My First Five

A John Lloyd Cruz line that said "Sabi sa census may 11 milyon na tao sa Metro Manila. Sa dami ng taong yun, paano mo malalaman na nahanap mo na yung taong para sa’yo? Ano kaya kung nakasalubong mo na siya kaya lang 'di mo siya pinansin? Dumaan na pala sa harap mo, pero yumuko ka para magsintas ng sapatos mo. Nakatabi mo na pala, kaya lang lumingon ka para tumingin sa traffic lights. Baka nandun na siya, humarang lang yung pedicab.

Sa dinami-dami ng tao, may mga swereteng nakahanap na, may mga naghahanap pa, yung iba sumuko na. Pero ang pinakamasaklap sa lahat, yung na sayo na pero pinakawalan mo pa. Pero paano nga kaya noh, kung isang beses lang dumadating ang para sayo. Palalampasin mo pa?"

For 29 long years, as the famous British band said in one of their song, I still haven't found what I'm looking for. For 29 years, I'm still waiting for that "one" to arrive. Will she come? or Am I just too dumb to think that there is no the "one" for me?

For 29 years, I have made mistakes in each relationship that I got involved to. I have failed and failed and failed, again. In each relationship, I always ended up alone. Why? Well, I don't know. Is it something about myself? or is it my partner? or the chemistry isn't just right? What causes us to always being apart?

All my life, I had 5 of the most beautiful, intelligent and loving woman in the world, but all of that relationships failed. Let me reminisce all of them.

The Dancer

My first came when I was 15. Right from the start, I know that this won't work. She's someone that my parents would not like because she's into other activities like dancing and she's not that studious as I may say. But for me, she's the one of the sweetest, most thoughtful person I've ever knew. It failed maybe because we were too young that time and doesn't have a sense of that love that will last. Well, to cut it short, she's the wrong girl, at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Currently, I have heard she already does have kids of her own.

The Sosyalista

She's from San Lorenzo Village in Makati. Well, all we know from there is either rich and famous. Technically, this "AD" (her initials) girl, we didn't have the chance to get on the next level, if you know what I mean. She's one of the "what if's" of my life. The only memory that I have being with her was the time when she invited me to her junior prom at the Manila Polo Club. I will never ever forget that night. "AD" is now a interior designer and based in Singapore.

The Co-Student

After 4 years of being single, "JM" came into the picture. We both attended the same course and we were classmates then. Just for the record, I already saw her as early as our sophomore year but we only got hooked up during our senior year. Well, to start off, she's the one that changed my life forever. She's the one that taught me the valuable lessons in life. Yes, she's just the third in my list but she is first in most things. At that time, my world would just evolve around her. But after a year and a half, that relationship suddenly failed. I was too depressed after that. I thought that I could never love again. That was one of my painful moments. I really didn't think that I could ever stand again. Luckily, I did.

The Social Worker

A year has passed and I already did moved on. I just finished my college degree and working for a business solutions provider company. Then "AR" came. She's very simple and down-to-earth kind of woman. She's a "cowgirl". The thing I like about her the most is that she does have a charity which helps less unfortunate kids in their studies especially when it comes to music. I love seeing her with kids and the feeling that I got is that the kids are attached to her too. We lasted for a couple of weeks but never really hitted off because of our busy schedule.

The Workaholic

Four years after the social worker, I met "CA" from a common friend. Well, I already know her because she became my batchmate during my college days. We just never had the time to know each other back then because we both have our own relationship. The thing I like the most about this relationship is that when we became an item, I felt a sense of maturity for myself. I always felt that this is something. I knew that this may be the one I'm looking for. Well, she never failed to live up my expectations. But I did. I failed to met her expectations to me as a partner in life. We almost got into the next level but all of that dreams have squandered.

After 5 relationships, I looked into the mirror and think. Some people say "One is enough. Two is too much. Three is dangerous. Four is stupid. Five is to almost die". Should I look for the sixth? and if I ever found her, what's gonna happen? That's the most beautiful about love. Loving is someone is the best feeling yet you're not sure of what's gonna happen. Not knowing is the excitement ingredient of that love.

On that John Lloyd line, where am I? Obviously, I am not that one of the "mga maswerteng tao na nahanap na". I don't know if I will end up like the "yung iba sumuko na". I will never know if I'm one of the people like "yung na sayo na, pero pinakawalan mo pa" until I end up giving up. But after 5 relationships, I came to realize one thing. John Lloyd would asked "Paano nga kaya noh, kung isang beses lang dumadating ang para sayo. Palalampasin mo pa? I would answer in return and say it with confidence in love - hell no. JMP

Champions

2007 was a big year in Philippine sports. A rising talent named Manny Pacquiao was whipping apart Mexican superstars Jorge Solis and Marco Antonio Barrera. That was also the year that another Manny, Manny Velez Pangilinan, fittingly known to the nation as MVP, became the undisputed leader of Philippine basketball. He formed the Gilas Pilipinas program in 2009 and ran in the same excellence and thoroughness used in all of his multi-million dollar endeavors. Finally, the basketball crazy Philippines was assured that what needed to do to get things right will be done.

August 2013 will go down as the biggest month in the history of our national sport. Helm by full-blooded Filipino Chot Reyes and a phenomenal group of assistants, the single greatest national team ever assembled put on a show at the Mall of Asia Arena that will never be forgotten.

Why have we so nuts about basketball for so long? Basketball has given us 50 years worth of magical moments within our shores. But in an international stage, we haven't really proved anything, yet. I mean why basketball? Haven't we always undeniably been too short, too slow and too un-athletic to compete internationally?

Enter Marcus Douthit. Our very own naturalized Filipino, 6 foot 11, 230 pound-beast bursting with talent. Enter the smartest and slickest backcourt tandem in the continent. A backcourt driven by the mind of Jimmy Alapag and fueled by the skills and speed of Jayson "Castro" William. And what ever we lacked in inherit athleticism, we made up for exactly the way we should always made up for it - with shooters. Lets face it, the 3-point shot was never really a weapon of ours. But now, it is a weapon of mass destruction. Long-range snipers capable of making opponents feel like  receiving actual semi-automatic gunfire from the sky and with a rainfall frequency that made monsoon storms in Manila world-famous.

Every major rock band and popstars that came over, from Aerosmith, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Taylor Swift to Lady Gaga. Everyone has said that Manila is one of the best places to perform because we bring the craziness everytime. Why we couldn't have the better homecourt advantage than the Boston Red Sox or George Saint-Pierre in Canada?

Of course, we were. Our Gilas Pilipinas tolled right through the tournament. And the Filipino faithful were there every step of the way. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Japan, Hongkong, Kazakhstan. We made a tidal wave of social media witticisms like Jeff Chan being Allan Caidic back from the grave even if Allan Caidic isn't dead. And that anxious moment where Marcus Douthit went down and I said "Thank God that dude looks like he have a third leg". Sandwiched right in the middle of visits of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, Gilas Pilipinas upstaged them both with a resounding battlecry that said - this is what witness history is really all about.

Then this happened. I've never seen 20,000 people cry at the same time, except for the time where the San Beda Red Lions ended their 28-year title drought. I've seen our local artist in concert and Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon. Yes, they made people cry. But this? This is different. Fans, celebrities, politicians, and the great Robert Jaworski, all shedding in joy with well-deserved tears. The image of a broken-down coach Chot will forever be etched in my mind. Twenty-thousand people standing and singing the words of "Noypi". A chorus that said "Hoy Pinoy ako, buo aking loob, may agimat ang dugo ko". That South Korea game was the most important game ever. It validated our half-a-century of basketball.

Now, as the most influencial Filipino boxer of all time comes in with two straight defeats, maybe pointing at the end of his spectacular career, a nation of 7,107 islands, built on the heart and resoluteness of 100 million Filipinos passionate about their sport and more passionate about their pride, need not worry that no longer existed of that universally epic enough to cause traffic and more than to temporarily die. Because every two years, at the Fiba Asia Championships, we can look forward to our basketball champions. The champions of our national sport. Maybe not first-place trophy champions but certainly, positively, unquestionably - champions. JMP

Fan Boy - Part III Beda Boys

After countless games I watched, I finally got the chance to get a picture of two of my favorite Red Lions.

With the Hammer, Baser Amer.

With Ola Adeogun. 

Baser was a little bit shy but Ola was so bright when asked if we can have a picture with him. He even made jokes like we should turn on the flash so that we can see him in the picture. What a guy! Thanks for making our night memorable. You will always be my favorite Red Lions ever. JMP

Illusion Yielded Into Reality

Just when everyone or at least every Letran fan thought that their Knights are unbeatable, the Altas proved them wrong. The University of Perpetual Help System Dalta Altas just turned an expected close game into a blowout, outscoring the Letran Knights as high as 22 points. The game ended, Altas leading the Knights by 14 points, 80-66.

(picture courtesy of Paul Mata, Interaktv/AksyonTV)

This game was supposed to be an acid test for the Knights, well, it really was. Although, Letran did have several down-the-wire finishes, I do believe that Letran's 7-0 start was mainly due to good scheduling and early pairing with weaker teams. Their last 2 assignments are the key and most important part. I believe that they needed to beat Perpetual to be considered favorites behind San Beda. And they failed, again. Cloud nine no more.

But the good thing for the Knights is that come their showdown against San Beda, they no longer have the enormous pressure of staying unbeaten and maintaining a spotless record. Their main objective on August 24 is just to beat the defending champs. JMP

Fan Boy - Part II FIBA Asia Special

Well, here we go again. College basketball is again rolling. But before I resume putting my insights, let me share some pictures I gathered during the FIBA Asia Championships. I'm so lucky to get some tickets during the Semifinals between our very own Gilas Pilipinas and South Korea.

Together with Coach Richard del Rosario. Founder of the Richard del Rosario School of Freethrow Shooting.

With fellow blogger, Sir Mico Halili. 

During the singing of national anthems.

After winning against South Korea and finally booking a slot in the World Championships in Spain on 2014. JMP