Where Speaking Brought Me (My experience in the YMCA Regional Academic Olympics 2007)

Last week, I went on leave from work for 3 days to prepare for the YMCA Northern Luzon Regional Academic Olympics. This is the next level after my victory in the city competition last November, which was my first ever bid in extemporaneous speech. My former instructor in Psychology and friend was the one who gave me the push to compete despite my skepticism; I know I’m good at oration or declamation but the thought of delivering impromptu speech made me shiver. Eventually, it turned out a success.

Other than shopping and packing my clothes, my preparations included reading a week span of back issues of the newspaper to grasp some facts on current events. I had a heavy dose of controversies between GO (Genuine Opposition) and Team Unity Senatorial Bills for the upcoming elections as well as the stuff on carbon-offsetting ignited by Al Gore’s infamous documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”.

I was at our meeting place (Olongapo City Hall) by 12:40AM. The agreed departure time was slightly delayed to wait for other delegates who reside far from the city proper. If I’m not mistaken, the whole delegation (elementary to college) comprised 5 vans and 1 mini bus.

As I have expected, travel to Vigan was long; roughly 12 hours. But still, I think our trip was shorter compared when I first traveled there with my family back in 2004.
We made 3 stopovers this time. During the trip, we alternated sleeping and eating, and had a great fun chatting and sightseeing. It didn’t take long for us to be at ease with the 3 competitors for Team Quiz Bee from another school. They’re just as hilarious!

Subic Bay itself is among the most popular in the country but Ilocos’ is really amazing! Although the shore is rocky, the water is a cool hue of green that fades to blue along the coast which arched splendidly. Those who had cameras or camera phones tried their best to get good snapshots of it as well as of the steel bridge somewhere in the boundary of Ilocos Sur I guess.
Our awe of the place only intensified when we got in the city plaza renowned for its old architecture. It is where all the brick-paved streets of the “heritage village” converge. Kalesas (tall horse-driven carts) rush about. We were amused to find that even modern establishments such as a bank, a shopping mall, and fast food stores like McDonald’s, has exteriors resembling the old houses.

After some asking for directions, we arrived at our accommodation before 2PM. We stayed in the University of Northern Philippines where the competitions were also held. Our building was right beside the auditorium and school library. We settled in classrooms which they furnished with beddings.

After having lunch, my schoolmates, our coach, and I took a kalesa ride to the plaza to buy some snacks, bread and bottled water and to scout for what may be bought for pasalubong (treats). We inquired in the market, the price of the “bagnet” (marinated and dried pork thigh) and the “Ilocano longganisa” (sausages made by filling pork intestine with ground meat and spices, and tied in sections). These are Vigan’s specialties other than the “Chicha-corn” and empanada. We took pictures of some buildings and it was interesting to learn that their city mayor have the same family name as mine.

There was an opening/welcome program during dusk and all competitions shall be held the following day.

After dinner, I went with two co-delegates to the plaza again to buy a mosquito-repellent lotion and have a better dinner because the food they served at the cafeteria was oily and mostly meat (I’m a vegetarian). Although it’s just past 8:00, the drugstores and groceries at the plaza are already closed. We therefore supposed that Vigan might have been considered a “city” just because of its modern establishments but urban-living and “nightlife” isn’t actually as prevalent as in Olongapo and other metros. A kind tricycle driver took us to a drugstore near the hospital which seems as far as from the university to the plaza, only take the opposite direction from the campus. He also said the Governor’s famous baluarte is not too far from that hospital.

Saturday morning, most of us woke at around 5AM. We have no certainty whether breakfast would be provided hence we dashed to the plaza again and had some hot drinks. Most of the fast food stores aren’t open yet so we just got our drinks from a thrift stall. There were residents participating in the exercise program and not far from there, a marathon is assembling.

We sped back to the school, had a quick breakfast and got dressed for our respective competitions. Extemporaneous speech and oratorical contests were held in a hall which I think is the school’s laboratory for Hotel and Restaurant Management.

I entered the hall clutching a bottle of water and sat at the last row but we were later asked to occupy the two front rows; grouped into oratorical and extempo, high school and college respectively. Should I say I felt a bit “out of place” when I saw the other competitors in full formal wear – one is wearing a barong, another a suit, and a lady is even wearing a fully-sequined red filipiniana gown! As for me, I was just wearing a pale yellow short sleeved polo with embroidery on the front and brown slacks. We drew our numbers and I was second. However, the facilitators decided to hold the oratorical contest first. I must say that all the orators did great; no more than 3 seem novice hence I guess the stiff part of the competition wasn’t delivery anymore but rather, mastery.

I got the chance to get acquainted with my two seatmates while the oratorical was ongoing. Judith and Dennis are great people; warm and smart. Judith is an AB English student and is competing in the same event for the third time I guess. Dennis is equally interesting being an Education student major in English and has a good sense of humor. I later learned that of 6 competitors, only 2 of us are not in a communication-related field. Oh! I forgot! I am in communications too – Information Communication Technology. *lol*

After the oratorical contest, most of the audience already left which somehow helped lessen our uneasiness. We got to watch the high school competitors and I must say that they are better than us. The assertive juices of youth are obvious. They got to extend a little beyond the allotted 3 minutes and they have rich vocabulary that some of their words, I didn’t understand. There was this pretty young lady competing for Baguio who seems really smart and she did her talk almost without pausing to think and yet still made sense. I learned that she’s very active with such public speaking contests especially in debates.

Finally, it's our turn. We were led to a room in the second floor of the building and were instructed to shut off our cellphones. I was later isolated into another room and was given two minutes to think on the topic and after which, was led back to the hall to deliver my speech.

I believe I made a good connection with the judges while delivering my speech for I could see them nod in agreement in points I stress. I was also told by few that I made a good delivery. The only problem perhaps was that I really don’t know very well the topic neither did I anticipate it might be given thus I haven’t discussed much on it. The question was about the mission and objectives of YMCA and its relevance to protecting the world. I simply talked about very practical observations to make sense.

After the Skilled Folk Dance event, we strode off to the plaza again to shop for souvenirs and pasalubong and get the last chance to take pictures. (I’ll upload these as soon as I got copies from our coach). We strolled around the old streets hopping from one shop to another. The prices of goods are usually 3 for 100 pesos and only few would allow tawad (discount) for no more than 10 pesos. At the end of the day, my purchases include chicha-corn, woven bag and purses for giveaways, key chains, shirt, slippers for my grandma, and some cacao tablets with a very rich aroma. We spent an hour shopping and had admired the serene glow of lamps lining the old streets at dusk.

The awarding ceremony was held in the evening. Eventually, I didn’t win; Dennis emerged as champion while Judith came third. For the college level, Olongapo’s only gold was won by our representatives for Vocal Duet but overall, Olongapo delegation ranked third.

My defeat wasn’t very hard for me. I had witnessed Dennis’ delivery and I’m convinced he would win. I fully support him for I know he fought fair and square. I guess it isn’t very hard to admit defeat to someone deserving and I guess it’s rewarding enough to get to represent the city and compete with the region’s best speakers. I intended to approach him at the auditorium to congratulate him before setting for home. As for Judith, I had gotten her number earlier and sent her a text message.

There was a tour for everybody scheduled the next day but for some reason, we have to return home on Saturday night. We had packed our belongings before the awarding program and are set to go home by 11PM. There was no traffic and our driver seems very familiar with the ins and outs of the area hence I was surprised that our travel took no more than 8 hours. I slept almost all the way home.

The experience was really rewarding, both academically and for leisure. I’m not sure whether I’ll be blessed with another chance to enter the regional competitions. I might try another event; perhaps in Oratorical. I’ll forever cherish the sense of pride of having represented the city and more especially, the chance to be with these bright and friendly people.

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.
Pierre de Coubertin, "The Olympic Creed"

University of Northern Philippines grounds

Lyceum delegates with Olongapo delegates for Vocal Duet -

High School Level (2nd and 3rd from right)

Kalesa ride to the plaza with Widel and Sir Bert

Plaza

A street of the Heritage Village

Shopping for pasalubong