200m Ahead

by Julia Victoria P. Alegre

With my family at the Universal Studios in Singapore

"I am a PSHS scholar, committed to the pursuit of excellence foremost in my academic life and later, in my service to the Filipino people, to whom I owe the gift of my education and to whose uplift I must dedicate my God-given talents and acquired expertise in science and technology."

At first, it was just a line in the Scholar’s Pledge all the students must memorize and recite every Monday during the weekly Flag Ceremony while holding up one’s right hand. I would look around and the person beside me would be diligently mouthing watermelon watermelon over and over again, a technique those who haven’t yet mastered the piece kept among themselves. And then, the teachers would say recite the Pledge wholeheartedly and so, with the take two, we would wholeheartedly repeat the Pledge (well, what we knew, at least) and for an added bonus, we’d keep our backs straight, our chins lifted high, and our faces exhibiting the respective facial expressions.

You see, this was how we started our week. And this was why we usually got scolded.

And then, as soon as the teachers would say that it was alright for us to go back to our classrooms, 50% would do so; 25% would get their bags from where they left it because they ran late; the remaining 25% would be lined up in the middle of the grounds to hold their take two of the Flag Ceremony.

Tardy is a frightening crime. Not only would a certain fee be deducted from our stipend, but we would also have to conduct our own Flag Ceremony. Who said that you could skip the Flag Ceremony and just saunter off to your classroom, a burst of applause escorting your grand entrance? Nope. Everyone has to do the Flag Ceremony. It’s either you begin it, or you’re taking the second round.

Another tradition during Monday mornings is the ambushing of the faculty rooms. Cause: submission of requirements done over weekends. There would be the constant questions of Where’s Ma’am’s table?, Do you know the answer to this?, Can I stay in here with the aircon?, and Isn’t it time for Homeroom yet?  The answer to the last question was usually no because the advisers were very considerate as to grant us the Homeroom period to do our last minute studying of the examinations promised to that day.

And thus would begin another week in Pisay, commenced specially with the teasing taunts of the teachers saying that the weekend had gone and yet another five days had come bearing lessons and exams we were yet to condemn and loathe. We then sat through lessons which really came from outer space. We had to endure the very interesting history of the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa civilization; how the atoms divide through nuclear fission thus creating a chain reaction that creates unstable quarks resulting in the creation of nuclear bombs; learn of Rizal’s girlfriends whom he left clichéd break-up gifts and poetries; memorize lines of computer code that will later materialize into very complex computer games that only a prodigy could solve; learn about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and argue about the arrangement and lack of certain needs; study the easy-go-lucky attitude of Zeus and the wrath of Hera’s jealousy that strikes his favourite pets; devise containers that will protect an egg from a four-storey fall that must weigh less than 10 grams; spot lichens on trees and learn about their difference from moss (for this could cause you your bonus point on the periodical test); remember that during default position, the trigger of the rifle always has to be facing outward; and solve for the values of variables using mathematical equations that purely make use of letters.

In a scholar’s life, that’s every day of his four—six, per the K+12 system—years in Philippine Science High School.

The outsider would think Pisay students are very studious. They spend their every waking moment thinking about their examinations and even burn the midnight oil just so they could learn the lesson before the teacher would even teach it.

Scratch that. In fact, scratch all of it. No matter how smart Pisay students were, they were still adolescents with the same dilemmas any teenage kid would have. They were still plagued by cravings for exotic food; they wanted their phones and laptops and tablets and other gadgets; they got homesick after being away from home after several weeks’ time due to requirements; they still got in trouble concerning love and loneliness and solitude and other emotional problems; they would run around, borrowing umbrellas and asking for sunblock to protect their skin from pimples and freckles and sunburn—and more.

The only thing that would set them apart from the regular student was that they were raised in an environment wherein the curriculum was more advanced and the expectations held for them were much higher. They were also tasked with the responsibility of giving back the blessing that had been bestowed upon them: their high school education as given by the Filipino citizens. They may choose a course from among the list of approved courses as set by the DOST (Department of Science and Technology).

Life as a PSHS scholar is very taxing. The first months as one pose as the adjustment stages. Later on, he slowly gets used to Pisay life, getting used to the requirements, the expressions they use, as well as the rituals that have been set ever since the founding of the campus. They learn to be participative, and competitive—traits that bloom from the teachers’ determination to engage their attention in the lesson at hand. And soon, as they progress to the next years, they start to treat Pisay as their second home. They know which food is good or not; they discover the tambayan spots around the campus; they befriend the guards and the JOs (Job Order employees); they memorize the spots to visit on days off; and they get used to life away from home.

I am a member of the Golden Batch: Batch Katorse or, as we are known in PSHS – IRC, the Black Scorpions. 2014 is the 50th year anniversary of PSHS and thus, we were dubbed the Golden Batch. We are proud—and unashamed—to say that we left Pisay with our names forever embedded within its walls and hallways. Katorse had gone through a lot of trouble but we also had achieved victories that will be forever whispered among the school corridors.

Basically, we are a headstrong batch. We are stubborn, mischievous, noisy, and makulit, but the teachers say that we are united. In all the troubles we went through, we always stuck together and repeated this mantra to ourselves: all for one and one for all. When one of us was at fault, we picked him up and apologized to the teachers altogether. When one of us broke through the roof and reached high enough to touch the stars, he bent back down and pulled us up with him. We remembered our own because we are who we will remember in ten, twenty years. When something in our lives will happen, it will be they who we will reach out to.

There were times, I admit, when we planned to give up. When bent over a requirement for hours, we would suddenly throw the pen away and exclaim in frustration, “I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE!” Lessons were difficult; requirements were demanding; examinations were hectic; the stress was too much for a bunch of teenagers. But during these times, we would still be able to trudge on mainly because we had our batch and classmates beside us. We would share notes, teach each other, give each other advice, and more. Who else could help you with your problems other than they who are going through them as well?

When it finally dawned on us that we were graduating from Pisay, we realized what an experience it had been. From the time we first met each other in first year, to our antics in our field trips. We reminisced the teachers who had left, and the marks they left in our hearts. We reached out to our teachers in fourth year, the teachers who sent us off and waved us through the red carpet on that fateful day.

We all promised that no one would forget. We won’t forget our back-to-back Intramurals and Battle of the Band triumphs. We won’t forget that public apology by the grounds. We won’t forget that teacher who laughingly proposed Black Scorpions as our batch name. We won’t forget the ice cream that enraged an extremely patient man. We won’t forget the time that guy jumped off a moving jeep. We won’t forget that moment when our batch banner was proudly thrust into the sky, of when the batch athletes ran around the court announcing our victory.

We won’t forget the time when we flung our caps toward the gymnasium ceiling, laughing and crying and hugging and shouting and singing the words we never thought would cause us such sadness, longing and joy even days, months, and, most likely, years later.

There was once a place called Pisay.

I am a Black Scorpion. I am proud to be a part of the PSHS family.

And this is why I will never forget Pisay.



About the Author

Julia is the firstborn child of Sonny Alegre Jr and Elma Ponce of San Ramon.  Sonny and Elma are blessed with 3 smart kids who are all academically-gifted.  

Julia is a member of Batch 2014 of the PSHS (aka Pisay) - Ilocos Region Campus in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur.  Julia is now in her freshman year studying BS Biology in UP Baguio.  

Gio, Julia's younger brother is also a Pisay scholar at the same campus and is now in Grade 8. Katrina Alexandra, Julia's youngest sibling who is a Grade 5 pupil at St. Paul, will be joining the International Math Competitions in Singapore on August 1-4, 2014.

Julia's family is truly blessed - her first cousin, Jel Bridgette Ponce Upano (daughter of Florfina Ponce) was also a Pisay scholar and graduated from the same campus in 2012. Jel is now pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree in UPLB.

As a way of giving back, Julia and Gio tutored (for 2 straight weeks) the top Grade 6 pupils of Magsingal for the Pisay Entrance Exams (a project of the Rotary Club of Magsingal).  They are hoping that more kids from Magsingal will have the Pisay experience.