"ANIM OH ATENEO!" - The Fellow-SIX of the RING.

Awaiting the sixth

What is it with men and basketball? The wife of my friend once said “don’t you get tired of watching basketball? Friday, Saturday, Sunday and weekdays all you do is watch the same sport!” Some people just don’t understand it.  A lot of people say that it’s a world wide phenomenon but for me its something that started almost thirty years ago when i was a freshman in High School.  First I fell in love with the Ateneo Blue Eaglets who at that time were coming off a second place finish in the 45th season of the UAAP. Eventually the Eaglets would win four straight junior UAAP titles, all of them in my 4 years in high school.  After four seasons watching the Blue Eaglets, I eventually moved on to become one of the most ardent fans of their Seniors counterparts – the Blue Eagles.

Anim-OH

Twenty five years has passed and the result was eight seniors crowns and ten juniors titles to which  most i witnessed  happen.  At the same time I have become friends with a lot of Blue Eagles and more importantly, the core of our barkada who I went to watch the Blue Eagles then are still alive and kicking in supporting the Men in Blue.  Like what we always say, this is the tradition that we were immersed to when we were teens and this is now what we carry on and pass to the next generation of Ateneans.

Whenever me and my friends get together, the never ending topic thru the years is who is the King Eagle for the year. This decade we are very lucky to have lots of them specially now that the Ateneo team has so many fans who are not Ateneans which was caused by the fact that the UAAP games are shown on tv. There’s Chris Tiu, Rabah AL-Husaini, Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva and lately its a consensus that the Blue Eagles top man is Kiefer Ravena. Teaming up with Kiefer is someone who has the same basketball IQ and will definitely play big this year,  the 2010 UAAP Finals MVP Ryan Buenafe.  We had the rare opportunity to talk to Ryan as our barkada gave him a send off for his last playing year.  It was a nice opportunity to hear the latest stories about the team, the coaching staff and the preparations for this season. In the past season, our barkada was always seen eating at the Adriatico restaurant after every game at the Araneta Coliseum. Ryan and at times some Blue Eagles would always pass  by to share some laughs.  

Six is it

This season, the Blue Eagles are not favored to win it all. But to the team, what is on paper does not necessarily translate to the heart and soul of the team. Backing up Kiefer and Ryan are our bigs, the vastly improved Frank Golla, the comebacking JP Erram and former Youth campaigner G-Boy Babilonia.  Kris Porter will sit out this year because of his knee problems and former Blue Eaglet Ivan Enriquez will take his slot, there is also rookie Vince Tolentino who will be around to contribute while the wings will be covered by often injured Gwynne Capacio, the vastly improved Von Pessumal and the second coming of Mr Excitement – Chris “Awesome” Newsome.  The guards will be led by a 5-peat seeking Juami Tiongson, the defensive demon Nico Elorde, the much improved Isaac Lim Team B call ups Earl Murphy and Fran Asuncion and rookie three point specialist Anton Asistio. The team is a mix of battle tested veterans and just the right up and coming players who will be able to contribute just enough for the team.  In the UAAP Press conference the Blue Eagles were seeded sixth which to the fans is an insult but to the Coach is a challenge.  Coach Bo Said, whatever happens the Ateneo community demands a lot from  me to excel this year. 

This is what we still do in during the games

Favored to win it all this year is the National University Bulldogs who will have 2 time MVP Ray Parks, mythical 5 selectee Emmanuel Mbe and a solid supporting cast that includes another African player Alfred Aroga. The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers still have the troika of Jeric Teng, Karim Abdul and Aljon Mariano. The University of the East Red Warriors have one of the best point guards in college Basketball in Roi Sumang and a beast in middle with Charles Mammie who will be backed up by old reliables in Chris Javier, JP Noble and Lord Casajeros.  The Far Eastern University Tamaraws on the other hand will parade a new coach in Nash Racela who is tasked to make RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo produce good music together. The DLSU Green Archers who made a lot of noise during the off season has become badly depleted that they just submitted a 13 man line up for this season.  Leading the Archer’s  is the slippery LA Revilla,the sweet shooting Almond Vosotros, rookie of the year Jeron Teng and big men Arnold Van Opstal and Norberto Torres. To wrap things up, the UP Fighting Maroons had a lot of veterans leave but are optimistic with their new acquisitions.  The Maroons will have Center Chris Ball to lean on while the comebacking Sam Marata will most probably be the focal point of their offense.

Good luck..bring the sixth

There are teams that play hard, play with pride and play with heart. What separates the Blue Eagles from all their counterparts is that all of them have all those qualities which eventually translates to wins and hopefully another Bonfire in Katipunan.  This year, the "felllow-SIX" of the ring for a  six- peat is quite harder for this team, its even harder than the 2010 conquest but as Ryan said it is doable and not impossible, they just have to believe in themselves to will it to happen.  To my barkada, its the UAAP season once again, let the ticket hunting begin. Good luck to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, we are still belieVIng that we will win it all and we pray that at the end of the season we will all be cheering ANIM-OH ATENEO!

STI signs MOA with PSC

“There will come a time that our athletes will retire from the sport they love and will no longer be fit to compete. That is the time that the value of an education comes in.” This was what the STI Education Services Group Inc. President and CEO Mr. Monico V. Jacob said to the media after presenting the Ten Million Peso scholarship grant that STI College will be giving to the Philippine Sports Commission.

 This aid is in support of National Athletes who are in the PSC’s pool but are unable to secure a good education because of their financial status.  Mr. Jacob thanked the Honorable Chairman Richie Garcia for the opportunity to serve the country as the Official Education and Technology Partner of the Philippine Sports Commission.  At the same time, Chairman Garcia expressed his heartfelt thanks to the STI Education Services Group for renewing their commitment to help Philippine athletes.  It was in 2004 when STI and the Philippine Sports Commission started this partnership but unfortunately after some changes in the PSC some athletes forgot the aid. Through the efforts of the PSC, the partnership was once again renewed and now deserving national athletes can avail of a four year college course.

Back in 2004 it was STI that set up the computer network infrastructure of the PSC and is again committed to support the PSC by helping out their employees.  The partnership also included discounts for PSC employees and their dependents. At the same time, STI is also committed to help out in training PSC employees who are not that skilled with regards to computers and information technology. STI will set up training sessions to help PSC employees improve their skills and knowledge in computer related topic. 

Also present in the MOA signing were PSC Commissioner Mr. Wigberto Clavecilla  and former national athlete Akiko Thomson – Guevara who is also one of the Commissioners of the PSC. STI’s Executive Vice – President and Chief Operating Officer Mr. Peter K. Fernandez and Vice – President for Communications Mr. Elbert L. de Guzman were also there to witness the MOA signing. 

Heat win back to back NBA titles

The Big 3 celebrate

In the NBA there are two kinds of fans, the Miami Heat fans and the Miami haters.  Unfortunately for the Heat most of the hatred of their team were brought to Miami by their leader – LeBron James.  James decided to take his talents to South Beach after feeling that his team then, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have a long hard time to surround him with the talents needed for an NBA title which to him is the ultimate goal in playing in the NBA. By transferring to Miami his quest for an NBA ring suddenly became legitimate once again and after learning a lot from another frustrating title run in 2010, LeBron eventually got his second ring today as the Heat finally put an end to the gallant stand of the San Antonio Spurs in game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals 95- 88 to win the both the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Le Bron put aside all the negative vibes hurled at him, focused and led the Miami surge with 37 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals as he bagged his second Bill Russell trophy  to cap his scintillating NBA Finals finish.

 Wade stuffs it in

 James teamed up with a resurgent Dwayne Wade who came out with a double -double performance as he scored 23 points and also got 10 rebounds.  The two other bright spots on the Heat’s surge was the play - off seldom used Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers. Battier sank 6 for 8 from beyond the arc to contribute 18 points while Chalmers outdid Spurs point guard Tony Parker by scoring 14 points. The only missing link in the Heat trio was Chris Bosh who went 0 for 5 from the field but pulled down 7 important rebounds had 2 assists and a block. Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem went scoreless too. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Kawhi Leonard chipped in 19 points and 16 rebounds. Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker added 18 and 10 points respectively.

Duncan vs Wade

The 2012 – 2013 version of the Miami can be described as a Team that never gave up and played better when they had their backs on the wall. In the second round they were stunned by the over achieving Chicago Bulls, in the Eastern Finals they were pounded by the Indiana Pacers and in the NBA finals they were on the brink of losing the title but just like the previous year, they found ways to get together and eventually win the game and eventually the series. In game 6, with 28 seconds left and facing a five point deficit, hordes of Miami fans left the stadium, the court was being cordoned off in preparation for the awarding ceremonies and the Spurs were on the verge of celebrating a fifth title when the worst meltdown in NBA finals history happened. Credit that to the Heat’s resilience who never gave up and found a way to force a game 7.

Bosh was a flop on offense

To the San Antonio Spurs, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Coach Gregg Popovich is a class on his own as he figured a way to stop Lebron and more importantly devised innovative sets to be able to have his shooters come out shooting with guns ablaze. If there is one person who will always be remembered in this series it’s got to be Danny Green who has become the fourth weapon of the Spurs and is ready to take the spot of Manu Ginobli as a part of the new big 3.

LeBron went 5 of 10 from beyond the arc

Now that the season is over, a lot of teams will surely beef up their line ups for a chance to stop the Heat from getting a third straight title. The Pacers are a player or two away from that, Kevin Durant & Russel Westbrook will surely come back next year with vengeance, and don’t forget the Black Mamba. At the same time a lot of NBA stars will test the waters of free agency and a lot of trades will be done to be able to match the Heat who themselves need a  lot of tweaking to do in the off season.

Focus on the game and not what people say

It is a fact that a lot of people hated LeBron when he transferred to Miami. But for LeBron he would rather be criticized as a winner than praised individually but come out without  a ring.  After winning two titles with the Heat Lebron has proven his critics that he made the right decision. Unfortunately for the NBA he is only 28 years old and has lots of good years ahead of him. Who knows how many he will get when his career is done. For now, two titles will suffice and let’s congratulate the rest of the Miami Heat for helping Lebron achieve his dream for that is the reason he went to south beach, to be able to get the needed help to win. 


photos courtesy of NBA.COM

10 things to do in Boracay

Boracay is a place where I enjoy going back to year after year.  I honestly save up so that I can go back and  have a nice vacation after a year of hard work. Now there are a lot of things that you can do in Boracay but here are just ten things I enjoyed doing that I want to share to all of You.

Have your hair braided

This is something I would have done when I was in high school which was the last time I had long hair. Imagine having your hair braided for P 250 bucks! Well as they say they have thought of so many ways to earn a living in Boracay.

Get a henna tattoo

This has been a constant favorite of many foreigners and Filipinos a like who have the guts to get inked but would not want something permanent on their skins. The price of having one henna tattoo ranges from P 50 bucks to P 150 depending on what design you want.

Taste the yummy Crazy Crepes

Last time I wrote about Jonah's famous shakes. Now I think its high time I highlight the Crazy Crepe here in Boracay. I remember one branch making waves in SM North Edsa but did not last long so that is why when I am in Boracay I make it a point to have this in my list of things to do. Imagine at P 100 you can have a crepe with an ice cream topping. Pretty good bargain.

GO SNORKELLING

The last time I went snorkelling was around seven years ago when we were a big group that wanted to hop around and have fun. A good thing that we were around ten in this trip and booked an island hopping trip together with a snorkelling dip. At P 2,500.00 the trip was worth the four hours we were out at  sea. Just be sure to bring biscuits or bread when you go snorkelling because the fish love them.

Bury someone in the sand

This is something I miss. Everytime we went to the beach when I was a kid my siblings would bury me. Too bad pictures weren't as normal then than now. This time, the youngest in the family gets his chance to get buried.

Get custom made souvenirs

Every time I go to boracay i get one specific souvenir to help me remember and cherish my trip. I use to get custom made sandals. This time around I opted to have my name on the slippers i bought. Only P 350 and quite nice on the feet this one is another bargain definitely better and cheaper than getting havaianas.

Go Island Hopping

This is something I enjoyed back then. Packaged with the snorkelling, getting to see the whole boracay island and passing by some nice ones like Puka Beach and if possible the Island Cove makes your boracay trip worthwile. 

Buy coconuts from the surfer selling buko man

Now this is something that really surprised us and gave us lots of laughs. Near the coast where boats stop to snorkel you can see a man riding a surfboard selling coconuts. Three for P 100 would be much but when you are there it seems like you will definitely try it just for the laughs. A GO- NEGOSYO novelty.

Take Jump shot pictures

You can actually take jump shot pictures anywhere but the beach seems to be one of the best scenes to take one specially when the gals you are taking pictures of jump this high.

Enjoy a swim on the beach

Lastly, enjoy a swim on the beach which is the very reason why one goes to boracay. Dubbed as the best beach in ASIA, just being there makes me happy that from a guy who was used to swimming on gray sands has upgraded to the white sands of boracay. I hope my next trip will have another 10 things to do in boracay next year.

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul

I got invited by Tammy Mananzan - Dy Liacco

A weekend of fun by giving up some laughter and enjoyment of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. We visited the home for retired nuns in Paranaque city which was part of the St. Scho Manila High School Batch 1988's initiative to bring happiness to people of service. Pictures below.

One of their motto is caring for each other and helping each other out. Imagine the youngest of the Nuns taking care of them is already 68 years old.

I got to talk to one of the nuns who was already 100 years old. Some of them in their 90s and 80s.

Most of these nuns were former HS Principals and
School Administrators of various schools

St. Scho Manila HS Batch 88

The Older Sisters with the Younger Sisters!

with the Gorgeous Kathy Concepcion-Carag

with the lovely Dra. Lally Lucas-Gogna

STI College 2013 Commercial

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Inspiration of the Volleyball nation

Aga and Gretchen

Volleyball is on the rise in our country and one thing that made the sport’s sudden popularity is the Ateneo Lady Eagles which is easily the most popular Women’s team in the country. One can argue that the DLSU Lady Spikers are more popular but remember, they have been in the finals the past four years and it was only when the Lady Eagles became a contender that the San juan arena eventually played to a packed audience which eventually led to games at the MOA Arena and Big dome and in those games the Ateneo Lady Eagles were the main draw.

 

Gretchen with Coach Philip S.

If the Lady Eagles are the most popular team in Volleyball, you can credit half of that to their most popular player – Gretchen Ho.  Gretchen has recently been getting so much attention and giving the Sport of Volleyball a new face. Were you able to see her Safeguard commercial? Watch out for her because there will definitely be a lot more coming.

 The Lady Olympians with G.

 

That is why when the most popular spiker says Yes to an invitation join the team lunch of the STI College Olympians Men’s and Women’s Volleyball team, it is definitely something to be thankful about. I just don’t know if she knows how much she has inspired the guys who were there to have lunch with her.  Our team may not be the best or even far from being one, but one thing that these Olympians are is that they love the sport of volleyball. That is why Gretchen’s presence and the opportunity to talk to her gave these young volleyball lovers something to be happy about.

  The Men's team with G

 

As we bid Gretchen good luck to her career, we just hope that there will be chances to watch her play volleyball again. I just can’t imagine the UAAP without her.  Thanks for joining us and we pray that you inspire more kids to play volleyball with the same passion you had when you once played it. 

Wacky mode

STI College Santa Rosa wins 4th straight

Four straight for STI College Santa Rosa

Champions are not born overnight, they are usually a product of a lot of hardwork. That was what STI College Santa Rosa showed yesterday as they beat the upset conscious STI College Malolos team 69 -47 to win their fourth straight STI basketball Showdown title.  STI College Santa Rosa has lost three MVPs to graduation but this year a new MVP rose to the occassion as Mark Arzola showed the way for the Laguna based Santa Rosa cagers.  Arzola finished the game with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals which was enough to give him the MVP which was based on the tournament statistics.

Detubio scores

The Laguna based Santa Rosa cagers started out like a house on fire as they pressured the Bulacan based STI College Malolos team from the opening tip. The result was an 8 – 0 start for the three time defending champions.  The Santa Rosa team came prepared, pumped up and was more energetic than their counterparts.  The result was a 27 – 9 first quarter lead that eventually ended at 38 – 19 at the end of the first half as the Malolos squad came back with better defense and better ball handling in the second quarter.

MVP Mark Arzola sizzles for two

The Santa Rosa cagers also limited the high scoring mythical five selectee Alvin Detubio who averaged 26 points in his last three games with two of those against last year’s runner – up and their sister team, STI College Balagtas. Detubio always had a two Santa Rosa guards guarding him and had to bleed for the 18 points he produced.  Also contained was another Mythical 5 selectee, Guard Carlo Jimenez who was also instrumental in their final four run, Jimenez lead all players in assists this year.  The Santa Rosa guard rotation of Reb Maunahan, Ken Batiquin, Robert Salazar and Raul Guerrero took turns in pressuring the Malolos guards.

Carlo Jimenez of STI College Malolos

drives to the hoop

The game was never close as team Santa Rosa quelled every rally made by their malolos counterparts. This is the first time that the Santa Rosa team has won the title via a rout. Going back in their three clinching victories, Team Santa Rosa won by four, one and two points in the three years they reigned and now a possiblity of tying De Los Santos STI which won 5 straight is the next target of the hard fighting Laguna based STI College Santa Rosa team.

undergoal action

Voted to the Mythical 5 are Detubio and Jimenez of STI College Malolos, Paolo Andres of STI College Balagtas, Guerrero and Arzola of STI College Santa Rosa with Arzola getting the MVP plum. With the balanced scoring of team Santa Rosa, the organizers had a hard time selecting the MVP since there wasn’t a single cager who was head over heels over the others, everyong contributed their share with Arzola coming out as the most consistent in the whole tournament. Congratulations to STI College Santa Rosa.

STI COLLEGE SANTA ROSA (69)

Guerero 14, Salazar 14, Arzola 13, Ferrer 6, Maunahan 5, Caraan 5, Batiquin 4, Mamaed 4, del Rosario 2, Capacete 2, Sayao 0, Lizen 0, Fudotan 0, Almoro 0, Romero 0,

STI COLLEGE MALOLOS (47)

Detubio 18,  Jimenez 9, Sumeracruz 8, Cruz 4, Pineda 4, Marcelo 3, Victoria 1, Ecleo 0, Hernandez 0,

Quarter scores: 27 – 9, 38 – 19, 57 – 39, 69 - 47

18th NYC - Its fun to be in Davao City

Rounding up the southern Mindanao trip for the STI 18th National Youth Convention here are the highlights of the event that was held at the CAP Development Center.

STI College Davao's Allan Gonzalez 

welcomes all the delegates. 

 Mr. Rommel Gestopa 

hosted the festivities

ABS-CBN's Head of Social & Mobile Media 

Arlene Burgos  talked about conscientiousness

ABS-CBN's Southern Mindanao Anchor 

Paul Palacio invites students to become BMPM student patrollers

Ricky Bunag breaks the silence

 with his presentation

 The ever energetic Jet Nera 

unleashes the STIers X-Factors