just all that I observed. I observed something wrong like they were not really guessing the words, but they were acting like they were guessing the words that they already know.
Again, I'm not saying these things because Cabuyao National Highschool didn't win. Well, in fact, they already won a lot. They have raised the flag of CNHS straight. I remember my adviser in Highschool at Liceo de Mamatid (also one of the Semi-finalist schools of Pinoy Henyo) she told us that her philosophy in life is "IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WIN OR LOSE, WHAT IMPORTANT IS YOU FIGHT!" Yeah, right!
Anyway, if there is really an anomaly, disqualification, discrepancy, or whatever may raise on the game. IT WILL ALL PREVAIL, JUST LIKE THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE.
CONGRATULATIONS KC AND RONNIE BATIAO, BATCH 2005 OF CABUYAO NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL. YOU TRULY MAKE YOUR SCHOOL AND OUR HOMETOWN PROUD! WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT "BASTA CABUYEÑO, HENYO!".
THANK YOU, FOR ME, YOU ARE THE CHAMPION FOR PINOY HENYO HIGH ALUMNI EDITION..
