Missing you, Ateneo

"Designed by Jose Pedro Recio and Carmelo Casas, the edifice’s massive triangular structure symbolizes the Holy Trinity, as well as the three-fold mission and vision of the school. Its shape and design is also meant to suggest the outstretched arms of the Sacred Heart, and the traditional Filipino bahay kubo." 

--About the Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University website.

I used to hear mass at the Gesu every other week (they don't celebrate mass every week due to parish "issues"). Can't wait to go back. 

See you in a couple years.

Holy Kubo

Ateneo de Manila University, Oct 21, 2011

Nikon D3100
ISO 400  36mm  f/6.3 1/400secs

Sing Forever - Bukas Palad US+Canada Concert Tour

I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to watch the soulful concert of one of my favorite choral groups, the Bukas Palad Music Ministry, who recently held a US and Canada concert tour in commemoration of their 25th anniversary. Wow, 25 years of lovely original Filipino spiritual music for us to enjoy, reflect on, and pray with. They spent their last leg of their tour in Virginia, held at The State Theatre in Falls Church.

The Bukas Palad Music Ministry is a collaboration of music lovers from Ateneo: Academicians, professionals and students, who wish to serve the Lord and the church by singing beautiful music originally composed by their members. Founded by musical geniuses Fr. Manoling Francisco, Jandi Arboleda and Norman Agatep, Bukas Palad is now on it's 25th year, alongside several volumes of CDs and music books, continuing to serve the Lord and the entire Ateneo community through its beautiful music of praise and prayer. 

I was lucky to have watched them here in the Metro DC area. It made me feel so much at home. Back, in the Philippines, I attended 1st and 3rd Sunday masses at the Ateneo, and most of the time, Bukas Palad sings in those masses. Their songs give me the needed atmosphere for reflection and prayer, that is why I always loved going to mass during these days.

Bukas Palad sang around 22 of their famous hits, plus a bonus performance of the "Hotdog" medley. Their singing simply gave me a flurry of goose bumps, plus some moments of tears when Jandi and the rest of the gang sang my favorite "In Him Alone."

It felt good to be in the theatre watching Bukas Palad. For a time, I felt I was back in the Philippines. I was surrounded by Filipinos speaking the native language, and I was surrounded by Ateneans, young and old. And of course, I felt the mighty and loving presence of God through the entire show. The 2-hour event gave me the needed relief, comfort, joy. Indeed, God was watching that night. 

I also had the opportunity to meet my former teacher who was part of Bukas Palad. Sir Lui Morano, it was good to see you! Bubbles was also able to meet one of her former classmates back in AJSS. 

Bukas Palad also left me with a few lines to reflect on everyday:
In Omnibus, Amare (In everything, love)
In Omnibus, Servire (In everything, serve)
In Omnibus Amare et Servire Domino (In everything, love and serve the Lord).

Mabuhay, Bukas Palad! Here's to many more years of prayerful and powerful music! 

Here are some pictures:

Classmates

Student and Mentor

Here's a short clip of Tanging Yaman from the concert: 

Juaqui and Anne - May 9, 2010

Congratulations to Coach Juaqui and Anne for their beautiful wedding held last May 9, 2010. :) Thanks for the invite guys! I was fortunate to witness their bond, whose relationship spanned a good 10 years (or more? :)) before finally deciding to tie the knot. Good luck on you new journey guys!

Too bad it was the eve of elections! Thanks to the liquor ban, we ended up going home sober. What's worse is that it was a Sunday and the only open resto in Tagaytay at 11pm is Mcdonald's! We just had to cap the evening with coffee/hot choco and french fries. Wow! :)

A few snapshots:

The Lovely Bride

The Extremely Nervous but Happy Groom... :)

4F Attendees

"And I think to myself... What a wonderful world..."

L-R: Me, RT, Nelo, Mike, Anne, Juaqui, Mikko, RJ, Mark, Jayvee, Bhonny

I get to be invited and attend more weddings this year. And a lot more coming! See how time flies... After this, we'll get to attend baptismals and children's parties. Whew!

Next! :)

A month has passed

I didn't realize it would be this quick. It's already a month since Bubbles departed for DC. I just have to wait another 11 to see her again.

Meanwhile, I'll get busy watching the flurry of political ads that hound every gap of local primetime TV. From Villar's LSS-infusing jingle, to Gibo's ripoff of a Rivermaya hit, every candidate is starting to spend, spend and spend.

It would be interesting to see how surveys will fluctuate as these politicians go about their usual campaign routine. So far, Noynoy is still at the top of surveys, but Manny Villar is starting to gain on him, while Gibo's popularity is beginning to zoom up. We'll see more of that in he next few weeks.

Also in my list of to do's is to have a few good but cheap travels in the early parts of the year. I really want to experience the cool breeze of Banawe/Sagada and the powdery-white sands of Boracay. I haven't been to both after planning of going there even before Gloria's apology for Hello, Garci! I will try to plan it again, this time I hope it'll push through.

This year will really be interesting. For one, Chinese New Year falls on Kris Aquino's birthday! The Chinese have no choice but to push throught with this since it was set way before she was born. They'll perhaps bombard their backyards with fireworks and dragon dance to prevent themselves from hearing Kris' celebration in the Buzz. :)

Another is Pacquiao's series of great fights this year. Hopefully Floyd Jr. runs out of alibis and finally decides to fight a real man later this year. I still hope the fight of the century will still push through.

Elections this year will be unprecedented. Automation it is. I hope they tested the computers from the Millenium bug and the "I love you" virus.

A lot of sequels will be showing this year as well, one of the biggest being Iron Man's second outing. A lot more adaptations will come like the Thundercats, the A Team, Silverhawks, and Voltron! I hope they also adapt cartoons like Sky Commanders, Bravestarr, Visionaries (Kinghts of the Magical Light), He Man, or top-rating Video Games like Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty, Assasins Creed, or God of War.

I just need to keep myself busy and focus on the true reason for me and my lady's 1-year separation: prepare myself for our big big adventure.

"Wag kang aayaw! Think positive!" --Robin Padila, Revicon

---------------------------

Trivia: Ateneo's real name in 1859 was Escuela Municipal, when this public school was given management to the Jesuits. It was renamed in 1865 as Ateneo Municipal de Manila when it started offering secondary education.

Tac Returns! 2009 Edition

It's good to see good friend going back to their home country! Once again, my good friend Tac is back in town, preparing for his grand return to the country as an expat (in his own country)! Tac's currently connected to a BPO company that is planning to acquire one of the local companies and set up operations here in the country. This is a sign that the Philippines has not lost its competitiveness in the international BPO industry. Good news indeed!

Good thing the gang was able to convene and we gave Tac a good bienvenida and despidida dinner. He was just here for two weeks. We were not able to meet that often because of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. Still, we were lucky to have had dinner on his last day.

Present were Juaqui (congrats bro!), Mitch A., Eli, Jayvee, Bubbles and Me

See you in January as an expat, bro!

Mabuhay ang mga dalubhasang Pilipino!

Guerrero - Lee Nuptials

On December 1, 2008, for the second time this year, we have witnessed a barkada depart from the realm of singlehood and partake a new journey into married life. Our good ol' pal Boomie Guerrero was married to Janis Lee at the Chapel on the Hill, Nasugbu, Batangas. We had a fun fine dining at the Splendido, Tagaytay. Many thanks to Boomie for inviting us. The attire was coat and tie and it was good to see the barkada donning their signature suits and ties. :) Boomie wore an Indian/ Chinese inspired coat, while Janis wore a simple but ultra cute long dress. Unorthodox for a wedding dress, but equally gorgeous.

Early Birds. 1:30pm pala ah!


While Waiting for the Bride

As expected, we had a great great time! The ceremony was simple, solemn, and tearfully joyful. We had the chance to see Boomie's soft side as Jan walks down the aisle! Kit turned out to be the best man! Good thing we arrived early so he was able to make the necessary preparations.

Groom and Best man

The Boys with the Groom

Everybody Happy

The view from Splendido was indeed, splendid! The reception had an asotea overlooking the Taal Volcano! And the food, terrific! We enjoyed the Paella, Osso Bucco, Grilled Mahi-Mahi, Vegetables in Cream, plus appetizers shanghai spring rolls and baked mussels. The soup was also good and the salad had a series of great-tasting vinaigrettes and dressings! We had a fantastic night.

Splendido!

We were fortunate to have our picture taken with the greatest Filipino Basketball mentor of all time, Boomie's grandfather, Coach Baby Dalupan.

The great view of Splendido


Beatles Photo

Bhonny and I had a jamming session with the performer Tribe of Levi. We sang "Englishman in New York." And the crowd roared. hehehe

We were able to get cheap accommodation from Tirona Hotel, just a few steps away from the Tagaytay rotonda. We just stayed in the hotel, drank beer while Eli and I grilled Eli's liempo contribution, and we played bowling via Wii all night! Bhonny was the sole survivor in the pamorningan Wii session. He slept at around 4 or 5am!

My Congratulations to my good friends Boomie and Janis. Now who's next? :)

Yes! Magazine November 2008 issue

Finally! After year of seemingly endless dreaming of being in a printed material, I was able to be seen in the country's most widely read magazine! hehehe Thanks to my affiliation with the country's most eligible bachelor and one of the world's sexiest men (along with yours truly! hahaha), Dingdong Dantes, our 1998 Ateneo High School Class Picture was part of Dingdong's clipboard page of past pictures. This just shows that his Ateneo High School education is one of his most cherished memories.

Don't we all agree, AHS people around the world? Nothing beats the fun, laughter and friendship of high school. Majority of my most trusted friends come from my class in high school. And of course, we develop all the initial networks from our high school classmates from way back. In fact, in most organizations and government positions in the country, we can see colleagues who were former high school classmates. Indeed, the bond and the camaraderie of high school is probably the most nostalgic, most remembered, most valued of all levels of school. :)

It's quite difficult to see me in this picture. I was the one seated on the bench, rightmost. Luckily I wasn't cut off. :)

A little backgroudn on the photo: This was our wacky shoot during our 4th year high school class picture. Apprently, our longing for a high school uniform (AHS had no uniform before, only a collared-shirt requirement) made us decide to try out uniforms from our sister schools (or our sisters' schools?!). No offense, discrimination, insult, or pun was intended in this photo. It was simply meant to add a little fun to our usual boring formal class pictures. :) Unfortunately, the picture was pulled out from our order list because some factions of the school found it quite offensive. And as expected, we were heavily scolded by our principal. So this hard print from Dingdong's "baul" of pictures is one of the very few pieces that were printed. Wow! Collector's item!

Here's the latest picture of us now. Still wacky and fun as ever.

To my AHS 4F98 friends who are reading this, buy a copy now! And to my avid fans, buy a copy as well! hehehe.

Thanks to my man Mike for scanning the magazine. http://traveller23.multiply.com/journal/item/10?mark_read=traveller23:journal:10&replies_read=12&goto=12#reply12

Cheers!

Bonfire Reunion

It was a reunion of sorts for the recently concluded Ateneo Bonfire ceremonies, in celebration of championships of the Senior, Junior and Grade School Basketball, Ladies' and high school swimming. Amidst the drenched Bellarmine field, Ateneans from all over not just celebrated with the teams, but also reunited, reminisced and rekindled with their grade school, high school and college friends, classrooms, and tambayans. I was lucky to be in the company of three of my 4F friends, Odin, Jayvee and Bhonny (in photo).

Being a subtly rabid Blue Eagle fan, I purchased an incredibly expensive championship jersey from Adidas. I just thought, what the heck?! It only comes once every several years. :) But what if we go back to back? Then I'd have to save up for another P895 worth of shirts. Hopefully, inflation won't affect the shirt price that much.

We stayed until Parokya ni Edgar played. As usual, they played their all-time favorite hits Buloy, Halaga and Inuman na. In the middle of their songs they uttered hilariously funny spiels about Ateneo, about Darius' La Salle roots, and about Buwi's apathy towards the UAAP (Galing daw kasi ng OB montessori si Buwi kaya walang pakialam).

After staying there for a few hours standing in the sidelines of the Bell field, I realized that the main reason I went to the bonfire is not just to cheer for the champion teams, but to go back and cherish the good ol' days when all seems so simple and so much fun.

Congratulations to the 2008 UAAP and SBP Champions! Halikinu!

UAAP Season 71 Champions!

Photo courtesy of http://www.philstar.com/.

Finally! After 6 long years of drought, the Ateneo Blue Eagles recaptures the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship, sweeping the highly-competitive De La Salle Green Archers in Season 71's finals. This time, it was Chris Tiu who carried the team to victory with 16 points, the team's best. Due to foul troubles, Season MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini was constrained in the bench. This lead to surprise performances from backup big men Jobe Nkemakolam and Mike Baldos, who got 8 points each. Jai Reyes provided the game turning point with a slashing layup a little more than 3 minutes to go in the game! Rookie Ryan Buenafe showed that the Ateneo dynasty is on the way, exuding poise and excellence in the series.

This year's championship series proved that in basketball, there is really truth in the saying "the best offense is defense." This was shown by the 2008 Best Defensive Player Severino "Nonoy" Baclao, as he took away the Finals MVP. He gathered a whopping 5.5 blocks, alongside 6.5 points and 8.5 rebounds! His defensive performance this season will be unforgettable, especially with his crucial rejection of Rico Maierhoffer's shot! And the best part is that he showed sportsmanship by publicly apologizing to Rico for his taunting. Truly a man of Ateneo character.

I gotta give it to the De La Salle Green Archers. They showed they had the heart of champions and despite apparently having less talent and height this year, they gave the Blue Eagles a good competition. They defended their championship well.

It is just sad to see unsportsmanlike gestures from the other team. After the game, nobody from La Salle went to the stage to get the first runner-up trophy and medals. Coach Franz Pumaren uttered sharp words to the bad officiating. Well, probably it's just one of those very Filipino traits of "walang natatalo, meron lang nadadaya."

I was not at all happy for Rico's ouster. That way, La Sallians would have another alibi for their loss. :)

For now, Ateneans would have to enjoy its one year of bragging rights. :) Better luck next year, La Salle.

Go Ateneo! One Big Fight!

One step closer...

With the help of MVP-to-be Rabeh Al-Hussaini's dazzling display of basketball elegance, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are one step closer to getting the highly coveted UAAP Senior Men's Basketball Championship!

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch it live in the Araneta Coliseum. I was too lazy to fall in line for hours in Araneta or the Blue Eagle Gym, and was I not stupid to buy those thousand-dollar tickets originally priced at 70 pesos! So I just decided to watch the game at home, with a few bags of chips and bottles of cold beer.

With Chris Tiu glued to the bench due to foul trouble, somebody needed to step up his game. Fortunately, Jai Reyes and Rookie Phenom Ryan Buenafe were in perfect playing form. Both scored doubles figures early in the game. This is alongside Rabeh's 31 points, which gave Ateneo a 69-61 win over the defending champions, The De la Salle Green Archers.

We need one more win to regain the campionship after 6 years. We're a step ahead, but the challenge is even greater. If I recall correctly, in 2006, Ateneo was a game ahead of the UST Growling Tigers series after Doug Kramer's miracle shot 1.6 seconds to go in the game. UST later on took the title after winning two straight. I just hope that this will not happen again.

I suggest that we end this on Thursday! Go Ateneo!

--------------

Just a look-alike trivia. James Mangahas sort of looks like the acclaimed comedian/professor Ramon Bautista. :)

We're going to the Finals!

Finally, the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles once again takes a trip to the Finals of the UAAP Men's Basketball Division. It will once again test the coaching power of Norman Black, who was tested once during the 2006 blowout to the UST Growling Tigers.

It's ticket-hording time again for our beloved scalpers as they will probably hit big on Sunday because it will be another epic battle of the Eagles against its long-time arch-rival, the De La Salle Green Archers. Playing with heart and full of energy, the Green Archers are planning to defend their championship against the seemingly invincible lineup of the Blue Eagles.

The Eagles are planning to regain its glory after 6 years of championship drought. The last time they claimed championship was in 2002, when the Blue Eagles produced top-caliber players like Enrico Villanueva, Wesley Gonzales, Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio. Hopefully, with the help of a superstar starting five and a solid supporting cast, the Eagles can reclaim the ever-elusive UAAP crown.

I just hope I get tickets for Sunday's Game 1.

Parang Kailan Lang...

Eto Kami Noon...

Eto na kami ngayon...



Bottomline: Ganun pa rin...

Mabuhay ang 4F '98! Maligayang 10 taon ng pagtatapos sa High School!

4F '98 10th Anniversary Reunion

Finally, the most controversial, notorious, multi-awarded section in the history of 4F came together to celebrate ten fruitful years after graduating from high school in 1998. Out of the 46 in the class list, plus a good number of former classmates and honoroaries attended, along with a few significant others and wives. Our Class Beadle recorded a total of 36 attendees (27 classmates and honoraries). It was indeed a gathering of the country's best and brightest.

The night was full of reminiscing, complete with props and sounds, thanks to the iPod of Carlo and Mikko. Because of Carlo's eagerness to play all songs in his repertoire, he needed to cut short every single song in his playlist...

There was even the awarding of Sun Chips to the accomplices of the infamous Sun Chips scandal, plus chanting the unforgettable "Weeeeeeehhhhhhhh" after uttering a corny joke.

Each group was well represented: the 4:30 boys, the Gobots, the Beatles, the Vatos Locos, etc. All of them with the aim of not only seeing their former groupmates, but to relive the fun and excitement of being a member of the most talked-about 4F in Ateneo. :)



Too bad we did not see a lot of memorabilias like Ron's Icarus shirt, Carlo's Atache Case, Jomax's bottle colletion, or classic class banners, but the stories and anecdotes sure were enough to complete the class' nostalgia. It felt like we just came back from a long vacation.

Some even took it like the traditional High School Class Night! The party officially ended at 8:00 am the next day! I wasn't there to until that time, though.

The group is now planning for a repeat reunion on December, to give chance to our classmates who will visit the Philippines for the yuletide season. I hope it will be equally, if not more successful than what transpired on August 29.

Attendance:
Javier
Reyes, JV
Reyes, JJ
Rivadelo
Arniego
Brigino
Dantes
Saavedra
Militar
Santos, J
Santos, M
Enriquez, J
Fernandez
Vargas
Henson
Del Rosario
De Jesus
De Dios
Cunamay
Canson
Changco
Gonzales
Ong
Itchon
Rodriguez
Zaragoza
Ynares

Cheers! Fouuuuuuuuuuuur F (high pitch)!


Thanks to Mikko, Dingdong and JP for making this event possible. :)


Sa uulitin...

Championship Calibre

Rookie superstars, sophomores with renewed vigor and spunky, and veteran mainstays who decided to make it better this year. This is what the Ateneo Blue Eagles is composed of this year, as the UAAP Season 71 Basketball begins this month.

Led by the hot hands of Veteran player-turned-TV host Chris Tiu, the Ateneo Blue Eagles indeed is one team to beat in this year's UAAP season. The loss of the Eagles' height due to the departure of big men Ford Arao and Zion Laterre was compensated by the improvement of their rising stars Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Mike Baldos and Nonoy Baclao, and the return of the erring Power Forward Jobe Nkemakolam. Ateneo also added more vigor, youth and firepower by recruiting highschool standouts Ryan Buenafe, Nico Salva, and Justin Chua. All these alongside the playmaking capabilities of Jai Reyes and Kirk Long, the speed and agility of Yuri Escueta and Eric Salamat, and the auspices of grandslam coach Norman Black. The Blue Eagles are indeed a team to beat in this year's UAAP Season.

The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles 2008 Lineup:

Chris Tiu

Yuri Escueta

Rabeh Al-Husaini

Severino Baclao

Mike Baldos

Kirk Long

Eric Salamat

Jai Reyes

Ryan Buenafe

Nico Salva

Jobe Nkemakolam

Raymond Austria

Justin Chua

Vince Burke

Mike Sumalinog

My fearless forecast in the UAAP Season 71?

Final Four: Ateneo, La Salle, FEU, UST

Championship: Ateneo vs. La Salle

Champion: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles

GoAteneo! One Big Fight!

And the curse continues...

My congratulations to the UST Growling Tigers for putting up a good fight and winning the coveted UAAP Men's Basketball Championship yesterday, October 2, 2006.

It is quite difficult to say that the Ateneo Blue Eagles will fight their way back to the championships next year, following the graduation of three of their star players this year: Miracle Man Doug Kramer, Royal Eagle Macky Escalona, and JC "The Rocket" Intal. Hopefully their new recruits would still put up a good fight. Halikinu next year to the future standouts Chris Tiu, Jai Reyes and Eric Salamat.

UST deserved the crown... They were composed all the way. But the Blue Eagles also gave a good show. All it took was one clean shot... 76-74...

Better luck next year (hopefully not in 10 years).

It only takes a second...

Need I say more? Probably it's the most written basketball "phenomenon" to date... Three lead changes in 24 seconds, and one game that will forever be remembered in the history of Basketball. What is there to forget?

For my personal purposes, let me refresh my memory. I was at the upper box B of the UAAP Basketball Finals Game 1 at the Araneta Coliseum. We were already seated and despaired after seeing Allan Evangelista take that supposedly game-winning basket with only four seconds remaining. My daw was already chatting with his seatmate, telling him that we should just look forward to the next game, which is on Thursday, September 28. I can see from afar Sen. Dick Gordon telling the crowd to keep their hopes up and signalling the Blue Babble Battallion to keep cheering for the team.

Then, that moment. The buzzer sounded and we saw the top three pointers of Ateneo entering the court, with Doug Kramer posting at Center. As Macky Escalonae received the ball from the dear referee, my dad remained seated as I stood up, still praying that my efforts for getting the ticket will not be for naught.

I was expecting that either Chris Tiu or JC Intal would get the ball from Macky. Well that was what the UST boys expected as well. As the play executed, UST left open the only non-shooter of the Ateneo five, that is Doug Kramer. His defender, Allan Evangelista, double-teamed Chris Tiu, who posted as decoy receiver. After that, I saw the ball fly towards the center of the Ateneo court, with Doug wide open. in less than a second, he caught it, and gave it a simple bankshot. Then, there was pandemonium. Ateneo won by a point, 73-72.

For me, it was the best play I have ever seen in college basketball. And it was the loudest Ateneo crowd ever. All we could say (My dad and I) in that moment was: YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! And the rest was history.

But I gotta give it to the UST boys... They fough their hearts out. Kudos to them as well...

GO ATENEO!! ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

Let me share an article I received over email this morning...

This was authored by Ateneo fanatic Enzo Flojo (HS
1999, AB 2003). Astig. One Big Fight!!! =)


The Game That Would Never End
A Tale of Two Teams

God really is the best scriptwriter in the universe.
Forget Bill Shakespeare. Forget Art Miller.
Forget Romeo and Juliet. Forget Death of a Salesman.
Game 1 of the UAAP Season 69 Finals was a certified
classic.
Two squads from opposite ends of the track?
One out to regain lost glory, and the other out to
prove it deserves its own legacy.
One with nothing to lose, and the other with
everything at stake.
One was unexpected, and the other was heavily favored.
Yet, the ironies didn't end there.
The UST Growling Tigers, seeded 3rd in the Final Four
cast, were eerily reminiscent of the last 3rd seed
that won the UAAP Title ? the 2002 Ateneo Blue Eagles.
After reaching rock-bottom in the standings with a 2-5
card, nobody gave UST a chance in hell to make the
Final 4, but still they managed to win 6 of their last
7 games to book a date to the Big Dance with Ateneo.
The Eagles topped the standings all throughout with a
10-2 slate and disposed of the stubborn Adamson
Falcons in the semifinals. Now, after waiting for 3
years, they have another crack at that illusive UAAP
crown. This time, however, they are not the underdogs
? the tables have turned and the Loyola-based
hoopsters are the odds-on bets to win it all.
The battlefield was a familiar arena and the last time
UST played Ateneo here they were waylaid 114-78.
Surely that wouldn't happen again, not if Coach Pido
Jarencio can do anything about it.
And so the cards of fate were dealt, the drumbeats
shook the Coliseum's very foundations and with 15,974
in attendance the Tigers of España and the Eagles of
Katipunan were on a collision course of championship
proportions.
TIU-rrific!
Chris Tiu has played with passion all season long,
displaying his best when the team needed him the most.
On this day, however, he would not wait for the game
to come to him.
He opened up the clash with a sweet 3-pointer from the
elbow that injected TNT into the Ateneo gallery. Looks
like things would not be so bad afterall.
That is until Jervy Cruz and Allan Evangelista of UST
combined to stay in-step with the Blue-blooded cagers
at 8 apiece with time down to 6:36 . The Tigers' hot
start continued with sub Chester Taylor chipping in to
peg the score at 13-9 in favor of Jarencio's wards.
Then magic.
Rocket-powered magic.
JC Intal stole the ball on the ensuing play and
coasted to an unmolested Slamma Jamma, which resulted
in the Blue & White fans erupting in ecstasy. More
importantly though, it started a 10-2 run, with 6
points coming from Tiu-rrific and punctuated by a Jai
Reyes buzzer-beating floater, that handed the lead
back to Ateneo, 19-15, at the end of the first canto.
Square One All The Way
The second quarter began splendidly for the Ateneans
as Doug Kramer, Martin Quimson and Jai Reyes
collaborated for a 7-2 spurt that built a comfortable
9-point bubble, 26-17.
That would be the biggest lead of the game. And it
would last for barely a few seconds.
In their last meeting, UST mercilessly controlled the
boards with their height and efficient box-out
strategy. In Game 1 of the Finals, things wouldn't be
much different. Using their rebounding advantage, the
Tigers clawed back and trimmed the deficit to just 1
at 29-28 behind the heroics of former RP-Youth
standouts Jervy Cruz and Dylan Ababou.
The following sequences featured an extremely
compelling shootout between MVP candidate Intal and
super sophomore Anthony Espiritu, with the latter
nailing a difficult in-your-face 3-bomb that tied the
count at 33. Past Juniors Division rivals Japs Cuan
(using a fastbreak lay-up) and Macky Escalona (hitting
two gift shots) ended the first half scoring at
35-all.
After the Blue Babble Battalion and the Salinggawi
Dance Troupe thrilled the crowd with their delectable
half-time displays, the guns were blazing again.
Wary of letting Ateneo have another good start,
Espiritu and Cuan hit 6 and 4 points respectively in a
10-5 blast that handed the former Glowing Goldies a
5-point cushion at 45-40. After a Blue Eagle timeout
UST continued to hold the fort behind the steady hands
of Mark Canlas and Cruz, 53-48, further adding to the
anxiety of the Ateneo supporters.

Escalona had enough though as he nailed a pull-up
jumper to cut the deficit, then Zion Laterre collected
his fourth shot block of the game and Jainamite buried
his second triple to bring the Blue & White back in
the thick of things, 53 apiece.
No team would have a clear edge immediately afterwards
as Cruz, Kramer, Evangelista and Laterre all traded
twinners, in that order. After 30 minutes of
adrenaline-pumping action, both schools were back at
square one, 57-57.
MVP High
It was clear that somebody had to take control and be
accountable for the victory.
It was apparent that someone had to step up.
After a tentative start to the last period that
resulted in a 60-57 deficit, JC Intal made his
strongest case for Season 69 MVP.
The former Letran High School star rattled in 10
straight points on a variety of moves to give Ateneo
the upperhand at 67-66. Compounding Coach Pido's woes
were the foul trouble of his wards as Ababou fouled
out and Evangelista amassed his fourth.
He would get a shot in the arm though as Ford Arao and
Kramer missed wide-open gimmes underneath the basket,
prolonging the agony of the Katipunan faithful. Both
teams would trade baskets from then on as they set the
stage for a classic endgame windup, 71-70, Ateneo on
top.
False Endings
For one reason or another, the game just never seemed
destined to end.
In the consequent inbounds play, JC Intal managed to
tap the basketball and grab it with under 24.0 seconds
left. He landed squarely on the hardwood.
What should have happened was Intal would get fouled,
he would hit 2 free-throws, Ateneo would play good,
honest defense and preserve the win. Game over. Dinner
time.
But the referee wasn't that hungry yet.
In what appeared to be a very dubious call, a sideline
official tagged Intal with a backcourt violation. Boos
resounded, but he stood by his decision.
More to come folks.
After Jojo Duncil missed what was reminiscent of
Patrick Cabahug's "for-the-win" miss last week, Lady
Luck smiled on UST and gifted them with another
possession via Kramer tapping the ball out of bounds.
4 seconds left.
This time the Tigers knew what they had to do. They
handed the ball to the cool Allan Evangelista, who
dribbled once then threw a prayer over Kramer's
outstretched limbs.
Swish.
Bedlam for UST.
Silence for Ateneo.
Any fan wearing blue was shell-shocked after that play
as Evangelista made a proud pose in front of the Black
& Gold gallery.
What many assumed was that was it ? a bitter ending
for Ateneo. Game over.
However, as people always say, one second can make all
the difference.
Beaten Black and Blue
There are a myriad of stories explaining why Ateneo is
called the Hail Mary Team.
For what it's worth, the following events would
certainly be added to the lore.
Only one entity was powerful enough to save the day
for the Eagles with just 1 second remaining, but since
it was a Sunday (the 7th day), He was resting and
resigned Himself to just watch from a distance.
But I guess He was wearing blue that day.
The plan was actually very simple.
The game-long excellence of Tiu and Intal made them
targets.
So another guy had to step to the plate.
GOD chose DOuG.
After setting a pick for Tiu, he slid underneath the
hole.
Escalona, struggling for the first 39 minutes and 59
seconds, made the best pass of the day.
Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'm!
A stroke of genius from Norman Black.
A kiss off the window from Doug Kramer.
Another improbable win for the Hail Mary Team.
Brilliance
In the long history of the game, many moments of glory
have materialized.
A plethora of winning shots and career-defining plays.
That Sunday though, that game, belonged to Ateneo.
Sheer brilliance ? unbridled passion.
Home-cooking
And so, one win remains to be had.
One more game, one more victory.
Until that time though, we must hold our breaths?
And as for me I have to get going?
The dinner bell is tolling?
And I believe Lechon Baka is the main dish.
GO ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!

Ateneo- La Salle Goodwill (?!) Games, December 8, 2005

Joseph Yeo should shift career from Basketball to Boxing after PBA Commissioner Noli Eala reacted negatively regarding Yeo's PBA future. Commissioner Eala mentioned that after what happened, it would be more difficult for Yeo to enter into the Pros.

I don't know what's in Yeo's mind for doing such a cheap and ungentlemanly act. His action just added to La Salle's series of embarassment over the past few months since UAAP season. First, Manny Salgado's Cheapshot hit of FEU's Arwind Santos, then the Illegibility issue of Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian, now this...

Joseph Yeo should have been the first (if I'm not mistaken) Xavierian varsity player to enter the pros. Now, his chances went bleak because of this. His basketball career could end in shambles. And to think, he was only playing for a goodwill game. Playing in the pros could be worse...

Yeo should remember that in the hard court, especially when playing either in an amateur or professional game, you are not only carrying your surname, but more importantly, the team you are representing. What you show in the court reflects the image of the entire team. And for Yeo's case, it's the school's name that he carries. And he carries not just any other school, but one of the best universities in the country. And not to mention, he is from Xavier... His actions didn't only bring shame and embarassment to his name, but to his teammates, colleagues, professors, and the schools.

Competence and courage in the hard court should always be coupled with patience, humility, responsibility, and sportsmanship. Intensity is really a factor, but it should never ever get into your head. Attitudes like what Yeo has shown in the goodwill games last December 8 was unbecoming of not just a La Sallite, but of a professional basketball player.

I heard Rod Nazareno is currently looking for talents in his boxing stable. What I witnessed in the December 8 games is hope for our Boxing Team in the 2008 Olympic Games...

This is no hate entry... If I were to see an Atenean or a UP player act this way, I would also write about him... Basketball is a contact sport, indeed. But harsh game play and intense physical contact has no place in the hard court.

Better Luck Next Time...

LA Tenorio's last game with the Blue Eagles was phenomenal. However, his efforts were still insufficient to defeat the De La Salle University's Fantastic play in their Final Four match Last Sunday. He was on a high up to the end of the First half and garnered an early 15 points to top all players as of halftime. Ateneo held their last lead by then. What happened in the next quarter, to me, is still unfathomable. Unexplainable. Not to mention, disheartening. Ateneo, turned the ball over more than 9 times, giving La Salle around 16 turnover points. This game them a double digit lead by the end of the Third Quarter. And the rest was history. Ateneo lost to De La Salle, 57-74, for the third time this season 68. Last year was also an Ateneo-La Salle final four year where Ateneo lost their chance for a finals berth.

LA Tenorio gave his all last Sunday. He is worthy of praise for giving the Ateneo high spirits that day. However, basketball is a team sport. Without the efforts of other team members, they wouldn't really muster the win they deserve. From the way I saw the game, he was all alone in there.

I can't seem to fathom what the heck is wrong with the Ateneo players everytime they play LA Salle. I can't seem to explain why the Eagles were able to defeat the top team, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws who swept the Archers in the elimination round, but always fall short of expectation when playing with their long-time arch-rivals.

Blame it on pressure, I guess. It is really difficult to play in a crowd of 14,000, where mixed emotions unravel every minute. I think what the Ateneo Blue Eagles lack is the mental toughness to withstand these on-and-off-court pressure. It takes maturity, patience and temperance. And most of all, focus. I personally think that the Eagles are a team of highly-talented individuals. What they need is not a practice of agility, endurance and strength, but a practice of endurance of heart and spirit. In that game against La Salle, the Eagles did not win against La Salle. They lost against themselves.

Too bad LA Tenorio did not finish his UAAP career with a championship ring. But he's got a lot of talent and heart to make it to the bigger leagues. Probably by this time, a lot of PBA teams are already wooing him to join their clubs.

I would also like to give credit to the graduating Eagles this season for their respective contributions to season 68, for making the Blue Eagles one of the toughest teams this year. On the general perspective, the Ateneo Blue Eagles fell way above expectation. They were initially expected to be out of the final four after losing two games early in the first half of the elimination round. However, they managed to win seven-straight games as the league went on.

Coach Norman Black was terrific. Enough said.

Personally, I was frustrated and saddened by the Ateneo's eleimination from the final four. But I know that there will always be a next time... Until then, Halikinu!!!

Season 69, here we come!!!